After School Snacks for Kids, by Kids

When kids get home from school, they want something to eat and they want it now. Generally, the rule seems to be the sweeter the better, but you don’t have to totally give up on getting your kids to eat healthy after school snacks. Here are some snack ideas that will get your kids not only eating healthier, but also wanting to help out in their creation.

The classic kid snack is Bugs on a Log, which is celery sticks (log) with peanut butter or cream cheese, and raisins (bugs). This is an easy snack for kids to make themselves if you have the ingredients prepped and ready to go. Another fun critter snack is a rice cake with blue (food dye) cream cheese and goldfish crackers for Goldfish in a Pond. Kids love to make their own individual pizzas. Put a spoonful of pizza sauce on a piece of pita bread and sprinkle with your favorite pizza cheese. Make an assortment of fun toppings available for the kids to pick from such as pepperoni, olives, and assorted cut veggies. These pizzas are just as good cold as they are heated in the microwave. Mix up a healthy combination of gorp for those after school munchies. Nuts, yogurt chips, raisins and other dried fruits, and just a handful of M&M candies will provide a high energy snack. Everyone's favorite peanut butter and jelly sandwiches will be gobbled up if you let your kids cut them into fun shapes with cookie cutters.

After school snacking can be healthy and fun. Let you kids help out in making their snacks and then watch the food disappear. Not only will the foods be healthier for them, but creating them will keep them excited and entertained.