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Milk and cookies may be a classic, but these innovative after school snacks will put a new and healthier spin on snack time.
1 of 32 Image Credits: LUCY SCHAEFFER
Baked Sweet Potato Fries
These soft, yummy sweet potato fries are healthier than regular french fries (and taste great dipped in ketchup).
2 of 32 Image Credits: DEB PEARLMAN
Tortilla Pizzas
When I asked a friend with two young daughters what they like to eat she answered in just one word: "Cheese!"
"Not peanut butter and jelly?"
"Just cheese!"
"Apples and oranges?"
"Only cheese. Sometimes tacos."
Ladies, this one is for you.
What you need:
- Small corn tortillas
- Salsa
- Shredded cheddar cheese
Mound a little salsa and cheese on each tortilla. Cook on foil-lined tray in toaster oven until cheese has melted and is brown at the edges.
Kids can help: Assemble the "pizzas," cover the tray with foil
Extras: A layer of refried beans under the salsa, cilantro for garnish, a dollop of sour cream or a sprinkle of finely chopped green pepper
Recipe from Deb Perelman at Smitten Kitchen.
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Oatmeal Snack Cakes
A healthy recipe for oatmeal snack cakes that make for a delicious on-the-go breakfast.
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Quick, Kid-Friendly Breadsticks
A quick recipe for breadsticks that make a great kid-friendly snack.
5 of 32 Image Credits: LUCY SCHAEFFER
Parmesan Cheese Straws
An easy, cheesy breadstick recipe that kids will love.
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Healthy Whoopie Pies
These whoopie pies are delicious and healthier than most desserts—they're made with vitamin-rich beets!
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Zucchini Muffins Recipe
Kids won't notice the vegetables in these yummy zucchini muffins. They can have fun helping you make them, too!
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Easy Cheese Crackers Recipe
An easy recipe for homemade cheese crackers. Kids will love helping by making their own shapes!
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Best Blueberry Muffins
This blueberry muffins recipe will be a hit with the whole famiy. Kids will love the white sugar sparkle!
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Easy Jello Snack
An easy recipe for jello that kids will love—go ahead and let them pick their favorite color.
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Sugar Cookies from Scratch
An easy recipe for sugar cookies from scratch that kids will like to decorate (and eat!)
12 of 32 Image Credits: DEB PEARLMAN
Carrots with Peanut Dipping Sauce
Trying to break the peanut butter and jelly habit in the under-12 set is no easy task, but this mellowed peanut-sesame dip just might do the trick. It's equally good with carrots or tossed with cold noodles.
What you need:
- 3 tablespoons of peanut butter
- 1 tablespoon of honey
- A splash of soy sauce
- A few drops of sesame oil
- Water to smooth
- Carrot sticks
Mix everything but the carrot sticks together with a fork or whisk in a bowl. Add water as needed to thin mixture to a dipping consistency (all-natural peanut butter needs more; everyday brands need less).
Kids can help: Scrape carrots, stir ingredients
Extras: Torn up cilantro, basil, a squeeze of lime juice or sliced green onion tops. Try apple slices instead of carrots.
Bonus tip: Store carrot sticks in water to keep them crisp and juicy
Recipe from Deb Perelman at Smitten Kitchen.
13 of 32 Image Credits: DEB PEARLMAN
Fruit with Creamy Dip
This tangy-sweet dip could be used for any number of fruits or berries, and the cherry stems make dipping extra fun.
- 1/4 cup sour cream
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- Cherries with stems attached
Stir sour cream, brown sugar and cinnamon together in a bowl. Rinse cherries and arrange them for dipping.
Kids can help: Mix ingredients, wash fruit
Extras: Use yogurt instead of sour cream, use apple or pear slices, strawberries or other berries if they're in season
Recipe from Deb Perelman at Smitten Kitchen.
14 of 32 Image Credits: DEB PEARLMAN
Jam and Graham Cracker Cheesecake
I have yet to meet a kid who didn't like cheesecake, and I have yet to meet a parent who wasn't terrified of having one at arm's reach. This snack is the perfect way for everyone to have the taste they want without the fat and calories of a whole slice.
