For many parents, one of the biggest joys of having the kids go back to school is that they aren’t raiding the pantry or refrigerator once an hour looking for a snack.
It's amazing how long they can go at school without a bite to eat, yet teeter on the edge of starvation if they miss their hourly feeding at home.
The downside to not eating much at school is of course that they come home hungry.
And even if you are there to greet them, you usually don’t have the time or desire to put together the dinner before dinner they’re requesting.
Rather than having them throw a frozen something in the microwave, try out these healthy snacks that come recommended from some of our kids here at Kids Party Characters.
We've included snacks that many kids will be able to make themselves, some no-bake options that you (or even the older kids) can quickly throw together, and a few choices that take a little more time but are definitely worth the effort when your hungry angel walks in the door after a long day at school.
DIY Snacks
Chocolate-Dipped Oranges: Peel some clementines or regular oranges, melt some bittersweet chocolate, dip the oranges in the chocolate and then sprinkle a little coarse sea salt over the chocolate.
Celery with peanut butter: A traditional favorite that involves nothing more than cutting up some celery and putting peanut butter down the middle.
You can also stick some grapes along the peanut butter (creating a snack younger kids have fun with since they look like "caterpillars.") Pieces of apple stuck in the peanut butter is another option kids like.
Apple sandwiches: Core an apple and then cut it horizontally into thin slices. The apple slices then become the bread for your sandwich.
You can start with a base of peanut butter and stick whatever you want onto the peanut butter -- raisins, coconut, dried fruit, chocolate chips . . . top it off with another slice of apple and you have a unique and tasty sandwich.
Peanut butter pretzel sandwiches: Create your sandwich by spreading peanut butter between two pretzels. Then dip the pretzel sandwich in chocolate and you have a great sweet and salty treat.
Smoothie: You can make these ahead or teach the older kids how to do it themselves. The nice thing about smoothies is you can make up any recipe you want.
Generally, you'll want to start with a base of one cup of some type of milk (cow, almond, coconut, soy), add a few ice cubes, 4-8 ounces of yogurt, and a big handful of your favorite frozen fruit.
You can use juice instead of yogurt, but it spikes the sugar content awfully high.
You can always throw a banana in, even if your child doesn't like to eat bananas, as the taste is consumed by the other fruits.
Smoothies are also a great place to add additional nutrition without spoiling the taste. You can add a teaspoon or two of flaxseed meal or oil, nutritional yeast, protein powder, or chia seeds (if your child's okay with the texture of those).
Mini Pizzas: If your kids need a hearty snack, this is a great one they can make themselves. You'll just need to keep on hand some mini pizza shells, a jar of pizza sauce, and your favorite kinds of pizza cheese and toppings.
They'll have fun creating their own little pizza, it cooks in just a few minutes in the oven, and there's little mess or cleanup.
Frozen yogurt grapes: Freeze some grapes, put a toothpick in each frozen grape, dip them in yogurt and return them to the freezer (for a minute or all day if you're making them in advance).
You can also dip the yogurt-covered grape in other toppings before freezing it if you want. Coconut or crushed nuts add texture that many kids like.
Graham Cracker Fruit Pizzas: Spread a thin layer of cream cheese on a graham cracker and then add your favorite fruit into the cream cheese for a pizza that's ready to eat.
This works great with freshly cut in-season fruits, but you can also use frozen fruits.
No-Bake Options for Adults and Older Kids to Prepare
These will take a little more preparation just because they have a few more ingredients, but they're still simple and provide a heartier option than some of the snacks kids can make themselves.
Simply click on the name of the snack and it will take you to the recipe.
Simply click on the name of the snack and it will take you to the recipe.
No-Bake Granola Bar Bites: These use honey instead of sugar, and the recipe can easily be doubled or tripled so you'll have extras to store in the freezer.
No-Bake Chocolate Banana Energy Balls: If you have a couple of ripe bananas, this is the recipe for you. Within the recipe there are also links to a couple of tasty variations on this recipe. The recipe calls for Truvia, but you can substitute honey or the sweetener of your choice.
Steel Cut Oatmeal Energy Bites: This is a great variation on the no-bake options because it uses steel cut oats, which are healthier and have a unique texture that kids often like.
No Bake PB&J Energy Bites: If your child finds the traditional PB&J too boring, give these a try for something a little different and even a little healthier.
For When You Have a Little Time
None of these options will keep you in the kitchen all day, but they do require baking and have a few more ingredients than the other snacks.
They are however kid favorites and may even be good projects if you have an older child who's expressed a real interest in baking.
Double Chocolate Peanut Butter Muffins: The name pretty much says it all here, how could you go wrong with these?! But don't be afraid that they sound too good to be healthy, you'll be surprised to find the focus on good-for-you ingredients and your kids won't even miss all the sugar.
PB&J Bites: If your kids like the no-bake version above, they'll probably like this one too. And if they don't go for the no-bake version, give these a try, they use real jelly and are different enough from the no-bake variety to appeal to kids who want you to actually cook them something!
Zucchini Chocolate Chip Mini Muffins: This recipe has a little longer ingredient list, but it's worth the effort. Don't tell your kids you're feeding them zucchini and they'll never know.
Bonus Pick
So many families are gluten free these days, that it's worth including this recipe for gluten-free, vegan goldfish. These are surprisingly good and can obviously be made in any shape if you don't have a goldfish cookie cutter lying around.
The author of this recipe actually took the time to create a mouth and eye on each goldfish, but I promise you can skip this step without sacrificing the taste and without being considered a bad mom!
This goldfish recipe is a really good option to have around at parties too, just to make sure all guests feel included even if they have dietary restrictions.
In fact, all of the snacks we've included here would provide fun and tasty finger food options at your child's next party.
If you combine the ease of preparation of these snacks, with the fact that KidsPartyCharacters.com can handle all your entertainment needs, your child's next party can be a huge hit with very little effort on your part.
Check out the 200+ characters we have to choose from and start planning your child's next party today at KidsPartyCharacters.com.
And, don't forget to connect with us on Facebook for daily updates about what's going on at Kids Party Characters, as well as tips and strategies to make parenting easier and more fun.
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