Apple and Brie Quesadillas with Mango Chutney

If she had her way most days, our 12-year-old daughter, Celia, would eat from the moment she got home from school, straight through to dinner.  From the way she acts ("I'm staaaarrrving!"), you'd think she'd been working on the Chain Gang all day. She's nearly as tall as I am, and she's as thin as a #2 pencil, so I don't want to deny her food. Since she'll eat almost anything during this time, I take advantage of the opportunity and make the majority of her snacks healthy. Celia favors popcorn (fresh-popped or low-salt), cheese cubes, apples, fruit smoothies, pretzels, dried apricots, whole-grain chips, and salsa. 

Sometimes, after she eats a couple of servings of each of these, I can stave her off until dinner with some sugarless gum. But once her appetite is finally sated, it doesn't always reappear in time for dinner.  I often wonder where to draw the line with after-school snacks, and whether and how to limit them. Our friend, Sherry Ettleson, serves her children a platter of cut vegetables and healthy dips (she calls it "happy hour") while she's making dinner, so they can at least fill up on the good stuff. My friend Stephanie Lowet says that in her family they portion out the after-school snacks (goldfish, popcorn, cookies, or ice cream) so the size is reasonable. 

If the kids are still hungry, we offer grown foods such as apples and peanut butter, cashews, or dried fruits. For more healthy after-school snack ideas, I love to follow Snack Girl, a.k.a. Lisa Cain, who never seems to run out of interesting ideas for healthy snacks. Sometimes an after-school snack can also serve as a mini meal to tide the kids (or you) over until dinner. Try these ultra-delicious Apple and Brie Quesadillas for an afternoon snack. For younger kids, you can make the quesadillas with just the cheese and serve the apple slices on the side. These quesadillas also work well as a hot appetizer, sliced into smaller wedges.

What are your kids' favorite healthy after-school snacks? Please share in the comments below.