- 3 ounces of cream cheese, softened for 10 seconds in the microwave
- 3 tablespoons strawberry jam
- A few sheets of graham crackers, broken into squares or rectangles
Mix the softened cream cheese with the jam. Spread a little of the mixture on top of each graham cracker. Either eat right away, or chill for 30 minutes. The grahams will soften and become more like a cheesecake crust, and the topping will firm up.
Kids can help: Break up grahams, stir cream cheese and jam
Extras: Use different flavors of jam, top with a slice of fresh strawberry
Recipe from Deb Perelman at Smitten Kitchen.
15 of 32 Image Credits: DEB PEARLMAN
Homemade Potato Chips
If you're still telling your kids to not eat potato chips, it's probably because you didn't know you could make them in your microwave without a smidgen of grease. For real. I could tell you more, but I suspect you're already in the kitchen trying this out.
- One Russet potato sliced paper thin
- Salt (optional)
- Parchment paper
Cut a sheet of parchment paper to fit a plate. Lay discs of potato on top in a flat layer, none touching. Sprinkle layer with salt, if desired. Cover with another sheet of parchment paper. Microwave for 5-6 minutes. Discs will have become lightly browned potato chips.
Kids can help: Cut paper to shape, lay out slices of potato
Extras:Season with some salt, paprika, garlic or onion powder
Recipe from Deb Perelman at Smitten Kitchen.
16 of 32 Image Credits: DEB PEARLMAN
Chocolate Banana Crepes
If your kid is obsessed with chocolate-covered frozen bananas, he'll love our healthful approach to this glorious duo. Easier to make than banana bread, these are addictive either hot or cold, for breakfast or dessert. Just don't forget to save one for the kids.
- Pat of butter
- One banana, thinly sliced
- Handful chocolate chips
- Two flour tortillas
- Powdered sugar for dusting (optional)
Melt butter in nonstick pan. Arrange banana slices over one tortilla and mash them in very lightly with a fork. Dot with chocolate chips and place second tortilla on top. Slide into frying pan and cook for a few minutes on each side, until brown and golden at the edges. Let cool for a minute or two, then slice into wedges and serve dusted with powdered sugar, if desired.
Kids can help: Peel banana, spread banana slices on tortilla, lightly mash bananas and arrange chocolate chips over fruit
Recipe from Deb Perelman at Smitten Kitchen.
17 of 32 Image Credits: DEB PEARLMAN
Peanut Butter Cookies
They might be a little young to learn the nuances of creaming butter and leveling teaspoons of baking soda, but that doesn't mean that kids can't have one recipe that they can call their own. This recipe is so easy to master, your little chefs will be shooing you out of the kitchen in no time.
- 1 cup smooth or chunky peanut butter
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 egg
Mix ingredients in big bowl. Scoop into small balls and arrange on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake for about 10 minutes at 400 degrees F. Let cool on rack.
Kids can help: Measure and mix ingredients, scoop dough.
Extras: Dot each cookie with a chocolate chip or two, flash-freeze already-formed cookies on a tray then pack in a freezer bag so you can bake them a few at a time for future snacks.
Recipe from Deb Perelman at Smitten Kitchen.
18 of 32 Image Credits: DEB PEARLMAN
Cucumber Boats with Spiced Yogurt
I've always thought the secret to getting kids to eat what their parents like is to remember to adapt your favorite flavors to your child's palate. If your kid isn't ready for strongly-flavored Indian curries, this could be the introduction that works: a familiar food, lightly spiced and presented in a fun way.
- Small cucumbers, such as Kirbys
- Small container of plain yogurt
- Sugar
- Salt
- Cumin
Halve cucumbers lengthwise and scoop out seeds. (A melon baller works great for this.) Mix some plain yogurt, a couple of pinches of sugar, a pinch of salt and a dash of cumin in a bowl. Spread into hollowed cucumbers.
Recipe from Deb Perelman at Smitten Kitchen.
19 of 32 Image Credits: DEB PEARLMAN
Juice Jelly Cubes
Even if you're wary of those red and green mystery "fruit" powders, you can still give your kids the jiggly treats they want. The trick is to use a juice with ingredients you approve of and set it in a plain gelatin. These cubes are not only healthier, but they're also just as easy to make as the boxed stuff.
