We’ve all been there. Our kids charge through the door after school declaring that they are “STARVING.” They wolf down five bags of chips … only to idly pick at their dinner during mealtime (and of course, insisting on a bedtime snack).
Here are a few options that can help stave off post-school hangry-ness, but still ensure that they will have an appetite for the meal you spent the evening preparing.
If dinner is 3 hours away…
Kids need a balance of carbs, healthy fats and protein to restore energy and provide sustenance that will tide them over until dinner. My solution: I prepare smoothie freezer bags and make sure to have almond milk on hand with a measuring cup. I write the instructions on the bag and my kids can easily dump the ingredients into the blender themselves. Here is one of my favorites:
Makes 2-3 smoothies:
1/2 medium banana sliced and frozen
1/4 cup Greek yogurt, plain (can be frozen in ice cube trays)
1/3 cup mango cubes frozen
1/3 cup pineapple frozen in chunks
1/3 cup strawberries frozen in slices
1 cup loosely packed spinach
Optional: 1-2 Tbsp. honey or agave nectar for sweetness
1 1/3 cup liquid (water, almond milk, juice, etc…)
Add all ingredients except liquid into a freezer-safe bag, with spinach last. Label the bag with the amount of liquid to add and store flat in the freezer. When ready to use, dump the bag contents into the blender, add liquid and blend!
If dinner is 2 hours away…
At this point, you want something a little lighter and easy to digest but still with some substance to get kids to the “not hungry, but not full” point. Banana Sushi is an incredibly easy three-ingredient snack that many kids adore
Ingredients:
1 tortilla
2 Tbsp. nut butter or
nut butter alternative
1 banana
Spread nut butter onto one side of the tortilla. Place the banana at one end of the tortilla and start rolling. Slice the “log” into even slices. Bonus points: smear nut butter on the outside of the rolls and coat with crisp rice cereal!
If dinner is 1 hour away…
All you are trying to do is get rid of hunger pangs at this point, not provide anything that will keep them full. Serving veggies works in multiple ways — you can make sure that they actually eat veggies for dinner by serving them early and they digest quickly without filling up their tummies.
If your kids won’t go for raw cut-up vegetables with dip, you can whip together a simple slaw:
For the slaw:
1/2 cup broccoli slaw mix
1/2 cup shredded carrots
1 Tbsp. raisins
For the salad dressing:
1/4 cup Greek yogurt
1/2 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
1/2 Tbsp. olive oil
1/2 Tbsp. honey or agave nectar, to taste
Whisk together salad dressing ingredients in a separate bowl; pour over the combined slaw ingredients just before serving.
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