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After-school Snacks

9 Fun Snacks That Help Fill Nutritional Gaps

• Whole grain cereal with low-fat milk and cut-up fruit (bananas, berries, apples). Avoid cereal bars that claim to fill nutritional needs but are generally packed with sugar and trans fats.
• Fruit smoothies prepared with nonfat yogurt, fresh or frozen fruit (not packed in syrup) and ice.
• Baked tortilla chips or pretzels with low-fat bean dip and salsa.
• Cut-up fruit and veggies with or without low-fat dip.
• Tortilla roll-ups – fill tortillas with low-fat cheese, sliced lean meat, low-fat bean dip, chopped veggies and low-fat Ranch salad dressing, or reduced-fat peanut butter and sugar-free preserves. Use your imagination to create a variety of roll-ups that fill tummies and boost nutrition.
• Frozen bananas or grapes – sweet and satisfying.
• Broth-based soups with chopped chicken, vegetables or yolk-free noodles.
• Create a pizza with English muffins, tortillas, lahvosh crackers or a slice of whole-grain bread. Top with a slather of prepared pizza sauce, low-fat cheese and even a few slices of low-fat pepperoni slices, sliced olives or vegetables.
• Fruit and cheese kabobs. Thread chunks of low-fat cheese with pineapple chunks, whole strawberries, grapes, apple slices, etc.