Healthy Afterschool Snacks and Activities

As my girls started 4th grade and Kindergarten this past week, I am working on trying to have easy nutritious snacks to hold them over until dinnertime and have fun activities to keep them busy when they get home off the bus.

I could go buy the boxed snacks (fruit snacks, chips, etc.) but I want them to get more of their essential nutrients for the day and be able to eat supper when I get home and not be filled up on empty calories. I did some of my own research and want to share some of these easy ideas from the Food Network I found:

• Unsweetened applesauce.
• Dehydrated fruits and vegetables (tomatoes, peas, corn, bananas, apples, mangoes, vegetable blends).
• Rice cakes topped with light vegetable cream cheese.
• Low-fat granola with low-fat milk.
• Toasted whole wheat pita triangles with light herbed cheese (such as The Laughing Cow).
• Cucumber boats filled with part-skim ricotta cheese and Parmesan cheese.
• Dried figs stuffed with light strawberry cream cheese.
• Watermelon wedges dipped in low-fat vanilla yogurt.
• Baked corn chips with fat-free black bean dip or warmed vegetarian refried beans.
• Baby carrots, bell pepper strips, celery sticks and zucchini sticks dipped in hummus.
• Sliced apples with cubed cheddar cheese.
• Cubed cantaloupe, honeydew and watermelon.
• Dried fruit (raisins, cranberries, cherries, mangoes, pineapple, apricots, and blueberries) mixed with nuts (almonds, cashews, peanuts, pistachios, pecans, walnuts).
• Whole wheat pretzel sticks dipped in nut butter.
• Graham cracker sandwiches made with hazelnut spread.
• Whole grain, low-sugar cereal with low-fat milk.
• Guacamole with baked tortilla chips.
• Whole grain crackers with low-fat cottage cheese and sliced (oil packed) sundried tomatoes

I also have been trying to put together some activities and suggestions they can do instead of TV and technology once homework is done. These are some of my ideas and activities my kids enjoy! Find things that your children like to do and have an activity box or area they can go and be themselves in.

• Box of Legos to build their own inventions/structures.
• Art supply box with various paints, brushes, colors, coloring books etc. (picked up most items at dollar stores).
• Flashcards to practice.
• Sidewalk chalk for creations outside (if weather and space applicable).
• Slime making materials—if you don’t mind a little bit of mess when you get home! 😉

Source: Audrey Rider, iGrow