Here are some easy tips and steps on how to prepare after-school snacks for your kids.
When kids get home from school, aside from being dirty, sweaty, and all that, they are hungry. So, they go straight to your kitchen, rummaging for food that they can eat. Usually, they eat a lot at this point, and when it's time for dinner, they can't eat anymore.
As parents, you want your children to have room for dinner while letting them eat after they got home from school.
Know the right timing
To know how to prepare after-school snacks, you also need to figure out your kids' eating schedules on a typical weekday. Some of them may have a snack mid-morning for younger kids, but most older kids won't. Figure out when is their lunchtime, what and how much they eat during their lunch, do they skip lunch, and does their school have after-school snack programs.
These things will help you in knowing how to prepare after-school snacks for your kids that will relieve their hungry stomachs and still have room for dinner.
A list of healthy choices
One vital step to keep in mind in knowing how to prepare after-school snacks for your kids is what snacks they would like to eat. Have a list of healthy options with your kids, and make sure that you include different kinds of fruits and vegetables.
Although a piece of cake or potato chips are no forbidden foods, they are low-nutrient snacks and should not be on your children's everyday after-school snacks.
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Making healthy snacks that are easy to eat
When kids are hungry, they look for snacks that are easy to eat, and that's one thing to take note of about how to prepare after-school snacks for your kids. Ensure that you make their snacks healthy and easy to eat by packing them in their lunchbox or backpacks or by merely having them visible and ready-to-eat at home.
Sometimes, older kids prefer to make their snacks, so make sure that you have ingredients prepared for them. For those nights when dinner is hours away, you could offer your kids a more weighty snack like a sandwich or a quesadilla.
Keep in mind that a good snack should take more time to eat rather than prepare.
To help you, here are some easy to eat after-school snacks to make for your kids.
- Easy chicken quesadillas
- Fruity popcorn
- Low-fat banana muffins
- Homemade hummus dip
- Pita bread pizzas
- Grilled cheese sandwich
- Egg cream
- Unicorn pop tarts
- Greek tortilla wrap
- Gluten-free apple oat muffins
- Buffalo chicken tortilla roll-ups
- Banana oatmeal cookies
- Gluten-free rice crispy treats
- Banana bread
- Ham salad wraps
After a long day of school and learning, kids are hungry when they get home.
Depending on their age and routine, parents might not always be able to control what food the kids eat in the late afternoon.
Read through these steps to help you make sure that you give your kids healthy yet yummy snacks that they love and that you feel good about serving.