Healthy after school snacks???

elliemom

elliemom

Cathlete
My boys started back to school today and I am looking for suggestions for after school snacks. I always put out bananas, apples, grapes etc, but I think they are getting sick of them. Any ideas on what other quick and easy things to offer that are not from a box. They are allergic to peanuts, so that's out.
And while we are at it, any suggestions on how to get them to try the new things???
Thanks
ellie
 
Hi Ellie!

My 3 girls like yogurt. I buy Stoneyfield and add in wheat germ. They also have a tube kind that I put in the freezer, it's like a treat! Crackers and cheese, Fiber One granola bars and a glass of milk, blue corn tortilla chips with low fat bean dip or melted cheese, cheese quesadillas, all kinds of fruit, pretzels dipped in hummus. I'm sure there's more:)
 
klaudia stole my thunder!:D
i can't think of anything else now!:D

as far as trying new things.....not too sure!
my oldest isgood about that. my middle girl....not so much!
just let them see YOU try new things - try them together.
we used to do "fruit of the week". when we were at the store we'd pick out a new fruit to try.
 
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OH YEAH...pretzels with Hummus....I could live on it...I get the lighly salted multigrain ones ( I think they might be Snyders?) Can't remember off the top of my head right now..... I think that's a great snack!
 
Any other kinds of nuts they can eat? Almonds (or almond butter), cashews (or cashew butter), brazil nuts (or brazil nut butter---yep, that exists!).

How about a sliced veggie plate with hummus? (red pepper slices, cucumber slices, etc.)

Smoothies: have the ingredients in ready-to-blend condition, and have them blend them up. Getting them involved in their own prep could make things more interesting for them.

Books like this one...
http://www.amazon.com/Vegan-Lunch-B...bs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1231167256&sr=8-1 can give you ideas for 'fun' yet healthy snacks for kids. (I also did a search on "healthy snacks for kids" on Amazon, and 381 results came up--I didn't check them out, but it shows there are books out on just this topic. Maybe you could browse the descriptions and reviews of the top-rated ones, and see if they give away some of the recipes, or get some ideas from them.;))

Cutting up the snacks into fun shapes--with cookie cutters--and other tricks can make them more appealing to kids.

PB and banana sandwiches (using a nut butter they can eat, rather than p.b., if there are nuts they can eat).

How about asking them what they would like (and if it's not the healthy stuff you want, find a healthier alternative).
 
Cliff Bars make some fun bars for kids. Fiber One has some nasty ingredients so I stay away from those. They are good and my daughter loves them but she likes the Cliff Bars as well, if not better, so once I got a good look at the ingredients on the Fiber One bars, I quit buying those. She also loves broccoli, bell pepper, carrots, etc dipped in ranch. Amy's brand has some yummy little pizza pocket squares. Air popped popcorn is good and fun to do. She also likes grilled cheese sandwiches and baked chips or triscuits with melted cheese on top are faves too.
 
Shana, what's in them that's really bad? I threw out the packaging. I've seen the Fiber One's recommended in Parenting mags. What a bummer! I've bought the Clif Bars for kids, too. They're just harder to find.

I just thought of another one-whole grain waffle sandwich made with Nutella and banana-yum:)
 
kgalas said:
Shana, what's in them that's really bad? I threw out the packaging. I've seen the Fiber One's recommended in Parenting mags. What a bummer! I've bought the Clif Bars for kids, too. They're just harder to find.

I just thought of another one-whole grain waffle sandwich made with Nutella and banana-yum:)
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Mmmmmmh, whole grain waffle with banana and Nutella - though Nutella is not exactly healthy either - but oh so good. I have to hide it whenever I buy it because DS(9) will snatch it, disappear to his room and spoon it right out of the jar :eek:

The Fiber One's I have seen had High Fructose Corn Syrup, it also says "Natural Flavors" which usually indicates MSG.
 
Carola-I love Nutella. When I use it on the sandwich, I spread a very thin layer. A little goes a long way. And that way there's more for me;) Stupid hfcs! I hope it's way down the list of ingredients at least. Back to spending twice as much for half as many for the organic ones:(

Ellie, what about chocolate chip zucchini bread? I add flaxseed to mine and the girls eat it up!
 
my kids like to dip carrot sticks and cucumbers in a little bit of ranch. applesauce. I also buy these fruit leathers called FruitBu that are organic. I want to make my own someday.
 
Klaudia - the just have a very long list of ingredients for one, and some of those ingredients are: high fructose corn syrup, the chocoloate chips have hydrogenated oil, ethanol, shellac - there is also high maltose corn syrup, glycerin, maltodextrin, palm kernel oil, among other things. I thought they seemed like a good snack too. I tried them for the fiber but something in them gave me tummy troubles. Of course, when it comes to snacks, there are worse options out there!

