When your kids hit the door, the first thing they probably want is something eat. After a long day of school their minds and bodies are craving energy. But what you give your kids after school can make a big difference in how healthy and energetic they feel.

The cookie jar is usually the first place kids go to find their treats; these are not only high in fat, but have little or no nutritional value. You need to have healthy alternatives to these types of snacks for your kids to be available for them when they get home from school and are usually starving.

An inexpensive and healthy snack for your kids for an after school treat is veggies with dig or dressing. Even if the dip or dressing has added fat, it's still much better than dipping into the cookie jar.

You can't go wrong with offering you kids fruit as a snack alternative. They have natural sweetness and lots of vitamins. It is the perfect thing to have ready and waiting for your kids when they come home famished from a long day at school.

Certainly the best alternative to give your kids for snacks are natural types of food such as nuts, dried or dehydrated fruit, cheese, or popcorn. And always offer then a glass of milk instead of soda or imitation fruit juice.

The general rule of thumb for after school snacks is to choose those that are natural and not processed. Avoid added sugar and fat. You may also want to limit foods that are high in preservatives and extra coloring.

Kids want taste and sometimes vegetables and fruit just won't satisfy them. Let them dip their snacks in peanut better which adds a lot of vitamins and protein but doesn't add calories.

There are a great many snack items in the grocery store that aren't healthy foods to have for your kids to snack on. It's up to you to change their eating habits and give them a healthier alternative to cookies and junk. I lost 40 lbs in 3 months with extreme dieting measures that almost destroyed my health. Spicy food + lots of milk that lead to serious diarrhea every day. I've been doing a bit of research after my dramatic weight loss experience and found that there's actually a PROGRAM designed to do what I attempted, except its basically more healthier and effective.

You can find that specific program at Weight Loss Insider. I recommend you take a look at this Weight Loss Programs and see what they have to say about what you should do to lose 40lbs in 3 months healthily!