Healthy Snack Ideas For Kids + Energy Bar Recipe
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Check out these awesome healthy snack ideas for kids. With school time fast approaching, finding healthy snack ideas is a must. Fill those little bellies with nourishing ingredients with these snack ideas.
This post is sponsored by iHerb. All opinions are 100% my own.
Somehow it is already August, which means back-to-school. How did the summer go by so fast?
It also means new schedules, busy school year, and trying to eat healthy while on the go. We always try to have convenient and healthy snack ready to go to make life easier. Because you know what happens when you have a hangry child or hangry mom? Nothing good.
Trust me, been there done that.
Prepping ahead has been such a blessing to be able to serve healthy real food snacks and meals to my family.
I’m thankful for iHerb. It is such a convenient way to shop, their prices are amazing, and it gets delivered right to your door.
With two young kids, working from home, and our busy schedule getting to more than one grocery store to get everything we need can be a challenge. That is just one reason I love iHerb so much. I can order everything we need right from my home and delivered right to my door. Does it really get any better than that?
Sure does! New Customers will get a discount off their first iHerb order here.
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Not only can you get great healthy snack options, but they have amazing real food staples and the prices are really good.
So let’s talk healthy snack ideas for kids shall we?
10 Healthy Snack Ideas For Kids – Planning:
Depending on what the day and schedule look like, I like to come up with a plan to make packing snacks easier. If we are going to be out and won’t be back for dinner until later, like on swim days, I will make sure to pack a heartier snack that will keep their belly’s full and mind focused until dinner time. And we avoid meltdowns.
Usually a fruit or veggie, packed with some protein and fat. This could look like:
- Carrots and chips with hummus.
- Whole milk yogurt parfait with granola, and frozen berries.
- Double Chocolate Energy Bars (recipe below) and some cucumber slices or a piece of fruit.
- Muffin (we love these muffins) with nut butter and watermelon.
- Cheese and crackers with pickles.
- Olives, crackers, and a fermented veggie (pickles or carrots usually).
- Cheese and bean quesadilla with a piece of fruit. Quesadillas can easily be made ahead of time and placed in the fridge or freezer.
- Nut or seed butter sandwich with cherry tomatoes.
- Trail mix with an apple.
- Beef jerky with sugar snap peas and a piece of fruit.
Tips for packing snacks for kids:
- Prep some snack in the beginning of the week or on the weekend. Muffins, breads, or homemade granola bars make great make ahead snacks that pack well
- Use eco-friendly reuseable containers. We love stainless steel containers for kids.
- Freeze a water bottle of water (leave extra space at the top for expansion) to keep food cold or use fun ice packs to keep the food cold.
- Give you kids a choice. Kids love making decisions on their own, so why not let them pick out one or two snacks that go in their lunch box.
Healthy Snack Ideas For Kids
Healthy Snack Ideas For Kids
Protein Snacks For Kids
Nut butter – I love these nut butter packs. Kids can eat it straight from the pack, add them to yogurt, or spread on crackers. Great non-messy way to add protein.
Greek yogurt (has more protein than regular yogurt) topped with granola, nuts, or seeds. You could also add a spoonful of nut butter for more protein.
String cheese
Beef sticks
Energy Bars – see below for recipe
Brownie Batter Hummus is a delicious protein packed recipe that is healthy in disguise.
Hard boiled eggs
Dried chickpeas
Hummus
Black bean dip with crackers
Cheese and deli meat wraps.
Healthy Crunchy Snacks For Kids
Who doesn’t love a good crunchy snack? But not all crunchy snacks are created equal. That is why I love iHerb, they offer amazing natural snacks which great ingredients.
Save This Recipe
Quinoa puffs
Popcorn
Chips – look for ones fried in olive, coconut, or avocado oil like these.
Crackers – We love the sourdough einkorn crackers and these gluten free crackers option.
Trail mix
Nuts
Healthy cookies like these cookie crisps – these are really tasty, crunchy, lightly sweetened with dates cookies that would be awesome by themselves or on top say yogurt.
Pretzels
Granola
Snack Ideas For Kids – Fruits And Veggies
Sliced fruit
Celery with peanut butter or dip
Carrot sticks. sugar snap peas, sliced peppers, or cherry tomatoes with dip.
Veggie loaded smoothies are a favorite in our house. Place these in travel cups with straws. Perfect for handing to kids in the car on the way home from school.
Fermented pickles and carrots.
Kale chips
Salsa with chips – crunchy and veggie packed.
Fruit and yogurt parfait: we love to make yogurt parfaits with whole milk yogurt sweetened with honey, topped with granola and frozen berries (which helps keep the yogurt colder). Sometimes we will drizzle on some nut butter.
Apple sauce pouches
Dried fruits and veggies
Easy Make Ahead Snacks:
Frozen yogurt – pop a yogurt in the freezer (or place in a seal-able plastic tube) and take it out just a few minutes before serving.
Muffins
Homemade Granola Bars
Nut butter (or sunflower seed butter) sandwiches
Breakfast cookies
Homemade popcorn
Double Chocolate Energy Bar Recipe Card
If you try this recipe and love it, I would love it you could come back and give it 5 stars. Please and thank you.
Double Chocolate Energy Bars
Save This Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup dates without pits
- 1 cup cashews
- 2/3 cup almond butter peanut butter or seed butter will work
- 1/2 cup oats
- 1/4 cup dried figs
- 1/4 cup chocolate chips or bars
- 3 tbs cocoa powder
- 1 tbs honey or more
Instructions
- In a food processor with an S blade, add in oats and process until slightly broken up. You don't want to process to the point of oat flour. Somewhere in between.
- Add in remaining ingredients and process until combined and starting to form into a ball.
- In a parchment lined dish, spread out energy bars with hands then press down with a measuring cup to compress it well.
- Refrigerate for an hour.
- Slice and enjoy. Store in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
Nutrition
What are your favorite snacks for kids?
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Those bars look amazing! I know my kids will love them. All the other snack ideas are great, too. ๐
How good do those bars look?! Can’t wait to try them!