“Mom, I’m hungry.” With the kids home all day during the summer, I think I hear these words at least a hundred times a day. I swear, they are always hungry.
So, after I make sure that their “hunger” isn’t really boredom or thirst, I sometimes find that a snack really is in order.
Snacks around here have to be simple, quick, and healthy. I also try to avoid things like gold fish and fruit snacks and other packaged convenience snacks like that (better for my wallet and better for the kids to skip these). These 10 snacks all meet my mom criteria. A few of them are things that you can make ahead of time and have in the freezer. All of them are nutritious snacking options that I feel good about offering up to my kids.
10 Easy Healthy Snacks for Kids
1. Popcorn. This is the simplest of snacks, but the kids love it! I avoid the packaged microwave stuff, air poppers make it taste too rubbery, and while I love stove top popped corn, it doesn’t fit into my “simple” category. So, I either use Aimee’s handy trick for making your own microwave popcorn, or I buy quality popped corn. G.H. Cretors Organic Simply Salted Popcorn is our favorite – just 3 ingredients, perfect crunch and flavor, and a really simple, tasty, quick snack.
2. Homemade Energy Bites. These are the best! I make a big bag of these and keep them in the freezer to pull out a few as needed. We’ve been taking these to the park, the pool, and the splash pad all summer. The kids pop one in their mouths and they’re good to go. I normally make my Cherry Chia Energy Bites, but we also love these Hemp Cocoa Bites and these Vegan Sunflower Cranberry Balls.
3. Muffins. These require a little time in the kitchen, but not much and you can make a big batch for the freezer to eat for a week or two at a time. Mini muffins make especially good snacks! You can find some good muffin recipes here. My favorite recipe for Zucchini Apple Mini Muffins is over on Simple Bites.
4. Smoothies. I love serving smoothies for snacks because I can pack them with veggies and no one complains. Katie has some great tips for freezing smoothies so you always have some ready to go. My kids most favorite smoothie in the world is this Green Peanut Butter and Jelly Smoothie. I’m a big fan of this Cranberry Apple Oatmeal Smoothie.
5. Fresh Fruit, Veggies, Nuts, & Popcorn served Muffin Tin Style. The easiest snack of all is the muffin tin snack! I take whatever fruits, veggies, nuts, popcorn we have and serve it in the cups of a muffin tin. For some reason, this presentation makes all the difference and the kids love it! So much better than just setting out a plate of carrots.
6. Granola. Homemade granola is still one of my favorite treats as a grown up. It always makes for a good snack – plain, over yogurt, with milk, or tossed with some fresh fruit. I make a big batch at the beginning of the week and store it in mason jars. Some of our favorites are: Chunky Apple Pie Granola, Chai Spiced Sweet Potato Granola, and Chunky Tropical Granola.
7. Veggies and Dip. Vegetables are obviously the best snack of all if you’re looking at nutrition. Easier said than done though. I find that it is infinitely easier, however, to get my kids to eat veggies if they have a dip. This 7 Layer Greek Dip inspires the consumption of a lot of bell peppers, cucumbers, and carrots. This Perfectly Smooth Hummus is another great one and we also enjoy this Vegan Cashew Cheese as a quick, healthy dip.
8. Ham and Cheese Apple Wraps with Dip. These are adorable and delicious. The good news is the kids can totally make this all by themselves and they’ll feel really proud. Get the recipe here.
9. Peacamole. It looks like guacamole, tastes like guacamole, but it’s full of peas. My kids eat this with crackers, tortilla chips, or pita chips. So yum. Get the recipe here.
10. Fruit puddings and parfaits. This post on Simple Bites about Simple Chia Seed Pudding (and the recipe links at the end) was a game changer for us. We’ve been making these tasty puddings ever since. Along the same lines, serving up fruit and yogurt parfait style is always a big hit around here. For these snacks, presentation is everything and the fancy look will win you lot’s of mom points even though they are so, so simple. Check out these Cantaloupe Blueberry Lemon Parfaits which are on repeat here this summer.
What are your favorite Easy and Healthy snacks? I’d love more ideas to keep these hungry children happy!
I received free samples of G.H. Cretors Popcorn last year, but I’ve been buying and enjoying it ever since. This is not a sponsored post.
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