{"id":38977,"date":"2023-08-01T09:44:00","date_gmt":"2023-08-01T13:44:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.theleangreenbean.com\/?p=38977"},"modified":"2023-10-19T07:08:59","modified_gmt":"2023-10-19T11:08:59","slug":"after-school-healthy-snacks","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.theleangreenbean.com\/after-school-healthy-snacks\/","title":{"rendered":"After School Healthy Snacks"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><em>Looking for After School Healthy Snacks? Here are ideas for if you eat dinner early or late, before practice snacks, car snacks, non-perishable snacks and more.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"680\" height=\"628\" src=\"https:\/\/www.theleangreenbean.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/after-school-healthy-snacks.png\" alt=\"after school healthy snacks\" class=\"wp-image-39006\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.theleangreenbean.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/after-school-healthy-snacks.png 680w, https:\/\/www.theleangreenbean.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/after-school-healthy-snacks-217x200.png 217w, https:\/\/www.theleangreenbean.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/after-school-healthy-snacks-550x508.png 550w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 680px) 100vw, 680px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\"><em>*Originally posted August 2021. Updated August 2023*<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Hi friend!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A couple of years ago I rounded up some of my favorite recipes for after school snacks in this post- <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theleangreenbean.com\/after-school-snacks\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">10 Healthy After School Snacks For Kids. <\/a>It covers everything from English muffin mini pizzas to energy balls to oatmeal. Since I know that at home, homemade snacks are not realistic for every family every day, I wanted to give you guys a few more good after-school snacks (both homemade and storebought) for specific after-school scenarios. You could also easily add these snacks to lunch boxes. For more lunch box help, check out my guide: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theleangreenbean.com\/packed-lunch-ideas-for-kids\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">A Month of Easy Packed Lunches For Kids<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you&#8217;re looking for store-bought snack ideas, here are some posts that may help:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.theleangreenbean.com\/healthy-amazon-snacks\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Healthy Amazon Snacks<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.theleangreenbean.com\/best-trader-joes-snacks\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Best Trader Joe\u2019s Snacks<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.theleangreenbean.com\/best-healthy-walmart-snacks\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Best Healthy Walmart Snacks<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br><\/span><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/www.theleangreenbean.com\/healthy-snacks-costco\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Healthy Snacks At Costco For The Whole Family<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Easy After School Snacks<\/h2>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"600\" height=\"619\" src=\"https:\/\/www.theleangreenbean.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/after-school-snacks.png\" alt=\"after school snacks\" class=\"wp-image-39002\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.theleangreenbean.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/after-school-snacks.png 600w, https:\/\/www.theleangreenbean.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/after-school-snacks-194x200.png 194w, https:\/\/www.theleangreenbean.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/after-school-snacks-533x550.png 533w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Healthy Snacks for After School<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>If you eat dinner later or have a couple of hours between the kids getting home\/leaving school and dinner time they may need a fairly substantial snack, especially if they ate lunch early:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Smoothie<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Microwave Egg Sandwich (or Turkey Cheese Avocado, PBJ etc)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Overnight oats or warm oatmeal<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.theleangreenbean.com\/frozen-english-muffin-mini-pizzas\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">English Muffin Mini Pizza<\/a> + fruit<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Waffle + peanut butter<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Homemade energy balls or Made in Nature Figgypops<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.theleangreenbean.com\/white-bean-bars\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Sweet Potato White Bean Bar<\/a> + lifeway kefir<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.amys.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Amy&#8217;s frozen burrito<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.simplemills.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Simple Mills crackers<\/a> + turkey + cheese<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.clifbar.com\/clif\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Clif Nut Butter Bar<\/a> or <a href=\"https:\/\/www.larabar.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Larabar<\/a> or <a href=\"https:\/\/www.kindsnacks.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">KIND bar<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.beanitos.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Beanitos chips<\/a> + Guacamole<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/kodiakcakes.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Kodiak Cake pancakes<\/a> + yogurt<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.barbaras.com\/products\/puffins-cereals\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Barbara&#8217;s Puffins<\/a> or <a href=\"https:\/\/lovegrown.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Love Grown<\/a> cereal + milk<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-33873 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/www.theleangreenbean.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/12\/Lentil-Banana-Muffins-1.jpg\" alt=\"Lentil Banana Muffins - perfect for breakfast or snack\" width=\"680\" height=\"1020\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.theleangreenbean.