Childhood is when bodies are built and taste preferences are made, so it’s important that kids eat healthy–including snacks. That’s why we’ve decided to figure out what makes a great healthy snack. We found that the best snacks include whole food ingredients and are free from overly processed and artificial ones.
They’re also low on added sugars and cater to any allergies or dietary restrictions. Keeping these things in mind, we’ve put together a list of some of our favorite healthy snacks for kids, with FreeYumm taking first place. We also created a buying guide with the help of nutritionist Kara Swanson to help you evaluate your choices. Read on for more!
Kara Swanson is a certified nutritionist and the founder of Life Well Lived. She is married to her best friend and the proud mother of three. Her passion is to make nutrition simple, easy, and delicious! You can find her amazing nutrition plans and learn tips and tricks to staying healthy on her website, Instagram, or Facebook.
※Please note that these products were not picked by Kara Swanson, but chosen through extensive research and by combing through customer reviews by our staff at mybest.
15 bars, 3 packs
$30.29
Ingredients | Rolled oats, oat flakes, oat flour, organic honey, maple syrup, organic coconut palm sugar, sunflower oil, dried apples, sunflower seeds, vanilla extract, salt, cinnamon |
---|---|
Added sugars | 7g. |
Certified | Non-GMO, gluten-free |
Single serving | Yes |
6 count
$19.90
Ingredients | Banana, rice bran oil, salt, prebiotics |
---|---|
Added sugars | 0g. |
Certified | Non-GMO, vegan, gluten-free |
Single serving | Yes |
$5.99
Ingredients | Almonds, dried sweetened cranberries, dried sweetened blueberries, cashews, pepitas, expeller pressed sunflower oil |
---|---|
Added sugars | – |
Certified | Non-GMO |
Single serving | Yes |
6 count
$24.69
Ingredients | Broad beans, sunflower oil, rice flour, seasoning (garlic, tomato powder, onion, chili powder, cane sugar, yeast extract, paprika extract, citric acid, natural smoke flavor, stevia), sea salt |
---|---|
Added sugars | 1g. |
Certified | Vegan, non-GMO, kosher, gluten-free, soy-free |
Single serving | No |
$7.19
Ingredients | Apple, apple puree concentrate, lemon juice concentrate/banana/strawberry, black currant |
---|---|
Added sugars | 0g. |
Certified | Non-GMO, kosher |
Single serving | Yes |
30 count
$25.67
Ingredients | Apples, pears, strawberries, black carrot extract |
---|---|
Added sugars | 0g. |
Certified | Non-GMO, vegan, dairy-free,kosher |
Single serving | Yes |
16 count
$24.64
Ingredients | Rice flour, sunflower oil, dried green peas, dried yellow peas, dried black beans, sea salt, mixed tocophrols (an antioxidant) |
---|---|
Added sugars | 0g. |
Certified | Non-GMO |
Single serving | Yes |
12 count
$5.30
Ingredients | Variety pack |
---|---|
Added sugars | 0-7g. |
Certified | Organic |
Single serving | Yes |
5 count
$3.99
Ingredients | Rolled oats, agave syrup, date paste, flax seeds, rice crisps, apples, spinach powder, vegetable glycerin, pea protein, cinnamon, baking powder, rosemary extract |
---|---|
Added sugars | 7g. |
Certified | Organic, non-GMO |
Single serving | Yes |
5 count
$4.99
Ingredients | Fruit and vegetables (including apples, blueberries, cherries, pumpkin, carrots, kale, and strawberries), powder cellulose, citrus pectin, citric acid, natural flavor |
---|---|
Added sugars | 0g. |
Certified | Organic, non-GMO, gluten-free, vegan |
Single serving | Yes |
Image | 1 ![]() FreeYumm | 2 ![]() Banana Joe | 3 ![]() Orchard Valley Harvest | 4 ![]() Enlightened | 5 ![]() GoGo squeeZ | 6 ![]() BEAR | 7 ![]() Off The Eaten Path | 8 ![]() Annie’s | 9 ![]() Happy Tot Organics | 10 ![]() Nature’s Bandits |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Name | Allergen Free Granola Bars | Banana Chips | Antioxidant Mix | Bada Bean Bada Boom Broad Bean Snack | Applesauce on the Go | Real Fruit Yoyos | Veggie Crisps | Homegrown Bunny Snacks Variety Pack | Fiber & Protein Soft-Baked Oat Bars | Organic Fruit & Veggie Stix |
Features | An Allergy Friendly, Soft-Baked Snack | A Healthy Alternative to Chips for Kids | Fruits and Nuts Provide Vitamins and Minerals | High in Protein to Satisfy Your Little Ones | The Perfect Balance of Sweet and Nutritious | All Ages Can Enjoy These Fruit Snacks | Snack on These in the Afternoon for Sustained Energy | Classic Snacks Turned Healthy | Perfect for Toddlers and Younger Children | Fruit and Veggie Chews With Collectible Characters |
Price | $30.29 | $19.90 | $5.99 | $24.69 | $7.19 | $25.67 | $24.64 | $5.30 | $3.99 | $4.99 |
