When the kids get home from school on a rainy day, surprise them with one of these fun after-school snacks that are sure to please.
Let the kids play with their food
Len Saunders, author of Keeping Kids Fit, says kids love popcorn celery sticks. “This snack is full of vitamins and minerals, complex carbohydrates, dairy, antioxidants and dietary fiber,” says Suanders. “It’s a great energy source.” Just cup up some celery, lightly smear with low-fat cream cheese and top with low-fat, low-salt popcorn. This fun snack will keep your kids’ hands and mouth busy!
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Bake your own chips
Who says chips need to be made from potatoes? Chef Heather Hunsaker of FoodOnTheTable.com likes using nutrient-packed beets instead. Slice beets, toss with olive oil and place on a cookie sheet. Bake at 400 degrees until crispy (about 45 minutes).
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Have an indoor picnic
Since it’s rainy outside, why not have an indoor picnic? Go all out and spread a tablecloth on the living room floor and serve simple sandwiches, fresh fruits and veggie sticks, says Mariana Abeid-McDougall of Two Sisters Fitness. Kids can add to the ambiance by drawing plants and placing the drawings around the room!
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Develop artistic snack-making skills
Prevent boredom and get the kids involved in making their after-school snack, says registered dietician Danielle Schupp of SmartAndSkinny.com They’ll have instant gratification with pudding – it’s ready in as little as five minutes!
But make it even more exciting (and take up a little more of the rainy afternoon) by adding some extra (super-nutritious) ingredients. In small parfait glasses, alternate layers of pudding with sliced bananas and fat-free whipped topping. Or let each kid make his own layered design. Bonus: Chocolate pudding parfaits are a good source of calcium and potassium disguised as a yummy treat!
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Bake cookies
Cookies and milk: the classic after-school snack. But who needs prepackaged, store-bought cookies when you can bake your own? “Substitute whole-wheat flour for half of the white flour to boost the fiber,” says Schupp. “Only you will know the kids are getting a healthier cookie.”
Stick with a proven winner
You can’t go wrong with Classic Chocolate Chip Cookies. Try to resist eating the batter!
Get the recipe >>
Change up an old favorite
Try scrumptious Brown Sugar Cookies instead of the regular white sugar variety.
Get the recipe >>
Try something really different
These melt-in-your-mouth butter cookies get a little zing from the lemon. Cut the dough into shapes!
Get the recipe >>
More snack ideas
Budget-friendly snack ideas for kids
Mexican-inspired after-school snacks
8 After-school snacks for a hot day
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