Food & Nutrition
Health & Fitness
Education
Parenting Preparedness
Kids have little leisure nowadays. After spending at least 6-8 hours studying in school, kids return home for a momentary respite before setting off for tuitions. This endless cycle of school, tuitions, homework, sleep, repeat, becomes too tiring and monotonous to continue without some refreshment and rest dispelling the exhausted gloom. Instead of putting back-to-back tuitions, keep a limit of one or two a day.
In case the number is exceeded, ensure your kid gets adequate rest the next day before pushing them again. And intersperse these hectic appointments of your kids with some nutritious and energy-boosting after-school snacks. Not only will these quick and healthy treats refuel your active children, but also help fulfill their daily nutritional requirements. Check out these easy and nourishing treats to increase your kid’s energy levels after school.
Quick and Healthy Treats to Refuel Your Active Children
1. After-school snack board
An after-school snack board is the easiest way of satisfying your kid while incorporating some healthy snack picks of your own. Colorful, cool, and appetizing, these boards include a wide variety of snacks with a homemade dip. Simply assemble sliced fruits and vegetables like apples and grapes. celery, carrots, bell peppers, in groups, on a plate. To surprise your kid, add some cheddar cubes, grilled tofu or paneer cubes, and popcorn. At the center, place a small, sweet dip, consisting of peanut butter, almond butter, or sunflower butter, or a homemade savory dip, like hummus or ranch, or both, if your kid enjoys them. This will not only make the snack balanced, with elements of protein, good fats, vitamins, minerals, fibers, and carbs, but also refuel their tummy and soul.
2. Dark chocolate zucchini and millet muffins
High in antioxidants and fiber, zucchini is a great vegetable to incorporate in kids snacks and desserts. It not only boosts their immune system, improves eye health, promotes heart health and strong bones, but also maintains blood sugar and cholesterol levels. And when one incorporates dark chocolate, 50% and darker, and millets into the mix, the dessert no longer has any sin attached to it. To further ensure low calories, only use natural sweeteners like liquid gur and honey. Also, if not using eggs, use bananas for the same culinary effect. The presence of dark chocolate is enough to tempt curious kids for a bite, the muffin’s taste shall do the rest. These dark chocolate, zucchini and millet muffins are not only delectable, rich and moist, but also full of the right micronutrients needed by kids to sail through the rest of the day after school.
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3. Air Fryer apple fries
These easy-to-make fruit fries make healthy snacks fun to make for kids and munch on later as well. Simply cut up your apples into wedges and coat them well in cinnamon, coconut flakes, and crushed graham crackers. Line them up in a pre-heated air fryer at 380 degrees Celsius for 5 minutes and then turn the apple pieces over and cook for an additional two minutes. Remember to cook the apple fries in batches and not let them overlap. Also, lightly spray the apple fries with cooking spray before air-frying for best results. Pour homemade caramel, honey or nut butter of choice into a bowl and serve with piping hot, crispy and refreshing air fryer apple fries.
4. Sweet potato fries and hummus
Sweet potato is not just an abundant food crop. It is a wonderful source of carotenoids, protein, vitamin B complex, vitamin C, and vitamin E, and protects the human body from cancer and diseases of the liver, heart, nerves, and metabolism. When you consider all these health benefits and look at sweet potato fries, you do not see a fried carb but an appealing way of consuming a vegetable superfood. Season your sweet potato fries well and pair them with hummus to imbibe more nourishment from the chickpeas and herbs in it. This after-school snack is not only crispy, filling, and energy-boosting but also healthy when consumed in moderation.
5. Dates dipped in dark chocolate
Few kids hate chocolate. And why buy high-calorie premium chocolates when you can make way healthier ones at home, and perhaps sneak in a bit of nourishment too? Melt dark chocolate and butter at home and set aside to cool. Prick seedless dates onto a fork or toothpick and dip them carefully into the melted chocolate bowl. Tap off the excess and place it gently on a parchment-paper-laden tray. Repeat the process till completed and let the chocolates cool at room temperature before chilling them in the fridge. Store them in airtight containers for up to a week or two, but it is doubtful they last that long in any household. Make sure the dark chocolate is at least 70% dark. Include some sweetener of choice, if required. This after-school snack will not only boost their energy levels and immunity, but also their mood on a bad day.
The views expressed are that of the expert alone.