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/12\/Lentil-Banana-Muffins-1.jpg 680w, https:\/\/www.theleangreenbean.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/12\/Lentil-Banana-Muffins-1-133x200.jpg 133w, https:\/\/www.theleangreenbean.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/12\/Lentil-Banana-Muffins-1-367x550.jpg 367w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 680px) 100vw, 680px\" \/><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Easy After School Healthy Snacks To Make<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>If you eat dinner fairly early and just want something to tide your kids over until then without ruining their dinner. Added bonus- these are simple after school snacks kids can make themselves with minimal help from you!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Veggies with hummus or ranch + pita<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Apple slices with peanut butter<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>A hard-boiled egg and some raisins<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>A small bowl of Cheerios with milk<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>A handful of trail mix<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.theleangreenbean.com\/lentil-banana-muffins\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Lentil Banana Muffin <\/a>(or <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theleangreenbean.com\/kid-friendly-baking-recipes\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">another nutrient-dense muffin\/bar<\/a>)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Freeze-dried veggies like <a href=\"https:\/\/rhythmsuperfoods.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Rhythm Superfood carrot sticks<\/a> with string cheese<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-38679 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/www.theleangreenbean.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/05\/snacks1.jpg\" alt=\"Healthy Toddler Snacks - cottage cheese, hummus, cereal, peanut butter with banana\" width=\"680\" height=\"907\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.theleangreenbean.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/05\/snacks1.jpg 680w, https:\/\/www.theleangreenbean.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/05\/snacks1-150x200.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.theleangreenbean.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/05\/snacks1-412x550.jpg 412w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 680px) 100vw, 680px\" \/><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Healthy Pre-Workout Snacks<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Have kids headed to sports practice after school? Here are some ideas:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Granola bar<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Cereal or muffin<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Half a bagel<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Apple or banana with peanut butter<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>A small bowl of oatmeal<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Crackers with turkey<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Trailmix- raisins, cereal + peanuts<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Yogurt + fruit<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Clementine + hard-boiled egg<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-38934 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/www.theleangreenbean.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/crunchy-costco.png\" alt=\"crunchy snacks from costco\" width=\"680\" height=\"644\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.theleangreenbean.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/crunchy-costco.png 680w, https:\/\/www.theleangreenbean.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/crunchy-costco-211x200.png 211w, https:\/\/www.theleangreenbean.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/crunchy-costco-550x521.png 550w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 680px) 100vw, 680px\" \/><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Healthy After School Snacks To Buy<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>I have a whole post of after school snacks to buy &#8211; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theleangreenbean.com\/healthy-packaged-snacks\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">60+ Healthy Packaged Snacks For Kids<\/a> so check it out for tons of ideas. I also have lists for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theleangreenbean.com\/healthy-snacks-costco\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Healthy Costco Snacks<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theleangreenbean.com\/best-trader-joes-snacks\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Best Trader Joe&#8217;s Snacks<\/a> and&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.theleangreenbean.com\/best-healthy-walmart-snacks\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Healthy Walmart Snacks<\/a>. But in general, here are a few of my favorite packaged snacks:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.skinnypop.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Skinny Pop<\/a> or <a href=\"https:\/\/www.boomchickapop.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Angie&#8217;s Boom Chicka Pop<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Cheerios\/Barbara&#8217;s Puffins\/Love Grown Foods cereal<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/lifewaykefir.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Lifeway Kefir<\/a> or <a href=\"https:\/\/www.chobani.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Chobani<\/a> or <a href=\"https:\/\/siggis.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Siggis<\/a> lower sugar yogurt &#8211; For the kefir, I make a glass with half plain\/half flavored to reduce the sugar, for the yogurt I would pair with fruit<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Simple Mills Almond Crackers or <a href=\"https:\/\/rwgarcia.com\/products\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">RW Garcia Sweet Potato Crackers<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/sabra.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Sabra Hummus<\/a> or <a href=\"https:\/\/www.eatwholly.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Wholly Guacamole<\/a> with crackers\/veggies<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Larabar or another from this list of&nbsp; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theleangreenbean.com\/healthy-store-bought-granola-bars-for-kids\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Healthy Store-bought Granola Bars For Kids<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/bienasnacks.