Young boy drinking a glass of milk
It may be hard to believe, but summer vacation is drawing to a close and school is right around the corner. It’s time to plan for lots of things like new classrooms and teachers, unexpected supply needs, extracurricular activity requests – and hungry kids arriving home from school.
Although it’s easy to succumb to the appeal of ready-made, processed snacks, it can be just as easy and inexpensive to offer healthy but delicious options in single-serve sizes. Following are some quick and simple suggestions:
- Store sliced veggies in the refrigerator and serve with hummus or low-fat ranch dressing.
- Mix dried fruit, unsalted nuts and popcorn in a snack-size bag for a healthful trail mix.
- Wrap sliced, low-sodium deli meats like turkey or ham around an apple wedge.
- Store hard-boiled eggs in the refrigerator for kids to grab any time.
- Purchase fresh, frozen, dried or canned fruits for easy “grab-and-go” options.
- Offer a single serving of individually wrapped string cheese or low-fat yogurt.
- Add club soda to a ½ cup of 100% fruit juice for a tasty alternative to soda.
With just a bit of advanced planning, it’s a snap to halt the snack stampede and wind up with satisfied and healthier school-age kids!
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Santa Rosa County Extension Agent with UF/IFAS.Focus areas include nutrition, food safety, injury prevention, and healthy families.Bachelor's degree in Social Work from University of West Florida.Master's degree in Public Health/Health Education from University of South Florida.
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