Kid-Friendly Snack Ideas for After-School Meal Prep

The after-school snack hour can be a major hassle. Dealing with hungry kids daily is probably a part of your routine that you don’t love. Now, what if I told you that meal prepping is the secret weapon you need to win this daily war? That’s right, a little bit of prep work on the weekend can transform your weekday afternoons into a sane one. 

Here are five delicious and nutritious snack ideas that your kids will actually love– and they’re all super easy to make ahead!

1. Rainbow Veggie Skewers with Peanut Butter Dip

Ingredients

• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• 1 orange bell pepper, diced
• 1 yellow bell pepper, diced
• 1 cucumber, diced
• 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1 cup grapes
• 1 cup pineapple chunks
• 10-12 pretzel sticks (optional)
• 1/2 cup natural peanut butter
• 1/4 cup Greek yogurt (optional)
• 1 tablespoon honey (optional)

Instructions

• Thread diced bell peppers, cucumber, tomatoes, grapes, and pineapple onto skewers, alternating colors and textures.
• If using, add pretzel sticks to some skewers for added crunch.
• In a small bowl, whisk together peanut butter, yogurt (if using), and honey (if using) until smooth.

Meal Prep Tip

Assemble skewers up to 2 days in advance. Store in a sizeable airtight container in the refrigerator. You can also prepare the peanut butter dip up to 5 days in advance and store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator too.

2. Ants on a Log (with a twist!)

Ingredients

• 4-5 celery stalks, washed and cut into 3-inch pieces
• 1/2 cup cream cheese or nut butter
• 1/2 cup raisins
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries
• 1/4 cup sunflower seeds or chopped nuts (optional)
• 1/4 cup mini chocolate chips (optional)

Instructions

• Fill celery stalks with cream cheese or nut butter.
• Top with raisins, cranberries, sunflower seeds, nuts, and/or chocolate chips.

Meal Prep Tip

Assemble “ants on a log” up to 3 days in advance. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

3. Mini Fruit Pizzas

Ingredients

• 4 whole-wheat tortillas or pita bread
• 1/2 cup nut butter or Greek yogurt
• Assorted sliced fruit (e.g., berries, bananas, kiwi)

Instructions

• Spread tortillas or pita bread with nut butter or yogurt.
• Arrange sliced fruit on top, creating “pizzas.”
• Cut each pizza into 4-6 triangles or squares.

Meal Prep Tips

• Prepare the base (tortillas/pita with nut butter/yogurt) up to 1 day in advance. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
• Add fruit toppings just before serving to maintain freshness.

4. DIY Trail Mix

Ingredients

• 2 cups whole-grain cereal
• 1 cup pretzels
• 1 cup mixed nuts and seeds
• 1 cup dried fruit (e.g., raisins, cranberries, apricots)
• 1/2 cup coconut flakes
• 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips

Instructions

• Set out all ingredients in separate bowls.
• Let kids create their own trail mix by combining ingredients in small snack bags or containers.

Meal Prep Tip

Trail mix can be made in large batches and stored in airtight containers for weeks.

5. Frozen Yogurt Bark

Ingredients

• 2 cups plain Greek yogurt
• 2 tablespoons honey or maple syrup
• 1/2 cup berries (e.g., blueberries, raspberries, strawberries)
• 1/4 cup granola
• 1/4 cup chopped nuts

Instructions

• Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• In a bowl, whisk together yogurt and honey or maple syrup.
• Spread the yogurt mixture evenly onto the prepared baking sheet.
• Sprinkle it with berries, granola, and chopped nuts.
• Freeze for at least 4 hours or until solid.
• Break into pieces and store in freezer-safe bags.

Meal Prep Tip

Frozen yogurt bark can be made weeks in advance and stored in the freezer.

Final Thoughts

So there you have it – your after-school snack arsenal. With these meal-prepped goodies in your fridge and freezer, you’ll always be the hero of snack time. No more scrambling to put something together and you can take back control of your afternoons. Try out these recipes and see which are your kids’ favorites!