!)
If you’re in a rut here are some snack ideas for inspiration. Please leave any additional suggestions in the comments below…
Fruits and Vegetables…
- Apple (good with peanut butter)
- Banana (good with peanut butter)
- Carrots (good with hummus or ranch dip)
- Celery (good with peanut butter and raisins a.k.a. “Ants on a Log”)
- Mango
- Pear
- Grapes
- Strawberries (good with yogurt)
- Blueberries (good with yogurt)
- Raspberries (good with yogurt)
- Oranges
- Peaches (good with yogurt)
- Plums
- Kiwi
- Grapefruit
- Avocado (good with soy sauce and brown rice)
- Pineapple
- Papaya
- Star Fruit
- Figs (good with goat cheese)
- Honeydew Melon
- Cantaloupe
- Watermelon
- Cherries
- Edamame (good with soy sauce)
- Raw Sugar Snap Peas (good with hummus)
- Cooked Green Beans
- Mashed Sweet Potato (good with butter and cinnamon)
- Raw Sliced Bell Peppers (good with hummus or ranch dip)
- Cucumber Slices (good with ranch dip)
- Jicama
- Cherry Tomatoes (good with ranch dip)
- Cooked Snow Peas
- Frozen Peas (frozen…no cooking necessary!)
- Raw Cauliflower
- Raw Broccoli (good with ranch dip)
- Applesauce
- Unsweetened Raisins
- Fruit Leathers
- Freeze Dried Fruit (like mango, banana, blueberries or strawberries)
- Dried Apple Rings
- Canned Fruit like Mandarin Oranges (Native Forest brand does not use sugary syrups in their cans)
- Olives
Whole-Grain…
- Whole Grain Crackers (like Triscuits, Multi-Seed, Ak-Mak, Whole-Wheat Matzos, Brown Rice Crackers/Snaps, Whole-Grain Rye Crackers topped with cheese, peanut butter, or a cream cheese and jelly combo)
- Popcorn (make it using “The Popcorn Trick”)
- Oatmeal (served warm in a Thermos if sending to school)
- Shredded Wheat (look for brands that contain 1-ingredients)
- Arrowhead Mills Puffed Whole Grain Cereal (corn, brown rice, wheat or millet variety)
- Brown Rice Cakes
- Whole-Wheat Pretzels
- Whole-Grain Toast
- Small, Cooked Whole-Grain Noodles
Nuts and Seeds…
- Larabars
- Peanuts
- Cashews
- Almonds
- Pecans
- Walnuts
- Pine Nuts (they are good lightly toasted)
- Pistachios
- Sesame Seeds
- Pumpkin Seeds
- Nut Trail Mix including Dried Fruit
Other…
- Hard-Boiled Eggs
- Garbanzo Beans
- Cheese (cubes or sticks…with or without crackers)
- Plain Yogurt (flavored with a little honey or maple syrup and vanilla extract)
- Organic and/or Local Bacon
Homemade…
- Homemade Granola Bars
- Homemade “Larabars”
- Whole-Wheat Toaster Pastries (a.k.a. Pop Tarts!)
- Smoothies or Smoothie Pops
- Whole-Wheat Banana Bread
- Zucchini Chips
- Whole-Wheat Zucchini Bread (made into muffins)
- Whole-Wheat Pumpkin Bread (made into muffins)
- Whole-Grain Cornbread (made into muffins)
- Whole-Wheat Berry Muffins
- Pecan Maple Breakfast Cookies
- Easy Cheesy Crackers
- Kale Chips
- Homemade Powerballs
- Whole-Wheat Biscuits (good with butter and jelly) or Buttermilk Cheese Biscuits
- Cinnamon Glazed Popcorn
- Whole-Wheat “Baked” Donuts
For even more homemade snack ideas be sure to check out the “Healthy Snacks To Go” e-book from Kitchen Stewardship!
This is a really great list!!! Thank you for putting it together. My kids love to snack on edamame and dried seaweed too.
Wow, awesome list! Makes me hungry for some real food just reading it!