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Biena Roasted Chickpeas<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.madeinnature.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Made in Nature Figgy Pops<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.kashi.com\/en_US\/home.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Kashi Waffles<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Kodiak Cakes pancakes<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-35737 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/www.theleangreenbean.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/low-mess-snacks-for-kids.png\" alt=\"Low Mess Snack for Kids\" width=\"680\" height=\"1020\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.theleangreenbean.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/low-mess-snacks-for-kids.png 735w, https:\/\/www.theleangreenbean.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/low-mess-snacks-for-kids-133x200.png 133w, https:\/\/www.theleangreenbean.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/low-mess-snacks-for-kids-367x550.png 367w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 680px) 100vw, 680px\" \/><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Healthy Car Snacks<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>I wrote about <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theleangreenbean.com\/low-mess-snacks-for-kids\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Low Mess Snacks for Kids here.<\/a> Here are some simple pairings that won&#8217;t make too much of a mess in the car. Keep a little trash can or bag in the car for wrappers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Yogurt tube + banana<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Cheese stick + <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thatsitfruit.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">That&#8217;s It fruit bar<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/2Hgy0Fh\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Chomps Meat Sticks<\/a> + clementine<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Egg wrap + apple<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Smoothie made with milk\/yogurt, fruit, and spinach<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Turkey, cheese, and apple or avocado rolled in a tortilla<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>PBJ sandwich<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>HB eggs + granola bar<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Cold pizza or quesadilla (less mess than when they&#8217;re hot!)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-35910 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/www.theleangreenbean.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/03\/IMG_0866.jpeg\" alt=\"Healthy Microwave Popcorn in a paper lunch sack\" width=\"680\" height=\"907\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.theleangreenbean.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/03\/IMG_0866.jpeg 680w, https:\/\/www.theleangreenbean.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/03\/IMG_0866-150x200.jpeg 150w, https:\/\/www.theleangreenbean.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/03\/IMG_0866-412x550.jpeg 412w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 680px) 100vw, 680px\" \/><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Healthy Non-Perishable Snacks<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Ideas for non-perishable snacks if you have to pack them in the morning and need them to still be safe to eat after school:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.theleangreenbean.com\/healthy-store-bought-granola-bars-for-kids\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Granola or protein bar<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Trail mix<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Popcorn<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.theleangreenbean.com\/kid-friendly-baking-recipes\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Healthy Muffin\/Bar<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/2Hgy0Fh\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Chomps meat sticks (aff link)<\/a> + fruit (try fresh fruit, fruit cups, dried fruit or fruit\/veggie pouches)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Dried fruit + Whisps cheese crisps<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.theleangreenbean.com\/lower-sugar-cereals-for-kids\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Low sugar cereal<\/a> + <a href=\"https:\/\/horizon.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Horizon Organic shelf-stable milk boxes<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Peanut butter sandwich<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Roasted chickpeas or roasted edamame (you can add these to trail mix!)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><span class=\"s1\">Squeeze pouches of nut butter + crackers \/banana\/celery<\/span><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.mysuperfoodscompany.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">My SuperCookies\/bars<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Bitsys crackers<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Triscuits\/Simple Mills\/RW Garcia crackers<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Bare Apple chips<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>That&#8217;s It Fruit bars<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Fruit &amp; veggie pouches<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Healthy After School Snack Ideas for Teens (and kids!)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Have a teenager? Here are some snack ideas:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Tuna Salad + Crackers<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Scrambled egg + toast<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Turkey Sandwich<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Smoothie with fruit, yogurt or milk and spinach or a smoothie bowl topped with cereal<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Popcorn trail mix<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Deviled eggs<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Ramen<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Chicken quesadilla<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Rotisserie Chicken wrap<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Energy balls<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Oatmeal<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Yogurt parfait<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Frozen waffles<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Frozen Fish sticks\/chicken nuggets\/potstickers<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Freezer breakfast sandwiches or burritos<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Avocado toast<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Nachos with guacamole<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Charcuterie snack plate<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Want more? My friend Sally wrote a post of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.realmomnutrition.com\/healthy-snacks-for-teens\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">100+ Healthy Snacks for Teens Who Are Always Hungry<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And don&#8217;t forget I have a whole list of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theleangreenbean.com\/nut-free-packaged-snacks\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Peanut &amp; Tree Nut Free Packaged Snacks<\/a> if you need those!