26 Healthy Snacks for Kids

It can be tricky to encourage your kids to eat healthy snacks. If you have a picky eater, don’t worry; you’re not alone! It can be challenging for kids to try new foods or show interest in certain fruits and vegetables. Luckily, there are ways to give them nutritious snacks they will enjoy; it might just take a little creativity to present them in an appetizing way for them. However, RaisingChildren.Net states that there are many vitamins and minerals that children need to be consuming for them to grow and develop properly. Some of these vitamins include vitamins A, B, C, D, E, and K.

Furthermore, calcium, iodine, iron, and zinc are all minerals that promote health in children. You can start with this list if you don’t know where to begin with health foods! These snacks are perfect for after school when kids come home hungry. They aren’t too filling, so they’ll still be hungry for dinner later on. Although some of these snacks appear to be sweets, they are all made with healthy and whole ingredients that are much better than any store-bought snack with preservatives and artificial sugars. Try these adorable and delicious recipes and watch your kids devour them with no problem!

1. Banana Almond Butter Oatmeal Snacks

Our banana snack recipe will surely excite your kids! You can decorate the snack in adorable ways, whether you want to add sprinkles, blueberries, chocolate chips, or other toppings on the banana bites. The base of this recipe has banana halves, almond butter, and oats. From there, you can put your preferred toppings. You can chop the banana into smaller portions after decorating it for smaller children.

2. Apple Slice Cookies

These healthy “cookies” will be fun for your kids to eat, and they can help make them, too! Slice apples into rings, and load them with peanut butter, slivered almonds, pecans, and chocolate chips. You can also use different toppings like granola, raisins, or dried fruit. Even coconut is a fantastic option! For best results, use Granny Smith apples since they are sweet and sour, which kids love!

3. Back Yard Bug Snacks

If your kids need more motivation to eat healthy, these adorable bug-themed snacks are perfect to try out. They give a whimsical and welcoming presentation that allows the child to be more open-minded about eating the food. The cherry tomatoes, celery, and grapes make these bug snacks colorful. You can make the fruit and veggies look like ladybugs, butterflies, and caterpillars.

4. Easy Watermelon Slush For Toddlers + Kids (Refined Sugar-Free)

This delicious watermelon slush might as well be a dessert because of its deliciousness! However, it serves as an excellent snack since all it has is watermelon, honey, and fresh lime juice. The sweet fruit and honey combination pairs perfectly with the lime, giving the snack a bright and fruity flavor. The only thing to consider is that you must make this in advance since it takes roughly 5 hours to set before serving.

5. Frozen Grapes

This has to be the easiest recipe of them all! Gathering Dreams posted this recipe that explains how you can make perfect frozen grapes that taste like candy. All you need to do is take the grapes off the stem, rest and dry them, and then allow them to freeze overnight. Serve these to your kiddos in a bowl, and they will love the refreshing and sweet taste of the grapes!

6. Healthy Homemade Fruit Snacks (with veggies)

Instead of buying fruit snacks from the store, you can try making them yourself with this simple recipe. Dessert for Two explains how to make two different flavors: strawberry beet fruit snacks and mango carrot fruit snacks. These snacks don’t have artificial sweeteners. Instead, the recipe uses natural ingredients like honey and fruit to make them nice and sweet. This is a great afternoon snack or addition to their lunch box!

7. Baked Carrot Fries

Make carrots more approachable and fun for kids when you turn them into fries! These baked carrot fries are crispy and flavorful, and your kids can dip them in homemade ranch dressing or sauce. All you need is carrots, panko breadcrumbs, basil, garlic, and salt and pepper. You can also try to cook these in the air fryer. They will probably take less time that way! Serve them while they are still warm.

8. Easy Broccoli Cheese Cups

This snack is heartier than other options on this list, so it is a great food to serve when your kids get hungry in between meal times. This recipe uses broccoli, eggs, Ritz crackers, and shredded cheese. Using a muffin pan, you can make the broccoli bites into individual muffins. This recipe will make broccoli less intimidating for kiddos because these veggie bites are so cheesy and scrumptious!

9. Easy Recipes for Kids – Frozen Banana Yoghurt Bites

These yogurt bites are shaped similarly to Reese’s peanut butter cups, except they are much healthier. All you need is bananas, yogurt, and dried banana chips. The best part is that the kids can help in the kitchen when you make this recipe! It is super fun to assemble, and they will love how it tastes once it’s done. You can also experiment by adding different dried fruits, such as dried strawberries, which taste amazing with the bananas.

10. Funfetti Energy Balls For Toddlers + Kids

The sprinkles and chocolate chips make these healthy energy balls appetizing for kiddos! Little do they know, it’s packed with foods like hemp seeds, chia seeds, and peanut butter, which will provide protein and give your kids energy. To make it healthier, you can use sugar-free chocolate chips! These energy bites are the perfect small size for kids, and it is a no-bake recipe, so no oven is required.

11. Healthy Flourless Peanut Butter and Jelly Cookie Sandwiches

Everyone knows peanut butter and jelly sandwiches are one of the most classic foods children love! These healthy snacks provide the traditional and comforting flavors of peanut butter and jelly while giving your kids nutrients. The recipe has peanut butter, honey, eggs, oatmeal, and baking soda. The filling has peanut butter and organic jam. Rather than using store-bought cookies or crackers, the cookies are made from scratch.

12. Cucumber and Pepperoni Sandwiches

These tiny cucumber sandwiches are so fun; your kids will love the pepperoni! You only need cucumber, vegetable cream cheese, deli turkey, and pepperonis. This is a nice, light snack that has plenty of flavor. Not to mention, crisp cucumbers are delicious as the sandwich base! Turn this into a fun project for the kids that they can eat. You can always switch it up and use deli ham or other types of meat, too!

