Kid-Friendly Snacks That are Good and Good for You

Brierley Horton, M.S., RD is a dietitian nutritionist, content creator and strategist, and avid mental health advocate. She is co-host and co-creator of the Happy Eating podcast, which breaks down the connection between food and mental wellness.

Kids love snacks. In fact, both of my kids have gone through phases where they’d prefer to eat a variety of snacks put together on a plate than eat an actual meal. (As a registered dietitian nutritionist, you can only imagine the mental hula hoops I went through to reconcile that phase.) 

Statistically speaking, 93 percent of kids and teens eat at least one snack every day. And about one quarter of their total daily nutrient intake comes from snacks. So while the options for between-meal refreshments are plentiful, it’s important that we make them as wholesome and nutritious as possible. 

At Cabot, we believe that teaching children about healthy snacking can set them on the path to good nutrition for a lifetime. Read on for our top tips to help teach kids about healthy snack choices and get healthy, easy, kid-approved snack ideas. 

5 Tips to Help Kids Make Healthy Snack Choices

1. Power with protein. Protein is a nutrient that will help kids keep hunger at bay—gram for gram it is more satisfying than carbohydrates or fat. And dairy is a great way to pump up the protein content of snacks. Lean meat (such as deli turkey roll ups), eggs, and nuts are all also smart snack ideas for kids.
2. Snack imaginatively. Try your best to get creative with the snack food choices. It’s a great way to introduce new foods and textures to kids. But don’t overlook the value of getting  creative with the presentation too. For example, build a mini snack tray using a half-sized baking sheet and include a combination of tried-and-true favorites with a few newer foods. Or, make old favorites like PB&J or pre-sliced cheddar cheese fun by cutting them out into shapes using cookie cutters.
3. Plan together. When you meal plan, take time to get your kids involved in planning their healthy snacks. Or, take them with you to the grocery store and plan healthy snacks with them right there at the store. 
4. Put healthy snacks at eye level. You’ve heard it before, but the thing is, it works: keep healthy snack choices ready to go and as visible as possible. This way your kids are more likely to grab them versus something else that’s less healthy, but easier to eat. Sometimes this means washing, cutting, and storing fresh veggies and fruits at eye level in the fridge. It can also look like making a healthy quick bread or muffins and storing them on the counter. Or, prepare and package a snack like cheese and meat sticks in advance and keep it at the ready so that your kids can easily help themselves.
5. Don't overlook drink choices. It’s easy to forget about what drinks you’re offering alongside snacks. Fortunately, research shows that the most commonly consumed drink with snacks is water. But the second most-commonly consumed drink among kids at snack time is a sugar-sweetened beverage. So, be mindful of what you have on hand for them to drink. Or, make their snack drinkable—as is the case with our first snack suggestion below.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Smoothie

This smoothie is packed for good-for-them nutrients (think: potassium, calcium, protein, and more!) yet it also tastes decadent and like a special treat thanks to creamy peanut butter and chocolate syrup. You’ll satisfy their cravings and feel good feeding them, too. 

Cheese Snack Sticks and Meat Sticks 

Depending on your kids’ preferences, choose between our Seriously Sharp Cheddar Cheese Snack Sticks and Colby Jack Cheese Sticks and pair them with a meat stick for a protein boost.

Cabot Ranch Sour Cream Dip with Kid-Friendly Dippers

I’ve yet to meet a child that doesn’t at least somewhat enjoy ranch. Pair our Ranch Sour Cream Dip with a wide variety of items—from kettle-cooked potato chips and cheese pizza slices cut into dippable strips to fresh cucumber spears and sliced orange and yellow bell peppers (those two colors are a little sweeter so kids tend to prefer them). 

Greek Yogurt with Freeze-Dried Fruit

Pair their favorite plain or flavored Cabot Greek yogurt with any freeze-dried fruit (or a mix of fruits). Think: freeze dried strawberries and blueberries or freeze-dried mango and raspberries. The yogurt delivers important nutrients like protein, calcium, vitamin D and probiotics—and the freeze dried fruit adds crunch and additional nutrients. 

Pretzel Sticks with Peanut Butter Dip 

Whisk together equal parts peanut butter and Greek yogurt, then add a little bit of your sweetener of choice and you have a protein-rich dip to pair with pretzel sticks or graham crackers. 

Now you’re ready to tackle snack time – armed with healthy kids snack recipes to please both parents and children. Reliably delicious, these kids snack recipes are sure to become new family favorites! When time allows, have your child join you in the kitchen to help make one of the easy and healthy snacks. It will be an invaluable experience that you’ll both enjoy!  Check out our Cooking with Kids page to get more ideas and get the whole family in the kitchen.