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Healthy Snack List for Kids

The second my kids walk in the door from school, grocery shopping, playing or even going out to get the mail, they want a snack. The conversation usually goes something like this. “Mom. I’m hungry. Can I have a snack?” “Sure. What do you want?” “How about a piece of candy?” “No.” “How about a cookie?” “No.” The conversation goes on and on, with both of us getting more frustrated. To make all our lives easier and more pleasant, we made a list of “approved” snacks. I highly recommend the list so this doesn’t happen to you:

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This list of approved snacks hangs on our fridge. Now when the kids want a snack, they know they can pick something off the list. I actually enjoy the list as well. Even though I’m “so old it’s like I should already be dead” (direct quote from my son), I still sometimes open the fridge and stare inside hoping the perfect snack will jump out at me. And I still like snacks like “ants on a log.”

I’m sharing our list of 30 snacks as an example. Feel free to use it all or just parts and make it your own. Sit down with your kids and let them help you make the list. That will cut down on the complaining.

30 Healthy Snacks for Kids

  1. Ants on a log – A classic! Fill celery sticks with peanut butter and top with raisins.
  2. Sliced apples with peanut butter
  3. Crackers with peanut butter or hummus for dipping
  4. Raspberries in Coconut Milk – My daughter especially loves this because it turns the milk pink
  5. Any fruit in the house
  6. Jerky or meat stick – Be careful with jerky. A lot of jerky is packed full of sugar. Our favorite is Mighty Bar. There is sweetness from fruit, but the sugars are still really low.
  7. Nuts – Be careful as it’s really easy to overeat with nuts. We try to stick with raw almonds, pecans and macadamia nuts.
  8. Raisins
  9. Sliced meat and cheese
  10. Veggies and dip – Hummus is our preferred dip  but I approve of ranch dressing as well. If it gets them to eat veggies, rock on.
  11. Pop Corn – Our favorites (lowest in sugars) are Smart Food White Cheddar Popcorn and just a plain popcorn.
  12. Boiled Egg
  13. Fruit Smoothie – Just puree your kids’ favorite fruits with some coconut milk. Try to avoid adding juice as this adds a ton of sugar.
  14. Applesauce – No sugar added
  15. Yogurt Parfait – Layer yogurt and berries and top with chopped nuts.
  16. Mini Muffins – Click for a link to our favorites
  17. Homemade Granola Bars
  18. Fruit Salsa with Pita Chips – We always leave out the optional sugar.
  19. Snack Peppers
  20. Trail Mix – This changes all the time for us. we usually do a combination of nuts, dried fruit and seeds.
  21. PB/Banana Roll-up – Spread peanut-butter on a flatbread, put a banana inside and roll it up. Then slice it up into bite-sized slices
  22. Cheese stick
  23. Fruit leather and nuts – This is our favorite fruit leather. It is smooth enough for my kids to tolerate, but doesn’t have a bunch of unnatural sugars. You can buy it here on Amazon or in bulk at Costco.
  24. Peanut-butter wrap – Spread peanut butter on a whole grain tortilla, sprinkle with cinnamon and roll it up.
  25. Popcorn trail mix – Mix popcorn, dried fruit and a few chocolate chips. This is a favorite because it feels like a treat.
  26. Yogurt with fruit – Stir berries into plain Greek yogurt. When you stir it, the berries break up a little to add some sweetness.
  27. Cinnamon apples – Slice an apple and put it in a Ziploc bag. Sprinkle cinnamon in and shake it up.
  28. Fruit Skewers – Slice whatever fruit you have and put it on a skewer.
  29. Kind Bars – Look for the ones with only 4 or 5 grams of sugar.
  30. Roasted Chickpeas – We usually find these at natural grocers in the snack food section. My son (who thinks beans were invented just to make his life harder) even loves and asks for these.

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2 Responses to Healthy Snack List for Kids

  1. Susan November 3, 2015 at 9:45 am #

    Brilliant!

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