After-school snacks can be healthy, easy

“I’m hungry! Can I have a snack?”

Usually, those are words that come out of kids after school. It’s pretty easy to open a bag of chips or cookies to offer as snacks, but that’s definitely not the healthiest choice.

I like snacks that require minimal preparation, that I can have ready right away for my little ones. These are some of my favorite easy, fast and healthy after-school snacks.

▪ Crackerwiches – Spread nut butter on whole-grain saltines and top with strawberries.

▪ Frozen fruits – Instead of the usual fresh fruits, try some frozen grapes, mangoes or melons.

▪ Frozen yogurt cups – Freeze yogurt cups and try this instead of ice cream.

▪ Rice cakes with Greek yogurt – The crunch of potato chips, without the fat.

▪ Veggies – Jicama sticks with cinnamon sprinkles, baby carrots and cucumber slices dipped in Greek yogurt.

▪ Graham crackers with a cup of low-fat milk.

▪ Apples or celery with nut butter.

▪ Whole-grain cereal – Cheerios, Kix, Wheaties and the like.

▪ Trail mix – Dried fruit, nuts, pretzel sticks. Prepare ahead of time and have the kids be part of the fun!

▪ Graham crackers dipped in applesauce.

This story was originally published November 21, 2014 at 11:43 AM with the headline "After-school snacks can be healthy, easy."