- 2 cups of your kid's favorite juice (we used grape and grapefruit in the photo)
- 2 packets of unflavored gelatin
- 1 tablespoon sugar or honey (optional)
Pour 1/2 cup of juice in a bowl and sprinkle gelatin over it. While this sits, heat the remaining juice to boil (can do this in the microwave for 2 to 3 minutes). Pour hot juice over juice and gelatin mixture and stir, adding in extra sugar if desired. Pour mixture into the bottom of a loaf pan and chill for three hours, or until firm. Cut into squares.
Kids can help: Measure, mix
Extras: Pour mixture into miniature or regular-sized muffin tins for different shapes.
Recipe from Deb Perelman at Smitten Kitchen.
20 of 32 Image Credits: DEB PEARLMAN
Homemade Hummus and Pita Chips
Lots of kids dig hummus, but try to get them to eat beans and they'll think you're looney-tunes. This dip has enough similarities and familiar flavors that they might even be "tricked" into expanding their culinary horizons.
- Whole wheat pitas, opened and cut into wedges
- Grated fresh parmesan
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Basil or other dried herb (optional)
- Can of white beans, drained and rinsed
- Squeeze of tomato or sundried tomato paste
- Glug of olive oil
Cut pitas into wedges and separate their layers. Spread them on a baking sheet, spray them lightly with oil and sprinkle them with parmesan and dried basil. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes at 400 degrees F, until toasty and brown.
Meanwhile, dump beans in a medium sized bowl, add a squeeze of tomato or sundried tomato paste, a pinch of salt and pepper and a glug of olive oil and mash them with a potato masher until a smoother consistency is formed. Serve this with the Parmesan Pita Chips.
Extras: Try other beans, seasonings or different spices on pita chips
Kids can help: Mash beans, tear open pitas
Recipe from Deb Perelman at Smitten Kitchen.
21 of 32 Image Credits: MICHAEL KRAUS
Little Dippers
Cut an apple into wedges. Stick a toothpick in each piece, dip in nut butter and roll in crushed peanuts or sliced almonds.
22 of 32 Image Credits: MICHAEL KRAUS
Top This
Spread a dollop of blueberry yogurt on a graham cracker and top with banana slices, dried cranberries and mini–chocolate chips.
23 of 32 Image Credits: MICHAEL KRAUS
Fall Special
Top whole-grain crackers with cranberry sauce, thin apple slices and grated cheddar cheese. Broil until cheese melts.
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Fruity Tooty
Cut a tortilla into 6 pieces. Brush olive oil on each side. Sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar. Bake at 350°F for 8 to 10 minutes, or until golden brown. Serve with your fave fruit salad.
25 of 32 Image Credits: MICHAEL KRAUS
Ham Rollers
Slice apple into thin wedges. Top with a small slice of cheddar cheese. Wrap with a slice of deli ham.
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Magic Wands
Spread peanut butter on top of pretzel rods. Roll in chopped nuts or dried fruit.
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Tropical Fusion
Blend one 20-oz can crushed pineapple, 1 banana, 1/2 cup vanilla yogurt, 1/2 cup ice and 1/2 cup pineapple juice. Freeze into pops.
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Trail-Mix Kettlecorn
Toss popcorn with melted butter, honey and pecans. Spread on a baking sheet and bake at 350°F for 15 minutes. Add M&M's after cooking.
29 of 32 Image Credits: MICHAEL KRAUS
Gone Fishing
Provide carrot sticks, a bowl of veggie cheese dip and a plate of rainbow goldfish. Let the kids dip the carrot (fishing pole) into the cheese (bait) and then “catch” the fish.
30 of 32 Image Credits: MICHAEL KRAUS
Nuts and Bolts
Spread peanut butter on toasted whole-wheat waffle. Top with sliced banana and a drizzle of honey (serve honey only to kids over 1).
31 of 32 Image Credits: LUCY SCHAEFFER
Chicken Kabobs with Peanut Sauce
Chicken kabobs make for an easy, healthy snack or meal, and food on skewers is fun! Kids will love the yummy peanut sauce.
32 of 32 Image Credits: LUCY SCHAEFFER
Orange Cranberry Muffins
These fruity muffins are packed with kid-friendly fruits and fruit juice and make a yummy, healthy breakfast or snack.