85 Snack Ideas for Kids (and Adults)!

364 Comments / By / July 29, 2021 / Kids, Picky Eaters, Real Food Tips, School Lunches, Special Diets

Skip the potato chips, fruit snacks, graham crackers, and candy. If you’re in a rut here are some quick, great real food any-time or after-school snack ideas for inspiration that kids will love (and adults, too!). Sticking with simple ingredients keeps snack time easy and fun.

Keep these tips in mind:

  • Combine some of the suggestions below in creative ways (for example, combine some fruit with yogurt to make a yogurt parfait, or make a fruit salad and drizzle some honey on top)
  • Most of the fruits below are also great frozen. Ever blended up frozen bananas to make “ice cream”? Try it!
  • If you’re looking for school lunch ideas, any of these would be great in a school lunch box!
  • If you have a picky eater, combining several of these snacks onto a plate – tapas style! – could make a well-rounded lunch or easy breakfast

Please leave any additional suggestions in the comments below…

Fruits and Vegetable Snack Ideas

  1. Apple (good with peanut butter, or almond butter)
    peanut butter on apples with a side of noodles - try this snack idea
  2. Banana (good with peanut butter, or almond butter)
  3. Carrots (good with hummus or ranch dip)
  4. Celery (good with peanut butter and raisins a.k.a. “Ants on a Log”)
  5. Mango
  6. Pear
  7. Grapes
  8. Strawberries (good with regular or Greek yogurt)
  9. Blueberries (good with regular or Greek yogurt)
  10. Raspberries (good with regular or Greek yogurt)
  11. Oranges
  12. Peaches (good with regular or Greek yogurt)
  13. Plums
  14. Kiwi
  15. Grapefruit
  16. Avocado (good with soy sauce and brown rice)
    Snack Plate on 100 Days of Real Food
  17. Pineapple
  18. Papaya
  19. Star Fruit
  20. Figs (good with goat cheese)
  21. Honeydew Melon
  22. Cantaloupe
  23. Watermelon
  24. Cherries
  25. Edamame (good with soy sauce, or drizzle with a little olive oil + kosher salt)
  26. Raw Sugar Snap Peas (good with hummus)
  27. Cooked Green Beans
  28. Mashed Sweet Potato (good with butter and cinnamon)
  29. Raw Sliced Bell Peppers (good with hummus or ranch dip)
  30. Cucumber Slices (good with ranch dip)
  31. Jicama
  32. Cherry Tomatoes (good with ranch dip)
  33. Cooked Snow Peas
  34. Frozen Peas (frozen…no cooking necessary!)
  35. Raw Cauliflower
  36. Raw Broccoli (good with ranch dip)
    Some dip for pretzels and carrots works as a healthy snack idea
  37. Applesauce
  38. Unsweetened Raisins
  39. Fruit Leathers
  40. Freeze Dried Fruit (like mango, banana, blueberries or strawberries)
  41. Dried Apple Rings, or pineapple rings
  42. Canned Fruit like Mandarin Oranges (Native Forest brand does not use sugary syrups in their cans)
  43. Olives

Whole-Grain Snack Ideas

  1. 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, almond butter, or a cream cheese and jelly combo)
  2. Popcorn (make it using “The Popcorn Trick”)
  3. Oatmeal (served warm in a Thermos if sending to school)
  4. Shredded Wheat (look for brands that contain 1-ingredient)
  5. Arrowhead Mills Puffed Whole Grain Cereal (corn, brown rice, wheat or millet variety)
  6. Brown Rice Cakes
  7. Whole-Wheat Pretzels
    Crackers with cream cheese and nuts are a healthy snack idea
  8. Whole-Grain Toast
  9. Small, Cooked Whole-Grain Noodles

Nuts and Seeds Snack Ideas

  1. Larabars
  2. Peanuts
  3. Cashews
  4. Almonds
  5. Pecans
  6. Walnuts
  7. Pine Nuts (they are good lightly toasted)
  8. Pistachios
  9. Sesame Seeds
  10. Pumpkin Seeds
  11. Nut Trail Mix including Dried Fruit
Larabars are a great snack idea

