When it comes to school snacks, we all want to give our kids something yummy, nutritious, and exciting. Whether they need a mid-morning boost or a quick nibble between classes, the right snacks can keep their energy up and their spirits high. Having this list of 15 Snacks for Kids School Lunch handy can mean the difference between tears and joy — and I mean your tears and joy as much as I do your kids!

Top 15 Snacks for Kids School Lunch from weelicious.comPin

After seven years of making school lunch for my kids, I now realize I’ve got breakfast, lunch and dinner covered. What about the kids pre-lunch snack, though? I’m the first to admit this is where, in the past, I’ve given it little to no thought. For the longest time, I would toss an apple or banana into their lunch bag, which are totally fine choices, but when Chloe has caught me forgetting to add a snack or laming out with one of these default items I knew I had to change my ways. I came up with a list of my Top 15 Snacks For Kids School Lunch to help inspire all of us (myself included!)

When it comes to snacking, I try to remember to offer a variety of foods through the week to satisfy my kids’ cravings. Snacks are the best way to keep everyone happy. You can offer them in your kid’s lunchbox, after-school, pre-dinner or any time of the day that you want something to tide them over to the next meal and fill your kids’ bellies with a wholesome treat!

snacks for kids school lunch on a grazing boardPin
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Tips for Packing Awesome School Snacks:

  1. Keep It Balanced: Opt for snacks that provide a mix of nutrients – a combination of proteins, healthy fats, and carbohydrates will keep your kids fueled and focused.
  2. Prep Ahead: Some kids love smooth foods, like a smoothie or applesauce pouches, and others leans towards crunch. Get to know what your kids prefer and keep those on hand so you don’t have to think about it! This saves time and ensures you always have something ready to go.
  3. Go for Variety: Keep snack time exciting by offering a variety of flavors, textures, and colors. Kids love trying new things, so mix it up with different fruits, veggies, and dips.
  4. Portion Control: Pack snacks in kid-sized portions to prevent overindulgence and food waste.
Snacks for Kids School Lunch on a grazing boardPin

Easy Snacks for Kids School Lunch

  • Crunchy Veggie Sticks with Hummus: Carrot sticks, cucumber slices, and bell pepper strips paired with a dollop of creamy hummus make for a delightful and healthy snack. I have several different hummus recipes you can try like Red Bell Pepper Hummus, Red Beet and White Bean Hummus and Roasted Carrot Hummus!
  • Apple Slices with Nut Butter: A classic combo that never disappoints! Slice up apples and pair them with peanut butter or almond butter for a sweet and satisfying treat. You could also swap out the nut butter for cream cheese and make these cute Apple Donuts!
Roasted Carrot Hummus surrounded by crunchy veggies for dippingPin
Apple DonutsPin
  • Popcorn: I think my favorite snack of all time is Paper Bag Popcorn and I’ve passed that obsession on to my kids. It’s crunchy, salty and you can add nutritional yeast to boost the flavor and nutrition!
  • Greek Yogurt Parfait: Layer yogurt with granola and fresh fruits in a small container for a fun and nutritious snack that’s also easy to eat.
Paper Bag PopcornPin
Yogurt in a bowl topped with granola and berriesPin
Chocolate Chip Granola BarsPin
Spinach Cake Muffins on serving boardPin
  • Banana Peanut Butter Roll-Ups: Spread peanut butter on a whole wheat tortilla, add a banana, and roll it up for a tasty twist on a classic sandwich.
  • Fruit Kabobs: Sometimes just piercing fresh berries, bananas or grapes on a skewer makes a classic snack more exciting for kids. You could also add some cheese squares on the fruit kabobs too!
  • DIY Trail Mix: Create a custom trail mix with nuts, dried fruits, and a sprinkle of chocolate chips or dye free chocolate coated candies for a scrumptious and energizing snack.
Banana Peanut Butter Roll Ups Pin
Rainbow Fruit KabobsPin
  • Frozen Yogurt Bites: This would be better for an after-school snack since it’s frozen but freezing yogurt with fresh fruit is a refreshing and nutritious snack option. Try out my Frozen Yogurt Bark or super cute Frozen Yogurt Fruit Bites.
  • Turkey/Ham and Cheese Roll Ups: I love these little wraps because they’ve got protein from the deli meat and the cheese and then you also get a fruit in there with the apple slices. Plus they’re super tasty and fit great in a snack box.
Frozen Yogurt BarkPin
Apple Cheese WrapsPin
  • Fruit Leather: I figured out the best hack for using up extra fruit that’s on the edge of going bad is to make fruit leather! Strawberry Fruit Leather, Peach Fruit Leather and Persimmon Fruit Leather make perfect school snacks.
  • Animal Face Toast: This treat takes a little extra effort, but is SO cute to serve for a school snack. If you’re a super parent you could even send a different face of Animal Face Toast every day of the week!
Strawberry and Peach Fruit LeatherPin
Animal Face Toast from Weelicious.comPin
  • Squeeze Pouches: It’s super easy to add a squeeze pouch to my kid’s backpack for a school snack. There are several great organic ones that you can get at the grocery, or you could make your own smoothie or purees and add them to reusable pouches to save money.
  • Roasted Chickpeas: I love making these for a quick snack because chickpeas are high in protein so they’ll actually keep you satisfied until the next meal! You can make classic Air Fryer Crispy Chickpeas or a sweeter version of Roasted Honey Cinnamon Chickpeas.
Very Berry Smoothie from Weelicious.comPin
Air Fryer Crispy Chickpeas from Weelicious.comPin

