My Go-To Healthier Snacks for Kids

I try to make the majority of what we eat whole foods, but I also want my kids to be kids.

I’m not trying to make every snack perfect or convince them that a carrot is the same thing as a cheese puff. 😂 Instead, I like finding alternatives that give them the same fun flavors and textures as traditional kids’ snacks, but with ingredient lists I actually understand.

The best part is that their friends and our family usually never know the difference. If anything, they’re normally asking where I bought them because they taste so good.

These are the things that end up in our house again and again.

Fresh & Simple

Fresh fruit will always be one of my easiest go-to snacks — berries, grapes, bananas, oranges, apples, whatever we have around.

I also keep blocks of cheese and Cocojune Unsweetened Vanilla Yogurt in the fridge. Yogurt with fruit and a little granola can be a snack, breakfast, or something quick when everyone suddenly decides they’re starving at the exact same time.

Nothing fancy needed here.

When They Want Something Crunchy

This is where LesserEvil and MASA tortilla chips come in.

My kids love LesserEvil Space Balls and Moonions because they taste like the traditional crunchy snacks kids already know and love. They don’t feel like a “healthy alternative” to them — they just taste good.

The same goes for MASA tortilla chips. These are the kinds of swaps I love because nobody feels like they’re missing out. My kids eat them, their friends eat them, our family eats them, and no one is sitting there asking why I gave them the healthy version. 😂

Easy Grab-and-Go Snacks

Bob Snail fruit rolls are one of my favorite alternatives to the traditional fruit-roll-up type snacks.

They’re rolled up, fun for the kids to eat, and they even come with little cards inside, which somehow turns snack time into an event. Kids really do appreciate the smallest surprises. 😂

When I want something more protein-focused, I reach for Lineage Provisions. Their air-dried steak is made from grass-fed beef, apple cider vinegar and salt, without added sugar or preservatives; their beef sticks are also made without preservatives, seed oils or fillers.

I also keep Perfect Protein Bars and Elemental Superfood Dark Chocolate + Almond Butter Bars around for those moments when a handful of crackers is simply not going to cut it.

The Freezer Saves Me Constantly

Evergreen Apple Cinnamon Waffles are one of those things my kids think are a special breakfast, which is funny because they’re actually one of my easy options.

We normally eat a pretty simple breakfast, so the minute I say we’re having waffles, everyone is suddenly very excited.

And then there are tater tots.

My children would probably eat tater tots at any hour of the day if I allowed it. 😂 I keep Roots tater tots made with avocado oil in the freezer because they’re just too convenient to pass up.

Breakfast, lunch, dinner — somehow a tater tot always works.

Dessert Is Still Dessert

I absolutely want my kids to get excited about dessert.

One of our favorites is Ice Cream for Bears. Their little sundaes are especially fun because everyone gets their own individual cup, which apparently makes ice cream approximately 100 times more exciting when you’re little.

They also make larger pints in a bunch of flavors, and we’ve loved the ones we’ve tried.

We also keep Sweet Nothings Organic Frozen Pops around for an easy frozen treat.

I’m Not Trying to Make Food Perfect

At the end of the day, I’m not trying to create a childhood where my kids never eat regular chips, candy, or ice cream.

They’re kids.

I just figure that if there’s an easy alternative sitting on the shelf that tastes just as good and has an ingredient list I feel better about, why wouldn’t I grab that one most of the time?

Our everyday food is still largely whole foods, and the snacks are there to make life easy and fun.

Better choices when they’re easy, and absolutely no need for perfection.