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The perfect fridge and pantry clean out! The after school snack tray is a great way to feed hungry kiddos and clear out some space in your kitchen.
Charcuterie boards seem to be all the rage now, and while the fancy cheeses, meats, nuts, and jellies sound pretty darn great to me, they aren’t exactly the most kid-friendly platters. Enter my version of kids’ charcuterie, the after school snack tray!
This simple setup is the best thing to happen to you, I promise, especially if you’re used to hearing “I’m hungry!” a hundred times after school. When I take 10 minutes to throw some of the contents of the fridge on a little tray, they tend to eat more fruits and veggies, I get to clean out my produce drawer, and it’s just fun for everyone.
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love This Snack Idea
- This is a great way to help the family eat healthier foods and sneak in fruits and vegetables in between meals.
- Snack trays will use up odds and ends from the refrigerator and pantry, helping you waste less.
- These snack combos are so quick and easy to pull together!
- Perfect for picky eaters since everyone can choose what they like from the options on the tray.
What to Put On an After School Snack Tray
Everything! Anything! Literally. Whatever you have in the fridge that’s on its final leg or anything that’s been lingering in the pantry. I load them up with lots of
- Fruits and veggies
- Boiled eggs
- Hummus
- Cheese
- Deli meat
- Crackers
- Pretzels
- Nuts
- Trail mix
- And even chocolate chips for a pop of fun!
Snack Tray FAQs
You can just store the leftovers in a container in the fridge. It’ll already be prepped and ready to use in lunch boxes or as a side for a meal at home—or even for tomorrow’s snack tray!
After school is just a hungry time in many homes, so this is very handy for planning around that 3 o’clock hour when it’ll still be a while until dinner. You can also make one for movie nights or when friends come over!
Fill the snack tray with a variety of flavors and textures to help win over the pickier eaters. Using both softer and crunchier textures of fruits and vegetables will provide options for different eaters. Have both salty and sweet (natural salty and sweetened is best!) foods to help please whatever taste bud is eating!
Expert Tips
- When it’s out and ready to be picked through, I find my kids are way more open to choosing to eat produce than if I were to try to force it.
- Store leftovers in airtight containers in the fridge, and use it later to fill in a meal or to add to lunch boxes.
- Using seasonal foods will always help with keeping costs low when feeding a large group and will keep the snack trays on the healthier side. It’s also fun to tailor snack trays for special holidays!
- Snack trays are a hit for movie nights or when friends come over and are perfect snacks for making ahead.
More Snack Ideas to Consider
No Bake Desserts
Key Lime Mousse {Key Lime Pie In A Jar}
Chicken Recipes
Homemade Chicken Taquitos Recipe
Snacks for Kids
149+ Summer Snacks: Quick Snacks For Kids
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After School Snack Tray
Ingredients
- Assorted fruits
- Assorted vegetables
- Protein: boiled eggs, hummus, cheese, meat roll ups
- Carb: crackers, pita chips, pretzels
- Something fun: seasonal candies, chocolate chips, trail mix
Instructions
- Arrange the fruit, veggies, and other items on a cookie sheet or serving tray.
- Let the kids eat right off the tray to their hearts desire.
Notes
- Not much of a real recipe, this is just a great way to clean out the produce drawer and little odds and ends. Use what you have.
- Fill the snack tray with a variety of flavors and textures to help win over the pickier eaters.
- Store leftovers of your snack tray in the fridge, and use it later to fill in a meal or to add to lunch boxes since it’s already prepped and ready to go.
- Snack trays are also great for family game or movie nights and when having friends over.
Nutrition
Other great after school snack ideas:
- 10 Healthy Snacks You Can Prep in Advance
- Healthy Homemade Snack Bars Recipe (like a homemade larabar)
- 8 No-Bake Oatmeal Energy Balls
- The Life Changing Magic of the Veggie Box
- Easy Healthy Rainbow Popsicles
After school snack trays are a game changer for cleaning out your lingering produce and snacks, and to feed hungry kiddos after a long day at school!
I love this idea and whatever doesn’t get eaten can go back into the fridge