With these 15 kid-friendly school snacks, snack time will be a breeze, and your little ones will be all smiles! Remember to keep it balanced, try out different flavors and textures, and get creative. Snack time is an excellent opportunity to nourish their bodies and brighten their day with a little surprise in their lunchbox. So, pack these delightful treats, and watch your kids enjoy every bite of their school snacks!

If you’re looking for more help when it comes to school lunch, check out my cookbook Weelicious Lunches filled with lists of lunchbox favorites, ideas for clever lunchbox products, tips for picky eaters, facts on food allergies, and dozens of recipes! And as always, tag me on social media if you make any of these recipes or have school lunch and snack time questions!

Published August 4, 2022 by Catherine McCord

Categorized in , , , , ,

About the Author

Catherine is a mama of three. A Kentucky girl living in California. Here’s what I know: all kids can be great eaters and mealtime must be easy. I create simple, healthy recipes the whole family will love.

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Comments

  2. Love the teddy bear toast and would like to see additional animal type examples.

  6. I saw your lunch ideas on Naturally Danny Sao. Wow reinventing lunch for the kids is awesome! I wish the school cafeterias would take in some of your ideas! I’m going to start trying some of these brain foods for my kids AND myself!!! Thanks for the great ideas!

  10. Homemade trail mix is a favorite around here, but we love anything easily portable!

  13. My kids favorite was shredded apple mixed with peanut butter; spread on bread, crackers, tortillas, and used as dip for pretzels or celery sticks.

  15. Love gogo squeeze for vacation snacks on the go or for an after school snack!

  17. My kids love small cubes of colby jack cheese with pretzel stick used as toothpicks.

  20. One of my family”s favorite snacks is cottage cheese with cherry tomatoes and hemp seeds sprinkled on top. Yum!!

  26. great ideas. will try some of the ones i hadn’t thought of before. we love gogo squeeZ – i think my kids eat at least one fruit pouch a day for a snack, usually on the go 🙂

  27. Thanks for reminder of putting fruit on a stick. It looks yummier than a few chunks! I will add pea pods to her lunch!

  28. We love the ease and convenience of pouches. Berries are favorite as well.

  34. I found your blog at just the right time (thanks to my sister). Though my two sons look skinny, our doctor just expressed concerns about their weight and BMI. We are focusing on healthier snacks, portion control, and cutting out the junk. I look forward to trying some of these snack ideas.

  35. We LOVE edemane steamed and lightly salted. Easy to eat while we play!!!

  50. I love gogosqueeze pouches. My son likes them in his lunchbox because they are faster to eat than an apple which is important when the students only get 20 minutes for lunch!

