The stretch between the school bus and dinner is when the “I’m starving” chorus really kicks in. These are the snacks that actually get eaten in my house, the ones that hold kids over without wrecking their appetite for supper. They come together in just a few minutes, lean on real whole foods, and travel well to the backyard or car line or to the after-school activity. Keep a few of these on rotation and the after-school scramble gets a whole lot quieter.
1) Yogurt Parfait Cups
So these are yogurt and granola, maybe some fresh fruit. I would use Greek yogurt here to get some extra protein in. Granola is a great fiber and a crunch. Use seasonal fruit to get the most bang for your buck for vitamins and minerals, but frozen fruit works well here too. Frozen fruit actually gets frozen right at the peak ripeness, and so nutrition is very similar to that of fresh fruit.
2) Peanut Butter Banana Roll-Ups
So this is peanut butter on a tortilla with a banana, and then you roll it up and slice it into little pinwheels. Peanut butter provides great protein here. I would use a whole wheat tortilla to get a little bit more whole grains into the diet, a little bit more fiber. Sunflower butter is a great option if you’re looking for a nut-free option. A little cinnamon in there might even elevate this, but this is a great snack.
3) Dino Nuggets with Apple Slices
Dino nuggets are a favorite in our house. Who doesn’t want a crunchy chicken nugget that’s shaped as your favorite dinosaur? The dino nuggets are great protein. I’d add a fruit and vegetable, super easy. Kids love this one.
4) Homemade Trail Mix
So this is such a fun thing for kids to make, feel like they’re independent. Cereals, pretzels, chocolate chips, nuts, seeds. Dried fruit is a great option too. It doesn’t need to be refrigerated, great protein, great fiber, great fat. Keeps them full for a long time.
5) Cheesy Quesadilla Triangles
A cheese quesadilla. So you could use corn, flour, or whole wheat tortillas. What’s your favorite cheese? We love a sharp cheddar. I think sometimes we think of salsa as an indulgent thing, chips and salsa, but salsa is chopped up veggies, tomatoes, and cilantro, and onions, and lime juice. So get some veggies in with salsa here too.
6) Ants on a Log
Ants on a log is such a classic. Celery sticks of peanut butter and maybe some raisins. Again, peanut butter is such a great source of protein. It’s also got some good fats in there as well. This is just a fun one. Cream cheese and dried cranberries is a little bit of a change-up if you don’t love peanut butter. So crunchy and satisfying.
7) Banana Bread Slices
Banana bread feels like a warm hug. It’s an easy way to get some fruit in, in such a warm, comforting way. Pairing it with a glass of ice-cold milk makes a great after-school snack. We love it with chocolate chips, which makes it a little bit more indulgent, but nuts folded in there would be great as well.
8) Frozen Yogurt Bark
Frozen yogurt bark is a fun option. Spread yogurt on a sheet pan. Greek yogurt, again, is a great option. There’s a little bit more protein in it. You could choose a plain, or if you want to do a vanilla or a flavored one, that would be great since this is kind of an indulgent snack. Put your favorite berries and a little bit of granola on top, then just freeze it and you break it up into pieces to eat. It’s a great cold snack for a hot day.
9) Mini Egg Muffins
We love these for breakfast, but definitely these could be a snack too. So you scramble some eggs, which is a great way to use some leftover veggies that maybe you’ve cooked throughout the week. Chop it up and make these little egg cups. Great protein, and a fun way to get veggies in. You could even put some chopped-up ham or bacon or breakfast sausage in there too.
10) Cinnamon Apple Chips
We love apple chips around here. I think that crunchiness is just such a fun thing, even for adults, but especially for kids. You can take thin apple slices and just slowly bake them, and that will make them into chips. I love cinnamon on these too. It smells like fall when you’re baking them.
11) Veggie Sticks with Hummus
I love that hummus comes in so many different flavors. My child likes the classic flavor of hummus, you know, just the garbanzo beans and tahini, but if your kids are into different flavors like sun-dried tomato or roasted red pepper, it’s an easy way to get protein in the shape of a dip, which is great. So dip their favorite veggies into hummus, and you could change it up all the time. Great after-school snack and great to pack in lunches too.
12) Whole Grain Crackers and Cheese
Cheese is such a great protein option. String cheese is a favorite in our house, but really whatever cheese you like. Pair that with whole grain crackers to get some great fiber in, and your favorite fruit on the side makes this a really balanced whole-food snack.
13) Popcorn Snack Mix
Popcorn is one of my favorite snacks. It has that indulgent, chippy feeling, but it’s a whole grain because it’s made out of corn, and it’s very low calorie. So it’s a way to get that crunchy chip craving satisfied without eating potato chips that are very high in fat, calorie-laden, and super salty, which is all a fine, great thing, but this makes for a little bit of a healthier snack. You could put some Parmesan cheese on it, or nutritional yeast if you’re looking to get that cheesy feeling without doing cheese, if you’re looking for a vegan option. Some cinnamon or cinnamon sugar if you want almost a kettle corn flavor.
