By April Reese

University of Georgia

After a long day at school, most kids head straight for
the
refrigerator or the cupboard when they get home. But are the
after-school snacks they’re grabbing the best choices?

“Students tend to reach for cookies and chips,” said Jan
Baggarly, an extension service agent with the University of
Georgia College of Family and Consumer Sciences. “And with
roughly 7 million American students on their own at home after
school, that’s a lot of chips.”

Eating healthy

To help children make healthy snack choices, Baggarly
recommends parents keep plenty of healthy snack alternatives on
hand.

“A nutritious snack provides food from at least one of
the
Food Guide Pyramid food groups and, at the same time, isn’t too
high in fat, sugar or salt,” Baggarly said.

Children are growing fast. And they’re usually more
active
than adults. So they have to eat more calories and more often,
she said, to supply the energy they need to stay healthy and
active.

“Often children don’t get all the nutrition they need
from
eating regular meals at breakfast, lunch and dinner, so snacks
become essential,” she said. “Making healthy snacks available for
kids after school is a great way to keep their energy levels up
and not spoil their dinner. Snacks should be planned for and not
something that just happens.”

Attack alternatives

But which snacks are the best choices? Baggarly offers
these
suggestions: cheese and crackers, peanut butter and jelly
sandwiches, yogurt, hard-boiled eggs, cold cereal, fresh and
dried fruits, raw vegetables and dips made from low-fat
ingredients, popcorn, graham crackers and vanilla wafers.

“Cookies don’t have to be eliminated from the list,” she
said. “Just make sure they’re made using low-fat
ingredients.”

One way to reduce fat in cookies is by using applesauce
in
place of shortening when making oatmeal cookies. This alteration
alone cuts the fat by one-third.

After-school beverages can also add extra calories to a
child’s diet.

“After-school snacks should not be accompanied by sugar
drinks like Kool-Aid, soft drinks or those labeled as fruit
drinks,” Baggarly said. “Fruit juices made from real fruit will
say so on the label.”

Milk is an excellent after-school choice. “And today you
can
buy it in a variety of flavors, which helps its appeal,” she
said.

Food safety

As with all food preparation, after-school foods should
be
made safe to eat.

“Parents need to establish safe food-handling practices
and
set guidelines on what snacks their children can prepare,”
Baggarly said.

For safety’s sake, children should be taught these safe-
food
practices:

* Keep counters and tables clean. (Place books and book
bags
somewhere else.)

* Always wash hands before making or eating a snack. And
use
clean plates and utensils.

* Wash fruits and vegetables before you eat them.

* Put refrigerated items back in the refrigerator after
your
snack is ready.

* Reheat leftovers thoroughly until steamy.

Encourage children to eat at the kitchen table, too,
Baggarly said.

“There will be less chance of choking, and they will be
more
aware of what and how much they’re eating,” she said. “It will
also cut down on spills.”

Let kids pick

Baggarly says involving children in shopping and
preparing
healthy snack alternatives will aid in the eating frenzy that
follows the bus home every day.

“This will help them feel involved, and they may start
making healthier choices when you’re not around, like during the
school day,” she said.