The very first thing most kids do when they get home from a long day at school is ask for a snack. Hunger is a great opportunity for parents to offer nutritious foods, but they need to be foods that kids look forward to eating. On Monday, local dietician, Jennifer McDaniel alongside her son, Chef Jack, shared 3 kid-approved, after-school snack ideas. Not only are they nutritious and delicious, but they’re ideas that most school aged-kids can either help out with or make on their own.
Snack idea one: Nut butter and chocolate filled dates.
Key points: If your kid has a sweet tooth, dates are a great fruit to try, like nature’s candy, they’re very sweet & offer a good dose of fiber.
Snack idea two: Sliced apples with vanilla yogurt dip
Key points: Research shows that kids will eat more fruits and vegetables when dips are offered! It’s important to let kids be interactive with what they eat.
Snack idea three: DIY granola
Key points: When kids take part in the kitchen, they’re more likely to eat what is made and become more adventurous eaters.
Chef Jack has two brothers, and believe it or not, they don’t all like the same thing! With DIY granola, McDaniel lays out an assortment of cereals, dried fruits, nuts, and other ingredients like chocolate chips to let them choose the items they like, mix them up in a big bowl and give them their own container, and they can grab their personalized trail mix after school.
Head over to the website of McDaniel Nutrition where you can sign up for their free meal planning newsletter with healthy and fresh recipe ideas that your whole family will love.