14) Fluffy Pancake Bites
I think my child would eat anything in the shape of a pancake. It’s a fun breakfast, but so easy to make extra and then use them for a snack too. You could dip them in a little bit of syrup, or yogurt if you want some extra protein. My daughter loves Nutella. Pancakes are always fun.
15) Turkey Spinach Pinwheels
So these are, again, tortillas. I would use whole wheat tortillas here. Turkey, cheese, and a little bit of spinach. You could do any lunch meat and any cheese, or if a kid doesn’t like cheese, then just do the lunch meat. It’s fun to do even a little spread of cream cheese on here, or a flavored cream cheese. Roll it up and slice it and make such an easy snack, or for a lunchbox it would be great too.
16) Peanut Butter Energy Balls
Peanut butter energy balls are a favorite in my house. They taste like cookie dough, to be very honest. But I’m always surprised how delicious and nutrient-dense these are. So, rolled oats, we use peanut butter in ours, honey, some chocolate chips, mix it all together and form them into little balls. I keep them in the refrigerator so they keep for longer. But like I said, very nutrient-dense: good protein, good carbs, good fiber, and some fat that keeps little bellies full for longer.
17) Peach Smoothie
A smoothie is just such an easy way to get fruit in, and it’s fun. It’s frozen. You drink it with a straw. Peaches, yogurt, a splash of milk, and you’ve got a peach smoothie, but do it with any fruit that’s in season. Use frozen fruits so you can just keep it on hand and keep it easy.
18) Frozen Grapes
Frozen grapes are incredibly easy, and such a fun summertime snack, really. You just rinse the grapes, put them right in the freezer, and they’re such fun, refreshing little, almost like fruit popsicles, and easy snacks.
19) Guacamole with Veggie Dippers
Guacamole is a great source of healthy fats, and it’s fun. You know, even let them help do the mashing. So scoop the avocado into a bowl and let them mash with a fork, maybe a pinch of salt, a little bit of lime juice, or whatever they want. It’s an easy first recipe for kids to use, and then pair it with their favorite veggie sticks.
20) Cottage Cheese with Berries
Cottage cheese is all the rage for its high protein. You can get a whole milk cottage cheese, or if you want the same amount of protein with a little less calories, you could do a 2% or a fat free. They’ll usually have the same amount of protein. And I love cottage cheese because you could veer towards a savory side or a sweet side. So a little bit of honey and some fruit, and it’s a sweet snack. I do some everything bagel seasoning sometimes with some chopped tomatoes, and then it’s a savory snack.
21) Avocado Toast Squares
We love avocado toast in our house. I would do it on whole grain bread, again getting some extra fiber in. This is something where kids could mash their own avocados on it and add a pinch of salt, squeeze a lemon or lime, or just as is, or with some fresh tomatoes or salsa on it. Easy and filling.
22) Homemade Granola Bars
Granola bars are so costly, and I’m always like, I could totally make this at home. Just oats and honey and then whatever mix-ins you want. So maybe it’s nuts or chocolate chips or dried fruit. Press them into a pan, pull them out, and then slice them into little granola bars, and it makes a perfect snack.
23) Mini Flatbread Pizzas
I am convinced that if you put anything in a pizza shape, kids will eat it. So we do these with naan breads, like little flatbreads. You could do it with pita bread. You could even do it with a piece of whole grain toast, but put some sauce, cheese, and whatever their favorite toppings are on it. It’s a little mini meal.
24) Bagel with Cream Cheese
There are so many flavors of bagels. Again, you can skew sweet, you can skew savory. You could do a plain bagel, everything bagel, or blueberry bagel, with a little bit of cream cheese for protein. An easy, easy snack.
25) Black Bean Nachos
We love a nacho for dinner. It is so easy to put together, but this would be a great snack too. Layer chips, then black beans, and cheese onto a cookie sheet, popping in the oven till the cheese melts and the beans get warm. And then you can top with your favorite salsa and guacamole. Beans are gonna have great protein in them, but also great fiber to keep your kids feeling full for longer.
26) Cinnamon Sugar Pretzel Bites
So soft pretzels rolled in butter and cinnamon and sugar just feels so indulgent and such a fun snack. Maybe serve them with a little bit of yogurt to get some protein in.
27) Waffle Sticks with Yogurt
So you could either make waffles from scratch, or there are some great frozen waffles. But there are also some high protein waffles, which are really fun. Kids love a waffle shape, so heat them or cook your own homemade waffles, cut them into little sticks, and then serve with a little cup of yogurt for dipping.
28) Cheesy Baked Sweet Potato Tots
Anything that is dippable is such a winner with kids, but also that tot or French fry shape kids love. So I love them in the air fryer or in the oven, with some ketchup or ranch or an aioli. Sweet potatoes are filled with vitamin A and great fiber. So it’s such a great snack for kids.