Ingredients | Rolled oats, oat flakes, oat flour, organic honey, maple syrup, organic coconut palm sugar, sunflower oil, dried apples, sunflower seeds, vanilla extract, salt, cinnamon | Banana, rice bran oil, salt, prebiotics | Almonds, dried sweetened cranberries, dried sweetened blueberries, cashews, pepitas, expeller pressed sunflower oil | Broad beans, sunflower oil, rice flour, seasoning (garlic, tomato powder, onion, chili powder, cane sugar, yeast extract, paprika extract, citric acid, natural smoke flavor, stevia), sea salt | Apple, apple puree concentrate, lemon juice concentrate/banana/strawberry, black currant | Apples, pears, strawberries, black carrot extract | Rice flour, sunflower oil, dried green peas, dried yellow peas, dried black beans, sea salt, mixed tocophrols (an antioxidant) | Variety pack | Rolled oats, agave syrup, date paste, flax seeds, rice crisps, apples, spinach powder, vegetable glycerin, pea protein, cinnamon, baking powder, rosemary extract | Fruit and vegetables (including apples, blueberries, cherries, pumpkin, carrots, kale, and strawberries), powder cellulose, citrus pectin, citric acid, natural flavor |
Added sugars | 7g. | 0g. | – | 1g. | 0g. | 0g. | 0g. | 0-7g. | 7g. | 0g. |
Certified | Non-GMO, gluten-free | Non-GMO, vegan, gluten-free | Non-GMO | Vegan, non-GMO, kosher, gluten-free, soy-free | Non-GMO, kosher | Non-GMO, vegan, dairy-free,kosher | Non-GMO | Organic | Organic, non-GMO | Organic, non-GMO, gluten-free, vegan |
Single serving | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Link |
The largest factor in what makes a snack healthy or not is its ingredients list, so definitely make sure to take a closer look at it before purchasing any one snack.
Kids actually tend not to get the recommended levels of fruits and vegetables per day, so snack time is the perfect time to sneak in some nutritious servings for your little ones!
In general, moderately active kids ages two to three should have one cup each of veggies and fruit per day. Kids aged four to eight should have 1.5 cups of fruits and 1.5 to two cups of veggies per day, while kids aged nine to 13 should have anywhere from 1.5 to two cups of fruits and two to three cups of veggies per day.
Fat may seem like an issue with many foods, as they have been linked with heart disease, but it can actually be good for you.
Monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats are the healthiest, but saturated fats are still fine, as long as you don't intake them at levels that are more than 10% of your calorie count per day. They take a while to digest too, so they help keep you satisfied for longer.
Protein has a bevy of benefits when consumed. It helps reduce hunger, increase muscle mass, increases how much fat is burned, and boost your metabolism, amongst other great effects. Like fat, protein also helps you stay full for longer, so they're a great addition to prevent cravings and to satiate hunger in children.
Snacks can be fun and healthy at the same time! They can come in adorable shapes, such as bunnies or stars, or come with extras, such as collectible cards. Besides being tasty and nutritious, and if your child is a picky eater, snacks that have additional content can keep your children happy and wanting more.
If you do end up with a snack that's in regular old rectangle shapes, you can also add your own touches to the lunchbox overall to make it more fun for the kids—such as cutting out shaped sandwiches with cookie cutters or arranging the food to look like a cartoon character. This element of fun will encourage your kids to eat what's there.
If you're worried about your kids not getting enough servings of any one certain food group, you can always pack their lunches with other extras to supplement their healthy snacks.
For instance, snacks don't always have dairy included. Feel free to add in milk, yogurt, or cheeses into their lunch boxes to give them their daily recommended serving. You can find more information on serving sizes for kids here.
Also, when packing their lunches in general, make sure to balance out each part of their meal. Think of the rainbow when prepping, and make sure to add a lot of variety, so your kids can get used to eating nutrition-packed foods.
Now that you know how to choose a healthy snack for your kid, expert Kara Swanson has a bit of advice on how to keep them on the right track. Always make sure to portion out foods and try to keep snacks limited to fresh and nutritious offerings!
If you're looking for a few more healthy options, check out these Veggie Pops recommended by certified nutritionist, Kara Swanson! They're perfectly crunchy and super addictive despite being made of real vegetables and clean ingredients.
3 oz.
$11.96
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