Rock after-school snacks with grab-and-go finger foods for your kids.
Little hands love finger-food snacks, and moms love healthy, nutritious choices. Get the best of both with finger-food snacks for after school or treats-on-the-go!
Cookie monster
What child doesn’t like a snack of cookies and ice-cold milk? Store-bought cookies are usually high in both sugar and fat content, so bake up some healthy homemade oatmeal cookies — add raisins, nuts or dried fruit, like apricots and cranberries, to boost the nutritional value and add more chewy good taste. Try pressing your cookie batter into a baking dish to cut into bars when cooled. Cookie bars can be made from any of your favorite cookie recipes and are easy to grab on the go or tuck into a lunch sack.
Strawberry delight
Make some strawberry rounds for snack time! Strawberries are loaded with vitamin C and are a naturally sweet way to satisfy sugar cravings. Cut a pita into long strips, spread with light cream cheese or yogurt, top with strawberry slices and roll into pinwheels. These little pockets of sweet flavor make a perfect bite-sized snack.
Stuffed on veggies
Celery, cherry tomatoes and cucumber cups all make an ideal snack-sized container to fill with hummus, tuna or peanut butter for a nutritious snack. Or spread peanut butter on apple slices, hummus on whole-wheat crackers. Hummus makes a great dip for baby carrots and pepper strips. Cutting the veggies into interesting shapes makes kids more eager to try them.
Snacks on a stick
Dip pretzels into melted chocolate, leaving a “handle” for the kids to hold. Refrigerate to set the chocolate and watch the smiles grow when you offer this sweet and salty snack! Mix berries and yogurt together and freeze into creamy popsicles. Bake muffin mix and cut into bite-sized squares so that kids can spear them with a toothpick and dip into applesauce.
Dried fruit
A handful of dried fruit — apricots, cherries, pineapple, cranberries or peaches — makes a yummy snack all on its own, or serve with a little bowl of dried wheat cereal squares to add some crunch. Raisins are a kid favorite, too. Mix them in peanut butter and let little ones dip fruit wedges into the creamy goodness.
Snackwiches
Cut star and circle shapes out of whole-wheat bread and watch what happens when you offer a plate of snack-size sandwiches as the afternoon treat! These tiny sandwiches can be classic pb&j, or add protein with chopped hard-boiled eggs, tuna salad or low-fat cheese and turkey. The fun shapes appeal to kids, and the options for fillings are endless.
Cube it
Cubes of baked chicken, cheese, tomato, veggies and fruit can be a great snack for kids who like to choose their own treats. Plate a variety of healthy options and let them spear their favorites and enjoy! You’ll be serving up protein, fiber, vitamins and energy! Kids love having their own version of the hors d’oeurvre buffet!
More snack tips
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Mexican-inspired after-school snacks
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