Tasty After-School Snacks Kids Can Make Themselves

Whether we like it or not, the back-to-school season is upon us and that means it’s time for parents to start thinking about after-school snacks too. Depending on your schedule, the kids may get home before you do, or you may have too much on your plate to deal with getting them snacks. On busy days, you’ll be happy you can rely on these simple after-school snacks kids can easily whip up themselves.

Understandably, you know your children best. So planning out after-school snacks they can safely make themselves requires your judgment. It’s important that you communicate with them so they know of all the dangers that lie in the kitchen and how they must behave to make their snacks safely. Once they are familiar with the rules, they can get to work making some of these delicious and healthy after-school treats.

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Peanut butter and banana on toast

This is a wonderfully simple snack to prepare, as all your child has to do is place a piece of multi-grain bread in the toaster, spread on a spoonful of peanut butter and add some banana slices. Make sure they know to never place anything metal in the toaster, and to be on the safe side, instruct your child to use a dull knife for cutting the banana.

Ants on a log

Keep a few three- to four-inch celery sticks in the fridge at all times. All your little ones have to do is spread some peanut butter on each stick and sprinkle on a few raisins, and they’ll have ants on a log in no time. You can also encourage them to try changing up the flavor by adding in some nuts, blueberries, blackberries, raspberries or sunflower seeds too.

Microwave popcorn

Keeping a box of microwaveable popcorn in the cupboard is an easy way to make sure your kids always have a quick snack on hand. Remind them to turn the bag away from their faces when opening it in case any late-blooming kernels pop out.

Yogourt and berries

This is a great snack, as kids can customize it just how they want. All they have to do is place a few spoonfuls of their favorite yogourt into bowls and top with berries of their choice. They can also sprinkle on a handful of cereal, granola, or nuts for an added crunch.

Veggies and dip

Kids love making choices for themselves, and that’s easy to do when it comes to veggies and dip. Keep a bag of chopped celery, carrots, cauliflower and broccoli in the fridge along with a couple of dips, such as hummus or tzatziki. They can pick out whichever dips they want as well as which vegetables they’re in the mood for. Let them know they can also help themselves to pita or multi-grain crackers if they’re in need of more filling options.

Avocado Toast

Sure, it may have become popular as a trendy millennial food but it’s also a great afterschool snack. Just pop in some toast and top with some mashed avocado, salt and any other toppings your little ones like to nosh on. If you don’t want your kids to use a sharp knife to slice the avocado, most grocery stores sell individual packages of pre-mashed avocado in the produce section.

Fruit

Fruit of all kinds are easy for kids to snack on — and incredibly healthy, to boot! Stock up your kitchen with apples, oranges, bananas, peaches, plums, grapes and berries. Make it an extra special treat by teaching them how to make fruit kebabs and letting them play around with the various flavor combos.

A version of this article was originally published July 2012.

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