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Snack time at our house means hungry kids and not much patience. Over the years I have gathered a handful of snacks that are real food, easy to make and loved by kids.
Here are 12 healthy snacks for kids, from fruit and yogurt treats to crunchy chickpeas and homemade crackers. Each one says what it is and how to make it. Many are no bake, and a lot can be made ahead for the week. If you are also packing lunches, our easy lunch ideas pair well with these.
1. Apple nachos
SaveCredit: I Am Baker
Thin apple slices piled on a plate and drizzled with peanut butter feel like a treat, but they are mostly fruit. They come together in under 10 minutes.
Warm the peanut butter for a few seconds so it drizzles, then scatter on granola or chopped peanuts. Use a nut free butter if your school has rules about nuts. A squeeze of lemon keeps the apple from browning if they sit a while.
2. No bake energy bites
SaveCredit: Feel Good Foodie
Energy bites are the snack I keep stocked for hungry kids after school. Oats, nut butter and a little sweetener get rolled into balls with no oven at all.
Stir everything together, chill the dough for a bit, then roll it into small balls. Quick oats keep them soft enough to chew. They keep in the fridge and freeze well, so make a big batch on Sunday.
3. Frozen yogurt bark
SaveCredit: This Healthy Table
This is a cold, fruity snack that feels like dessert. Yogurt gets spread thin on a pan, topped with berries and frozen until firm.
Spread sweetened yogurt about a quarter inch thick on a lined sheet pan and press in berries. Freeze for a couple of hours, then break it into pieces. Whole milk yogurt gives the creamiest bark. Keep it in a freezer bag so it is ready to grab.
4. Ants on a log
SaveCredit: Julie’s Eats & Treats
This old favorite still gets kids to eat their celery. It takes about five minutes and needs no cooking.
Fill celery sticks with peanut butter, cream cheese or sunflower seed butter, then line up raisins on top for the ants. Dried cranberries, blueberries or seeds work too. Cut the logs short for little hands.
5. Homemade fruit leather
SaveCredit: Alpha Foodie
Fruit leather from the store is mostly sugar and gelatin. The homemade kind is just fruit, and kids love to unroll it.
Blend ripe fruit into a smooth puree, spread it thin on a lined baking sheet and dry it in a very low oven until it is set but a little tacky. Roll it up in parchment and cut it into strips. Strawberries and mangoes are the easiest to start with.
6. Crispy roasted chickpeas
SaveCredit: The Mediterranean Dish
If your kids like crunchy snacks, roasted chickpeas are a good swap for chips. They have fiber and protein, and they are cheap.
Drain, rinse and dry the chickpeas very well, since moisture keeps them from crisping. Toss them with a little oil and salt and roast at 400 degrees, shaking the pan now and then. Add mild spices like paprika as soon as they come out. They stay crisp for a few days in a loosely covered jar.
7. Homemade trail mix
SaveCredit: I Heart Naptime
Trail mix is five minutes of work and every kid can build their own. You decide what goes in, so you control the sugar.
Mix nuts or seeds with dried fruit and a few chocolate pieces for fun. Pretzels and whole grain cereal make good nut free fillers. Skip whole nuts for children under four, since they are a choking risk, and have little ones sit down while they eat.
8. Banana oatmeal muffins
SaveCredit: Yummy Toddler Food
These are blender muffins made with oats, ripe bananas and eggs. They take about 30 minutes and are sweet without much added sugar.
Blend the batter, pour it straight into a muffin pan and bake. The browner your bananas are, the sweeter the muffins. They keep for days in the fridge, and they freeze well for busy mornings.
9. Fruit kabobs with yogurt dip
SaveCredit: Dinner at the Zoo
Fruit tastes better on a stick, and kids tend to agree. Kabobs are a fun way to get a rainbow on the plate.
Thread berries, grapes, pineapple and kiwi on skewers and serve them with a bowl of vanilla yogurt for dipping. Use blunt skewers for little kids, or just pile the fruit on a plate with toothpicks for older ones.
10. Homemade cheese crackers
SaveCredit: BeeyondCereal
Homemade cheese crackers taste like the boxed kind with a shorter ingredient list. Real cheddar, butter and flour make the dough.
Mix the dough, roll it thin, cut it into little squares and bake until golden. Kids love poking the holes with a toothpick. Store the crackers in a tin and they stay crisp for several days.
11. Baked zucchini chips
SaveCredit: A Spicy Perspective
If your garden gave you more zucchini than you know what to do with, make chips. They crisp up in the oven with just oil and salt.
Slice the zucchini very thin, toss with a little oil and bake until golden and crisp. The thinner the slice, the crunchier the chip. A sprinkle of parmesan is a hit. Keep them in a container with a bit of paper towel to catch moisture.
12. Veggie hummus cups
SaveCredit: My Kids Lick The Bowl
A scoop of hummus in the bottom of a small jar with veggie sticks standing up inside is snack time done right. Kids will eat vegetables when they get to dip.
Spoon hummus into small cups or jars and stand carrot, cucumber, pepper and snap pea sticks in it. Cut the sticks thin for little mouths. They pack well for lunchboxes and car rides.
How to make healthy snacks easier all week
Pick two snacks on the weekend, one sweet and one crunchy, and snack time is mostly done. Wash and cut fruit and veggies when you get home from the store, keep nut butter, oats, yogurt and cheese on hand, and let the kids help. Kids eat more of what they make themselves.
Think about safety too. Whole nuts, whole grapes and hard raw veggies can be choking hazards for children under four, so cut things small or thin. Check school rules before you pack anything with nuts.
Healthy snacks for kids FAQ
What are healthy snacks for kids that need no cooking? Apple nachos, ants on a log, fruit kabobs, trail mix and hummus cups all come together with no stove or oven.
Which snacks can I make ahead? Energy bites, yogurt bark, muffins, cheese crackers and fruit leather all keep well. Energy bites, bark and muffins also freeze nicely.
What are good nut free snacks for school? Swap sunflower seed butter for peanut butter in apple nachos and ants on a log, and use pretzels and cereal in trail mix. Cheese crackers, fruit leather and roasted chickpeas have no nuts either, but always check the labels and your school rules.
