Whether you have a child who is a super picky eater, has gut issues, is fighting tooth decay, or you are simply looking for some healthier, easier food items to give your child, this list of healthy snacks was made just for you!
My daughter fits into ALL of the categories I just mentioned. So I’m always looking for more healthy, easy food options for her. And the struggle to find good quality food that she will eat is real.
I’m guessing you can relate. But don’t worry. Whether you’re looking for things you can buy, make, or some combination, I’ve got 16 unique healthy snack ideas for kids right here!
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Healthy Snack Ideas for Kids
1. Larabars
If you’ve read some of my other posts, you probably already know how much my family loves Larabars. They are, in my opinion, the BEST and healthiest option for prepackaged snacks on-the-go. They taste so good and they come in a variety of flavors.
But please note that if your child is prone to cavities, these bars contain a lot of dates which are hard on teeth (although they are good for you in so many other ways).
Learn what to do when the dentist says your child needs dental work.
You can get these at Kroger or Walmart, or order Larabars on Amazon here..
2. Toto Cookies
We have only gotten these a coupe of times because they are not cheap, but they are oh, so good! The perfect healthy dessert. Or they can be another snack on-the-go since they also have 4 grams of protein!
You can find these at Sprouts, or you can order Toto Cookies from Amazon here.
3. Rice Cracker Sandwiches
We like to use baby rice crackers like these to make sandwiches with all natural, no-sugar-added peanut butter or feta cheese. It’s a great gluten-free option and there’s just something about puffy rice crackers that my kids love.
You can also use rice cakes if you are concerned about the minute amount of sugar in the baby rice crackers. They will just be thick sandwiches. Alternatively, I used to buy thinner square rice cakes in the ethnic aisle at Walmart that worked perfectly for sandwiches.
4. Apple, Banana, Peanut Butter Salad
This is a favorite of mine and it used to be a favorite of my daughter’s. Although she’s not as crazy about it as she used to be, she still eats it sometimes.
It’s super easy to make with only apples, bananas, no-sugar-added peanut butter and cinnamon. To get the simple recipe, enter your email address at the bottom of this page and you will get free access to it!
5. Banana Almond Butter Cake/Cupcakes
This is another one of my and my kids’ favorites. All it requires is very ripe bananas, almond butter and cinnamon. If you want to make the chocolate topping as well, you only need some cocoa powder, coconut oil and honey or xylitol.
You can also get free access to this favorite recipe when you enter your email address at the bottom of this page.
6. Popcorn with Garlic Sauce
This is one of the few savory healthy snacks for kids that my daughter will eat. Homemade popcorn is quite a bit healthier than store-bought, prepackaged popcorn. And with the garlic dipping sauce, it has some anti-viral, anti-bacterial probiotic-rich protein to go with it. This one is really good for your kids and it tastes SO good!
This also makes a great addition to movie nights or an afternoon of board games.
Check out my mother-daughter date ideas here.
You will also get free access to this recipe when you enter your email address at the bottom of this page.
7. Frozen Chocolate Banana
Homemade snacks (or desserts) really can’t get any easier – or healthier! – than this chocolate-covered banana recipe. Enter your email address at the bottom of the page to get this recipe for free!
8. Carrots & Avocado Sauce
Another savory win for my sweet-tooth daughter, this avocado sauce makes a great dip for carrots or even cucumber. This is one of the most ultra healthy snacks, containing only vegetables. No worries for vegans or gluten-free diets here!
Get free access to this recipe by entering your email address at the bottom of the page.
9. Keto Chocolate Cupcakes/Muffins
I love this recipe for my daughter and so does she. I used to make these chocolate muffins for her as a breakfast option or as one of her healthy snacks on days I did not mind her having chocolate. They are so easy to make!
You can find the recipe at Chocolate Covered Katie here. This is actually meant to be a cake, but I usually make it as muffins or cupcakes. I use xylitol for the sweetener, but you can also use coconut sugar if you don’t need it to be candida-or keto-friendly.
