It’s a new year, a clean slate and a time when many families are re-focusing on fueling their bodies with nourishing foods. Every parent knows that feeding kids healthy food is hard work, especially when they’re hungry and demanding a snack NOW! Keep these fun and healthy snack ideas at your fingertips (posted on the refrigerator, maybe?), and you’ll never struggle to round up a healthy snack for your kids again.
30 Healthy Snack Ideas for Your Family
- Almonds
- Greek yogurt and low-sugar granola
- Fruit faces (slices of fruit arranged into a fun smiley face shape)
- Trail mix
- Apple slices and peanut butter
- Hummus and carrots
- Smashed avocado on wheat toast
- Smoothies (add a handful of spinach to any fruit smoothie–your kids won’t know the difference)
- Celery sticks and cream cheese
- Hard-boiled eggs
- Turkey and cheese roll-ups
- Banana slices sprinkled in cinnamon and a handful of walnuts
- String cheese and bell pepper slices
- No-bake peanut butter balls
- Popcorn
- A medley of dried fruit (raisins, cranberries, dried apricots)
- Banana chips
- Pears and cottage cheese
- Green olives and cream cheese
- DIY frozen fruit popsicles
- Tomato slices and mozzarella cheese
- Grapes
- Frozen bananas (they taste just like ice cream!)
- Mandarin oranges (perfect for small kids that can’t eat a whole orange)
- Black beans
- Quick oats with cinnamon and honey
- Peanut butter on whole wheat toast
- Cucumber slices and string cheese
- Blackberries and almond butter
- Greek yogurt topped with blueberries or strawberries
Tips for Having Healthy Snacks on Hand
- When your kids are screaming for a snack, it’s easy to just reach for quick, packaged foods. But with a little bit of prep, it can be just as easy to grab a healthy, homemade option instead. Whenever possible, make snacks ahead of time. Smoothie ingredients, for example, can be divided into bags and stored in the freezer. Pre-wash fruit, like grapes and strawberries, so you don’t have to worry about washing when you’re grabbing those foods from the fridge.
- Keep it simple! Snacks don’t have to be elaborate. A banana or an apple will satisfy most kids most of the time.
- If you’re trying to break a habit of less-than-healthy snacking, sweeten the deal with a piece of dark chocolate.
- A good rule of thumb when throwing together healthy snacks for your kids is to avoid feeding them packaged or boxed foods (pouched apple sauce, cheese crackers, etc.). These foods are usually packed with extra sugar and preservatives.
- Limit fruit juices and other shelf-stable drinks. If you do allow a glass of apple juice a day, dilute it with water (your kids won’t even notice).
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