!)
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!
I notice you say it’s 100 days of real food, as in a diet consisting of unprocessed food, but your “whole grain” section, with the exception of perhaps the oatmeal (if it’s made from whole oats) and maybe the popcorn (if it’s made from corn and oil in a pot yourself), but otherwise, is ALL PROCESSED food and the grain category is the most notorious for us not making it ourselves from real whole food ingredients at home! Supposed “whole grain” products bought pre-made and packaged in the store, ARE NOT real, whole foods! Otherwise I like the concept and a lot of the ideas. It’s important to me for people to realize that in order to have a real, whole food diet, ALL the food must be made ourselves, in other words “processed” ourselves at home. No pre-made noodles or pasta, even if labeled “whole grain” and no crackers, pretzels, cereals and cakes! Grains, until about 100 years ago, were sprouted and fermented before we ate them and modern commercial grain products are not, so many people have problems digesting them and we call it gluten intolerance. For some, it’s chronic and severe.
I noticed that as well and was a bit confused, but it’s a start for some to just avoid white flours, so all hope is not lost. No one is perfect and in our society it is almost unrealistic to expect everyone to make everything, so compromises are made.
If “whole” or “raw” food was meant, I’m sure it would have been said. You’re putting words in the mouths. What I’m sure is meant by “real food” is avoiding fast food and the other *heavily* processed garbage. I gather this site is about things that you can make at home, for cheap, with the ability to read the box and know what is going through your food hole.
Also, gluten intolerance and celiac disease is a mostly misunderstood disorder that only a very, very, small percentage of the population have. Due to it being commonly misdiagnosed due to “whole foodies” not knowing the difference, it gained popularity and became a fad. Though the placebo effect does help many that believe they are suffering from everyday ailments of a modern lifestyle, there are very few that actually have celiac (the wheat/barley/rye) or are gluten intolerant (the above, including corn/rice/sorghum). Consuming gluten from “sprouted and fermented” sources does not change the proteins for the intolerant few.
Beth… have you actually read any on her site. I suggest you look at her rules on how she defines “real” food. Her list works for her rules. :shrug:
When it comes to packaged food we define “real food” as having 5 or less whole ingredients. A whole ingredient can be something like 100% whole-wheat. Here are the full list of rules: http://www.100daysofrealfood.com/real-food-defined-a-k-a-the-rules/
I have a friend who likes to dip his carrots in peanut butter. It is his “take to work” snack. Take the whole jar, take whole bag of carrots, toss in refrigerator.
I like to take an avocado, slice in half, take half that doesn’t contain pit, add salt and pepper. Fill cavity where pit was with apple cider vinegar, eat out of shell with spoon. The simplest and best tasting way to eat an avocado IMO.
I like to make “yogurt cheese” as a snack. I take homemade yogurt (you could use store-bought plain yogurt too) and strain it to make it thicker (i.e. Greek yogurt). I strain mine by putting a couple of coffee filters in a strainer over a bowl, pouring in the yogurt, covering it, and sticking it in the fridge over night. You could also use cheesecloth. When the yogurt is a little thicker, I chop up some of whatever fresh herbs I have on hand. This summer, it’s been lots of basil and dill. Add a pinch of salt if desired. This is a great dip for veggies or whole grain crackers or pita. I love having it in my lunch with some hummus and fruit.
I also love to make homemade black bean dip. Very easy, very tasty.
Per usual, all looks great. Thanks for sharing. I love this site. I first heard about from a cook chick who follows my blog and it’s been AWESOME having you as a resource and inspiration. So pumped to pack my first lunches this year for school with your “help!”
What are your thoughts on protein shakes for adults and children
Hi Martsi. I’ve never had them personally, so I can’t comment. I would just be certain to check the ingredients very closely. Jill
Where did you find that wood divided snack plate (the one with the cubed cheese, apples and bowl of olives)? I love it. Thanks for posting this list, along with photos of your kids’ beautiful real food lunches.
One of my favorite snacks of all time is fresh figs with goat cheese. We make ants on a log with either cream cheese or goat cheese when my kids’ peanut-allergic friends come to play.
