Article

     Fun and Healthy After-School Snacks

These delicious snacks are perfect for nourishing your kids after a busy day of learning. Many of these recipes are simple enough for kids to make on their own. Enjoy!

"Ants on a Log"

Take washed celery sticks and cut into sections approximately 3" long. Fill the inside of the celery with peanut butter. Top with raisins or other small pieces of fruit to make the "ants".

"Fruity Kabobs"

Choose a few different fruits to cut into slices or into pieces that can be put on a stick. After cutting up the fruit, place it on sturdy, thick, long pretzel sticks, alternating the different types of fruit to make "kabobs". Bananas, grapes, apples, and berries work well but you can use most kinds of fruit.

"Spiders"

This is a fun snack that kids enjoy making as much as eating. For each snack, you will need 2 round crackers, peanut butter (or cream cheese), 4 thin stick pretzels, and raisins. Spread peanut butter on top of one cracker. Break each pretzel stick in half and place four pieces on each side on top of the peanut butter to make eight legs. Place the other cracker on top to complete the "body". Use a tiny amount of peanut butter to secure the raisins on top as "eyes". If your kids hate raisins, you can use miniature chocolate chips instead. Yummy!

"Apple-Cinnamon Wedges"

Wash, core, and cut an apple into equal size wedges. Spread peanut butter (or cream cheese) onto each wedge. Sprinkle a mixture of cinnamon and sugar on top.

"Fruity-Tootie Smoothie"

To make great-tasting smoothies, combine bananas, yogurt (any flavor), and juice (any flavor). For two servings (of approx. 1 cup each), you will need 1 medium-size ripe banana, 8 oz. yogurt, and 6 oz. juice. Mash the banana then add all the ingredients to a blender. Blend until smooth. Some flavor suggestions: orange juice with strawberry yogurt, pineapple juice with raspberry yogurt, or berry juice with blueberry yogurt. Be creative and have fun finding your favorite combination! This yummy snack also makes a nutritious on-the-go breakfast for busy school mornings.

Have even more fun by letting your kids come up with their own healthy and fun snack creations!