After School Snacks

When students come home hungry, keep the learning going by teaching them about healthy eating habits.

Kelly, our Registered Dietitian, shows some simple snacks that will fill your kids up and keep them from added sugars, sodium, and preservatives.

Ants on a Log

• 1-2 celery stalks, cut into 2-3 inch pieces
• Peanut Butter
• Raisins

1. Spread peanut butter over celery and place raisins on peanut butter.

Snail Snacks

• 1-2 celery stalks, cut into 2-3 inch pieces
• Peanut Butter
• 1 apple, sliced thinly
• pretzels, broken into pieces

1. Spread peanut butter over celery and press an apple slice into peanut butter.
2. Place pretzel pieces at the end of the celery in the peanut butter, so they look like snail antennas.

Trail Mix

• 1 cups cereal
• 1 cup unsalted peanuts
• 3/4 cup granola
• 3/4 cup raisins

1. Mix together and enjoy!

Trail Mix Tips

Here’s a break down of different trail mix components and what each item will add to your snack. Happy mixing!

Nuts

• Nuts are loaded with healthy unsaturated fats, protein, fiber, antioxidants, vitamin E, and other essential vitamins and minerals.
• Whether they’re raw or roasted, go for unsalted, unsweetened nuts to keep sugar and sodium under control.
• Our healthy favorites: Almonds, pistachios, cashews, peanuts, and walnuts. Higher-calorie macadamia nuts, hazelnuts, Brazil nuts, pecans, and pine nuts are also good options in moderation.

Seeds

• Seeds provide many of the same nutritional benefits as nuts.
• Sprinkle a handful of pumpkin, sunflower, sesame, flax, or hemp seeds in trail mix for an extra boost of nutrients.

Dried Fruit

• This sugary treat can easily become a danger, so pay attention to the ingredient list and serving sizes. In moderation, dried fruit can be a great source of fiber, antioxidants, calcium, and vitamins A, C, and K.
• Look for dried fruit options with as little added sugar and preservatives as possible. It’s also pretty easy to make your own dried fruit at home in the oven.
• Our Favorites: Dried apples, cherries, cranberries, blueberries, strawberries, apricots, raisins, banana chips, and pineapple chunks.

Grains

• Add some complex carbohydrates to your custom blend for extra fiber, which boosts overall energy and helps to keep you full.
• Choose whole grains whenever possible and avoid highly processed cereals that add unnecessary sugar and sodium.
• Shredded wheat cereal, pretzels, whole-grain cereals like Cheerios or Chex, bran flakes, granola, toasted oats, puffed rice cereal, and air-popped popcorn can all add a little bit of crunch.

Sweets

• Sometimes we all need a little something sweet to round out the mix. Just remember to add treat-like options sparingly. Add a sprinkling of M&Ms, chocolate chips, mini marshmallows, or chocolate-covered nuts. Choose dark varieties for extra antioxidants.

Savory Extras

• Once the building blocks are all set, adding spices is a great way to change up the flavor a bit. Season lightly with sea salt, curry, ground ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom, or cayenne pepper.

Combinations

• Simple and Sophisticated: Almonds, dried cherries, dark chocolate chips, sea salt, cinnamon.
• Old-School GORP: Peanuts, raisins, M&Ms.
• Tropical Mix: Cashews, Brazil nuts, dried mango, coconut flakes, banana chips.
• Fall Flavors: Pecans, dried apples, maple granola, pumpkin seeds, nutmeg, and cinnamon.
• Savory Seeds: Almonds, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne pepper.
• Beachy: Macadamia nuts, white chocolate chips, dried pineapple, coconut flakes.
• Nuts for Nuts: Almonds, walnuts, peanuts, cashews, pecans, raisins.
• Chocolate Lover: Hazelnuts, dried cranberries, chocolate-covered almonds, M&Ms, cacao nibs.
• Monkey Munch: Banana chips, peanuts, almonds, dark chocolate chips, raisins, coconut flakes.
• Movie Night: Popcorn, peanuts, M&Ms, dried cranberries.

Kids always come home from school with an appetite, so make sure they have healthy options to choose from to keep their minds and bodies in shape for this school year.