It’s about that time — the temperature is going to (hopefully) start to drop, the kids are going to be starting a new school year and you’re going to be stuck trying to fill a lunchbox each morning with healthy snacks.
Make this school year a little bit easier on yourself. Whether you want healthy snacks you can buy ready to go or you want to make some homemade portable snacks for your kids to carry, we’ve got hte perfect list of healthy snack ideas for you and your family.
45 Healthy Snack Ideas
Buy It Ready
1. Popcorn
Our favorite brands are Angie’s BoomChickaPop and SkinnyPop — both are relatively low in calories and don’t have many added ingredients. Check the individual ingredient labels to find which one is best for you.
2. Deli Meat
Worried about your kids getting enough protein? Buy some high-quality deli meat — remember to avoid added sugar and nitrates — and toss a few pieces in your kids lunchbox each day for snack time.
3. Carrots with Hummus
You can now buy hummus in individual serving packs — and all the mamas said amen. Pick up your kids favorite flavor and throw it in the lunchbox with their favorite vegetable.
4. Raisins
5. Coconut Chips
Top these with a little bit of honey or cinnamon for a yummy, healthy snack.
6. Picante Plantain Chips
You can pick these up at your local health food store or make your own at home.
7. Celery with Peanut Butter
You can keep this basic or have fun by making celery “boats” and topping them with things like nuts or raisins.
8. Apples with Sunflower Butter
9. Nuts
Macadamia nuts, cashews and almonds are filled with healthy fats and make a great, protein-filled snack. However, keep the portions small — less than a handful is usually a sufficient serving.
10. Kale Chips
11. Protein Bars
Not all protein bars are made equally. Check out our top five protein bars that are actually healthy here.
12. Almond Butter
Most grocery stores sell individual packets of almond butter for under $1. Not only are they cheap, they’re yummy and filling.
13. Sliced Bell Peppers with Hummus
14. Snow Peas
15. Pickles
16. Olives
17. Lara Bars
Be careful not to overdo it on the Lara Bars — as Whole30-founder Melissa Hartwig says, they’re made with date paste and are as close to candy as you can get on her strict health program.
18. Edamame
A Little Prep Work
Sometimes the best snacks can be prepped in thirty minutes or less.
1. Sweet Potato Fries
Ingredients
- 2 sweet potatoes
- 1 tablespoon of olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon of salt
- 1/2 teaspoon of pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon of rosemary
Directions
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.
- Take your sweet potatoes and slice them into fry-like pieces. Note: Sweet potatoes are notoriously hard to slice, so be sure you have a sharp knife and that you’re being safe.
- In a gallon size bag, mix two tablespoons of olive oil and salt, pepper and rosemary to taste.
- Put your sliced potatoes in the bag and shake them around until they’re thoroughly coated.
- Place your coated potatoes on a cookie pan and cook them in the over for 20-25 minutes or until the potatoes are soft.
2. Bacon
Ah, who doesn’t love bacon in the morning? In the afternoon? Any time of day really. Make your life super easy — make a few pounds of bacon on Sunday by placing it on a microwave safe plate covered with paper towels and cooking for ten to 15 minutes. Then, divide the bacon into ziplock bags for quick grab and go snacks throughout the week.
3. Aidell’s Chicken and Apple Sausage
Looking for a super filling snack for the kids that tastes so good they won’t even know it’s healthy? You can pick up different varieties of Aidell’s sausage in the deli or lunch meat section at your local grocery store. Their ingredients are so clean that you can even eat their sausage on Whole30, which is enough of an endorsement for us.
4. Roasted Pumpkin Seeds
Pumpkin seeds make a wonderful snack and there’s so many different ways you can prepare them to maximize yumminess. Back to Her Roots has six wonderful tutorials to check out for making everything from ranch pumpkin seeds to pizza flavored pumpkin seeds.
