7 After-School Snacks That Won’t Spoil Dinner
by Emily Lee
Light, energizing and easy to prepare: That’s the elusive after-school snack trifecta. When store shelves are lined with chips, sugary fruit snacks and other empty calories, shopping for something that fits the bill can feel a lot like searching for a needle in a haystack. The obvious alternative is to skip store-bought options in favor of something homemade, but few people have time to prepare snacks in addition to dinner. Beat the after-school crunch by preparing healthy foods over the weekend and keeping them on hand for later in the week. Homemade granola bars and trail mixes are a great place to start. Fresh veggies can be washed and cut in mere minutes, and vegetable-based dips such as guacamole or hummus make crudites seem appealing. Here are some more quick, nutritious, kid-friendly snacks to tide your family over till dinner’s ready.
Protein Bars
These nutty bars studded with dried fruit will stave off hunger pangs between lunch and dinner for only 167 calories per serving. Make a batch over the weekend so your family will have them on hand for quick and convenient after-school snacking throughout the week.
RELATED: Kids Can Make: Healthy Snacks
Healthy Taco Popcorn
Kids love popcorn, and this is one bowl you can feel good about handing them. Nutritional yeast is the secret ingredient in the taco spice blend. Dried and not active, it’s high in vitamin B12 and has a pleasant cheesy flavor, making it the perfect stand-in for actual dairy.
Ingredients
Taco Spice Mix:
20 large sun-dried tomatoes (not oil-packed; about 3 ounces), cut into ¼-inch strips
2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
2 teaspoons chili powder
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
Pinch cayenne pepper
Kosher salt
Popcorn:
1 teaspoon olive oil
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
½ cup popcorn kernels
Directions
Special equipment: a spice grinder
Make the Spice Mix: Put half the tomato strips in a single layer on a microwavable plate. Microwave in 30-second increments, checking the texture in between, until they begin to harden but are still red and slightly pliable, 1 to 2 minutes. (They may begin to brown and taste bitter if cooked too long.) Let sit until cool and completely hardened, about 2 minutes. Repeat with the remaining tomato strips.
Transfer the cooled tomato strips to a spice grinder, and grind to a powder. Discard any pieces that won’t grind. Add the nutritional yeast, chili powder, cumin, oregano, cayenne and 1 teaspoon salt, and grind to a fine powder.
Make the taco popcorn: Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the popcorn kernels. When one pops, cover the pot, and cook, shaking the pot constantly, until the popping subsides to 1 pop every 20 seconds. Pour in the melted butter, and toss to coat. Add 2 heaping tablespoons of taco spice and ½ teaspoon salt, and toss again to coat.
Store the remaining taco spice blend at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks. (You’ll have enough to make 3 more batches of popcorn.)
KIDS WARNING: Note to parents: Never leave a child unattended in the kitchen. These recipes are appropriate for children of various ages, 4 to 10. When a recipe calls for cooking on the stove or using a paring knife, an adult should do those activities and let the child assist, if age appropriate.
If you find that your spice blend is a little coarse, use a fine sieve to sift it over the buttered popcorn. The finer dusting will coat the popcorn better.
From Food Network Kitchen
Crispy Chickpeas
Greasy potato chips pale in comparison with these crispy baked chickpeas. It takes just five minutes to preheat the oven, pop open the can and toss the chickpeas in a simple seasoning of sea salt and olive oil. They’ll crisp up beautifully after about 50 minutes of baking.
RELATED: Surprisingly healthy Snacks for Kids
Chunky Guacamole
Cholesterol free but rich in monounsaturated fats (i.e., the good fats), avocados leave you feeling sated but not stuffed, meaning guacamole makes an excellent after-school option. For a light snack on the fly, whip up Ellie Krieger’s 10-minute recipe, which includes red onion, cilantro leaves and fresh lime juice. Blue corn tortilla chips are great for scooping, as are sliced raw veggies.
Goji Berry Trail Mix
If your kids love munching on trail mix, try giving them this wholesome homemade version loaded with nuts, seeds and dried fruit. Many store-bought varieties contain hidden sugars — and not-so-hidden sugars in the form of candy.
RELATED: Healthy Fast Food Picks for Kids
Homemade Applesauce
Skip sugary pre-packaged applesauce in favor of Ina Garten’s light and flavorful homemade version. Made with fresh navel oranges, light brown sugar and cinnamon, it’s the perfect snack for a chilly fall afternoon.
Salad on a Stick
Few kids (or adults) are excited by the sight of lettuce in a bowl. If getting your kids to eat more vegetables is a constant battle, try serving some fresh veggies on a stick with dressing on the side, for dipping. The fun presentation might warm them up to the idea of salads.
More from Food Network:
Healthy Dinners Kids Can (and Will Want To) Make
Healthy Dinners in 40 Minutes or Less
