Skip to content

Top Navigation

Southern Living Southern Living
  • Food and Recipes
  • Culture and Lifestyle
  • Style
  • Holidays & Occasions
  • Home
  • Gardening Ideas
  • News
  • Video

Profile Menu

Your Account

Account

  • Join Now
  • Email Preferences
  • Newsletters
  • Manage Your Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Logout

More

  • Give a Gift Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Southern Living Books this link opens in a new tab
Login
Subscribe
Pin FB

Explore Southern Living

Southern Living Southern Living
  • Explore

    Explore

    • The Best New Haircuts to Try in 2022

      The Best New Haircuts to Try in 2022

      Here are the haircuts you'll be seeing everywhere this year. Read More
    • How To Season A Cast-Iron Skillet

      How To Season A Cast-Iron Skillet

      Learn how to season this Southern kitchen staple in five easy steps. Read More
    • 50 Thoughtful Messages for a Meaningful Thank You Note

      50 Thoughtful Messages for a Meaningful Thank You Note

      Not sure what to write in a thank you card? Here's how to show your gratitude with a handwritten note. Read More
  • Food and Recipes

    Food and Recipes

    See All Food and Recipes
    4 Easy Ways to Tell if an Egg Has Gone Bad

    4 Easy Ways to Tell if an Egg Has Gone Bad

    It’s not all in the senses, but they sure can help.
    • Recipes
    • Quick and Easy Dinner
    • Kitchen Assistant
    • Casserole
    • Holiday and Occasion Food
    • Slow Cooker Recipes
    • Desserts
    • Healthy and Light
    • Side Dishes
    • Party Food and Drink
    • Appetizers
    • Meat
    • Breakfast
    • BBQ
    • Drinks
    • What's Cooking
  • Culture and Lifestyle

    Culture and Lifestyle

    See All Culture and Lifestyle
    70 Cute and Funny Nicknames For Your Best Friends

    70 Cute and Funny Nicknames For Your Best Friends

    Let your besties know how much they mean to you with these unique nicknames.
    • Quotes and Sayings
    • Biscuits and Jam Podcast
    • Travel
    • Pets
    • Healthy Living
    • Coastal Living
  • Style

    Style

    See All Style
    The Coziest Winter Nail Colors for January 2022

    The Coziest Winter Nail Colors for January 2022

    The beginning of a new year often has us all feeling like starting off fresh by taking on better habits, getting rid of old ones, and—most commonly—changing up our look. While others are hitting the squats and going into the salon for a pixie cut, why not start slow and steady with a cozy winter manicure in a color that feels new to you? It takes only a little courage to step outside your usual OPI Lincoln Park After Dark or Essie Bordeaux, which is all you need to kick 2022 off on a fanciful foot.  From new wintry takes on classic dark nail colors to unique pops of color that'll have you feeling the opposite of boring, these are the best nail colors to try this January and tick off all the way into spring. 
    • Beauty
    • Hair
    • Fashion
    • Short Hairstyles
    • Nails
    • Medium Hairstyles
    • Skincare
    • Long Hairstyles
  • Holidays & Occasions

    Holidays & Occasions

    See All Holidays & Occasions
    • Thanksgiving
    • Gifts
    • Christmas
    • Mother's Day
    • Hanukkah
    • New Year's
    • Easter
    • Mardi Gras
    • 4th of July
    • Weddings
  • Home

    Home

    See All Home
    16 Kitchen Design Trends Southern Designers Predict Will Be Everywhere in 2022

    16 Kitchen Design Trends Southern Designers Predict Will Be Everywhere in 2022

    There's no denying how the pandemic fundamentally changed the world—including how we live (and work) inside our homes. An overall trend toward celebrating the history and originality of our homes is displacing ultramodern aesthetics and sharp lines as we all look to create cozier, colorful, more personalized spaces that better suit our lifestyles. We're turning away from big-box stores and toward vintage items—first, out of necessity due to supply-chain issues, and now, for design reasons—to add charm and character to every room in the house, including the kitchen. Here, interior designers from around the South share their predictions for what's trending in kitchen design for 2022 and beyond.
    • Home Decor Ideas
    • Idea Houses
    • Kitchen Design
    • Before & After Photos
    • Bathroom Design
    • Curb Appeal
    • Bedroom Design
    • DIY Home Decor
    • Color Palettes & Paint
    • House Plans & Builders
    • Inspired Communities
  • Gardening Ideas

