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Don’t let after school hunger stump you! Here are 30 healthy after school snack ideas that kids (and parents) will love!
Snacks. Sometimes it seems like kids live for snacks. It’s no wonder that parents often use snacks as a reward or a way to placate their children. Kids will do almost anything for a snack, especially if they see it as something they don’t normally get.
I don’t mean to say that snacks are necessarily bad. It really depends on what the snack is, right? Obviously a healthy snack is ideal. And it has to be a healthy snack that doesn’t look like a healthy snack.
Snacks = Fuel = Healthy Kids
According to Eatright.org, kids need to eat every 3 to 4 hours to “fuel their growing bodies.” I like that. Snacks=fuel. Growing children need 3 meals, plus a couple of snacks per day. The folks at Eat Right suggest serving healthy snacks that have protein and fiber, snacks that provide nutrition and energy.
I don’t know if everyone’s kids are like mine but I know that my kids don’t eat much during the school day. Not enough time, too many distractions, and not liking what’s served are the main excuses. When they get home from school, they are HUNGRY! They’re ready to eat pretty much anything I give them.
I’m always looking for healthy snack ideas and I bet you are too. So, here goes. I hope this list of 30 after school (or any time) snacks puts a smile on your kids’ faces. And we all know that smiling kids mean smiling parents!
Be sure to take a look at my after school snack board ideas, too, especially if you have a larger group of kids. It’s uncomplicated and very versatile. Kids love it (and you won’t need a fancy charcuterie board).
30 After School Snacks
Monster Cookie Energy Balls
5 from 2 votes
Healthier than a cookie, but just as popular, monster cookie energy balls are made with nutritious peanut butter and oats.
Watch your kids devour fresh fruit when they can dip it into this creamy fruit dip, made with yogurt and cream cheese. It's lightly sweetened and so delicious!
Easy to make and easy to eat, pumpkin dip tastes like pumpkin pie. Made with yogurt, cream cheese, and canned pumpkin, it's healthier and so good with graham crackers, apples, or pretzels.
A basket of warm tortilla chips made from simple corn tortillas, a light spritz of oil, and a sprinkle of salt is hard to resist. Serve them with homemade salsa.
Almonds have lots of nutritional value and these olive oil roasted almonds won't disappoint. Addictively good! Be sure to try my cinnamon roasted almonds, too!
These Parmesan crisps make a delicious low-carb snack, crunchy salad topper, or a pretty garnish, and you literally only need ONE ingredient to make them! The texture and flavor is so much better than store-bought cheese crisps.
Trail mix is a great snack! It’s portable (perfect for after-school events) and everyone loves it. Try one of my three variations or be inspired to make your own special trail mix.
With whole wheat flour, sweetened naturally with bananas and applesauce, this banana bread is a healthy snack or lunchbox treat. Top it with peanut butter or cream cheese.
Bakery muffins tend to be loaded with sugar and oil. Make your own blueberry bran muffins for after school snacks or lunchbox treats. They freeze well, too.
The ingredient list for carrot raisin muffins is packed with nutrition (carrots, raisins, bananas, applesauce, whole wheat flour) but they taste like a sweet treat.
Breakfast cookies are great for a quick breakfast, lunchbox treat, or a stick-with-you snack. They keep well, aren’t difficult to make, and you can easily customize them.
Bite-sized silver dollar pancakes are a fun snack that you can make ahead, freeze, and easily reheat when needed. Serve with normal pancake toppings or simply eat them like a cookie or with a dip.
So even our granddaughter is out of school but these snacks could work for anybody, anytime. My husband would definitely get on board for the cookies and I’m a salsa person. Granddaughter works at a pre-school and she has a bit of a drive home so she’s always ravenous when she gets home. The coolest thing is that she really likes to cook so I’ll pass these along to her. Thank you for the great ideas. And your daughter and son are adorable – definitely are brother and sister!
oh my goodness. . I love this round-up! Yes, my kids absolutely live for snack time. Trying the sweet potato chips and the olive oil roasted almonds. . yummm!
I love all of these!! I’m in my last year of law school and every time I come back from the law building I want to eat just about everything in my fridge. These recipes will be used well!!
Very good!
Thank you!
So even our granddaughter is out of school but these snacks could work for anybody, anytime. My husband would definitely get on board for the cookies and I’m a salsa person. Granddaughter works at a pre-school and she has a bit of a drive home so she’s always ravenous when she gets home. The coolest thing is that she really likes to cook so I’ll pass these along to her. Thank you for the great ideas. And your daughter and son are adorable – definitely are brother and sister!
Thank you so much for the kind comment! I’m glad you like the list of recipes.
oh my goodness. . I love this round-up! Yes, my kids absolutely live for snack time. Trying the sweet potato chips and the olive oil roasted almonds. . yummm!
I love all of these!! I’m in my last year of law school and every time I come back from the law building I want to eat just about everything in my fridge. These recipes will be used well!!
You always have the best round ups, Rachel! I love finding new homemade snack ideas for my kids. I have to try those sweet potato chips!
Thank you for sharing my recipe. I absolutely love your sweet potato chips, we make those a lot! :)