Thinking of healthy snacks for kids can be HARD. Getting them to actually eat them? Even harder! We'll show you how to make snacking healthy and fun! Keep on reading for tons of great ideas.
Hey Freebs! Today we've got a special treat! We don't know about you, but we love spending time and money making snacks that our kids don't end up eating. (Or not!) Pretty frustrating right?
*Note: When you click the links in this post, we may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.
Sometimes the hardest part about feeding your kids healthy snacks is thinking up ideas. Well, we feel your pain and we've got your back! Today, we'll be sharing mom- and kid-approved healthy snacks, along with a few helpful tips to get your picky eaters to eat them. Keep reading to learn more!
HEALTHY SNACK IDEAS FOR KIDS
Do you ever get stuck in a snack rut at your house? The struggle is REAL, but we're here to tell you that healthy snacking can be fun! Here are a few snack ideas for you and your family:
SNACKS FROM YOUR FRIDGE/FREEZER
- Cheese – There are so many delicious cheese options! String cheese, Laughing Cow Cheese, Baby Bell Cheese, Mozzarella balls, individually packaged cheese, the list could go on! To save money, try buying a large block of cheese and then slicing it into small sticks.
- Fruit Smoothies – You can toss in some veggies, too! We like to keep bags full of fruit and veggies in the freezer so we can whip up smoothies on the fly!
- In-Season Fruits and Vegetables – Trying to figure out the best seasons to eat your fruits and veggies without breaking the bank can be difficult, but don't worry! You can read all about how to buy produce and keep it fresh.
- Raw Sweet Potatoes – Peel and slice like fries, then dip them in ranch. (Everything is better with ranch, right?!) This is a yummy alternative if your kids don’t like carrots.
- Edamame – You can go fresh, but we've even heard of people eating them frozen!
- Yogurt – Did you know you can freeze yogurt cups for a healthy frozen snack for your kids? Just stick a popsicle stick through the lid and pop them in the freezer. You can also make frozen yogurt bites in an ice tray. Our kids love them!
- Hard-Boiled Eggs – Make a large batch in your Instant Pot to make it extra quick and easy! Learn how to make the perfect hard-boiled egg.
SNACKS FROM YOUR PANTRY
- Peanut Butter Protein Balls – These are so delicious and so easy to make! Pinterest has a ton of recipe ideas. They're definitely a go-to healthy snack for kids in our house.
- Mixed Nuts or Trail Mixes – Nuts are a great way to add healthy fats into your diet.
- Raisins or Dried Fruit – Individually-wrapped raisin boxes are a great alternative to your average fruit snack. You can also save money by buying a large canister of raisins and individually portioning them into small snack baggies.
- Roasted Chickpeas – You might be surprised how addictive these are! Seriously. SO good!
- Apple Slices and Peanut Butter – Enough said, right?
- Hummus and Pita Chips – It's super easy to make your own hummus! Just blend chickpeas, fresh lemon juice, and your favorite fresh herbs.
- Popcorn – Lightly salted popcorn is a great healthy snack for kids that provides fiber.
- Fruit Leather – Try to find brands that contain no added sugar, like Stretch Island. You can also make your own fruit leather!
Pro Tip: If you have leftover jam begging to be used, you can turn it into homemade fruit leather! Grab our favorite freezer jam recipe at Shelf Cooking to get the deets.
HOW TO GET KIDS TO EAT HEALTHY SNACKS
Now that you have some ideas, here are some tips for encouraging your kiddos to eat these healthy snacks.
CREATE A FRUIT/VEGGIE TRAY
We've all seen fruit and vegetable trays at the grocery store. They are super convenient, and we often buy them for parties and get-togethers. But have you ever thought about just keeping one in your fridge for snacks? They are so easy to make yourself, and cheaper, too! Having fruits and vegetables which are already washed, cut, and ready to eat can make it so much easier to feed your hungry kids healthy snacks. And here's a fun tip: use cookie cutters to make fun shapes with your fruit.
The best way to help your kids truly enjoy eating healthy snacks and foods is to regularly offer them healthy options and then allow them to choose whether or not to eat them. By providing them with a fruit/vegetable as an afterschool snack, they can choose the foods they want without wasting. Also with time and exposure, you may be surprised to find your kids are willing to branch out and try some of the new fruits or vegetables in the tray!
ROTATE YOUR SNACK OPTIONS
By rotating your healthy snack options, you are exposing your kids to lots of new foods and flavors. This will help them develop a liking for a wide variety of foods. Don’t be afraid to throw in those “unhealthy snacks,” too. Everything can fit into a healthy diet and it is important to teach your kids to enjoy all foods instead of fearing certain foods!
We like to switch up our healthy snacks for kids every two weeks or so. That gives them enough time to get brave enough to try new things, but also allows you to introduce something new before they completely get burnt out and don't want to eat that snack again for a long time.
LEAD BY EXAMPLE
As parents, kids watch our every move and love to copy what we are doing. This idea is also true for food. Showing your kids you enjoy eating healthy foods will encourage them to try those foods as well. The more you show your kids that you enjoy eating healthy foods, the more likely they are to enjoy them too!
Are you ready to get your healthy snack on? We'd love to know what your kiddos like to snack on. Leave us a comment!
Want more mom-approved ideas?
- Here are some great cheap and easy activities for kids!
- Get some GREAT tips for grocery shopping on a budget.
- Traveling with kids? You need these tips! Find out how we pack for vacation.
Have fun & stay healthy!
Can you please post a link to your veggie tray? Also, when you make hard boiled eggs, do you peel them for you kids before storing them in the fridge?
I can’t find the exact one, but you can get a similar one HERE. Hard boiled eggs definitely last longer when they stay in their shells and you don’t have to worry about storing them in an airtight container. But you could still peel them if your kids will eat them in a few days! Just be sure to store them properly if you do that.