FYI - they also contain peanut ingredients.
 
Well no more Fiber One bars. I had stopped buying the cereals cause they had sucralose in them. Oh, how I wish we had a Whole Foods nearby. Sigh.
 
kgalas said:
Hi Ellie!

My 3 girls like yogurt. I buy Stoneyfield and add in wheat germ. They also have a tube kind that I put in the freezer, it's like a treat! Crackers and cheese, Fiber One granola bars and a glass of milk, blue corn tortilla chips with low fat bean dip or melted cheese, cheese quesadillas, all kinds of fruit, pretzels dipped in hummus. I'm sure there's more:)
Click to expand...

Oh! The frozen yogurt sounds a great idea! I'm gonna try that. My daughter is so finicky and doesn't ever want to try anything. Makes me nuts.
 
kgalas said:
Well no more Fiber One bars. I had stopped buying the cereals cause they had sucralose in them. Oh, how I wish we had a Whole Foods nearby. Sigh.
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Yes, bummer about those. I think Target has the Cliff bars - maybe Walmart too. HEB has a lot of nice options now, or at least ours does but that may be b/c a Whole Foods opened near them. The Target brand, Archer Farms, is a good one. So much food just has crap in it. I had bought the Fiber One bars too, excited about a healthy snack and didn't immediately read the ingredient list which is why I mentioned it. Their cereal is unfortunate too, like you said.
 
Oh my Gosh,

Thanks you guys!!! These ideas are great. I try really hard to give them healthy snacks, but sometimes I'm not sure what healthy is anymore. I do use the V8 carrot juices and freeze it to make popsicles. I love the idea of the chocolate chip zuchini bread. They would love it

They are allergic to all nuts (tree nuts too) so their snack food is quite limited. We also don't eat out a lot because we can't be sure of the ingredients. So they aren't exposed to as much variety as I would like.

Whole grain waffle with banana soungs sooooo good. I am going to check out the amazon site for some good books.

What's the deal with the HFCS??? Is it just sugar???
And meowracer did you say SHELLAC??? What the heck are we eating????

thanks again
ellie
 
elliemom said:
What's the deal with the HFCS??? Is it just sugar???
And meowracer did you say SHELLAC??? What the heck are we eating????
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High fructose corn syrup is a highly processed sugar. It's in so many things because it's cheap to make. There is also evidence that it can lead to weight gain (or cravings for more sweets). It's also most likely made from GMO corn (unless it specifically says 'non-GMO," which I think it doesn't.

Shellac is used as a coloring agent. It's from the shells of crushed beetles.

I'd be more worried about ethanol in my food!

Fiber One bars sound like a hodge-podge of chemicals and unhealthy ingredients. :confused:Oh, but they have fiber, so they're good, right?:)

Personally, I buy real foods (stuff that has a short ingredient list, and every ingredient is something I could find in a kitchen and eat as real food).
 
Kathryn, I've been trying really hard to buy real food. It takes me two hours at the grocery store-reading and comparing labels, etc. I want my kids to be healthy eaters, but have fun snacks occasionally, too. I have been buying organic snacks-animal crackers, peanut butter, fruit leather, even cookies without hfcs, and trans fat-it's a job in itself. Wish I had a grocery delivery service!

And EWWW on the shellac-I can't wait to tell the kids that one!
 
Ewwwwwwwwwwww!!!!
Kathryn
I am finding it harder and harder to eat right. I also spend a long time in the grocery store, which is why I always end up with bananas, apples and grapes. I have to watch for hidden nuts also. But I never thought i would be looking for crushed beetles.... And Klaudia, I too may tell my kids what those ingredients are. They would NEVER eat some of that if they knew!!!!

I have always made mashed potatoes with either butternut squash or sweet potato baby food mixed in. The first time my son saw WHITE mashed potatoes at a friend's house- he would not eat them. Ha Ha

ellie
 
You've gotten some great ideas for snacks (some I may borrow as well! :) ). I have been working really hard at trying to get my kids to eat new foods. I have one very picky eater and I tell him that he may not like something he ate before (tomatoes, for instance) but if he tries it now he may like it. He's four and last night at dinner, he ate a tomato from his salad and said, "I don't think I like tomatoes, yet" :) Just keep encouraging them. Their tastes will change as they grow.
 
Ranch crackers are always a hit around our house.

2pkg oyster crackers
1pkg Hidden Valley Ranch dry dip mix
1tsp dill weed
1/2 C extra virgin olive oil

Mix the ranch, dill week and olive oil, and then add the crackers. Still until the crackers are coated. Bake for 10 minutes at 250.

They're not horrible for the kids, and they're really addictive!
 
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