Healthyish Snack Ideas for the Whole Family

Snacks! As a registered dietitian this is probably the topic that I get asked about most often in this current stage of life. What kinds of snacks are you giving your kids? We’re in snack rut, what are your current favorites? What are some actually good and healthyish “grown-up” snacks? In this post I’ll cover all of that and more.

Heads up that this post is not sponsored by any brands, meaning I am not being paid to include them. However some of the links may be affiliate links which means I earn a small commission on purchases. Thank you for reading and supporting my site!

My approach to snacks is simple whether it’s for me or my kids: I try to include a variety of macronutrients + fiber (always fiber!) for a snack that satisfies taste buds as much as stomachs. It doesn’t always work out this way and I’m totally fine with that!

Most often, I find that fresh and homemade snacks give you the best bang for your buck (nutritionally and financially), but there are some store-bought options that we love and buy often too. You really can’t beat the convenience for grab-and-go situations sometimes.

My hope is that this list will be a great resource for you to return to over and again when you just need someone to tell you what to add to your shopping cart. Mixing things up on occasion is a great way to avoid getting burned out on the same few things, and I think it’s fruitful to expose kids to a variety of flavors and textures too.

*Obligatory disclaimer: this isn’t necessarily an all-inclusive list and it might not fit the specific dietary needs or preferences of your family. These are just the snacks that we keep returning to. Hopefully it gives you a few fresh ideas!

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Favorite Salty/Savory Snacks

Homemade or Fresh

• All the veggies! We almost always have cut up cucumbers, celery and carrots in the fridge.
• Everything Bagel Deviled Eggs (for a lazy version, just spread cream cheese on top a hard-boiled egg half and top with the everything bagel seasoning)
• Just regular hard-boiled eggs, seasoned with salt and fermented white pepper (trust me!)
• Grillo’s pickle wrapped with good deli turkey
• 4-ingredient guacamole with carrot sticks and crunchy blue corn tortilla chips
• Cottage cheese topped with cherry tomatoes and cracked black pepper
• Avocado toast finished with pink peppercorn and flaky salt
• Gochujang snack mix, which is especially great over the holidays
• Rice cake topped with cream cheese, really good smoked salmon and lot’s of fresh dill (bonus if you have pickled onions on hand)

Packaged

• Chomps (the minis are great for kids and I actually prefer them too)
• Snap peas (no chopping required!) and thick potato chips with this dip
• Kerrygold aged cheddar snacks
• Babybel cheese
• String cheese
• Simple Mills almond flour crackers (we also like the plain sea salt variety)
• Pistachios (also love the black pepper flavor!), cashews or peanuts
• Lesser Evil popcorn bags (Himalayan pink salt flavor is just 3 ingredients)
• Bitchin’ Sauce with leftover roasted broccoli for dipping – what an absolute treat!
• Mary’s gone crackers, celery sticks & this hummus

Favorite Sweet Snacks

I don’t typically buy a lot of packaged sweet snacks because we love to bake and make oatmeal balls, muffins etc. that lean sweet. However there are a few things that my kids really enjoy that I’ll buy on occasion, especially for travel days!

Homemade or Fresh

• FRUIT! of all kinds, preferably in season. We especially love berries, cherries, peaches or nectarines, melon, apples and pears, all citrus! I try to combine it with a protein.
• Plain yogurt swirled with raspberry lemon chia jam
• PB&J Energy Bites
• Peanut Butter Coconut Energy Balls
• Blueberry Lemon No-Bake Oat Bites
• Strawberry Dark Chocolate Oat Bars
• 4-Ingredient Oatmeal Cookies (great for baking with kids, so fast and easy)
• Fresh mango dusted with tajin seasoning
• Toasted sourdough bread with nuttzo, banana slices and a drizzle of honey
• Banana bread (I try for lower sugar, heart-healthy fats, whole grains if possible)
• Banana Carrot Muffins are wholesome and delicious!
• Cottage cheese topped with blueberries and pepitas or a sprinkle of the best granola (one of my all-time favorite combos)
• Smoothies! My go-to is unsweetened soy milk, frozen banana, lot’s of spinach, a bit of nut butter, a pitted date and a pinch of salt. I also love this strawberry one and this peach one.

Packaged

• Solely fruit jerky (Costco sells a big variety box for the best price)
• Raisin boxes, usually paired with cheese
• Larabars: we like peanut butter cookie, blueberry muffin & cherry pie flavors (note that any flavor with chocolate chips gets MESSY fast with kids).

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Honorable Mentions: Coffee Shop Snacks

Sometimes when you’re in a pinch, a coffee shop can be a great place to get a quick snack or a mini meal if you don’t have any other options. Here are a few things you can find in a Starbucks if you’re in an airport, on a road trip or just bumming around town.

• Perfect Bars
• KIND bars (the ones without chocolate)
• That’s It bars
• Siete sea salt potato chips
• Trail mix (preferably just nuts and unsweetened dried fruit)
• A latte! the milk is very satiating if you get one that has protein and fat like whole dairy.
• protein box
• banana

Did I forget anything? Be sure to leave a comment below and share your favorite snacks so we have even more ideas.

Hopefully this gives you a little bit of inspiration on your next shopping trip!