You are going to LOVE this Healthy Snack Round-Up, complete with our favorite convenience foods PLUS some of our tried and true, homemade, on the blog favorites! ย When we started trying to figure out what to put on this list, we wanted to be realistic. ย The truth is, we’d all love to be able to spend hours in the kitchen, making everything from scratch, but more often than not it’s just not feasible in terms of time and effort. ย Here’s where we like to strike a balance between homemade and high-quality, store-bought pre-packaged snacks. ย Not only will these be great for lunch packing options, but they’re sure to be ideal for hungry, after-school noshing!
My favorite tip is to have these snacks stored in a low shelf in the pantry or fridge, in a special basket labeled for the kiddos. When my kiddos are hungry, I get to encourage some independence by showing them where their snacks are, and how to grab one when they’re hungry. We use this opportunity to talk about how it feels when we’re hungry, and how to choose snacks that are filling, and chock full of healthy carbs, fats, and protein. I feel awesome knowing that all of the options in the Healthy Snack Round Up are ones that I know provide some high quality fuel for busy kids.
So let’s dive in to some of our very own Fed & Fit homemade options first! ย These are all recipes loved and used for exactly this purpose, except now we’ve gathered some of our favorites all in one place for each reference!
Fed & Fit Homemade Options
- Sour Cherry Energy Balls–For the perfect bite sized sweet treat that will give your kiddos the energy for play, homework, and everything in between, you’ll love these little balls of goodness!
- Chili Lime Oven Baked Plantain Chips–Plantain chips are one of our favorites substitutions for traditional potato chips, but sometimes it’s hard to find store bought options that don’t use vegetable oils. A great sub would be these easy homemade version–cut down the chile if you think they might be too spicy for kiddos, and serve with some good ol’ fashioned guacamole for some healthy fats!
- Trail Mix Cookies–Keeping your cookie jar stocked with these nutrient dense “treat” options will make you the coolest parent on the block! They’re not only DELICIOUS, but backed with nutty goodness for long lasting energy.
- 5 Ingredient Paleo Ranch Dressing–What’s easier than carrot sticks and ranch dressing?? I remember coming home and eating an entire bag of baby carrots and ranch, and now you have a vegetable oil free, and healthy fat packed option for the kiddos. You can whip up a batch at the beginning of the week to have on hand for easy snacking.
- Baked Almond Butter Banana--Chances are you already have the ingredients to bake up these bad boys in your kitchen! Nothing beats an almond butter banana combo after a long day at school. It’s a perfect naturally sweetened treat for your little ones!
- Paleo Pumpkin Spice Granola 3 Ways–I LOVE THIS RECIPE. I love that it’s perfect for fall, back to school flavors, and that it’s incredibly versatile AND nut-free! You can easily make this recipe into granola bars, granola cereal, or granola balls and you can’t go wrong!
Now that we’ve caught you up to speed on some of the amazing homemade options you can find here at Fed & Fit, let’s take a look at some of our favorite store bought options in the Healthy Snack Round Up!
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Store Bought Snacks
- Simple Mills–If you are looking for the be-all-end-all in grain-free, paleo friendly snack options, look no further than Simple Mills. With everything from pre-packaged mixes (bread, muffins, cakes, etc.), to snack crackers and prepared cookies, they have something for everyone that is paleo-friendly.
- Kite Hill Yogurts–We love this dairy-free, almond milk based line of products! For those that can’t do traditional dairy, these is a great alternative option! We love to buy the plain unsweetened yogurt, add our own local honey (for immune boosting), and top with fun add-ons like fruit, collagen peptides, and grain-free granola.
- Lorissaโs Kitchen –I think it’s no secret that here at Fed & Fit we have an OBSESSION with Lorissa’s Kitchen. They’re meat sticks and bites are our favorite protein packed snacks to have with us in case of a HANGRY emergency, and we LOVE that they’re made from 100% grass-fed and responsibly raised animals. You can visit Amazon and get 20% off with the codeโ20OFFLKโ .
- Epic Bars–My favorite product from them right now is their new performance bars, chock full of dates and egg whites for a good shot of quality protein. My kids ADORE THEM.
- Thatโs It Fruit Bars–What’s in it? Just FRUIT, no really–that’s it.
- Bare Snacks Freeze-Dried Fruit–I love this brand of freeze-dried fruit options. They’re super simple, no preservatives, and satisfy that crunchy sweet craving any time it strikes!
- Power Balls–These are paleo and AIP-friendly, packed with coconut and collagen protein for an energy boost. They’re preservative-free and also a great option for those that need egg and tree-nut free snacks.
- Once Upon a Farm Pouches–Pouches can sometimes get a bad rep, and with good reason. Many of them sit on the shelf for months and months and the flavor is less than desirable, as well as the ingredients. I love this brand because they are fresh, perishable, organic, non-gmo, and use BPA free packaging. These pouches taste AWESOME.
- Bare Snacks Veggie Chips–Another favorite from Bare Snacks! If you’re looking for a salty and savory option with a lot of crunch, they’re beet and carrot chips are simple and totally snackable–just be careful not to eat them all in one sitting!
- Bubbas Fine Foods Snack Mix– If you want to fall in love with a crunchy and good for you snack mix, then you’ve come to the right place! These remind me of those snack mixes with the bagel crisp and pretzels, but they’re paleo, gluten-free and packed with SO MUCH FLAVOR. They’ve got an assortment of spiced mixes including Smoky Chipotle BBG, Righteous Ranch, and Savory Original.
- Epic Pork Rinds–Another savory option is pork rinds! My kids are obsessed with them, and LOVE the Maple Bacon flavor. You can find everything from Sea Salt and Pepper, to Chile Lime, to original, and you can rest assured that they’re made from organic, non-gmo, pastured, and antibiotic free pork.
- Wildway Grain Free Granola–My favorite paleo friendly granola, all of these granolas contain no grains, wheat, or gluten, no added oils, no added flavorings, and no added sugars, sweeteners or extracts. A simple sweet, non-gmo snack that is perfect for little lunch boxes.
- 365 Brand Toasted Coconut Chips–I think I might be noticing a trend here with the crunchy, sweet and salty options! I love coconut chips as a standalone snack, or used as a topping for dairy-free yogurt.
- Solero Fruit Bars–I know these can’t be packed in your lunch box, but I love these for a fun, after-school treat on those early days of back to school. After a long day, it’s fun to hop outside with a popsicle and let the cares from the day melt away!
There you go friends! By no means is this list exhaustive, in fact, it’s incredible that we live in a day where we can find so many high quality pre-packaged food options at our fingertips. Most of these items can be found at Amazon or online, and if you’re a Thrive Market member, you might even be able to include them in your next box! If you haven’t checked out Thrive Market, click HERE, and Thrive Market will give you an EXTRA 25% off your first purchase PLUS a free 30 day trial. Thatโs 25% off the already low prices that Thrive Market offers. It’s definitely a great option for all your back to school snacks and daily household food and home products, plus all you need is delivered right to your door–no grocery store necessary!
Tell me friends, what are some of your favorite back to school snacks that didn’t make the list?