Healthy After School Snacks

Source: Tween Parent Staff

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By the time our children are in their pre-teen years, they've already developed some fairly predictable eating habits. If we're lucky, they have ventured beyond the simple foods that appeal to most young children and are balancing junk foods with healthy foods. We can only hope.

In the middle school years, it's fair to say that many children participate in some cafeteria program at school. Unless we do some sleuthing, it's hard to know whether they're making healthy choices, given the opportunity. One mother asked a teacher's aide to take a special look at what her daughter was eating at lunch and, to her dismay, found that every choice her daughter selected was a carbohydrate (mashed potatoes, macaroni and cheese, french fries, etc.). Even if your pre-teen brings a lunch to school, it's still unclear what's actually being eaten, since they often trade food like currency!

To offset choices our tweens make when we're not around, taking the opportunity to supplement with a good dose of nutritious foods at snack time can be a great way to ensure that healthy foods enter their little bodies! Since most processed snacks are high in carbohydrates, sugar, sodium and fats, it might be helpful to have a quick reference list of easy, healthful snacks to have on hand (in the refrigerator or pantry). While it can be fun to make them visually interesting, by the tween years, that may not be as important on a day-to-day basis as it was when they were younger children. The key is to make snacks simple and accessible for after school nibbling.

Snack Ideas

• Spreads/dips: hummus, salsa, bean dip (equal mix of black beans, salsa, corn), guacamole, lowfat salad dressing, peanut butter, 100% fruit jam, yogurt
• Veggies: carrots, celery, cucumbers, pepper slices, cherry tomatoes, green beans; if you have access, try peeled, cut-up jicama (in sticks) or peeled, cut-up daikon (slices) -- both have a soft radish-like texture and nice flavor
• Healthy trail mix: low-fat granola, peanuts, almonds, cashews, sunflower seeds, dried fruits (raisins, apricots, apples, pineapple or cranberries), whole wheat pretzels, wheat chex (or other cereal), chocolate chips/M&Ms, etc.
• Hard cooked egg (directions: cover eggs in pan with enough water to come at least one inch above eggs, cover pan and bring to just boiling, turn off heat, let eggs stand in the hot water for 15-20 minutes, take them out of that water and run cold water over them to cool completely)
• Single serving fruit (orange, apple, mandarin orange, banana, peach, pear, plum, etc.); if you have access, try pomegranate, blood orange, mini bananas, doughnut peaches, etc.
• Cut-up or mixed fruit (strawberries, blackberries, raspberries, blueberries, cantaloupe, cherries, grapes, honeydew melon, kiwi, mango, watermelon, etc.)
• Simple quesadilla (flat tortilla, with shredded cheddar and perhaps veggies, melted in microwave)
• Apple Sauce
• Low-fat or fat-free yogurt or pudding with fruit and whipped cream
• Low-fat string or braided cheese
• Raw almonds
• Energy bars (check the labels for low sugar and high fibre)
• Microwave low-fat popcorn
• Baked tortilla (or other) chips, pretzels, breadsticks, flatbreads (with a dip)
• Whole wheat english muffins, whole wheat bread, rice cakes (with a spread)
• Smoothie (milk, banana, berry fruit, vanilla yogurt)

Other Helpful Tips

• Make a snack chart and post it in the kitchen as a reminder of what choices there are and also as a shopping reminder. Revise as tastes and interests evolve.
• Plan snacks as a part of the day's menu, perhaps at breakfast time.
• Prepare some snacks ahead (e.g., fruit salad, smoothie ingredients, etc.).
• Identify a designated spot in the refrigerator and/or pantry for snacks and share with your tween.
• For an occasional treat, pair a not-so-nutritious choice with a nutritious choice (e.g., chocolate pudding with strawberries and whipped cream).
• Involve your kids in selecting snack foods if shopping together; you might have them select ingredients for a trail mix that you can make together.
• Post the Food Guide Pyramid in your kitchen and refer to it as your tween is making a food choice.