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School & Community News

Healthy snack ideas for kids
August 16, 2022

With students around the Philadelphia region preparing to head back to the classroom in the next few weeks, after-school snacks will soon be in high demand. Cookies or chips may seem like a fun option in the moment, but are not the healthiest choice a young student journalist can make. 

Image by Tesa Robbins from Pixabay

Healthy Snacks and Quick Bites: A Recipe Book for Kids to the rescue! Created in 2019 by Healthy NewsWorks and Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP), the digital cookbook has more than a dozen kid-tested and kid-approved healthy snack recipes. 

Check out three favorites:

SALSA-MOLÉ OLÉ!

What You’ll Need

  • 2½ cups chopped tomato
  • ½ cup red onions, chopped
  • ½ avocado, diced
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  • 2 tablespoons jalapeño pepper, seeds removed and chopped; be careful! These peppers are spicy hot. The seeds hold most of the heat, so cut the pepper lengthwise and scoop out the core and seeds with a spoon. Try not to touch your face. Wear gloves or wash your hands after you chop.
  • 1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • baked tortilla chips or baguette, toasted

Let’s Cook!

1. Combine ingredients in a medium bowl. 

2. Refrigerate until ready.

3. Serve with baked tortilla chips or toasted baguette.

Serves 4


MIX-AND-MATCH SNACK ATTACK

What You’ll Need

Make your own snack by mixing together five ingredients from the list below. For the best-tasting snack, pick ingredients from all three groups.

Fruits

  • ½ cup raisins
  • ½ cup dried cranberries 
  • ½ cup dried apricots

Grains

  • 1 cup mini pretzel sticks or squares
  • 1 cup low-fat popcorn
  • 1 cup kettle popcorn
  • ½ cup toasted O’s cereal (like Cheerios®)
  • ½ cup wheat, corn or rice cereal (like Chex®)

Protein

  • ¼ cup sunflower seeds
  • ¼ cup peanuts or soy nuts

SAMPLE SNACK ATTACK

What You’ll Need

  • ½ cup dried cranberries
  • ½ cup toasted O’s cereal (like Cheerios®) 
  • 1 cup low-fat popcorn
  • 1 cup mini pretzel sticks or squares
  • ¼ cup sunflower seeds

Let’s Cook!

Mix five ingredients together in a resealable bag or a container.

Serves 4


CREAMY FRUITY SMOOTHIE

What You’ll Need

  • ½ cup diced fruit (strawberries, peaches, bananas, pineapples or mangos) 
  • ½ cup low-fat yogurt
  • ½ cup low-fat milk
  • 2 tablespoons orange juice
  • 4 ice cubes

Let’s Cook!

Place all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.

Serves 1


The book stemmed from a community grant Healthy NewsWorks received from CHOP. Read the full recipe book here.

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Since 2003, Healthy NewsWorks has been empowering elementary and middle school students to become researchers, writers, and confident communicators who advance health understanding and literacy through their factual publications and digital media.

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