Prepare Healthy After-School Snacks

Children often come home from school very hungry and need a snack to hold them over until dinner. But eating too many snacks or the wrong kinds of snacks can be unhealthy.

Try to keep snacks in portions appropriate for your child's age. Snacks for younger children should have 100 to 200 calories, while older kids probably need 200 to 300 calories per snack. Children can eat too much if they are allowed to graze until dinner or if they eat snack foods directly out of the package (such as cookies or potato chips). It may help to pre-portion snacks for children to choose from.

Choosing healthy snacks takes planning. Use the food pyramid as your guide for what to offer. Most children do not eat enough fruits and vegetables, so this is a good group to target. Keep fruits and vegetables washed and cut up in the refrigerator for easy access.

Try to limit less-nutritious snacks such as soda, chips and candy. Having junk food in the house is a temptation for hungry children, so keep it hidden or out of the house entirely.

Reprinted with the permission of Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin.