“Mom, I’m hungry” are the first words out of my daughter’s mouth after a busy summer day of swimming, playing with friends, riding her bike and more. She normally heads right to the pantry, but if I have something hot waiting, she will devour it, no questions asked. The trick to filling up a teenager, I think, is to get it right the first time, or they will be right back at the refrigerator eating you out of house and home.
Here are some kid-approved, protein-filled snacks that only take minutes to prepare, taste fabulous, and will fill them up until it’s dinner time.
Brazi Bites has expanded its line of Latin-inspired cheese bread to include empanadas in four flavors (chicken and cheese, beef and bean) with two vegetarian options (black bean and cheddar and chickpea veggie). Set out a plate of these savory treats wrapped in a light, flaky dough, and watch them disappear. Hopefully the 7 grams of protein per serving will keep your kids full for a while. Add in some of the company’s new cinnamon churros to end snack time on a sweet note.
After school is a great time to chow down on ramen, and Pamela’s Products has outdone itself with its spicy beef, savory chicken and very veggie selection of ramen. Such an effortless solution to satisfying teenage hunger, these meals in a cup are ready in just minutes with a flavor guaranteed to impress “difficult-to-please” beings.
Impress the teenagers with a trip to Switzerland (without the jet lag) by serving Swiss Rosti’s stuffed potato snacks. Savory fillings are enrobed in a blend of potatoes, sweet potatoes and root vegetables and bake up crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. Each bite is filled with veggies, but your kids will be too busy licking the cheesy goodness off their fingers to notice. Choose from swiss raclette, chili cheese, baked potato, fig and goat cheese, and curry lentil. New flavors bacon jalapeno poppers, all American (bacon cheeseburger) and croque monsieur (black forest ham with gruyere cheese) are launching soon!
The globally inspired Tribali Foods mini sliders and patties made with whole ingredients create a satisfying snack, even for teenagers. Using only grass-fed, humanely raised, free-range, wild-caught, and antibiotic- and hormone-free meats combined with fresh herbs, spices and vegetables, they offer a full-flavored protein-packed snack. The pork and sage and chicken and apple mini patties are most popular, followed closely by the Mediterranean-style beef, chipotle chicken and umami beef patties. Serve a variety with a side of hummus (or your children’s favorite sauce) for dipping, and they won’t miss a carb-laden bun.