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">After School Afternoon Snacks FAQs<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Should kids have a snack after school? Why are after school snacks important?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Yes! In most cases, kids should have a snack after school. Especially since my kids have started elementary school, I&#8217;ve realized just how early some kids are eating lunch? In our schools, lunch periods start as early as 10:45am and they don&#8217;t get home from school until almost 4:00pm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If your child has an early lunch period, they&#8217;ll likely be very hungry when they get home. This can also lead to a tricky situtation depending on when you eat dinner. If you eat on the early side, around 5:00pm, there&#8217;s really not that much time before dinner, but it&#8217;s likely that your kids will be too hungry to make it even one more hour until dinner time without eating something. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>What can you give them that won&#8217;t ruin their dinner? Aim for a small snack that has a mix of protein and carbs- half a sandwich, a cheese stick and an apple with peanut butter etc. This is also an excellent time to set out vegetables! Kids are most likely to eat them when they&#8217;re truly hungry \ud83d\ude42<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you eat dinner later, I would aim for a bigger snack &#8211; perhaps a whole sandwich, a smoothie or muffin with yogurt.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What is the healthiest after school snack?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>You can serve the healthiest snacks possible after school but if your kid refuses to eat it, it&#8217;s not really doing anyone any good. Part of being a parent is striking a balance between serving healthy options and serving foods your kids will actually eat so they&#8217;re getting the nutritional benefits. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>My best advice is to aim for variety. Don&#8217;t serve the same after school snack every day. Aim to include vegetables but don&#8217;t serve just vegetables all the time. Aim for a balance of protein, healthy carbs and some fat or fiber to keep them happy and satisfied until their next meal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How big should an after school snack be?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>This will vary based on a lot of individual factors &#8211; when they ate lunch, how old they are, when dinner is being served, whether or not they have a sports practice or other activity to go to before dinner so it may take some experimenting to find what works for your family.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What are some incredibly easy to make, 5 minutes or less snacks?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Smoothies can be whipped up in just a minute or two in a blender. Grabbing a slice of turkey and cheese and pairing with crackers makes a quick, well-balanced snack. A bowl of cereal with milk can be a great quick option as well. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"600\" height=\"1500\" src=\"https:\/\/www.theleangreenbean.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/after-school-healthy-snacks-1.png\" alt=\"Looking for After School Healthy Snacks? Here are ideas for if you eat dinner early or late, before practice snacks, car snacks, non-perishable snacks and more.\" class=\"wp-image-39012\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.theleangreenbean.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/after-school-healthy-snacks-1.png 600w, https:\/\/www.theleangreenbean.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/after-school-healthy-snacks-1-80x200.png 80w, https:\/\/www.theleangreenbean.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/after-school-healthy-snacks-1-220x550.png 220w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>Enjoy!<br>&#8211;Lindsay&#8211;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Looking for After School Healthy Snacks? Here are ideas for if you eat dinner early or late, before practice snacks, car snacks, non-perishable snacks and more. *Originally posted August 2021. Updated August 2023* Hi friend! A couple of years ago I rounded up some of my favorite recipes for after school snacks in this post- [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":39006,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[255,73,251],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-38977","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-best-of-storebought","8":"category-snack","9":"category-snack-round-ups","10":"entry"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.theleangreenbean.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/38977","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.theleangreenbean.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.theleangreenbean.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.theleangreenbean.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.theleangreenbean.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=38977"}],"version-history":[{"count":16,"href":"https:\/\/www.theleangreenbean.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/38977\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":42276,"href":"https:\/\/www.theleangreenbean.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/38977\/revisions\/42276"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.theleangreenbean.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/39006"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.theleangreenbean.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=38977"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.theleangreenbean.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=38977"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.theleangreenbean.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=38977"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}