  57. Baby bell, pumpkin or cheese muffins,
    Trail mix, Lara bars, grapes, blueberries and strawberries.

  65. My granddaughter loves “spicy’ tomatoes, cucumber slices sprinkled with lemon juice, whole grain “fish” crackers, raw chedder cheese slices, Tofurkey roll-ups with mustard, and green stuffed olives. Her school does not allow nuts or nut products, so no peanut butter or granola bars and trail mix with nuts are allowed. We try to pack with fresh veggies, spruced up of course, and always organic blueberries, blackberries or red grapes.

  69. My favorite snack is a snack cake or chips. Our kids will eat anything that is edible, and maybe even a few things that aren’t. For dinner they are very particular, but for a snack, anything goes.

  72. We have almost 2 yr old twins & I love giving them squeeZ pouches to keep them occupied during our grocery trips!

  73. I have listed your page and contest.. love healthy snacks for all not just kids but but doing kids maybe we can save them from sugar addictions and health issues later in life..

  75. I make a big batch of healthy muffins and put them in the freezer. Then I just pop one in her lunch to thaw before lunch time. I can sneak in some zucchini or pumpkin.

  79. My kids are active at recess, so they prefer snacks they can eat on the go – squeeze pouches, cut fruit, granola bars, carrots, cookies, but can’t resist the fun of trail mix/popcorn.

  83. My sons favorite snack is homemade muffins! This week’s muffin is pumpkin parsnip!

  84. Love these ideas!! My little guys are always hungry so we will definitely use these. We love apple slices with peanut butter, honey, and hemp seeds!

  85. We do apple slices, lots of grapes. peanuts/cashews & raisins, as well as popcorn (my favorite especially with nutritional yeast)!

  86. My 5yr olds favorite snack right now = sliced apples & greek yogurt with peanut butter/honey mixed in to make a sweet peanut butter dip:)

  87. Right now my daughter’s favorite is chocolate-covered strawberries (recent treat from grandparents), but she likes everything…GoGosqueez, fruit with peanut butter, etc.

  89. My son & daughter love my homemade avocado pudding!!! Their snack containers come back completely cleaned!

  91. My kids love the go go squeeze, but also love apples and peanut butter

  92. My kids also love the small clementines and bananas – they have their own natural wrapping and travel well. We always have a stash of Go Go Squeeze and cheese sticks in our house as well.

  93. My kids love homemade muffins & I try to squeeze as many nutrients into them as possible!

  95. My kids love your granola bar recipe. My favorite snack is cheese & crackers – I’m with Kenya on the crunchy factor.

  96. go go squeez are a staple in my house! Love the variety of flavors offered

  97. My son loves GoGo Squeez, he calls them “squeezy fruit” and I personally love the Clif Bar nut butter bars. So do my kids!

  99. Fruits and veggies are easy go to’s. Need to think about switching it up too!

  100. My daughter loves apples. Whole wheat bread with pumpkin butter. The homemade cheese crackers.

  104. My favorite snack would be Teddy Bear toast. (I bring my lunch to school too.) My son’s would be GoGo SqueeZ. My daughter’s would be the Banana Dog Bites.

  108. These are some great ideas for lunch snacks. Some might even be good for adults. 😉

  109. My favorite snack is popcorn. When I was a kid, once a week we’d order pizza for dinner then pop a batch of popcorn. Then I started eating it as an after school snack in high school almost everyday and my love of it has just continued to grow! When I’m home alone, I will often count it as dinner. So, naturally, my kids also love the stuff, but they also love lots of other snacks and squeeze pouches definitely make their lists!

  111. These are great ideas! I often include a chocolate chip granola bars (your recipe is a staple in our house!), fruit or a homemade trail mix with whatever we have on hand (usually craisins, dark chocolate chips, pretzel bites, almonds, etc.).

  114. Love these ideas. Lately I’ve just been doing granola bars and yoghurt because I ran out of ideas. Thanks for the inspiration. 🙂

  116. Our favorite go to snack are mini muffins. I have been making blender muffins with cashew butter and different mixins for a quick grab n go snack.

  117. Babybel lite cheese is a great snack!! And the Go-go Squeeze packs are a staple item in my house!!

  123. My favorite snack is popcorn with a little bit of coconut oil! Great ideas!!!

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