If your kids are anything like mine, they come home from school hungry. Really hungry. Lunch was hours ago, dinner is hours away, and they need something that will keep them satisfied and provide some solid nutrition. So I rounded up two dozen healthy after school snacks–both from my blog and from the blogs of some fabulous fellow dietitians–that are easy enough to either make on the spot or to prep a big batch of and serve all week. Just click on each photo to get the recipe.
Healthy After School Snacks
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- Peanut Butter Chocolate Oatmeal Cups
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- Snack Platter
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- Double Chocolate Granola
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- Frozen Mango Yogurt Drink
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- Popcorn Trail Mix
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- No-Fuss Guacamole
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- Peanut Butter Shake
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- Stovetop Popcorn
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- Open-Faced Apple Sandwiches
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- Super Strawberry Yogurt Pops
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- Oats & Peanut Butter Granola Bars
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- Frozen Yogurt Bites
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- Blueberry Lemon Mini Oatmeal Muffins
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- Very Lemony Hummus
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- Banana Almond Butter Sandwiches
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- Frozen Grapes
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- Chocolate Dipped Apples
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- Avocado Toast
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- Almond Quinoa Energy Balls
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- Chocolate Peanut Butter Smoothie
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- No-Bake Energy Bars
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- Zucchini Muffins with Crunchy Sunflower Seed Topping
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- Dark Chocolate Mixed Nut Butter
What are YOUR kids’ favorite after school snacks?
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Brittany says
These all look so good! Great round-up! I don’t have any kids in school yet, but will still be making some of these snacks!
Sally says
Thanks Brittany!
Shelby says
These are some calorie turbocharged snacks here. What was the point of being all anal retentive over calories and meticulously slicing up all those carrot sticks and mango slices in the bento boxes if the kids come home to snacks like these. Why not just pack a more filling lunch for them in the first place and serve dinner at a reasonable hour for kids. That’s what I do. My kids are trim and fit and plenty full of energy without the snacking habit. Of course I don’t snack either so it’s not like my kids feel like they are being deprived of anything. With a properly balanced diet in adequate amount there is no craving for snacks. I can understand why kids get fat if they are shortchanged at lunch and pounding down snacks like these all afternoon and evening.
Anna says
I’m sure your kids are doing fine and nobody is saying your kids have to have an afternoon snack, but I don’t see why Sally’s (and mine) shouldn’t. Yes, snacking around the clock is a bad habit, but even in countries like France, where they’re very strict about eating between meals, an afternoon snack is customary for little kids. After all, a kid’s job in the afternoon is pretty much to run around like a maniac and climb trees and what-not, isn’t it? Calorie turbo-charging seems perfectly appropriate to me.
Also,I think for many kids dinner is too late to be able to eat much. My son won’t eat more than a bite or two at dinner, even of his favorite things, so I’ve taken to deliberately turbocharging his snack (e.g., an omelette or a hot dog) so that it’s pretty much a dinner.
Sally says
Anna–thanks. I agree, all kids (and families) are different and snacking works for some and doesn’t for others. My kids tend to not eat much at school lunch because they don’t have a lot of time and spend a lot of it chatting with friends. 🙂 So packing a smaller lunch works for them. We like to eat dinner as a family which means waiting until 6pm, and a snack at 3:30 or 4 is perfectly timed between lunch and dinner. We also have a household policy of only veggies in the hour before dinner so they aren’t too full for the meal. It’s what works for us. It might not work for everyone else. This blog is about giving people ideas. I really appreciate your comments!
Samantha @ThePlantedVegan says
What an awesome compilation! Can’t wait to try some of these out! Yumm!
Sally says
Thanks Samantha!
Alanna says
I cringe at the thought of what I used to snack on after school…it was MUCH different than these healthy snacks! Loving all of these!
Sally says
Alanna–oh gosh, me too! 🙂
Anna says
Thanks for these. I’m still getting lots of mileage out of your snack-platter idea of a few months ago. A new variant of the snack platter I’ve discovered recently (on Design Mom) was the idea of giving little bowls of small items like nuts, raisins, veggie pieces and letting the child spell out their name with them. My son ate a whole bunch of cherry tomatoes, green beans, cheese and raisins this way, and then exclaimed “This is the best snack ever!” I think I want to try your apple “sandwiches” soon.
Sally says
Anna–I’m so glad that the snack platter is a hit with your kids! I like that snack bowl idea too.
Meal Makeover Mom Janice says
Great snack ideas! Thanks for including our Super Strawberry Yogurt Pops in your roundup. And I agree that after school is a perfect time to add a good snack and good nutrition to a child’s diet.
Melanie @ Nutritious Eats says
The first thing mine do when they get home is raid the kitchen. Ha! I love love that you chose simple doable recipes to share. And thanks for linking to one of mine. 🙂
Gina H says
Thanks for putting these all in one place! Just found your blog by searching for nutritious snacks for kids. Will be sharing on my social media pages for other moms to see 🙂
Sally says
Thanks Gina! So glad you found them useful!
Emily says
Fantastic ideas! When I clicked on picture to see recipe it just says “pin it” but won’t show recipe. Any other way to see recipe? Thanks!
Sally says
Hmm–when I click on it (or double click), it goes to the recipe links. Can you try again and let me know if you’re still having that trouble?