Hi mamas, my 5 year old is RAVENOUS when he comes home from school. Currently, he noshes on crackers, yogurt, cheese sticks and fruit but I'd like to find some new, healthy fare for him to eat while he's waiting for me to get home and get dinner on the table. Any suggestions? Thanks!
I've found with my boys that they need something to tide them over until dinner. Before anything is eaten, kids are often chronically dehydrated. I suggest a cup of water first. Then, for a snack, usually a PB&J with a cup of milk does it. A whole apple and a chunk of sharp cheddar is also filling.
My daughter likes to have a croissant turkey and cheese sandwich when she gets home! Hummus, with pita bread and veggies for dipping is another snack she likes. This isn't too healthy but she also loves it if I make her a plate of nachos!
Carrot sticks w/Ranch
Peanut Butter on toast
Crackers & cheese
Apples w/peanut butter
Bean burrito
Strawberries
Small bowl of soup & crackers
tuna & crackers
granola bar
a few chicken nuggets w/Ranch & a few grapes
peanut butter in celery sticks
salami & crackers
protein bar
banana shake (milk, sugar, cinnamon, banana)
sm yogurt w/Grapenuts on top
Hard boiled egg, tuna and crackers, veggies and hummus, peanut butter and apple slices.
Smoothies with fruits and vegs!
Yogurt is big in my house right now. As are fruit leathers and chex mix. It the past though I have made scrambled eggs with cheese and veggies or made a fun party platter with a few fish sticks, veggies fruit and cheese for my kids to share. Really depends on when I plan on serving dinner that night and how much time I have to devote to making their snack.
He needs straight up protein. The yogurt isn't bad but it's gone in 5 minutes out of his tummy and he'll be starving again. Fruit is the same way, not a great choice.
A PB&J is great, a ham or turkey sandwich, a piece or two of left over fried chicken, a small meal of high protein low carb foods. The carbs hang around and he won't be hungry at dinner time.
We often do PB/almond butter and sliced apples.
I've always got a steady stash of different granola bars and "healthy" chips on hand. My kids like SunChips, pita chips, and a popcorn (I get the SkinnyPop kind), too.
My kids often snack on nuts. I am a big fan, because they can do this themselves without me having to supervise, cut, chop or clean anything.
Chick peas, carrot sticks, frozen peas (fresh when in season), celery sticks (with or without peanut butter and raisins), fresh broccoli, green beans, cauliflower, sweet peppers. You really can't beat fruit - just look for variety (apples, kiwis, grapes, oranges, clementines, berries, papaya, mango, pears, melon, bananas), dried fruit (raisins, prunes, apricots, figs, blueberries).
Nuts, beef jerky, hard boiled egg. Good luck.
chopped raw veggies (green pepper strips. celery stalks, cucumber spears, etc.) & hummus, string cheese (is that what you mean by cheese sticks?), make-ahead yogurt parfaits with Greek yogurt, grape nuts, chunked up fruit (use frozen fruit & pulse in food processor), granola/trail mix including dried blueberries/cranberries and nuts (peanuts, cashews, etc.), almonds dusted in cocoa powder, zucchini/parmesan crisps (cut zucchini disks, dip in olive oil, press into Parm cheese or Parm/bread crumb mix and baked on a rack in the oven until lightly browned), celery stalks spread with peanut butter or Laughing Cow spreadable soft cheese. triscuits and slices of cheddar or other cheese (pre slice them).
You can put things in individual containers in the cabinet or fridge so they're sort of like the individual snack packs and easy for a child and his after-school caregiver to just grab and serve.
