When school lets out, you know that the children will be ravenous, which can lead to all kinds of unhealthy snacking before dinner. Help your kids satisfy their appetites and keep their blood sugars stable with some of these after school snacks waiting for them.
Trust me; they are going to love them!
Satisfy Their Sweet Tooth
If your child comes home with a low blood sugar, he will be craving something sweet. Unless they are dangerously low, try to steer your kid away from the sugar towards a snack that takes a little while to digest. Some great snacks to give them include:
- 1/4 cup of dried fruit and nut mix
- A small apple or orange
- 2 Rice cakes with a tablespoon of butter
- 1/4 cup of fresh berries
- 1/5 cup dried cranberries with one beef or turkey stick
Take Care Of Salty Cravings
Other times, your child may come home with a craving for something salty. Stop them from reaching for the potato chips with one of these tasty treats:
- Warm pita slices with 1/4 cup Spaghetti sauce for dipping
- 1/4 cup Roasted chickpeas
- 1/4 cup cream cheese with 10 crackers
- A handful of nuts
- 1 cup of light popcorn
Give Them Something More Filling
If the kids are really hungry after school and it will take a while until dinner is ready, you might want to make something a little more filling. These hearty snacks are more like mini meals:
- 1 cup of salad greens with a drizzle of vinegar
and oil - 1 cup of tomato, chicken, or vegetable soup
- 1/4 cup of tuna salad with 4 saltine crackers
- 1/2 of a peanut butter sandwich
- 3 Open face turkey melts made with cocktail bread
- 1/2 of a cream cheese bagel
Of course, you can get as creative as you like with after-school snacks. Or just have some basics on hand to save yourself time.
[expand title=”References“]
Healthy Snacks for Kids. URL Link. Accessed April 27, 2017.
Snacks. URL Link. Accessed April 27, 2017.
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