Michelle Dudash, RDN, Cordon Bleu–Certified
Chef, author of Clean Eating for Busy Families,
and mother of two, works to balance the need for
refueling (and avoiding late afternoon meltdowns)
without impacting mealtimes, saying her kids “are
famished after school, so I give them snacks, but
not so much that they don’t want to eat their dinner.”
Snacks Can Be Easily Prepared and Affordable
The Hartman Group’s research shows that next
to sugar content, parents are most concerned with
a snack’s ease of preparation, followed closely by
price. To help clients, suggest easy-to-prepare
options that won’t break the bank. Fruits, vegeta-
bles, and other whole foods fit into both catego-
ries. The trick to feeding hungry kids can be in the
presentation, so suggest recipes and simple snack
ideas that are appealing to young appetites.
Mangieri stresses that when it comes to snacks,
preparation is key: “Make sure the refrigerator and
pantry are stocked with nourishing foods that are
ready to eat. Kids are unlikely to take the time to
clean and cut vegetables, and they probably won’t
open containers to see what’s inside.” She also
recommends see-through containers.
Katie Sullivan Morford, MS, RDN, author of
Prep: The Essential College Cookbook and blogger
at momskitchenhandbook.com, says preparing
an easy, balanced, delicious, and affordable snack
is simple if you follow her formula: “My aim is to
get a fruit or a vegetable into every snack,” and
“at least one other macronutrient. For example,
wrap turkey slices around cucumber spears for a
produce-plus-protein combination. Or dip carrot
sticks into guacamole for produce-plus-healthful
fats. Or spread apple slices with almond butter,
which delivers all three macronutrients. I find
those kinds of pairings tend to be the most sustain-
ing and nutrient rich. Tasty, too!”
Following are some recipes for simple snack
ideas from my kitchen designed to keep kids and
their families healthy and thriving in this evolving
snack age.
— Liz Weiss, MS, RDN, is the voice behind the Liz’s
Healthy Table podcast and blog. You can find
her at LizsHealthyTable.com.Reference
- The future of snacking 2016. The Hartman
Group website. http://store.hartman-group.com/
the-future-of-snacking-
Black Bean & Veggie
QuesadillasServes 4Heather Mangieri, RDN,
stresses how important it
is to be prepared for after-
school appetites. “Kids don’t
need after-school snacks; they
need an after-school meal ...
[otherwise] kids can raid the
pantry and fill up on lower-
nutrient foods.”
These bean-filled
quesadillas come together
quickly, squashing hunger and
sustaining kids until dinner.Ingredients(^1) ⁄ 2 red bell pepper,
trimmed and cut into
(^1) ⁄ 4 -inch dice (about (^1) ⁄ 2
cup)
(^1) ⁄ 2 cup canned black
beans, drained and
rinsed
(^1) ⁄ 2 cup frozen corn
kernels, thawed
(^1) ⁄ 2 cup shredded low-fat
cheddar cheese
2 T salsa
2 T chopped fresh
cilantro, optional
1 green onion, trimmed
and thinly sliced
(^1) ⁄ 2 tsp ground cumin
(^1) ⁄ 4 tsp chili powder
Four 8-inch flour tortillas
4 tsp olive oil or other
vegetable oil, divided
Optional toppings: Salsa,
plain Greek yogurt,
guacamole
Directions
- Place the bell pepper, beans,
corn, cheese, salsa, cilantro (if
desired), green onion, cumin,
and chili powder in a large bowl
and stir to combine. Spread
the mixture evenly over half of
each tortilla. Fold over, press
down gently, and set aside. - Heat 1 tsp of the oil in a large
nonstick skillet over medium-
high heat. Add two of the
quesadillas and cook, pressing
down occasionally with a
spatula, until the bottoms are
crisp and golden, about three
minutes. Flip them, add one
more teaspoon of the oil, and
cook until the other sides are
golden, about two minutes.
Adjust heat as you go if the
bottoms brown too quickly. - Repeat with the remaining oil
and quesadillas. Cut into thirds
and serve with salsa, yogurt,
and/or guacamole as desired.
Nutrient Analysis per serving
Calories: 250; Total fat: 10 g; Sat fat:
3 g; Cholesterol: 3 mg; Sodium: 298
mg; Total carbohydrate: 32 g; Dietary
fiber: 4 g; Sugars: 2 g; Protein: 9 g
— RECIPE AND PHOTO FROM LIZ WEISS, MS, RDN,
LIZ’S HEALTHY TABLEaugust 2019 http://www.todaysdietitian.com 9