    Gardening Ideas

    See All Gardening Ideas
    If You Keep Finding Ladybugs in Your House, Here's What You Need to Know

    If You Keep Finding Ladybugs in Your House, Here's What You Need to Know

    Plus a few strategies for keeping them out-of-doors
    • Container Gardening
    • Gardening Flowers
    • Fruit, Vegetable & Herb Gardens
    • Garden Pests
    • Plant Guides A-Z
    • Indoor Plants
    • Fall Plants
    • Landscaping Ideas
    • The Grumpy Gardener
  • News

    News

    See All News
    • Celebrities
    • Local News
  • Video

Profile Menu

Subscribe this link opens in a new tab
Your Account

Account

  • Join Now
  • Email Preferences
  • Newsletters
  • Manage Your Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Logout

More

  • Give a Gift Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Southern Living Books this link opens in a new tab
Login
Sweepstakes

Follow Us

  1. Southern Living
  2. Food and Recipes
  3. The Best After-School Snacks for Before Practice

The Best After-School Snacks for Before Practice

Southern Living May 2021 Cover
By Southern Living Editors
Skip gallery slides
FB
Granola Bar After School Snack
After a long day of reading, writing, and 'rithmetic, kids have an even longer line-up of rehearsals, practice, and homework before hitting the hay. Whether elementary-, middle school-, or high school-aged, kids require a tasty after-school snack. That is especially true when they're headed off to soccer practice, swim team, football conditioning, or dance rehearsal. Practice calls on mental and physical reserves, getting kids moving, learning, and making friends in the process. Whether the activity is fencing, baseball, basketball, softball, marching band, cheerleading, or any of the hundreds of other after-school practices, your child needs to fuel up with a hearty after-school snack beforehand. Keep them full and focused with the help of some of the best after-school, before-practice snacks. We've scoured the grocery store aisles and recipe boxes to find great power snacks for before a workout or practice that will keep your kids energized.
Start Slideshow

1 of 8

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message Print

Granola Bar

Granola Bar After School Snack

Granola bars are delicious. They are also the ultimate, healthy eat-on-the-go food, so we see why families have been relying on them for after-school snacks for years. We like to customize our granola bars, so instead of buying them from the grocery store, we recommend using our recipe for homemade Cranberry Almond Granola Bars. It’s a tasty treat that packs in both fruit and nuts, and your kids will love that it keeps them full all afternoon.

1 of 8

Advertisement
Advertisement

2 of 8

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message Print

Banana Chips

Banana Chips After School Snack
Credit: Roberto Machado Noa / Contributo

So full of potassium and good nutrients, we are always looking for unique new ways to add bananas to meals and snacks for our kids. Beyond a plain banana, fruit salad, or a banana sandwich, these baked banana chips have become a go-to snack for those hours between school and practice. They’re easy to eat on the go and they are both filling and nutritious, plus, if you make them at home, you can control any added salt or sugar content.

2 of 8

3 of 8

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message Print

Roll-Ups

Roll-Ups After School Snack

Roll-ups are another great on-the-go snack that is both energizing for kids and easy to make for moms and dads. Add last night’s leftovers and other foods you have in the refrigerator—chicken, lettuce, tomatoes, peppers—to a whole-wheat wrap for an easy-to-transport and easy-to-eat after-school snack. Roll it up, and you are on your way. Try a Spinach Roll Up for a vegetarian option.

