Recipe: Skip the bag of crackers and try these 3 healthy after-school snacks

1/2 cup mini pretzels

Wash celery and cut stalks into thirds.

Spread peanut butter onto the celery.

Add two raisins for eyes and two mini pretzels for wings.

All amounts as needed.

Olives

Cut bread, cheese sticks, deli meat, tomatoes, dill pickles and olives into bite-size or cubed portions. Use whole-wheat bread instead of white for increased fiber.

Use skewers to make sandwich “kebabs,” making sure to put a mix of vegetables, meat and cheese on each. Add more or less of each ingredient, depending on what your child prefers.

1/3 cup popcorn kernels

Grind the nori seaweed flakes, 2/3 of the sesame seeds, sugar and salt into a fine powder. This can be done by hand with a mortar and pestle or in a food processor. (Dried seaweed contains antioxidants and can be a good salty snack by itself.)

Add oil to a large saucepan with a heavy bottom. Add three popcorn kernels, cover with a lid and cook over medium heat until they pop. Oil can be very hot, so it’s always good to have a grown-up make the popcorn.

Immediately add the rest of the popcorn kernels, replace the lid and cook, shaking the pan occasionally until all the kernels have popped. Popcorn is a great snack for older children, but it can be a choking hazard for toddlers.

Transfer the popped corn to a large bowl. Sprinkle your sweet and salty nori mixture over the popcorn and mix with your hands until every piece is coated. Top with the remaining sesame seeds.