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Summertime for parents of young children means on-the-go time! But eating healthy isn’t always easy when you’re out and about. So whether you’ll be on a plane, in a car, in the rain, or very far, we’ve got the perfect healthy summer snacks for you.
Healthy snacks for toddlers and preschoolers
Your little ones will gladly choose fruits and vegetables over candy with these creative summer treats!
Apple donuts
This is a great alternative to the traditional apple wedges and peanut butter… and also to an actual donut! Core the apple, then cut horizontally into ½ inch slices. Have kids spread yogurt, peanut butter, or other favorite spread on each slice, then sprinkle with toppings such as strawberries, granola, or chocolate chips.
Rainbow popsicles
Have your little helpers throw fruits and vegetables from each part of the rainbow into a blender — frozen mixed berries for red, blue, and purple; carrots for orange; a banana for yellow; and salad greens. Add apple juice and water, then blend! Drink as a smoothie or pour into popsicle molds and enjoy later as a frozen treat.
Afternoon tea and charcuterie boards
For the Fancy Nancy-esque toddlers, get your kids to want to eat healthy sandwiches by giving the meal a special name and making it pretty! Jessica Chu, therapist and mom of three, disguises deconstructed sandwiches as a charcuterie board. “I lay out salami, smoked salmon, sliced cucumbers, sliced cheese, and crackers, with a side of yogurt and fruit,” Chu shared. “My kids also like doing ‘afternoon tea’ – we have healthy finger sandwiches on sprouted grain bread.”
Summer camp snacks
Looking for snacks that are easy to throw together in the morning, that follow all the camp guidelines (nut-free, low sugar, no choking hazards), and will withstand all the shaking, rattling, and rolling that lunch boxes usually go through before snack hour arrives? Try these fun and refreshing ideas!
Fruit and cheese skewers
Combine blocks of cheese with grapes, strawberries, or your child’s favorite fruit for a healthy and colorful treat that’s sure to please even the pickiest of eaters. Extra win: This one’s easy enough for your kids to make themselves!
Frozen yogurt tubes and frozen grapes
Freeze overnight and they’ll serve as both an ice pack and a healthy, post-lunch dessert.
Homemade lunchables
Get a “bento style” lunch box and fill the compartments with whole grain crackers, deli meat and/or cheese, fruit, and vegetables. Perfect for little ones who prefer to graze or would enjoy building their own sandwiches.
Healthy packaged snacks for kids
Going on vacation or an outing and need snacks that will last (and entertain) through a road trip or plane ride? These on-the-go snacks will satisfy both kids and parents, and also make great camp snacks for those low on time in the morning!
Bare fruit or veggie chips
These baked (not fried!) chips come in a variety flavors and are fat free, gluten free, and free of added sugars. The only ingredients are fruit or veggies (some flavors also contain seasoning like salt, pepper, and cinnamon) and they’re tasty, too.
Granola bars
This is a tricky one because some granola bars have as much sugar as a donut! But when done right, granola bars are a great source of protein and fiber. Pediatric dietitian and mom of four, Jill Castle, recommends the following guidelines when selecting granola bars:
- Sugar: <10 g per serving
- Calories: <180 calories per bar
- Fat: <5 g per serving
- Fiber: >3 g per serving
Her favorites that meet these criteria include the Clif Kid protein Z Bar: Peanut Butter and Chocolate, and the Kind Healthy Grains bar: Oats and Honey with Toasted Coconut. Visit nutrition website The Nourished Child for safe options for kids with food allergies.
Harvest Snaps
With peas, lentils, or beans as the first ingredient, and 0 saturated or trans fats, 0 sugars, 4 g fiber, and 5 g protein, these gluten-free, vegan chips repeatedly come out on top among food experts and parents when searching for the best healthy chips. Unlike other healthy alternatives to potato chips, these are noted for their satisfying crunchy texture and variety of flavors.
Happy snack-packing! When in doubt… just add broccoli to everything.
