Pam wrote and asked me about filling and nutritious snacks that she can send to school with her athlete son. Since many children don't go home between school and after school activities, particularly sports activities, too many fill up on packaged snacks and sweets that just don't prepare them for physical activity. Here are some ideas for healthy after school snacks to pack! These nutritious foods will keep without refrigeration and will help fuel your children for after school activities.

Healthy After School Snacks to Pack

• Peanut butter and vegetables
  If your kids like peanut butter, chances are they'll like 'ants on a log', which is peanut butter filled celery sticks dotted with raisins. Try using other dried fruits in place of the raisins for more interest.
• Peanut butter and crackers
  Peanut butter is a great food for instant snacking and good nutrition. Choose whole grain crackers and even crusty bread slices.
• Ready to eat cereal
  Many ready to eat cereals, especially those which contain whole grain and not much added sugar, are very nutritious. They will also help your student athlete 'carb up' before strenuous activities.
• Homemade snack mixes
  Have your child go to the store with you and pick out some nutritious and some 'junky' foods to make your own snack mixes. After all, gorp should have a few M&Ms for fun; just make sure most of the foods are nutritious. Praline Cherry Munch can be made with unsweetened whole grain cereals for more nutrition.
• Juice boxes
  Juice boxes use aseptic packaging, which means they will stay fresh and wholesome as long as they aren't opened. Juices provide lots of great nutrition and vitamins for your child. According to a consumer magazine, if juice is diluted half and half with water, its absorption rate is equal to sports drinks.

• Cereal bars
  Make sure to check the nutrition label on cereal bars. Choose ones with the highest percentage of nutrients per serving for your child's health.
• Homemade muffins and quick breads
  If your child likes muffins, they will love munching on some homemade quick bread. Many of these recipes include pureed fruits and vegetables, which add to the nutritional content.
• Fresh fruit mixes
  Choose fruits that will retain quality even out of refrigeration, like grapes, cherry tomatoes (yes, they are a fruit!), small pears and apples, bananas, and oranges (especially clementines).
• Shelf stable yogurt packs and cheese
  Make sure that these are purchased from the grocery shelves, not the chilled dairy compartment. These foods stay fresh and safe unless they are opened. Shelf-stable applesauce is another good choice.
• Fruit rolls and dried fruit
  Check the label of fruit rolls; some have very good nutrition. And any combination of dried fruits, including nuts, makes a wonderful nutritious snack.
• Cookies
  Okay, most cookies wouldn't be considered nutritious. But if all else fails, a homemade Oatmeal Cookie is going to beat a candy bar, nutritionally, every time.
• Finally, pack what your child likes. There's no point in packing healthy snacks that you know your child won't eat. Take them to the grocery store, add some new foods to their diet gradually, and make sure you feed them a balanced and varied diet at home. Most children tend to eat pretty well if offered a choice of different foods; and remember, just do the best you can and let it go.

I know that when people 'stayed through' in my high school, we had the Snack Shack, which sold candy bars and packaged salty snacks, along with pop and other beverages. It was a popular place, but not the kind of thing you want your kids to eat so their bodies are properly fueled for work and play.

Your goal is to combine two food groups, like protein and carbohydrate, which will fill them up and provide good fuel for activities, along with liquids to keep them hydrated.

Take a stroll through your grocery store and look for snack foods which are considered 'shelf stable'. This means that the food will stay fresh and wholesome without refrigeration, as long as the package is unopened. Aseptic packaging was the breakthrough that allows manufacturers to sell nutritious foods that previously required refrigeration.

I don't recommend that you pack foods that require chilling for after-school snacking. Chilled packs, ice bags, and frozen drinks just won't keep foods safe longer than 3-5 hours. The foods you pack for lunch will be just fine if everything is eaten at lunch; just make sure your kids aren't saving some of this food for after-school munching.