5 Healthy After-School Snack Ideas that Won't Ruin Dinner

School's out and it's a long time until dinner. These healthy after school snack ideas provide the perfect fuel for any activity, from soccer to spelling lists.

Any adult with the 3-o'clock slumps will tell you that it's a long time between lunch and dinner. How much more so for a kid — with their smaller stomachs, growing bodies, and all the energy they burn running and playing? If you add in their often early lunch periods (10:30 for Frances!) and after school sports, the gap between lunchbox and dinner table can be long and oh-so slumpy, hangry, grouchy and growly. 

Kids leave school hungry. Whether they're heading off to swimming, piano, a playdate, homework or just some time out in the backyard, they need fuel to replenish from the day and keep going. 

The quick answer is a bag of chips or a pack of cookies. They travel well and are easy to buy in bulk and dole out in the morning. And for sheer calories, these do well in a pinch. But ideally, you'll look for a snack combination that features protein, healthy fat and fiber, rather than empty calories and a quick rush of sugar. Hit the sweet spot and your kid will sail on toward dinner with sustained energy, rather than crashing and burning in a 4:30 tantrum on 3rd base.