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These healthy school snacks give you plenty of easy options to pack when your kids need something filling between meals. You'll find make-ahead bars, bite-size snacks, fruit, snack boxes, veggie ideas, and a few sweeter treats that are simple to make ahead and grab on busy mornings.
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Healthy School Snack Ideas for Kids
My kids have always loved finding a snack item in their school lunch so much that I recreated their packaged favorites made with ingredients. Many of those recipes became part of my cookbooks, The Best Homemade Kids’ Snacks on the Planet and Clean Treats. The ideas below work for school snack time, lunchboxes, or as an after-school snack.
Snack Bars for School
Snack bars are easy to batch make, store, and grab on busy mornings. These homemade versions hold together well in a lunchbox and let you control the sweetness and mix-ins.
Bite-Size School Snacks
Bite-size snacks are easy to portion, quick for kids to eat, and simple to tuck into a small container. This section includes sweet energy bites, savory protein snacks, and a few baked favorites.
More Baked School Snacks here!
Fruit Snacks for School
Fruit is easy to pack, but it does not have to be limited to a whole apple or banana. These ideas add crunch, dips, or a fun shape while keeping fruit at the center of the snack.
Homemade Crackers and Chips
Homemade crackers and chips give kids the crunch they want and can be made ahead for the week. Pack them alone or pair them with cheese, fruit, hummus, or another dip.
Related: More Snacks with Crackers
Muffins and Scones for School Snacks
Muffins and scones are filling, portable, and easy to freeze for later. Pack one on its own or add fruit, yogurt, or cheese for a more substantial school snack.
Vegetable Snacks for Kids
Vegetables can be more appealing when they are crispy, cheesy, dip-able, or served in small portions. These school snacks make it easier to pack a little extra produce without sending plain vegetables every day.
Healthy Dessert Snacks
Some kids prefer a sweeter snack, and these recipes still offer more substance than a piece of candy. They are especially helpful when you need something your picky eater will be excited to open.
Healthy School Snacks for Kids
Watch How It’s Made:
Ingredients
- 2 cups raw cashew pieces*
- 12 pitted dates
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup mini chocolate chips or chopped chocolate chunks
Instructions
Prep:
- Line a 9×9-inch pan with parchment paper.
Make the dough:
- In the bowl of the food processor, pulse cashew pieces and dates until they begin to form a paste. Add in vanilla extract and salt, and continue to process until the mixture is a cohesive paste. Add in chocolate chips and pulse to combine.
Refrigerate:
- Spread mixture over parchment paper and with your hands, press down and spread evenly, to about ½ – ¾ inch thick. Refrigerate for 1-2 hours until firm.
Slice & store:
- Picking up the parchment paper, remove from pan and cut into individual bars. Wrap individually and store in refrigerator for about a week. Bars can also be wrapped and frozen.
Notes
- Substitute the cashews with peeled almonds or walnuts. For a nut-free recipe, use pumpkin seeds (pepitas) or sunflower seeds.
C Smith says
Suggestion for store bought snacks. Made Good is the name brand. They are granola minis that come in chocolate chip, strawberry and mixed berry. I bought mine for my grandchildren at Sprouts. They are free from nuts and safe for schools and organic nutrients from vegetables.
MOMables - Laura says
thanks for the healthy snack suggestions!
Mauliyani says
thanks for sharing the recipe
Rebecca says
Does anyone have any suggestions for healthy store bought snacks? My children’s school also has a store bought only policy and I am stumped on ideas for snacks. I have 4 kids in 4 different grades and I am always sending the same things (goldfish, animal crackers, pretzels etc…), which my kids are tired of, so I am sure their classmates are too. I honestly just do not know what else to buy.
najwa says
Lara Bars!
Claudia says
I do volunteer art at school and take small apples, juice boxes or bottles, cheese sticks or cheese cubes, kind bars or granola bars, but kind are gluten free for those who need that, boxes of raisins or cranberries, or cheese and crackers or healthy ( without high fructose) yogurts. Our school only allows healthy snacks.
Chemille says
While they look healthy and nice
MOMables says
They are delicious, too!