3 of 8

Advertisement

4 of 8

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message Print

Peanut Butter and Crackers

Peanut Butter and Crackers After School Snack
Credit: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

Peanut butter and crackers is a classic snack for a reason. There are few spreads quite as filling or as ubiquitous as peanut butter. Just a few crackerfuls of peanut butter will keep your little player full throughout practice and give them the energy to run, swim, dive, or dance all afternoon.

4 of 8

5 of 8

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message Print

Hummus and Pita

Hummus and Pita After School Snack

We have yet to meet a child who doesn’t like hummus, and it’s easy to see why. It’s a great snack that comes in many tasty flavors, and it’s in spreadable, dip-able form. You can make your own (try our recipe for Red Pepper Hummus), or you can find it in the refrigerated section of the grocery store. Either way, when it’s transported on the vehicle of tasty, toasted pita bread, hummus is a filling and healthy alternative to a food like potato chips.

5 of 8

6 of 8

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message Print

Quesadillas

Quesadillas After School Snack

There is no shortage of ways to customize a quesadilla. From the classic chicken and cheese to a tasty apple quesadilla, it’s a great after-school snack—served either warm or room temperature—for kids who are headed to practice. Add you child’s favorite meat for a dose of protein or create a veggie-filled quesadilla for a vegetarian option. Try two of our favorite quesadillas with these recipes for Grilled Chicken Quesadillas or Easy Microwave Quesadillas.

6 of 8

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

7 of 8

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message Print

English Muffin Pizza

English Muffin Pizza After School Snack
Credit: Chicago Tribune

Skip the drive-through window and instead whip up one of these single-serving pizzas in the kitchen for a before-practice snack. With just a few ingredients—an English muffin sliced and toasted, topped with a bit of cheese and a few slices of pepperoni, you have a warm, substantial snack. It’s a healthier version of a child’s favorite food—pizza—with none of the delivery costs or guilt.

7 of 8

8 of 8

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message Print

Fruit Skewers

Fruit Skewers After School Snack

This after-school snack is infinitely customizable, and it is easy to add your child’s favorite fruits (or veggies, if you want to make a vegetable skewer snack). Add banana, apple slices and grapes, and substitute seasonal fruits and berries throughout the year. Great for kids on the go, this snack is so easy to throw together and eat in the car on the way to practice, or you can keep a container of ready-to-go skewers in the refrigerator. Try our recipe for Fruit, Cheese, and Herb Skewers to start.

8 of 8

Replay gallery

Share the Gallery

Pinterest Facebook

Up Next

By Southern Living Editors

    Share the Gallery

    Pinterest Facebook
    Trending Videos
    Advertisement
    Skip slide summaries

    Everything in This Slideshow

    Advertisement

    View All

    1 of 8 Granola Bar
    2 of 8 Banana Chips
    3 of 8 Roll-Ups
    4 of 8 Peanut Butter and Crackers
    5 of 8 Hummus and Pita
    6 of 8 Quesadillas
    7 of 8 English Muffin Pizza
    8 of 8 Fruit Skewers

    Share & More

    Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message Print
    Southern Living

    Magazines & More

    Learn More

    • About Us
    • Subscribe this link opens in a new tab
    • Books from Southern Living
    • Contact Us
    • Advertise
    • Content Licensing this link opens in a new tab
    • Accolades this link opens in a new tab

    Connect

    Follow Us
    Subscribe to Our Newsletter
    MeredithSouthern Living is part of the Meredith Home Group. © Copyright 2022 Meredith Corporation. Southern Living is a registered trademark of Meredith Corporationthis link opens in a new tab All Rights Reserved. Southern Living may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice. Privacy Policythis link opens in a new tab Terms of Servicethis link opens in a new tab Ad Choicesthis link opens in a new tab California Do Not Sellthis link opens a modal window Web Accessibilitythis link opens in a new tab
    © Copyright Southern Living. All rights reserved. Printed from https://www.southernliving.com

    Sign in

    View image

    The Best After-School Snacks for Before Practice
    this link is to an external site that may or may not meet accessibility guidelines.