Snack Ideas for Kids

Kids & Snacking

If you have kids, you are well aware that they go hand-in-hand with snacking.

While leaning on healthy homemade snacks is a great option when you have the time, it simply isn’t always realistic.

That’s why I created this list of fresh foods and prepackaged foods that are easy to grab on the go, for kids to prepare themselves, or for quick healthy snacking at home!

Fresh Snack Ideas for Kids

While crackers and chips can make a fun evening snack, it’s incredibly important to lean on fresh fruits and raw foods throughout the day as well.

With that said, sometimes it’s harder than others to get all the food groups on the table.

That’s why utilizing easy-prep & quick-grab snacks is key — especially during the summer months

Low-Maintenance Fruits

These are simple fruits that should always be kept on hand for kiddos to grab and eat at a moment’s notice

• Grapes
• Berries
• Apples
• Melons
• Oranges
• Bananas

Aside from the melons (and possibly apples if your child doesn’t eat them whole) all of these fruits are what I consider low-maintenance fruits. Meaning children can prep, wash, and grab these types of fruits all on their own!

With that said, melon can quickly become a low-maintenance fruit with a tiny bit of prep work from Mom.

Simply cut up this fruit ahead of time and pop it in the fridge for your child to grab when hunger arises. Easy peasy.

Keeping these fruits on hand always simply means your child will have quick & healthy options they can grab on their own — instead of grabbing a prepackaged snack.

Other Fruits Kids Love

While low-maintenance fruits are always a great thing to keep at arm’s reach there are other awesome fruits you should introduce your kiddos too!

Some of our absolute favorite fruits are what I consider to be mid to high-maintenance fruits.

Take peaches and cherries for example. They aren’t always the best for quick snacking simply because they contain pits and can be a little on the messier side.

Then, there are the fruits like pomegranates, mangos, and pummelos that simply take a little more time to get the fruit prepared.

If a little mess and time-consuming effort don’t bother you, these are some of the other awesome fruits we keep in our kitchen for healthy and fresh snacking!

• Kiwi
• Mango
• Pummelo
• Pomegranate
• Cherries
• Peaches
• Plums
• Nectarines
• Pineapple

Getting kiddos to eat fruit doesn’t have to be a chore. However, if all else fails and your kiddo doesn’t want to munch on an apple or eat a peach, simply cut up any of the awesome fruits on either list and make a delicious fruit salad!

Veggies Perfect for Snacking

While we love leaning on things like cooked kale, bok choy, brussels sprouts, asparagus, and broccolini for meal time, they simply don’t work as a quick, raw snack idea for kids.

When it comes to fresh snacking, I like to lean more on easy-to-grab & prep veggies.

These are our go-to options for simple fresh snacking at home or on the go!

• Cucumbers
• Carrots
• Bell peppers
• Celery
• Broccoli
• Cauliflower
• Grape (or cherry) tomatoes (fruit or veggie? YOU be the judge)

While we love leaning on all these fresh veggies, many of them do require a tad bit of prep work in the form of slicing or cutting.

However, you can easily do that prep work anytime before snack time arrives.

Also, I struggled with if I should actually add broccoli to this list. We tend to prefer our broccoli cooked most days, only leaning on it in raw form as a snack (usually with some dip) on special occasions.

In the end, I chose to include it simply because I know how yummy of a raw snack it truly can be and encourage you to add it to your snack lineup from time to time.

 

Fridge Snacking Staples

While many of the above fruits or veggies can be (or should be) kept in the fridge, there are other great fridge staples that are great to have on hand for quick & healthy snacking.

These are just a handful of the items we keep in our fridge on a regular basis for simple, low-prep snacking.

• Snacking cheese
• Yogurt
• Cottage cheese
• Apple sauce
• Pickles
• Dips (hummus, guacamole)
• Jerky
• Hard-boiled eggs
• Protein shakes

Snacking cheeses such as string cheese, low-sugar yogurt or Keifer options, and jerky are all great items to keep on hand for your kiddos!

Why keep jerky in the fridge? Let’s just say if you aren’t eating a jerky that says refrigerate after opening, it likely isn’t as natural as you think it is.

Pantry Snack Ideas for Kids

While fresh is always best, sometimes we need simple dry goods & pantry staples to lean on for a quick snack time!

This is my go-to list for self-serve snacktime, you guys!

• Crackers
• Tortilla chips
• Veggie crisps/chips
• Fruit chips
• Pretzels
• Granola
• Graham crackers
• Trail mix
• Nuts
• Tuna
• Black olives

With that said, we of course add in some other chips, cheese puffs, and cookies in moderation, but I intentionally kept them off my go-to list.

We actually lean on many of these simple pantry snack ideas for our portable snack station at home!

Single-Serve Snack Ideas for Kids

While I hate to admit it, this is where the magic of snacking happens for my kiddos.

There is just something my kids love about a single-serve, pre-packaged snack.

This is the list of pre-packaged goodness we tend to keep in our home.

• Snack bars
• Fruit pouches
• Vitamin pouches
• Olive pouches
• Seaweed
• Trail mix
• Popcorn

While most of these are best saved for on-the-go snacking, some work great when you’re in a pinch at home as well!

We keep a fully-stocked snack drawer filled with many of these pre-packaged snacks and they are perfect for an after-gymnastics pick-me-up for my 10-year-old or a quick breakfast before my teens head to work.

Homemade Snack Ideas for Kids

While fresh produce, fridge & pantry staples, and even pre-packaged snacks can be great go-to options for your kiddos, sometimes getting creative in the kitchen can be just as fun!

Check out our mega-list of healthy homemade snack ideas!

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