Do you recommend unsalted nuts or are salted ok?
Btw- i love your site and all the great ideas you have! It’s really inspiring.
Personally, I generally prefer unsalted, raw nuts. Overall those tend to be better for you anyway. However, I do love my sunflower seeds roasted and salted. You should try raw asnd unsalted varietyies, eat the ones you like and go for the salted ones for the others.
I like raw unsalted walnuts, but for most others, I prefer them roasted and salted. Unless I’m shelling them myself of course. I also like to take raw unsalted Almonds, marinate them in Tamari sauce and them roast them myself.
Trader Joe’s has some good half-salted roasted almonds that I like. A little taste of salty, but not nearly as overkill as many other brands of salted, roasted nuts. You can actually taste and enjoy the flavor of almond.
I sometimes mix salted nuts with an unsalted one (ie. I really like roasted almond, but cashews I am fine with raw so I’ll mix the two so the saltiness gets spread between the two)
I usually eat them raw, but, it’s really your preference. Some people say they mix the raw with some salted for just a little bit of salt. Glad you are enjoying the blog. Jill
Excellent list!!!! Printing this out, you just made grocery shopping a little easier!
end also love home made granola and fruit nut bars homemade! So yummy!!
Mmm! Yummy! Great list. I’m gonna print out for next time the kids ask me “what is there to eat?”
Love the list! We forget that just single items can be food and we don’t always have to make up a full recipe.
Amazing list!!!
My kids *love* grated cheese… fruit kabobs…graham creams with cream cheese… homemade fruit puree popsicles…
What about pickles? Are there certain brands better than others?
I have friends who make pickles at home!
Yes, homemade pickles are the best! I have a refrigerator recipe that cures in 2 days and lasts for 2 weeks (cucumbers, fresh dill, vinegar, garlic and water). Since, I make them myself, I can control the level of salt. We make them in summer when cucumbers and dill are available at the farmer’s market. My daughter knows not to ask for pickles out of season
Will you share your recipe? I haven’t found one without alot of sugar and other ingredients I don’t want. Thank you!!
I make these too. I like to add onions, salt, and pepper. You DON’T need to add sugar though.
homemade fermented pickles are really the best for you. They have live cultures in them. Hooray for probiotics. There’s also a fermenting group on Facebook that I’m a part of where you can find recipes and tips. They’re so easy to make, no vinegar needed.
This one is for sharing cultures: https://www.facebook.com/groups/290350194354532/
and this one is strictly on fermenation: https://www.facebook.com/groups/63032745368/
Hi Jennifer. I know one reader suggested making them. I usually just buy the Earthfare organic brand, but, I’m sure making them might yield ones with less salt. Jill
Beware of products that just say “Whole grains” That is often a ruse. The ingredients should list each item as ‘whole’ or the label should say “100%”
Thinly sliced kohlrabi marinated in olive oil, rice wine vinegar, salt and pepper. Satisfies the salty/crunchy cravings.
The snack tray looks wonderful! What is in the center… between the cheese cubes and the cashews? Looks delish!
I think I just figured it out… figs with goat cheese?
Yes. YUM! Jill
What kind of fruit leathers do you eat? Do you buy them or make your own. I noticed the stretch island brand is made only from concentrate fruits and I believe the the process of making it “concentrate” takes out most of the nutrients? I also notice another brand I found at whole foods has the same type of ingredients.
Hi Kellie. Here is a post Lisa did that shows the fruit leathers. http://www.100daysofrealfood.com/2010/07/04/for-convenience-the-best-store-bought-snacks/. You are correct on the ingredients and, as she notes, they are definitely “treats” for her kids. Jill
Great list…but I have one objection. The canned fruit. Yuck! I don’t trust canned ‘anything!’ The process of heating the cans up and the risk of BPA leaching out is simply not worth it to me or my family.
I would be hard pressed to eat anything canned too, Andrea! I also wouldn’t eat edamame dipped in soy sauce. Its a double soy whammy!! With all I’ve read about soy, I say no way in my house!