Thank you! I’ve had that serving platter forever, but I am pretty sure I got it at World Market. Unfortunately their stuff changes quite a bit so I doubt they still have the same one.
[...] and we’ll start trying out recipes for school lunches. 100 Days of Real Food has a good snack list to work off of, plus my kids have their own ideas. I also want to check out the lunch ideas in Eat [...]
Love these ideas. One I like for when I have a sweet tooth craving is the banana ice-cream you can whip up in mere minutes in the food processor using frozen banana slices and adding in some natural peanut butter and a bit of milk. I live using chocolate coconut milk so that I fill my need for chocolate too.
Great list!!! Thanks for posting!!
Hi Lisa! I have a huge dilemma and I would love your input. My family and I just started our switch to real food this summer. We are super excited and it is going great! A little challenging at times in our culture as u know, but we’re getting the hang of it. I just left the orientation for my sons preschool and because the school is state funded, they mandate you to pay 80.00/month and require you to eat lunch and 2 snacks at school. No outside for is permitted unless your child has a milk allergy. I am very disappointed as I was really looking forward to providing his lunch daily according to the real food rules. I checked out the sample menu and it includes things like pop tarts, refined flour biscuits, ravioli, etc. there are a few healthy additions but overall the food is processed. They do cook in their own kitchen which is a plus but I really feel strongly that I should have a say in what goes into my sons body.
how do I get around this? Thank u in advance for your response.
Find a diffretent preschool!
if its a headstart you can’t get around it in CA as far as I know. I teach at a preschool but trained with a headstart and they don’t let you out of the food rules unless its an extreme allergy. You can try to speak with the director and try to see if they will allow you do so. But honestly part of the state run programs is to get what they consider to be good meals into children who may not get them. I personally don’t see them as good either but when the program is free sometimes you may have to follow the school’s rules and then whole real foods at home. Its hard to get around the states rules in a state run program. They can’t change the menu either its kind of created off a list of approved foods that they get from the state. They have to serve so many fruits, veggies, proteins, and dairy a week.
Federal food rules suck. Having worked as an Admin Assistant for the Food Services Dept in a school district I would see stuff that made my blood boil. We had vegitarians & vegans whose children had to just eat what was served or throw it away because it’s a “lifestyle choice” and not a medical problem. And believe me, just because they have their own kitchen doesn’t make the food choices better. The District I worked in boasted that they cooked their own food…. that meant that they baked the frozen chicken nuggets, warmed up the Chef Boyardi ravioli, and used Uncrustables. The Federal regulations are insane on what is considered “healthy”….. every day the kids have a choice for breakfast of Lucky Charms or Cocoa Puffs… because these meet a calorie/sugar/grain ratio per serving they pass the “healthy for our kids” test. Total BS.
Hi April. I saw some other readers gave you some good information. I think the only thing you can try and do is speak to the school and see if they’ll allow you an exception in terms of providing your son’s food. Best of luck. Jill
Any chance a doctor might write a note and fake the allergy? Just throwing it out there;)
I’ll be damned if a school is going to tell me how to feed my kids. That makes me angry for you! Maybe faking it is morally questionable but you’re the parent, you get to make the rules for your kids.
Just my 2c
What brand of peanut butter do you use? I can’t find a natural one that is low in the bad fats (i.e. saturated and trans fats).
Hi Kimberlee. I just use Earthfare brand organic, unsalted. Jill
I sprinkled cinnamon on a sliced peach for a snack. It marinated all day, so when it was time to eat, it was SO tasty! It was like eating the inside of a peach pie!
Love the list!
