6 Healthy After School Snacks For Kids
Are your kids finally old enough to stay at home alone after school for a few hours? Here, we’ve complied a list of 6 healthy after school snacks that you can easily prepare the night before or kids can easily prepare themselves right after school.
1. Apple Slices Dusted In Cinnamon
This is fairly easy to prepare the evening before. Slice up two medium-sized granny smith (or similar type) apples and drizzle with a squeeze of lemon – shake to coat (store in a large Tupperware container). When the kids get home from school get them to shake 2 tsp. of cinnamon all over the apples slices – then the fun part; shake – shake – shake; a great healthy and delicious snack.
2. Celery with Hummus
Celery is fairly difficult for a youngster to cut, since this vegetable tends to be rather tough. Celery is great to cut up the night before for them. For storage, stand stalks upright in 2 inches of water to keep them crispy; large coffee mugs work best for celery storage. You can also pre-portion the hummus to make it even easier for your kids. Hummus comes in a multitude of flavours, so experiment, as they are all great options for veggie dipping.
3. Warmed Applesauce with Toasted Almonds
Homemade applesauce is fairly easy to make when you have more time on the weekends. Check out this great step-by-step recipe if you have never made it before. Also, fall is a great time to stock up on farmer’s market apples, as you’ll be able to purchase them in bulk. Keep a stash of sliced, toasted almonds around so that your kids can top off their slightly warmed applesauce.
4. Zucchini Muffins
Have some extra zucchini lying around that you need to use? Check out this great recipe for chocolate zucchini muffins. PS: your kids won’t even know it has any zucchini in it (always a plus!). Here’s an easy recipe that’s simple enough to make, even on a weeknight. When your kids get home from school they can easily pop one in the microwave for 5-10 seconds to get the muffins back to their freshly baked state.
5. Almond Butter and Banana Pitas
This is super easy to make and if your kids are old enough to use a butter knife they’ll love this one. Bonus? No prep required from you! All your kids need to do is line the insides of a whole-wheat pita with almond butter, and then stick as many of the bananas on the insides as they’d like.
6. Cucumber Boats with Spiced Coconut Yogurt
This is a cute idea that’s fun for your kids to prepare too! Take cucumbers and cut them in half lengthwise. Then have the kiddies scoop out the insides with a spoon or melon baller. Set aside a pinch of salt, sugar, and cumin and mix into ½ cup of plain coconut yogurt. If you have never tried coconut yogurt before you’ll be pleasantly surprised! It has the same consistency as yogurt but the flavor is neutral without the aftertaste that dairy traditionally brings. Here’s the original recipe for cucumber boats.
We hope at least one of these quick after-school snacks have inspired you, as eating healthy can be easy for your kids.
