Ten Healthy After-School Snack Tips and Cupcake Kids Winner

Sometimes it just seems too easy to give in to giving treats for after school snack; it's what your kids want and it's convenient. But we got many great suggestions from the comments of  our Cupcake Kids Back to School Snack Class giveaway that are sure inspire healthier and fun after school snacking.

Interestingly, the comments reinforce the proposition of Cupcake Kids' cooking classes, that if kids are involved in making their food, they will be more likely to eat healthy stuff. Most of these tips center around kids being involved in the preparation of the food or make eating into an activity.

Here's Top Ten Healthy After-school Snack Tips.  Plus, keep reading to find out the winner of the Cupcake Kids giveaway!

Top Ten Healthy After-School Snack Tips

1.  Make a peanut butter dipping sauce and cut up apple slice to dip - Erika

2. Exciting Grapes - try serving them on the vine so your kids can pluck them themselves or cut them in half and freeze and serve frozen - Mary Beth

3. Make your own trail mix - Neesha had a great suggestion: let your kids pick out what they get to throw in and do the mixing. She also lets them pick one sweet, like chocolate chips or sprinkles.

4. Vanilla milk: Add a drop or two of vanilla extract to make a healthy, yummy drink. - Erika

5. Go nuts and let your kids shell their own pistachios or other nuts. Food tastes so much better when you've had to work for it. - Neesha

6.  Sweet potato pancakes - Roast an extra sweet potato at dinner, mash and add it to your pancake mix the next day. Kids love to stir and pour the batter and the sweet cakes are yummy and filling. Try it with cornbread mix too. - Kathy

7.  Smoothies - peel your ripe bananas and put them in a ziplock in the freezer, then use them to cool down a smoothie, just add milk, yogurt and any other fruit. 

8.  Flavored popcorn: Popcorn doesn't need to be loaded with buter to taste great. Let kids experiment with other toppings too, like paprika and flavored salts.

9. Granola bars: Mary Beth's kids like Zbars, but you and your kids can easily make your own with our basic granola bar recipe. And then experiment by adding different ingredients.

10. Sensory Savvy Snacks: Did you know certain snacks can help your child focus better in school? Check out our list of sensory savvy snacks.

And now for the winners of the Cupcake Kids giveaway.... congratulations to Mary Beth and Kathy, we hope your kids have fun at the Cupcake Kids class! Also, take a look at Cupcake Kids Fall cooking classes which include: Halloween Treats, Autumn Eats and Pumpkin Pie, Oh My!