6 filling after-school snacks

The period between 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. is both the busiest in many kids’ days and also the time when their hunger is most undeniable. (Just try denying it and watch a meltdown begin.) A lot of kids go from school to an extracurricular activity—soccer, ballet, violin lessons, tutoring, whatever—and will need a serious snack in between.

Easy smoothie

Blend Greek yogurt, half a ripe banana, a handful of frozen berries and a splash of milk for a smoothie.

Apple-wich

Make a sandwich from sliced cored apples; spread with honey and sprinkled with granola.

Hummus “pizza”

Spread hummus on toasted whole wheat bread and top with halved cherry tomatoes and a dash of salt.

Pancake-wich

Make a sandwich out of leftover pancakes spread with a slick of cream cheese and studded with sliced strawberries or bananas.

Snack skewers

Stack cubes of cheese, rolled up slices of deli ham and cherry tomatoes on wooden skewers. Kids will eat almost anything on a stick!

Snack rolls

Layer a slice of apple on a slice of cheddar cheese, then wrap a piece of deli ham or turkey around it and fasten with a toothpick.

Important things to consider when buying snacks for kids:

• You can score most of these items with free shipping if you use our no-cost 30-day Amazon Prime membership. Then click here for loads of other free stuff from Amazon.
• If you quality for SNAP EBT benefits on Amazon, you may be able to buy food products without spending any cash at all.