Michelle Edelbaum's Blog

5 healthy after-school snacks they’ll rush home for

By Michelle Edelbaum, August 28, 2009 - 10:48am

When I was a kid, my mom would always have a snack waiting for me when I got home from school. Cheese, whole-grain crackers and fruit were a staple, but sometimes she’d be inspired and serve my sister and me something fun, like Chocolate Crunch, a chocolate-covered version of her homemade cereal mix. As vividly as I remember the food, I also remember talking to her about my day. Seems like such a simple pleasure, but it meant so much. Here’s a week’s worth of healthy after-school snack ideas to nibble and chat with your kids over.

1. Chocolate Crunch: Crunchy wheat cereal, pretzels and almonds coated in bittersweet chocolate makes an addictive sweet-salty snack.

2. Cheesy Popcorn: Freshly grated Parmesan cheese and a sprinkle of cayenne pepper dress up air-popped popcorn.

3. Cocoa-Nut Bananas: One of EatingWell’s most popular recipes, cocoa- and coconut-crusted bananas are a treat for moms and kids.

4. Cottage Cheese Veggie Dip: Veggies and dip were another one of my mom’s standbys. This is much healthier than ranch dressing from a bottle, is ready in less than a minute and goes well with carrots and snow peas.

5. No-Bake Cookies: Cookies and milk were one of my favorite snacks (who doesn’t love ’em?). Your kids will enjoy helping you make these peanut butter-graham treats, which take just 10 minutes from start to finish.