Jennifer A. says
Per the comments on the pre-packaged snack frustration in the classroom. Please understand that the school probably has this policy in place for especially young children due to life-threatening food allergies as known as Anaphylaxis. Just one bite or touch of their allergen can cause a serious allergic reaction that can lead to closed off airways, cardiac arrest and possibly death. For more information please see http://www.foodallergy.org. Here are the numbers that explain why it is such a big concern: Food allergy is a growing public health issue that impacts almost every school across the United States. Nearly 6 million children in the U.S. – which equates to 1 in 13, or roughly 2 in every classroom – have a food allergy. Studies indicate that 16-18% of school-age children who have food allergies have had a reaction in school. In addition, in approximately 25% of the reactions that occur at school, the student had not yet been diagnosed with food allergy.1
1. Administration of Epinephrine for Life-Threatening Allergic Reactions in School Settings. CL Mcintyre, AH Sheetz, CR Carroll, MC Young. Pediatrics. Vol. 116, No. 5. Nov. 2005
Kristen says
This year for 3K we have brought: homemade muffins with unsweetened applesauce squeeze packs, homemade trail mix (cereal, freeze dried berries, cashews, craisins, pretzels), homemade bagels with cream cheese/butter and apple slices, individual packs of pretzels/hummus/baby carrots and clementines, and homemade muffins with fresh pineapple.
MOMables says
great ideas Kristen!
Renee says
I really wish I could bring ANY of these to my son’s Kinder class, but his school has a strict “no-homemade” policy. It could actually be a CA law, I’m not sure. But it really sucks because they are fed Goldfish, Go-Gurt, and all kinds of other crap because it MUST come in a package and not have any nuts. Grrrr.
I don’t even know why they need a morning snack anyway – if they have breakfast at home and lunch is at 11:45, I know my son is ok in between. I guess the snack is for all the kids whose parents don’t feed them food that sustains them.
MOMables says
that is very frustrating Renee. sorry!!
Amanda says
No-homemade snack rules are all over now. I do agree that they need to feed our children more wholesome snacks instead of overly processed and artificial flavor and colored junk. BUT, every child is different and maybe some get hungry in between and need a snack to keep them focused. It doesn’t always have to do with the parent just not feeding them. My son eats a healthy breakfast at 8:30AM and then lunch at 11:30AM (he doesn’t go to school yet) but he is ALWAYS asking for a snack in between those times.
MOMables says
Some schools still allow them and we get a lot of requests for ideas. Of course, these snacks would also apply for playdates, parties etc. I never said moms are not feeding their kids enough, and you are right, kids love snacks.
Amanda says
Oh, I’m sorry. That comment had nothing to do with you. It was in regard to someone else who posted. I don’t comment on blogs to often so maybe I don’t know how to correctly, sorry again.
Melissa says
Renee – I understand your frustration with prepackaged snacks and unhealthy options for morning snack. Let me assure you, though, that not all kids who need a morning snack aren’t fed well at home, as it seems you are implying. I have two boys, 5 and 3, who are fed real food at every meal. They need a morning snack and often an afternoon snack. Our breakfast is early, between 7 and 730 am, with lunch between 1130 and noon. Maybe those kids who are hungry mid-morning just eat breakfast earlier then your son. Or perhaps your son just doesn’t have the same metabolism as they do. Perhaps you could work with the teachers to find healthier snack options as there are some packaged snacks that are at least healthier than those you listed. Good luck.
Mary says
It could also be for the little ones that have medical conditions and can’t go long periods of time without eating or for the once that are used to their parents feeding them small snacks every 2-3 hours, or to make sure are kids are well feed and have the energy to get through the day; most of this rules are perfectly understandable, kids like to share and they do not know the ingredients on every food, let’s not be so quick to judge, only because we don’t like certain rules. It’s difficult and frustrating I get it, but nothing we can’t handle
Katie says
Thank you for this list! I’m struggling with this very thing right now. I need to print this for my daughter’s teacher. She said they had Popsicles for snack last week. :(
MOMables says
Good luck!