I should mention do you have a Yonanas maker? You take fruit that you can purchase frozen or you can freeze yourself like beginning with bananas, then another fruit then more banana’s its all fruit and is almost like a fruity soft serve. I use bananas we freeze, and fruit leftovers get frozen then I use those and sometimes I take almond milk freeze it in an ice cube tray and use that too. Yu can see the maker at http://www.yonanas.com
Bless you for writing this blog! I do so well for a while feeding my family non-processed foods and then we all get bored with our bland options and fall off the wagon. This blog is exactly what I need because if I feed my children one more ounce of grilled chicken, brown rice or fruit smoothies they have made it known that there will be a major mutiny going on at my house and I am the one they will throw overboard:)
Have you tried Wasa brand crisp bread? It is delicious! Especially the “whole grain” version, which has only whole grain rye flour, water, yeast, and salt. I like it with cream cheese and jam
I just got these I hope they taste good. I am trying to change up my son’s lunch this year
Do you have a printer-friendly version of this list? I would love to print it and bring to shopping with me…
Hi Molly. Great question and one I’ve often asked too. You will see conflicting opinions on this. I buy local if I can and if I can ask, like you have, how they treat their food. So, even if they’re not certified organic farmers, many times they follow those rules so I’m fine with it and would prefer local. But, like you said, if they are treating it with pesticides, I’ll usually pick organic over local. Jill
Great list, Lisa! I wrote a shorter list … our top 7 favorite snacks, http://fresh-you.blogspot.com/2012/08/seven-super-snacks-our-most-favorites.html — you might enjoy “Chocolatey Goodness”, a combo of plain regular or Greek yogurt, unsweetened cocoa, and mashed banana. Super yummy and nutritious! ( http://fresh-you.blogspot.com/2012/01/3-ingredient-chocolatey-goodness.html ) Frozen fruit for ANYBODY (mangoes, pineapple, cherries, peaches, berries, my mouth is watering!) …as is, or blended into sorbet (without any added sugar!) and more for kids … frozen veggies (corn, broccoli, green beans, cauliflower). SO cool that you make your own “poptarts”! Wahoo for helping SO many people get healthy!!!
I just started the 10 day pledge and looked at the ingredients in my Fig Newtons. I had only a few things out of the pack, but I had to throw it away. I never realized all that junk was in a “healthy” cookie!
Great list! Perfect for back to school – I actually just sent out an e-book to my newsletter subscribers that includes a list of back to school snacks – it will be available on my site by next week. After all, this IS that time of year!
I actually just bought a bunch of Arrowhead Mills Puffed Whole Grain Cereal since they were on sale today. Do you have any ideas/recipes for using them to make your own breakfast cereal (combining them, adding sweetener, etc.)?
Hi Kelly. I have not tried to do that and don’t have any recipes to share. Sorry. Jill
This was my first attempt, turned out good:
Melt:
1 T butter
1 T coconut oil (could probably do all butter or all oil, whatever)
3 T honey
Mix with:
2 c puffed kamut
2 c puffed brown rice
1/4 c sliced almonds (may try more next time)
1/4 c oats
Spread on parchment-lined pan, bake 15 min at 325°, cool.
I only did a small batch this time to see how it would turn out. Can do any combination of puffed cereal, any oil, maple syrup, add other stuff, whatever you like. May try adding flax or finely ground nuts next time.
I like the Kashi Go Lean Honey Almond Crunch–reminds me of Honey Smacks from childhood–but will stop buying and just make my own now.
RAW BROWNIES are the rage around my house right now! My un-”clean” brownie-loving husband says they are the best he’s ever had. He didn’t even know there were nuts in them!
With only a few ingredients, it is the ultimate healthy chocolate craving satisfier:
1 c walnuts (does NOT lend flavor to the brownies)
1 c pitted dates
4 TBSP unsweetened shredded coconut (does NOT lend flavor to the brownies)
1/4 tsp sea salt
5 TBSP cocoa powder
Sweetener to taste (I use honey and stevia)
Process all until crumbles and then some and refrigerate IF you can wait that long!
[...] anything out of a bag or can, fried foods, or fast foods. One of the most recent posts lists 85 great snack ideas. This is a good read for all students who like to munch on food while studying. I also need to add [...]
Random Side Note: Jicama is awesome dipped in ranch dressing/dip!! If you haven’t tried it, you are missing out! YUM!
[...] some healthy real-food snack ideas for lunchboxes and after [...]
My kiddos also love grapes with goat cheese. Thanks for such an expansive list!!