Ah the after school snack time.  It should be so simple, right.  Hah!  Not at my house and I would wager not at everyone of yours either.  Tired, picky children are not looking for nutritious things, rather anything they can quickly get their hands on.  I just saw a great idea of using a 89cent pencil box per child, putting their name on it and a coupe of sticker or something to jazz it up a bit things in it they can choose from such as a granola bar, cheese stick, Gogurt, celery with peanut butter in it, those types of things so they have quick, hands on plus choices they can make.  Sounds good, non?

Another idea I just read about were shakes or smoothies.  Here are a few:

Below are three quick and nutritious smoothie recipes that are sure to please even the pickiest of eaters.

All three of the following smoothie recipes, courtesy of Camp Shane, are less than 175 calories per serving and help kids achieve the recommended 5 or more servings of fruits and vegetables a day.

Banilla Shake:

1 ½ cups skim or 1% milk
1 peeled and sliced medium banana, frozen (Wrap sliced banana in plastic wrap or place in a freezer storage bag. Freeze several hours or overnight.)
½ tsp. vanilla extract, optional
¼ tsp. almond extract, optional
In a blender combine all ingredients, except cinnamon. Blend until smooth, about 20 seconds. Pour into glasses and garnish with a sprinkle of ground cinnamon, if desired. Yield: approximately 2 ¼ cups.

Blueberry-Orange Whirl:

1 12-ounce package frozen blueberries, unthawed, or 2 1/2 cups fresh
8 ounce low-fat vanilla yogurt
1/2 cup orange juice
1/2 cup milk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
In an electric blender, blend all ingredients until smooth. Yield: approximately 3 ½ cups.

Very Berry Smoothie

1/4 cup berries (your choice!)
4 ounces skim milk
6 ounces calcium-fortified orange juice

Blend together all three ingredients until smooth. Yield: approximately 1 serving.

Camp Shane is the world’s longest running weight-loss camp for children. In partnership with renowned child obesity expert and Board Certified Pediatrician Dr. Joanna Dolgoff, Camp Shane has developed a well-balanced menu that is focused on portion-controlled meals and snacks intended to ensure healthy weight loss.

“Government statistics show that about 32% of children and adolescents are obese or overweight, so it’s important to provide parents and children with the necessary tools to make healthy choices when it comes to snacking.” said Dr. Dolgoff, the official doctor of Camp Shane. “We’re so pleased to be able to offer some of the campers’ favorite recipes for anyone to enjoy right at home.”

While most people approach weight loss programs for nothing more than the weight loss itself, Camp Shane is dedicated to providing kids with a comprehensive set of life skills that help equip them to deal with their problems completely and successfully, for the long term.

“As someone who has seen thousands of parents struggle with how to continue their child’s weight loss at home, I’ve learned that cooking and eating with your kids at home is one of the simplest and most effective weight loss tools that parents can adopt,” said Ziporah Janowski, co-owner of Camp Shane.