Hi Andrea. I agree with your concern about the BPA cans, but, there are many companies now using BPA free cans (Eden Organic and Native Forest for example). You could always seek out those companies if the fruit is a snack option you enjoy, or, just skip it all together. Jill
What a great list! I forget about the varieties of delicious snacks out there and get stuck in a rut. Thanks for reminding me that there are so many more options.
Fantastic list! We do pita and hummus, kale chips, and plain yogurt a lot; have been making our own kefir and flavoring it with a bit of maple syrup and vanilla for a yummy, healthy drinkable yogurt. Just FYI, googled “The Popcorn Trick” and came up with something quite other than what I think you were going for . . . would love to know your version.
Oh no, I’m afraid to Google it . . .
http://www.100daysofrealfood.com/2011/06/17/recipe-the-popcorn-trick/
Hi Callie. Here is the post on the popcorn trick…http://www.100daysofrealfood.com/2011/06/17/recipe-the-popcorn-trick/. Jill
Aren’t we glad peanut butter is a nutritional food we can put on other things! (all in moderation…)
Thanks for the list, am pinning now! I eat apples and peanut butter just about everyday. Also, peanut butter, honey and sliced bananas on whole wheat tortillas are great! Also a BIG spinach smoothie fan
Thank you, Thank you for this list. I am always looking for yummy and healthy snack ideas and the best I seem to come up with are sliced apples and peanut butter or celery sticks and ranch dip – all things she likes but that can get boring fast. One day I’m going to get brave and try those homemade poptarts. With a little effort, I can’t believe how easy it is to replace many of the processed foods we eat with a healthier homemade version. Thanks for your site and the recipes.
Thank you for this it helps when working on our snack calendar for myself and for the preschool I work at. I have to do more nut free and in some cases gluten free for school, but this is a great list.
I will say ants on a log can be done savory style. Like celery with a spreadable cheese and raisins, craisins or another small item to use as ants. We also do home made granola since most packaged items have nuts its a great snack item. Jicama sticks is another one. We use cut veggies from our garden as well since we have a garden at the preschool.
Thanks for this list! I discovered this blog about a week ago and I have immediately started moving away from highly processed foods, and snacks seem to be difficult for me to come up with ideas for. This will also help me with making side dishes for meals as well.
It’s funny you should mention frozen peas. When my kids were small, they loved frozen peas, and wouldn’t eat them cooked.
The same with beans, except the beans were fresh. Raw, not cooked.
most beans are actually very bad for you raw, or were these canned beans? those are actually precooked.
I think IdaBaker was referring to green beans (bush beans, pole beans) – not dried beans (pinto, black, etc).
Thanks so much. I am excited to add some new ones to our days.
I mean… you said snacks in the title. I assumed you meant snack ideas. Not just naming “grapes” as a snack. Of course it’s a snack. Anything that’s not an entree is a snack. This list is just “stuff to not have as a main course for dinner.”
Hi Pip. I find that sometimes we forget the simple things so it helps to serve as a reminder. And, of course, whole food snacks often take no preparation since they are things we can find in their natural state, so, while this seems simple, that may well be the reason. Hope you enjoy maybe finding a few things on the list you had not thought of before. Jill
Pip,I agree when I saw snacks for kids I was hoping for something a little more interesting. I have to admit that I am really trying hard to convert my family (who believes its not a lunch without potato chips) to a new way of eating. I am getting a lot of resistance and was hoping for some creative and or fun ways to get my son looking forward to his snack and not trying to trade it off to his friends. I like the reader suggestion of a fruit kabob. Any other suggestions on making it look more interesting/appetizing?
Agreed, Tonia and Pip! When I saw all the individually listed fruits on this list I was like, “Seriously?” I used to check this blog frequently but after this post I took a long break. :/
I think it is a refreshing reminder that whole foods ARE foods and make great snacks without a lot of effort. Why buy “fruit snacks” when you can just eat fruit?
I love this list, especially the figs and goat cheese – that’s my new favorite snack!
I just tried stuffing a Medjool date with goat cheese. Lovely!