Afternoon snack time is when kids want something big enough to tide them over for dinner but not too big that it spoils their appetite. Parents want the snacks to be quick and easy, especially if they have to be grabbed on the go to be eaten for after-school activities.

As such, snacks generally boil down to a piece of fruit or a pre-packaged, processed item. But they do not have to be. This is because by using mason jars to hold snacks, there is the opportunity to put together healthy items that travel easily.

Mason jar snacks that are so sweet and simple that kids will have no complaints when hungry after a day at school.

While it is great that mason jars provide portability to snacks that other containers may not offer, they also cut down on the carbon footprint left. This is because with mason jars being made of glass, they can be washed and reused after every snack.

And because they are not plastic, according to Zero Waste Family, there is no leaching of chemicals into food to worry about either. While more care needs to be taken to ensure that they do not break, mason jars make great options to hold healthy snacks, be it on the go or in the home.

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Here are some sweet and simple mason jar snack ideas for kids.

10 Tomato & Mozzarella Salad With Crackers

A great snack for kids that not only provides them with vitamin C for healthy immune systems but calcium to keep their bones strong is a tomato and mozzarella salad.

Add in some crackers by placing them in a separate cup that can be placed on top of the salad in the mason jar to not let them get soggy, and an entire well-balanced snack has been made.

9 Bagel Chips & Nut Butter

To get kids some protein for a boost of energy in the afternoon, nut butters are always a good option. Pair the nut butter of choice with some bagel chips, and a sweet and savory snack has been made. And the best part is that it takes virtually no time at all for parents to prepare ahead of time.

8 Popcorn

Is dinner happening in an hour or so but the kids are starving? A mason jar full of popcorn will help to stave off hunger but will not fill them up so that a delicious dinner can be eaten to create happy stomachs. Happy stomachs make for a good night of sleep. Meaning that a great day can be had the following day, all as a result of a little mason jar popcorn.

7 Vegetables & Crackers With Hummus

If kids have a hard time getting their daily vegetables in without any sort of dip, a vegetable and cracker mason jar with hummus is just the ticket to ensuring the colors of the rainbow are eaten daily.

While it may just look like a jar full of vegetables, when the hummus is added, according to Healthline, nearly eight grams of protein are added to the snack as well. Meaning that kids will feel full after their healthy snack, have gotten in servings of vegetables, protein, and whole grains, and will still be ready for dinner when it is ready later on. Sound like a win-win of a mason jar snack for sure.

6 Yogurt With Granola & Berries

Yogurt is a delicious food that many should eat daily. This is because it can keep the bacteria in the gut balanced with pre and probiotics, but it provides an abundant amount of calcium, protein, and vitamins and minerals as well, according to CNN.

Mason jars provide the perfect container to make a serving of yogurt with granola and berries when kids are looking for a sweet snack for the afternoon. And with just the right amount of natural sugar in the snack, the sweet tooth will be taken care of in no time flat.

5 Whole Grain Chips & Peppers With Guacamole

Are kids working on some serious homework after school or is there a big test that they are studying for? Give them some whole grain chips with guacamole in a mason jar and watch their brain power soar.

According to UPMC Health Beat, guacamole is good for kids because it is made with avocados. Avocados have a good deal of monosaturated fats that help aid brain function. They also have fiber and a good deal of vitamins and minerals that are beneficial to the body and cell health that make this snack a delicious winner for kids.

4 Layered Fruit Salad

Want kids to eat the rainbow? Make them a mason jar filled with different fruits to make a fruit salad. But instead of just tossing fruit into the jar, layer it in colors.

The delightful snack will tantalize the multiple senses and help keep kids energized until it is time to sit down for dinner and settle in for the evening.

3 Trail Mix

Parents will be hard-pressed to find kids who will not enjoy eating trail mix for a snack. And because it can be changed up often, it is a snack kids are sure not to get tired of eating out of their mason jars.

According to ScoutingWire, some great options to put into trail mix include:

• Peanut butter and chocolate candies
• Peanuts
• Cashews
• Banana chips
• Chex cereal
• Granola
• Dried cranberries
• Pretzels
• Dried apples
• Pistachios
• Chocolate chips
• Sunflower seeds
• Dried blueberries
• Pumpkin seeds

These are just some options to include. Parents can experiment to find just the right combination for their kids and this sweet, protein-filled snack will be a favorite for a long time to come.

2 Chia Seed Pudding

Chia seeds are loaded with Omega-3s, antioxidants, and fiber, according to Kids Stop Press. Because of this, they help with brain function. Something that all kids could use a boost of after school.

By putting chia seeds into pudding, they act as a thickening agent. This means that pudding that would have not put a dent in after-school hunger before can keep kids satisfied for hours. And because it can be stored in mason jars, several flavors can be made at one time to give kids snack options when their stomachs begin to grumble.

1 Mini Charcuterie Board

A charcuterie board in a mason jar? Yes! And it is a snack kids will want to be repeated constantly.

Lovingly referred to as "jarcuterie" by those who make this snack often, creating a mini charcuterie board in a mason jar is simple to do.

According to Delicious, there does not need to be a rhyme or reason to how the jars are set up. Different layers make the jars look interesting but are not necessary.

Items to include, per the publication are:

• Cheese
• Meat
• Gherkins
• Bread
• Olives
• Fruit

Delicious, simple, and covers many of the food groups. Sounds like a winner of an afternoon snack for kids for sure!

Source: Zero Waste Family, Healthline, CNN, UPMC Health Beat, ScoutingWire, Kids Stop Press, Delicious