School is back in session. With that, parents will be faced with hungry children returning home looking for a snack as they unwind from a hard day of hitting the books. Among the most popular snack choices of kids are potato chips, cookies, and candies. Snack time can be a real dilemma for parents who want their kids to eat nutritious foods, yet don’t want to spoil the kids’ downtime. So, how can a parent resolve this issue?

There are several solutions to the snack challenge:

Do your kids like pizza?

If so, top a whole wheat English muffin with spaghetti sauce, low-fat mozzarella cheese, and vegetables to create a tasty mini pizza.

Do you have kids who prefer a quick snack like potato chips?

Try offering popcorn (without butter), whole grain crackers, or baking kale chips. If you and your children prefer seasoning your kale chips, try adding a bit of chili powder, parmesan cheese, garlic or onion powder, or a bit of salt or pepper.

Yet another option is a home-made trail mix.

Not only is this version cheaper, but you choose the ingredients you know your kids like, so you know it won’t go to waste. Include your kids’ favorite whole grain breakfast cereal(s) and combine with unsalted nuts, popcorn, and dried fruit. Add dark chocolate pieces or chunks and store the mix in snack-sized bags for convenience.

You should also keep fat free or low-fat (1%) milk on hand as well as yogurt and low fat cheese (i.e. cheese sticks). Don’t forget to slice and refrigerate vegetables so they are easily accessible. Serve the vegetables with a hummus or low fat salad dressing.

Other snack options are lean protein foods like low fat deli meat or cheeses or hard boiled eggs. Fruits, whether fresh, dried, or canned, are also great snack options.

Keep snack sizes reasonable so they don’t replace meals or spoil appetites for dinner.

Recipes of the Month

(Source: adapted from the USDA Mixing Bowl)

Sweet and Salty Trail Mix

Makes: 10 servings

Ingredients:

3 cups whole grain cereal (can mix cereals) 1/2 cup whole almonds (chopped)

1/2 cup raisins

1/2 cup small pretzels

1/2 cup dark chocolate chips or chunks

Directions:

1. Mix all ingredients in a large
2. Store in an airtight container or in plastic bags that can be

50 Calories, 5g Fat, 3g Protein, 2g Saturated Fat, 1g Dietary Fiber, 22g Carbohydrates

Fruit Dip

Makes: 4 servings

Ingredients:

1 cup yogurt, low-fat vanilla (8 ounces)

1 fluid ounce of 100% orange juice, frozen concentrate (thawed) 1 tablespoon lime juice

1 1/2 teaspoons of brown sugar (1/2 tablespoon) 2 red apples (cored and sliced)

1 pear (cored and sliced) 1 peach (pitted and sliced)

Directions:

1. In a small bowl, combine the yogurt, orange juice concentrate, lime juice and brown
2. Mix
3. Place the bowl containing the dip on a large plate and surround it with the

143 Calories, 1g Fat, 4g Protein, 0g Saturated Fat, 4g Dietary Fiber, 32g Carbohydrates