13. Apple Nachos – Healthy Snack For Kids

Who said nachos had to be unhealthy? Although these sweet nachos look incredibly indulgent, they are actually made with healthy ingredients. Use fresh apple slices as the foundation, then drizzle on peanut or almond butter. From there, you can sprinkle dairy-free chocolate chips on top! Serve these at a kid’s birthday party on a platter, or make a tiny plate for a fun and easy snack.

14. Homemade Baked Potato Chips (Rustic + Crispy)

Make your own potato chips at home with this recipe by Simple Veganista. These are just as delicious as any potato chip you will get out of a bag! The only difference is that it is so much healthier. All you need is potatoes, olive oil, and salt. We suggest using a mandolin slicer so that the potatoes are sliced thin enough. If they are too thick, they won’t cook evenly or necessarily be a potato chip.

15. No Bake Oatmeal Protein Balls (Without Peanut Butter)

Give your kids some protein with these delicious protein balls that look similar to cookie dough! This recipe has nutritious ingredients like ground flaxseed, rolled oats, and almond butter. However, it has a sweet undertone due to the pure maple syrup and the chocolate chips. You can also add some vanilla extract! Your kids certainly won’t get enough of these delicious bites.

16. Frozen Blueberry Yogurt Popsicle

Skip the packaged popsicles and try this recipe for homemade ones with Creative Nourish. This recipe includes banana, Greek yogurt, blueberries, and date syrup. You can also use agave syrup if needed! Use a blender and popsicle molds to bring this recipe to life. Your kids won’t even know these are healthy and packed with protein from Greek yogurt! They taste super sweet and satisfying.

17. Cheesy Cauliflower Tots with Zesty Yogurt Dip

If your little ones love tater tots, they will absolutely love these cauliflower tots, too. This recipe is unique because the cauliflower tots also have cheese. There is a special yogurt dip that they can dip the cauliflower tots into, which has a zesty flavor due to the parsley and fresh lemon. However, the base is Greek yogurt, so it is much healthier than other condiments from a jar.

18. Air Fryer 2 Ingredient Parmesan Zucchini Crisps

Put your air fryer to good use when you make these incredible zucchini bites! The only ingredients needed are zucchini and grated parmesan cheese! Can it get any easier than that? Once ready, these zucchini bites are nice and tender, and the cheesy flavor takes over, so your kids won’t give you a hard time about eating the zucchini. This recipe makes two servings, yet you can easily adjust it to fit your needs.

19. Pizza Crackers

We can guarantee that this will soon be a new household favorite! This recipe has tasty flavors of Ritz crackers, pizza sauce, pepperoni, and shredded cheese. It is an easy and quick snack to whip up at any time of day. This recipe contains a good amount of vitamin A and potassium! We suggest switching it up with different toppings, such as diced bell pepper or some olives!

20. Super Cute Snail Snacks For Kids

Assemble this whimsical snack that youngsters will love. You can form Crescent rolls into the shape of little snails and use carrot sticks for the eyes. To serve them in a savory way, you can serve them with lettuce. Another option is to serve them with nut butter, marinara sauce, Nutella, or other dips that your family loves! This recipe makes 14 servings, so you won’t be short on snacks.

21. Homemade Healthy Goldfish Crackers

Did you realize that you can make goldfish at home? It’s much easier than you might assume! This recipe uses shredded cheddar cheese, flour, butter, and cold water. That’s right, there are no unnecessary ingredients! Although this recipe takes about an hour to make, the quality is worth it. Your little ones will love the taste of these cheesy crackers, and they are perfect for eating on the go!

22. Homemade Cheez-Its

Here is another famous cracker that you can replicate. Make your own Cheez-Its using cheese, flour, butter, and spices. These crackers look just like the Cheez-Its out of a box, and they have an excellent taste! They are perfect for putting in a little snack baggy. In just 25 minutes, you can have these ready to go.

23. 3-Ingredient Homemade Strawberry Fruit Roll-Ups

Homemade fruit roll-ups? Yep, that’s right! Little Eats and Things shared this clever recipe that is easy to follow and produces amazing results. It only requires three ingredients: lemon juice, honey, and frozen strawberries. The trick to these homemade fruit roll-ups is cooking them low and slow right in the oven. You don’t need any special dehydrator appliances! Allow the snack to cool before you serve it.

24. No Bake Granola Bars

Make these fun granola bars that the whole family will love! You can add M&M’s or peanut butter chips to them to make it more enticing for young ones. However, that is optional. The base of the granola bars has peanut butter, honey, quick oats, and some Rice Krispie cereal, which gives it a nice crisp texture. Why purchase packaged granola bars when you can make them yourself?

25. Homemade Strawberry Applesauce

You can never go wrong with some applesauce! This isn’t just any applesauce, though. It has strawberries for an extra sweet and fruity taste. Aside from the strawberries, all you need is apples, apple juice or cider, and brown sugar. You can make this chunky apple sauce or blend it into a smooth puree. Although this recipe lasts one week in the refrigerator, you can always freeze it to extend its shelf life!

26. Healthy Trail Mix – Easy Recipe for Kids (Vegan + Paleo)

This homemade trail mix is filled with nutritious and unique ingredients! It has raw almonds, walnuts, pumpkin seeds, and sunflower seeds. However, the dark chocolate chips, banana chips, and coconut flakes make it appetizing for the young ones. The natural sweetness from the dark chocolate and banana chips is delicious amongst all the raw nuts. This dish is best served in a bowl, and you will be amazed at how quickly everyone finishes it!