Other Snack Ideas

  1. Hard-Boiled Eggs
  2. Garbanzo Beans
  3. Cheese (cubes or sticks…with or without crackers)
  4. Plain Whole Milk or Greek Yogurt (flavored with a little honey or maple syrup and vanilla extract)
  5. Organic and/or Local Bacon

Homemade Snack Ideas

  1. Homemade Granola Bars
  2. Homemade “Larabars”
  3. Whole-Wheat Toaster Pastries (a.k.a. Pop Tarts!)
  4. Smoothies or Smoothie Pops
  5. Whole-Wheat Banana Bread
    homemade pop tarts are a healthy snack idea
  6. Zucchini Chips
  7. Whole-Wheat Zucchini Bread (made into muffins)
  8. Whole-Wheat Pumpkin Bread (made into muffins)
  9. Whole-Grain Cornbread (made into muffins)
  10. Whole-Wheat Berry Muffins
  11. Pecan Maple Breakfast Cookies
  12. Easy Cheesy Crackers
  13. Kale Chips
  14. Homemade Powerballs
  15. Whole-Wheat Biscuits (good with butter and jelly) or Buttermilk Cheese Biscuits
  16. Cinnamon Glazed Popcorn<
  17. Whole-Wheat “Baked” Donuts

Share your snack ideas with us in the comments below!

pumpkin bread muffins can be a healthy snack idea

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364 thoughts on “85 Snack Ideas for Kids (and Adults)!”

  1. Monica

    Thank you Lisa for the extensive list. Hard boiled eggs have always been my go to snack whenever I feel hungry and want to curb eating junk. This time I am gonna try carrot with Hummus, such a quick and healthy eating snack.

    Reply
  2. Teresa B

    Thank you! Is there a printable list of snack ideas? So that my kids can look at it for new ideas without me telling them what to eat.

    Reply
    1. 100 Days Admin

      Hi Teresa, at the moment we don’t have a printable list, but we’ll see if we can put one together soon—that’s a great idea! – Nicole

      Reply
      3. 100 Days Admin

        You can find the printable list under free resources in our members’ area. Just log into learn.100daysofrealfood.com. You’ll also see a pop-up in the lower-left corner of your screen on this post that’ll take you there, too. – Nicole

      5. 100 Days Admin

        You can find the printable list under free resources in our members’ area. Just log into learn.100daysofrealfood.com. You’ll also see a pop-up in the lower-left corner of your screen on this post that’ll take you there, too. – Nicole

  5. Eric Jans

    Thank you Lisa for the tips. I have to say with the Covid19 lockdown it has become difficult to offer healthy snacks to the kiddies. They have become some kind of fridge monster.
    This afternoon it’ll be apple slices with peanut butter, so easy, how I never thought about it?

    Reply
  10. Jonny

    Problem I am having is that I am always going for things that are not healthy when I am having a snack.

    In other words: I do need more fruit and less coca-cola/biscuits.

    These are great tips. Thanks :)

    Reply
  11. Scarlett

    Wonderful ideas! I just went down the list with one of my girls because she is so picky. I was stumped on what to have for a snack for her after school. We did find some tasty solutions. Thanks for sharing!

    Reply
  12. Jeff Shft

    We shared these snack ideas this holiday season. My baby loves it! Every bite burst with happiness, it’s like the heaven opened its gates. This is so good, so thumbs up!

    Reply
  16. Hope

    Wonderful ideas! I just went down the list with one of my boys because he is so picky. I was stumped on what have for a snack for him after school. We did find some solutions. Thanks for sharing!

    Reply
  21. Gwyn

    Hello! Do you have a recommendations for whole wheat pretzels? I can’t
    seem to find any at our local stories that follow real food rules, and my kids & hubby LOVE pretzels. Any recommendations?

    Reply

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