5. Roasted Cauliflower Tots
Ingredients
- 3 cups finely chopped cooked cauliflower (approximately 1 head of cauliflower)
- 1 cup Italian seasoned panko bread crumbs (make sure you used seasoned, otherwise you’ll need to add other flavoring to these)
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 2 eggs
6. Sweet Jicama and Apple Bake
Ingredients
- 1 apple
- 1/2 jicama
- 1 teaspoon of cinnamon
- 1/4 cup of melted ghee
- 1 pinch of brown sugar
Directions
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.
- Peel and slice your jicama into cubes. Core your apple and slice it similarly. Expert tip: Leave the peel on for a splash of color.
- In the microwave, melt your ghee.
- In an oven safe dish, place the jicama and apple. Pour the melted ghee over it and then top with the cinnamon and brown sugar.
- Bake for thirty minutes before serving. If you really want a delicious dessert, serve it with a Paleo-friendly (or not) vanilla ice cream.
7. Oatmeal
Be sure to look for oatmeal brands that have little to no added sugar.
8. Zucchini Chips
Ingredients
- 1 pounds (about 4 cups) thin sliced zucchini
- ⅛ tsp salt
- 1 ounce of finely grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 garlic clove finely grated or ⅛ tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
9. Green Bean Fries
Ingredients
- 1 cup Panko*
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- Pinch of cayenne pepper
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 1 1/2 pounds green beans, trimmed
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 large eggs, beaten
10. 5-Minute Healthy Tuna Salad
Ingredients
- 1 can Chicken of the Sea Tuna in Water
- 2 tablespoons plain Greek yogurt
- 1 tablespoon chives, finely diced
- Juice from 2 lemon wedges
- Salt and pepper to taste
- For serving: crackers or toast
For When You’re Feeling Creative
Sometimes you want to flex your parent skills and give your kids something to show off at the lunch table. Check out these fun recipes for healthy snack ideas.
1. Frushi
Ingredients
- 1 box of fruit strips (My favorite is the Simply Natural brand at Target)
- 4 sliced strawberries
- 1/2 of a sliced mango
- 1 sliced cucumber
- 1/4 cup of chia seeds
Directions
- Cut your fruit up into VERY small pieces.
- Open up and lay your fruit strips out. Sprinkle them with chia seeds.
- Add a few pieces of fruit to each strip.
- Using a toothpick, wrap the strips up and secure them and viola! Coolest party dish ever!
2. Cucumber Mini Sandwiches
Ingredients
- Cucumbers
- Tomatoes
- Avocado
- Sliced chicken or turkey
- Sliced cheese
- Sea salt
3. BLT Avocado Lettuce Wraps
- 2 head romaine heart, leaves separated
- 2 large tomatoes, sliced into ¼-inch slices and then into quarters
- 6 pieces oven-baked bacon, diced
- 1 large ripe avocado, seeded and sliced
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- ¼ cup red wine vinegar
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon parsley, chopped
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- Salt and pepper, to taste
4. Rutabaga Short Stacks
Ingredients
- About 8 oz of dark chocolate, I used Trader Joe’s 73% Super Dark chocolate bars (the higher the percentage of cacao the better)
- Assorted dried fruits, chopped nuts and seeds
10. Homemade Kombucha Gummies
Ingredients
- 1 cup chopped strawberries
- ½ cup chopped mango
- 1 cup kombucha, any flavor
- 4 tablespoons high-quality gelatin
11. Meat and Spinach Muffins
Ingredients
- 3 16 ounce bags of frozen spinach
- 1/2 tablespoon of coconut oil
- 1/2 medium onion, diced
- 1 1/2 pounds of ground beef
- 2 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1/2 teaspoon of salt
- 1/2 teaspoon of black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon of cayenne pepper
- 3 large eggs
Check out the full recipe at WellFed.
12. Greek Yogurt Breakfast Bark
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups plain Greek yogurt
- 3 tablespoons maple syrup
- 1/2 cup Quaker® Real Medleys SuperGrains Blueberry Pecan Granola
- 1/2 cup blueberries
- 3 to 4 strawberries, sliced