Oh man! It’s that time of year again: school buses, homework, and dismissal bells. And don’t forget! Kids might be coming home from school starving because they didn’t have enough to eat during the day – if your kids are anything like mine! You know they are going to want an after-school snack, but if you let them raid the pantry, they’re going to fill up on junk food and sugar.
Do you get hangry too? Click here to read about Team Busbee’s favorite healthy snacks!
Healthy After-school Snacks
The problem with letting them have chips or chocolate as their after-school snack is their blood sugar is going to spike. They will feel great for a little while, and then they’ll come crashing down. And very likely, so will their mood again! If your kiddo is in sports or has other after-school activities before dinner, the sugar and refined carbs won’t keep them full long enough to power through. They may even compensate by drinking or eating more sugar, and pretty soon, they (and you!) will be on a hamster wheel of poor nutrition. In case you missed it, I share ways to curb sugar cravings here.
So you make a veggie tray with some hummus instead…And that is a hard pass from them too. You know you want to give them an after-school snack that has a good balance of carbs and protein, so they take the edge off of their hunger and refill their energy levels to make it through homework and play practice, but they want something super-tasty, easy, and a snack that feels special. Maybe you can meet in the middle. What if you could offer snacks that are (reasonably!) healthy but also meet their taste and fun requirements too? Well, now you can tame the beast! Here are 10 healthy after-school snacks your kids will ask for.
What are the go-to healthy after-school snacks that your kids love? How do you help them feel energized without the crash? Let us know in the comments below!
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Did you know the #1 surgery times booked for children is for dental work? There is an epidemic of cavities in children. More than half of the snacks you have suggested are sugary( natural sugars from fruit are still sugar!) and sticky and promote tooth decay. A large percentage of children are not getting regular preventative dental care (due to cost largely) and end up in the hospital when their dental problems become systemic health issues. Working in children’s dental care for many years we spent our time trying to get parents away from the very processed snacks you are suggesting and back to whole foods.
You make a really good point, Janet. I did think more about convenience than sugar content on this one. I’ll keep it in mind in the future. Thanks! Julianna