Find out what the relationship is between candida and tooth decay in this post.
These also make really good substitute treats for birthdays or special holidays if your child is on a special diet that does not allow for the typical celebratory treats. I like to use Martha Stewart’s SUPER easy honey cream cheese frosting on them for such occasions (add some cocoa powder if you want it to be chocolate frosting or food coloring for fun colors).
10. Candida Diet Buckeyes
Buckeyes were a huge favorite around the holidays in my family growing up. My sister and I always helped my mom make them for Christmas gatherings and they were a huge hit every time.
Imagine my utter joy at discovering candida-friendly buckeyes for my daughter when we went on a candida diet to deal with her gut health and tooth decay! And she absolutely LOVED them.
This delicious recipe is found in “The Sweeter Side of Candida” recipe book which also features many other delectable treats for people on the candida diet.
11. Almond Crackers
So you need super fast, easy, filling healthy snacks to send for your child to eat at school? It doesn’t get much easier than picking up a box of almond crackers. I have tried many different brands of almond crackers and the kids and I honestly love them all.
The avocado sauce mentioned above is also to-die-for on top of almond crackers.
You can get almond crackers at Aldi, Walmart, sprouts, Whole Foods or Costco. You can also order almond crackers on Amazon here.
12. GAPS-Friendly Apple Pie
If your child has gut issues, there is an amazing apple pie that can be eaten on the GAPS diet. It contains apples, honey, dates, almond flour and butter. I have to admit that my daughter did not actually like this apple pie because she does not currently like dates which she claimed she could taste in the pie. But I thought it was an amazing, delectable treat.
This recipe – along with a lot of other extremely insightful information about how the gut works and it can get messed up – can be found in the book, “Gut and Psychology Syndrome: Natural Treatment for Autism, Dyspraxia, A.D.D., Dyslexia, A.D.H.D., Depression, Schizophrenia” by Natasha Campbell-McBride.
13. Date Lollipop
Speaking of dates, another one of the extremely easy healthy snacks that I like to give my kids is dates. Despite being extremely sweet, dates are low-glycemic and have many health benefits.
But to make dates a little more interesting, we roll them into a little ball and call it “candy” or put it on a reusable popsicle stick like this and call it a “lollipop”.
14. Dried Fruit
Dried fruit is another one of the easiest healthy snacks for kids, as long as they don’t have added sugar. There are so many different dried fruits these days.
My daughter loves dried jackfruit and she also currently likes dried pineapple. She used to love dried figs as well. She also loves freeze-dried strawberries and apples.
Check out my list of healthy candy that it safe for kids with tooth decay here.
Depending on your health goals for your child, dried fruit may be okay (in moderation) on gut-sensitive diets but it is very acidic for teeth. So dried fruit should be avoided if your child has cavities or demineralization.
15. Beef or Turkey Sticks
Beef sticks are another one of my favorite grab ‘n’ go healthy snacks for kids. My daughter loved these Country Archer Mini Beef Sticks until she had so many she got tired of them. With 4 grams of protein and no sugar, these are a healthy alternative to the typical beef sticks that have sugar, corn syrup and other questionable ingredients.
Besides Amazon, these can also be found at Walmart and Costco.
16. Roasted Sweet Potatoes
While this might sound like a side you would cook with dinner, roasted sweet potatoes make a great afternoon snack when kids get home from school as well.
With some olive oil, salt and garlic powder, roasted sweet potatoes are one of the easy healthy snacks that is a little something different for those hungry mouths. You can also add in some other veggies, love brussels sprouts or broccoli.
We All Need More Healthy Snacks for Kids
Do you have any ideas for healthy snacks for kids? Let’s hear ’em! Let’s face it, all of us parents ALWAYS need more ideas for healthy snacks for our kids.
Please share your go-tos, your favorites and your new discoveries in the comments. Let’s all share this unbelievably challenging task of figuring out how to get nutritious food into our kids.
And speaking of sharing, please share these ideas with other parents via the social share buttons below!
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