Guest Author - Rebecca Wilson

By the time most children arrive home from school it has been 3-4 hours since they ate lunch, and it is unlikely they ate a snack during the afternoon. After school snacks are a time when you can provide your daughter with another serving or two from the food pyramid.

Choose nutrient dense foods that are as close to their natural state as possible, low in saturated and trans-fats and low in added sugar. Pre-teen and teen girls especially need foods high in calcium, such as calcium fortified orange juice, soy or rice milk; milk from goats or cows, cheese, yogurt, non-fat cottage cheese, tofu, spinach and salmon. Teenage girls need around 1300 mg of calcium per day.

Think portion control. Show your daughter what each portion looks like and give her smaller plates or napkins for serving. Provide a variety of food choices, mixing in foods high in protein and fiber to help your daughter feel satisfied longer thus eliminating the urge to snack again before dinner.

Easy to make, nutrient dense snack ideas:

One of my oldest daughter's favorite snacks are sliced, raw yams. They are not only nutrient dense but an excellent source fiber. After you slice or chop the yams, let them sit for about 10-15 minutes and they will be sweeter.

You can make yourself a trail mix made of granola, nuts, raisins and other grains. Many hikers make up a mixture called GORP (granola, oats, raisins and peanuts) because of the nutrient dense, high energy properties of the mixture. In moderation, you can add chocolate chips and dried fruit.

Natural peanut or sesame butter on a slice of whole grain bread or crackers makes a fast, tasty snack that is a satisfying combination of protein and carbohydrates.

Chop up a variety of raw vegetables and dip them in hummus. Think outside of carrots and cauliflower by offering your daughter other veggies such as turnips, raw potatoes and zucchini squash.

Fresh fruits can also be frozen on a stick or blended up – fresh or frozen – to make a fruit smoothie. Keep fresh fruit on hand for those “eat and run” afternoons instead of pre-packaged snacks.

Low-fat cheese served on whole grain crackers is high in calcium, protein and complex carbohydrates.

Yogurt. You can use it as a dip or eat it out of the container. Buy low-fat, plain yogurt and dress it up with granola and fresh fruit.

Non-fat cottage cheese with pineapple or other fruits or vegetables can be a small yet satisfying alternative to the usual snack choices.

A corn tortilla shell with smashed pinto beans and a small sprinkle of low-fat cheese is a surprisingly filling snack option.

Many of the above snack ideas can be prepared in advance for those busy afternoons when you are more apt to reach for the quick and easy pre-packaged foods that are often high in fat & calories and low on important nutrients. With a little planning, you can avoid them altogether.