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Preschool snack bento boxes have never been this fun and nutritious! Start this school year with fresh ideas!

A new school year means getting back into the routine of packing nutritious food to-go. If you’re sending your kiddo to preschool for the first time, this post will show you how easy it is to pack healthy preschool snacks that kids will enjoy eating this school year and beyond!

No matter what type of eater you have, this post has something for everyone that can be packed in a bento box fast!

This post was written in partnership with good2grow. All opinions are my own.

Healthy Snack Ideas for Preschool & Beyond

The best healthy snack ideas for Kindergarten and Preschool have lots of colorful foods, think fruits and veggies, as well as sources of protein and carbohydrates. All of ideas below can be enjoyed as a healthy snack or for lunch.

Since kids are easily distracted at lunch and snack time, cutting up foods into small bite sized pieces makes it easier to enjoy while chatting with their friends.

In addition to a variety of foods, I love adding a good2grow juice, which has no added sugars and no artificial colors and features spill-proof character tops that kids love, including Toy Story and PAW Patrol.

1. For the Kid Who Hates Crusts

This healthy bento turns a sandwich into crustless sushi-like pieces that kids love to devour by simply removing the crusts, flattening out the bread, placing the ham on top, rolling it, and slicing it up.

In addition, fresh fruit and veggies fill their bellies and provide added fiber and nutrition.

2. For the Kid Who Needs Extra Protein

For many of us, getting out youngest kiddos to eat protein can be a challenge when away from home and this bento makes it more fun for them!

Roll up some turkey, place a few cheese cubes, dice up a hard-boiled egg for nourishment!

To this bento I added some whole-grain crackers and fresh fruit.

good2grow has hundreds of characters your child can collect throughout the year, which you can purchase at your favorite retailer like Target or Walmart.

snack box for preschoolers with pa patrol juice bottle

3. For the Kid who Loves to Snack

If you have a child that loves to graze the pantry and is always asking for a snack, this bento box is ideal.

It’s filled with nutritious veggies, fresh fruit, a hard-boiled egg for protein and oatmeal snack bites.

Grab the recipe for the oatmeal snack bites at the bottom of this post.

If you’re thinking that your kiddo doesn’t eat carrots or red peppers, as shown above, simply swap them for any colorful fruit or veggie you have on hand.

As you can see, these bento boxes are quick to assemble because most of the ingredients can be prepped (washed and sliced) ahead of time, allowing you more time in the mornings to get out the door on time.

pasta salad in a snack box with fruit and veggie slices

4. For the Kid who Loves Dinner

Turn pasta leftover from dinner into another meal by adding some frozen peas, or any other veggie, drizzle a little olive oil and combining it well. For added protein, you can dice up some ham or turkey.

A compartmentalized container is always a great idea because it separates food, and it allows our kiddos to enjoy the fruit at snack time and the pasta at lunch!

5. For the Kid that Loves to Dip

Delicious dips, like hummus, are great to send along with freshly cut veggies because it makes eating them more interactive and fun!

To add more substance to this bento, I also added some of the oatmeal snack bites since they’re easy to make ahead and they last up to a week in the fridge. Grab the recipe for the bites below.

As you can see, I’m a big fan of introducing kids to a lot of colorful foods and adding variety into their meals. In addition to 100% apple juice, good2grow also offers fruit and veggie blends that taste great and organic fruit juice with 75% less sugar, which you can learn more about here.

Watch the Video to Pack Preschool Snacks Like a Pro!

Assembling healthy bento boxes is easy and fast when you have lots of fresh and healthy ingredients on hand.

I’ve put together a video to show you how to make packing easier; including tips to use leftovers, how to mix-and-match nutritious ingredients, and make the oatmeal bites.

How to Pack Preschool Snacks & Lunches

One question that comes up often is how exactly does one pack healthy snacks and preschool lunches for school that kids will actually finish? My biggest tip is to imagine your kiddo sitting around their new friends wanting to chat and socialize. To get them to eat their lunch, you’ll want to:

Cut foods into smaller, bite-sized pieces
This is especially helpful for younger kids so they focus on eating one bite at a time while socializing.
Add variety of colors/shapes/ingredients
Colorful foods like fruits and veggies add a lot of nutrition per bite and different items in a lunchbox makes it more interesting to eat!
Use a compartmentalized container
Kids love to separate their foods and “make sure things aren’t touching.” A compartmentalized container does both. It also helps keep foods in place and separates wet ingredients from dry ingredients and prevents them from getting soggy.
Send something that’s fun along with their bento box
Another reason I love including good2grow fruit juices along with a bento box is because kids love their taste, and their favorite character often provides a topic of conversation with other kids!

There’s nothing better than talking about your favorite character to break the ice at lunchtime to help get to know your new friends.

And if you’re looking for more yummy and kid-friendly lunch ideas, check out my 101 School Lunches eBook! It’s jam-packed with incredible ideas plus a guide on how to pack everything from sandwiches to soups and salads so they stay fresh and ready to eat!

101 Packed Lunches eBook

All my best kid-friendly lunches from over a decade of creating meal plans. Add some variety to your child’s lunchbox with these epic lunches, plus receive my Pack Meals Like a Pro ebook, free with purchase!

Grab the Book!

Healhty Preschool Snack List & Bento Ingredients

Need some items to help you fill your bento boxes? Here is a snack list of tried-and-true ingredients to pull from!

Fruit
Sliced or cut into small pieces.

Berries
Apples
Pears
Peaches, fresh, frozen, or canned
Pineapple, fresh, frozen, or canned
Kiwi
Grapes, halved
Watermelon and melon

Veggies
Sliced or cut into small pieces.

Carrots, chips or baby carrots
Bell pepper strips
Broccoli & cauliflower pieces
Peas, frozen or canned
Cucumber slices
Cherry tomatoes, halved
Olives
Edamame

Proteins
Sliced, rolled up, or cut into small pieces.

Hard-boiled eggs
Lean deli meats
Cheese
Beans
Tuna & salmon, canned
Homemade chicken nuggets
Yogurt
Grilled chicken, leftover

Dips & Spreads
Use these to make veggies & fruit more fun to eat.

Nut-free butters
Guacamole
Hummus
Honey mustard
Ranch or favorite dressing
Tzatziki (Greek Yogurt Dip)
Salsa

Healthy Preschool Snack Ideas

Servings: 18 bites

Prep Time: 5

Total Time: 5

Preschool snack bento boxes have never been this fun and nutritious! Start this school year with fresh ideas!

5 from 10 votes

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Watch How It’s Packed:

Ingredients

Oatmeal Snack Bites

1 cup quick oats
1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
½ cup flax meal, ground flax
½ cup mini chocolate chips
½ cup nut-free butter
⅓ cup honey
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

In a large bowl combine the oats, coconut, flax, mini chocolate chips, if using.
In a small bowl, whisk together the almond butter or peanut butter, honey, and extract.
Pour the almond butter or peanut butter mixture into the oat mixture and stir to thoroughly combine. Cover and allow to chill in the refrigerator for half an hour.
Once it’s chilled, use a cookie scoop or spoon to scoop the mixture and roll into balls. Store in an airtight container and refrigerate up to 1 week.