Healthy snacks after school

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When children come home from school they are usually starving, so this is a great opportunity to get them to eat something healthy. A hungry

child is a less fussy child but unfortunately if there’s nothing ready your child will grab a packet of crisps or a chocolate biscuit and you will miss this window of opportunity.

These days a lot of children eat more between meals than they do at mealtimes, so it’s important to spend a little time making sure there are some healthy snacks around.

Whilst fruit in a fruit bowl tends not to get eaten, if you were to spend a few minutes cutting up a selection of colourful fruits or threading fruits onto a skewer, it could make all the difference.
Keep a low shelf in the fridge where there is a selection of healthy snacks. Cut up vegetables with a hummus dip and pitta bread tends to be popular or have some salads like a tuna pasta salad or a cherry tomato and mozzarella salad or some mini cheeses or yoghurt.
Toasted English muffins with toppings are quick and easy to prepare. To make a delicious Tuna Melt, mix a 200g can of drained flaked tuna with 2 tbsp tomato ketchup, 2 tbsp crème fraiche and some sliced spring onion. Toast two split English muffins, spread with the tuna mix and top with grated Cheddar cheese. Place under a preheated grill and grill until the cheese is golden and bubbling.
Wraps are quick and easy to prepare. Here are three of my children’s favourite fillings. Warm the wraps for a few seconds in a microwave or dry frying pan before filling. Spread the wraps with a little mayonnaise and fill with strips of barbecued chicken, lettuce and tomato. For a prawn wrap, mix together one and a half tablespoons of mayonnaise, three quarters of a teaspoon of sweet chilli sauce and a squeeze of lemon, stir in 20g small cooked prawns. Spoon the prawns near one end of a warm tortilla, cover with the shredded lettuce and roll up. They also like this sweet wrap - mix together 25g cream cheese and half a teaspoon of honey and spread over a warm tortilla. It will melt slightly .Arrange the sliced banana on top and roll up.
Toasted seeds are delicious and make a healthy alternative to crisps. Sunflower seeds are a good source of vitamin E which boosts the immune system and pumpkin seeds contain omega 3 fatty acids which boost brain power and help children who have ADD or dyslexia. These Honey and Soy toasted seeds make a delicious snack. Heat 1 tablespoon of sunflower oil in a non stick frying pan; add the seeds and cook, continuously stirring for about 2 minutes or until the seeds are lightly browned. Remove from the heat, add the honey and soy sauce, return to the heat for 1 minute, then spread out onto a large baking sheet and leave to cool.
It’s a good idea to spend a little time at the weekend making some healthy home baked cookies, cereal bars and muffins. Try out some of the recipes in my After School Meal Planner like the Power Packed Oat Bars, Oat and Rice Krispie Squares, Chewy Oatmeal Raisin Cookies and Mini Muffins. Nothing you buy in the shops will taste as good and they are so easy to prepare that you can have fun making these together with your child.

For more recipes take a look at Annabel Karmel’s After School Meal Planner published by Ebury Press

Annabel's Afterschool recipe

Spaghetti primavera

For more on nutrition, recipes and feeding your child and family visit www.annabelkarmel.com

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