Fun, fast and easy after school snacks kids can make themselves

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This shop has been compensated by Jewel-Osco. All opinions are mine alone. #AStockUpSale #JewelOsco #CollectiveBias

Fall is, hands down, my very favorite season. I love everything about it – the weather, the football, the decor, the drinks, the trips to the apple orchard, the food, the sweaters. I think that my love for it is in large part because it’s a season focused on home and family. I love it when my daughter comes home from school and I can hear about her day as she eats an after school snack.

easy after school snacksMiddle schoolers do a ton of growing, and that requires a LOT of food. It’s important for them to eat frequently, and after school snacks are hugely important.  That’s not just from a purely nutritional standpoint. A well-fed tween/teen is much kinder and more rational than a hungry one, so fast and easy after school snacks are key.

I made these snacks for my daughter and her friends to munch on after school before they started studying. My daughter adores Nature Valley Crunchy Oats N Honey Granola Bars, and it turns out her friends are fans as well. While they’re good on their own, I wanted to jazz them up a bit and include some other food groups. The Nature Valley Crunchy Oats N Honey Granola Bars are nice and flat, so they are perfect to top with fun options to give kids the energy to keep going all afternoon.

Here are a few of the favorites combos among my daughter and her friends that consist of one spread that goes on the granola bar and one topping:

S’mores

Nature Valley smores

The Nature Valley granola bars act as the graham crackers would. Just spread with a thin layer of your favorite hazelnut spread and marshmallows that you’ve zapped in the microwave for a few seconds. No matter how old kids get, they still like marshmallows getting big when you put them in the microwave. Careful not to overdo it, though, you really don’t want them exploding.

Pumpkin Butter and Apples Sprinkled with Cinnamon

nature valley after school snacksThis is such a delicious combination of fall flavors! They are so very good with some spiced apple cider.

after school snack
Dannon Yogurt and Strawberries

Strawberry yogurt granola barsYou can use either regular yogurt or the Greek yogurt for this one and really, any fruit will work. Raspberries and mandarin oranges are particularly well suited to this.

Peanut Butter and Bananas 

peanut butter banana snackI think Elvis would approve of this one. It’s a classic combo, and I confess to munching several of these myself for lunch.

Kids definitely eat with their eyes and these are bright and colorful. They’re also really simple to make. There’s no cooking, just assembling, so kids can definitely handle making these snacks themselves. Have them mix up their own combinations – peanut butter and apples were a big hit, or chocolate and strawberries were delicious, too.

Fall feels like time to start cocooning. Cocooning, however, requires stocking up and not needing to constantly be running out for items. I think about the squirrels going crazy stashing their nuts at this time of year, and I realize I’m doing pretty much the same thing, too, when it comes to our food shopping. I like to stock up at my neighborhood Jewel-Osco because it is a chance to save money and get quality items to nourish my family.

stock up saleAnd the Nature Valley Granola Bars as well as the Dannon Yogurt are on sale. At my Jewel-Osco they are in the cereal aisle.

nature valley granola barsI’d love to hear what your kids’ favorite after school snacks are.

You May Also Like: My (slightly irreverent) Fall Bucket List

Prior Post: 5 tips for getting the best possible Stitch Fix box

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