Finding snacks for your kids can prove challenging when you’re trying to balance healthy eating with the fun and colorful snacks your kids see in the grocery store. Whether it’s overly sweet granola bars or ultra cheesy crackers, packing healthy school snacks that aren’t too high in sugar or filled with allergens can be a struggle.
Healthy School Snack Ideas for Kids
While it would be wonderful if you could just swap out your kid’s bag of cheesy crackers for some carrot sticks, most kids resist such healthy swaps. Here are some of our favorite school snack swaps that make for healthier choices while also keeping the kids happy.
Bear Fruit Leather
If your child loves fruit leather, Bear makes gently baked, gluten-free, non-GMO fruit leather that’s just as tasty as the traditional ones that line supermarket shelves. Bear’s fruit leather is all natural and contains no concentrates, no added sugar, no preservatives, no stabilizers, and no gumming agents. Learn more here.
Annie’s Organic Cheddar Bunnies
Cheddar crackers are loved by most kids (and adults!) for their addictive, cheesy flavor and salty touch. Annie’s offers organic cheddar bunny crackers that are made with real organic cheese and organic wheat flour. The crackers contain no artificial flavors, synthetic colors, or preservatives, meaning you can give your little one a snack that’s both yummy and wholesome. Learn more here.
FreeYumm Allergen-Free Granola Bars
One of the biggest challenges of packing school snacks for a child these days is the restrictions that are placed on what a child can bring to school. With so many different nut allergies existing among children, the need for allergen-free snacks is growing, and FreeYumm’s granola bars are the perfect solution. These gluten-free, non-GMO granola bars are safe for school as they’re free of the major allergens: peanuts, tree nuts, wheat, soy, fish, shellfish, sulfates, sesame, milk and eggs. Learn more here.
One Degree Sprouted Oat Honey O’s
If your little one is really young, they may still be munching on their favorite cereal as a snack. For a healthier swap, next time pack a ziplock bag of these One Degree sprouted oat honey o’s, packed with nutrients from healthy oats, lentils, and garbanzo beans. Your kids will love the honey-sweetened flavor and won’t even realize all the beneficial nutrients they’re receiving. Learn more here.
Enjoy Life Soft Baked Chocolate Chip Cookies
Kids appreciate a small dessert or treat in their lunch box, especially when the rest of the lunch components are a sandwich and fresh veggies. If you don’t have time to bake your own healthy chocolate chip cookies, consider packing one of Enjoy Life’s soft baked cookies. These cookies are tasty, but made with wholesome, all natural ingredients and are verified non-GMO, allergy-friendly, gluten-free, vegan, kosher, and halal. Learn more here.
Barbara’s Snackimals Cookies
Another children’s favorite are sweet animal cookies. Whether they’re shaped to look like circus animals, teddy bears or, in this case, jungle animals, kids love munching on little cookies like these. Barbara’s snackimals cookies come in five different flavors and are made with organic grains and minimal sugar to keep the cookies in line with healthy eating. Learn more here.
Siggi’s Low-Fat Yogurt Tubes
Yogurt tubes are very convenient snacks to pack for the kids as they can be tossed into a lunch bag and enjoyed anywhere without the use of a spoon. Siggi’s offers low-fat yogurt tubes that are made without harmful chemicals and only simple ingredients. The yogurt is also much lower in sugar content than comparable yogurt tubes with just 5 grams of sugar in each tube. Learn more here.
To find more healthy recipes for kids, check out our articles on Back-to-School Lunch Ideas for the Little Ones and Healthy Snacks for Kids While Traveling.
