My kids get super hungry in the afternoon. That bewitching time between lunch and dinner where my kids start going crazy with hunger! And now that my kids are back in school, they come home ready for a snack. But I want to make sure it’s healthy to help them stay energized rather than slumping on the couch watching TV shows all afternoon. And I don’t want it to ruin their appetite for dinner. So I’ve gathered some great healthy after school snacks that your kids will love!
Healthy After School Snacks for Kids
CLIF Kid Zbars
CLIF Kid makes nutritious snacks from organic ingredients that are specially-crafted for kids’ developing taste buds and active lives. My kids love to play outside and a CLIF Kid Zbar® is the perfect thing to grab on the way to ride bikes with the neighbor kids. They aren’t messy, have great flavors, and are made with organic ingredients. My kids tried the iced oatmeal cookie and chocolate chip and both were hits! I also love how simple it is for me to get my kids a nutritious snack especially when they want something right away. We’re still working on patience. 😉
Along with their healthy snacks, CLIF Kid is encouraging outdoor play for kids. Balanced and active play lays the foundation for a skilled, healthy, resilient and successful society. Play is disappearing at home, in school and in communities. 70% of moms played outside when they were kids, 31% of their kids play outside today.
This summer we rented a house in a neighborhood while my husband was doing an internship. I couldn’t believe how little I saw kids outside playing! And we live in Wisconsin where it isn’t that hot outside. My kids would complain that there weren’t any other kids to play with. And I know lots of our neighbors had young kids. Tons of houses had play sets in their yards, but I never saw kids on them. Basketball hoops were on many driveways and I only ever saw one or two kids playing basketball the whole summer. It was sad and obvious to me that kids aren’t playing outside like they used to. So let’s change that and get our kids back outside! And hand them a CLIF Kid Zbar® on their way out. 🙂
Make sure to check out the CLIF Kid video about getting your kids out to play. Remember playing after school when you were a kid? Let’s get our kids outdoors too!
Green Smoothies
My kids LOOOVVVVEEE smoothies! And I love that I can throw in a handful of spinach to make it extra healthy and sneak in some veggies. And smoothies are so easy to make. All you need is yogurt, frozen fruit, spinach, water or milk, and I really like to add a spoonful of orange juice concentrate for a nice citrus kick.
Here’s a great recipe for a Peach Orange Banana Smoothie. Then just add a handful or two of spinach and your kids won’t even be able to taste it, but will get all those extra vitamins!
Apples and Peanut Butter
I love this simple after school snack. And my kids are more likely to eat the apples with the peanut butter on top.
English Muffin Pizzas
This is a really simple snack and your kids can help make it! Just grab some English muffins and cut them in half. Spread some pizza sauce (or I just use regular spaghetti sauce) over the top. Then I let the kids sprinkle on the mozzarella cheese and add their favorite toppings – olives, pepperoni, diced green peppers, or whatever your children like. Place them on a cookie sheet and put them in the oven at 450 degrees until the cheese is melted. About 2-3 minutes is all. My kids love helping make their own pizzas!
Frozen Yogurt Bites
I started making this for my babies as they started eating solids and seemed to always be teething, but I found that my older kids still love this snack! All you have to do is take a sandwich bag and fill it with yogurt. Then cut one of the corners and make little bite size drops of yogirt on a cookie sheet. Place the cookie sheet in the freezer and serve when frozen! These Fro-yo bites also look pretty tasty!
Energy Bites
I made some energy bites a few weeks ago as a good snack for myself and found that my kids love them too! I use the recipe from Cooking Classy which is really good. But I was counting calories recently and I noticed the coconut adds a lot of extra calories, so if you’re watching the calories, take out the coconut and add an extra 2/3 cup of oats. This is such a yummy snack and good for you!
I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.