19 Mouthwatering (and Healthy!) After-School Snacks That Won't Spoil Dinner

1 Veggie Pinwheels

We love any recipe that's tasty, easy, and filling. Cookbook author Kim Laidlaw has mastered the goat cheese and veggie pinwheel recipe that moms everywhere can put together in a snap. The best part? You can take them on the go for all those after-school activities.

Source: Kim Laidlaw

1 / 19

2 Mimi’s Real Tex Mex Guacamole

$Mimi’s Real Tex Mex Guacamole$

Kelsey Banfield gained an instant following when she started blogging on The Naptime Chef about the meals she cooked while baby Daphne was sleeping. Now in grade school, Daphne eats after-school snacks that give her energy to get through the rest of the afternoon. "This authentic Texan guacamole is a delicious and healthy snack for kids," Kelsey says. "It is rich and creamy with a spicy kick from the jalapeño. I like to serve it up with lots of chopped vegetables or minitacos for a snack."

Source: The Naptime Chef

2 / 19

3 Broccoli With Yogurt Ranch Dip

Brooklyn-based Blue Apron is a food delivery service that focuses on healthy, fresh ingredients. One of the company's founders, Matthew Wadiak, suggests making this broccoli with yogurt ranch dip with your kids on a Sunday evening and keeping it in the fridge for an easy grab-and-go after-school snack during the week. Matthew suggests serving with broccoli, but you could add or substitute whatever veggies are your kids' favorites.

Source: Blue Apron

3 / 19

4 Tomato Toasts

These supereasy tomato toasts are a great way to use sweet tomatoes that are at their peak!

Source: Blue Apron

4 / 19

5 Pea Guacamole

Best known for her role as Sam Puckett on Nickelodeon's iCarly and Sam & Cat, Jennette McCurdy partnered up with Birds Eye's Michael Christiansen to come up with a selection of delicious, veggie-packed recipe ideas that are perfect for after-school snacks. They suggest switching things up and focusing on new tastes, like this pea guacamole that is a great way to introduce the vegetable.

Source: Dario Cantatore for Birds Eye

5 / 19

6 Baked Ziti Cupcakes

Another way to shake things up during snack time is by serving them in single-serving size portions. These baked ziti cupcakes are full of flavor (and peas!) but won't have kids overeating before dinner.

Source: Dario Cantatore for Birds Eye

6 / 19

7 Strawberry Cream Cheese Towers

Creativity abounds in the Spelling-McDermott household, so it's no surprise that mama Tori Spelling puts her talents to work when it comes to giving her kids a tasty after-school snack. With two children in elementary school, Tori's shared a snack that is sure to satisfy everyone. Using plenty of fruit, these strawberry cream cheese towers will satiate kids' hunger without spoiling dinner!

Source: EdiTORIal by Tori Spelling

7 / 19

8 Banana and Peanut Butter Muffins

Sweet treats like muffins can be deceptively healthy when they're made with peanut butter and bananas. These banana and peanut butter muffins from Carla Hall are filling and healthy.

Source: Carla Hall

8 / 19

9 On-the-Go Bars

Carla Hall, one of the cohosts of ABC's The Chew and a former Top Chef contestant, combined healthy whole grains and dried fruit with a classic "bar" recipe to create these on-the-go bars.

Source: Carla Hall

9 / 19

10 Baked Whole Wheat Raspberry Doughnuts

You don't tend to think of doughnuts as a healthy after-school treat, but these baked whole wheat raspberry doughnuts aren't the sugary, greasy confections we all grew up on. Baked, rather than fried; made with whole wheat flour instead of all-purpose; and full of fresh raspberries just bursting with sweetness, they're packed with goodness for hungry tots.

Source: Catherine McCord's Weelicious

10 / 19

11 Strawberry-Cream Cheese "Sushi Rolls"

"For kids who prefer sandwiches that are more sweet than savory, these 'sushi rolls' are a real treat," Catherine McCord of Weelicious says. "Filled with a smear of tangy cream cheese and a dollop of fresh strawberry preserves, they're so lip-smacking, they could almost pass for dessert. Hey, that's actually not a bad idea!"

Source: Catherine McCord's Weelicious

11 / 19

12 Feta and Olive Oil Cakes

Leaving the butter behind — and using olive oil in its place — Cat Cora's created a lighter and healthier version of some sweet cakes for hungry kids. These feta and olive oil cakes don't require much baking time, so they can be quickly prepared when kids come home from school.

Source: Cat Cora

12 / 19

13 Greek-Style Nachos

What do you get when a creative American chef of Greek heritage visits her homeland? A hybrid recipe that flaunts the flavors of the two countries' signature dishes. These Greek-style nachos are made with plenty of Greek specialties — think olives, garlic, herbs, and roasted red peppers — and some pita chips for crunch, making them a fun and healthy snack after school.

Source: Cat Cora

13 / 19

14 Baked Parsnip and Sweet Potato Chips

These chips are easy to make and great for kids, as they are naturally slightly sweet and very delicious. They are baked rather than fried, so they're healthier than store-bought chips.

Source: Annabel Karmel

14 / 19

15 Fruit Skewers

You can make sweet or savory skewers. For the sticks, you can use bamboo skewers or thin plastic straws. Either cut up a variety of fruits such as melon, mango, pineapple, and strawberries, or try some of the savory combinations below:

Chicken tikka with cucumber
Slices of ham or turkey rolled up and interspersed with cubes of cheese and wedges of pineapple
Cherry tomatoes and mozzarella cheese
Cucumber, carrot, red pepper, and cubes of gruyère or emmenthal
Cooked prawns with cherry tomatoes and cucumber
Apple and cheese

Source: Annabel Karmel

15 / 19

16 Healthy Dips

Dips are ideal for a quick after-school snack. You can serve with cucumber, carrot, sweet pepper sticks, cherry tomatoes, and pita bread or try some more unusual vegetables for dipping like sweet sugar snap peas. Try these sweet chili with cream cheese, thousand island, or ranch dips, and see how fast the kids get dunking!

Source: Annabel Karmel

16 / 19

17 Mexican Egg Wrap

Scrambled eggs with a little kick, like these Mexican egg wraps, are great served inside a warm tortilla. Eggs provide an excellent source of protein, vitamins, and minerals. Contrary to popular belief, we should not avoid eggs for their dietary cholesterol — confusingly, the amount of saturated fat you eat affects your blood cholesterol levels more than dietary cholesterol. Eggs are relatively low in saturated fat. Egg yolks are a good source of iron, and most of the goodness in eggs is in the yolk.

Source: Annabel Karmel

17 / 19

18 Chinese Chicken Wrap

This Chinese chicken wrap is sort of a cheat's version of Chinese duck in pancakes.

Source: Annabel Karmel

18 / 19

19 / 19