Cheap and easy afternoon snacks that we just can't get enough of.

Every parent knows that when the school bells rings, so too do the hungry tummies. As soon as the kids walk through the door in the afternoon you know that the fridge is about to get raided. Don’t even think about trying (gasp!) talk to them about their day until they’re at least three bites in.

For that reason, us parents love a simple, easy-to-prepare afternoon snack that won’t ruin their dinner, but will still guarantee you don’t need to hear them whine about how hungry they are until it’s on the table.

To make the most of the afternoon, we have come up with some of our favourite afternoon snacks to keep them going and satisfy after school cravings.

Banana bread and butter.

This one admittedly takes some prep work, but once it’s made, it is the perfect freezable after-school snack. Bake the banana bread when you have time (or you could even use muffin cases for easy to grab servings) and either leave it out to defrost in the morning or whack it in the microwave to defrost and warm it up at the same time. Spread a little butter on top (at your discretion) and you’ve got yourself a delicious afternoon treat.

I’ve tried a lot of banana bread recipes and my current fave is this one. It’s super easy (and great for using up over ripened bananas in the fruit bowl) and it freezes really well.

Garlic and parmesan zucchini chips.

These ‘chips’ are really healthy, and they’re a great way to add extra veggies into the kids’ diets - but they don’t need to know that! All my kids know is that zucchini chips are ‘really yum’ - except in our house they’re called ‘Shrek biscuits’…for obvious reasons.

I actually discovered that these were an excellent afternoon snack for the kids by accident. I had made a batch of zucchini chips, and as I was munching away, not one but all three of my children wandered over and put their little hands into the bowl to have a try (all parents know that no food is actually your food).

Sure enough, the little hands kept appearing until the entire bowl was gone. I prefer to cook my zucchini with a little bit of butter rather than oil because it enhances the flavour of the zucchini perfectly.

Cheese toastie.

Okay, I know how simple this one sounds, but sometimes the simple snacks are the best.

The humble cheese toastie takes no time to prepare and you’d be hard pressed to find someone who doesn’t enjoy a warm cheesy treat on a cold afternoon.

The secret to getting a really yummy cheese toastie is to butter both sides of the bread (Western Star Spreadable is a good option), before putting it under the grill or toaster and to use a good quality cheese with a bit of bite. It’s a trick that my mum used to do and it really does up your cheese toastie game. Trust me on this one.

Sushi sandwiches.

I don’t know why, but for some reason my kids prefer food rolled up. Maybe it’s because they can get it in their mouths faster so they can run off and play but ever since I discovered sushi sandwiches they’re so much more open to trying new fillings that they’d usually turn their noses up at.

With sushi sandwiches, you use a rolling pin to flatten out your bread (cutting off the crusts) then spread a thin layer of butter and add your chosen filling. Once you’re done you simply roll them up and serve as fingers, or chop them into sushi pieces.

Some of the great fillings I have discovered are: turkey/cranberry/brie, cream cheese/carrot/sultana, boiled egg/mayonnaise/curry powder, cheese/mango chutney or left over meats and salads.

What’s your go-to afternoon snack for you or your kids?

This content was created with thanks to our brand partner Western Star.