Our Kids are Always HUNGRY!!!
Whether you are a homeschooling family like us, or are home more with your kiddos in the summer with school out, the one thing we can commiserate on is that our kids ARE ALWAYS HUNGRY.Here is a big list of healthy, summer snacks for kids, to refer to when your children tell you they are hungry for the 1,876th time of the day.
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Healthy Meals, Full Bellies and Nourishing Snacks
First, I should say, that I feel like it is very important to set up healthy eating habits in our home. I am a stickler for everyone eating a good meal together, and filling their bellies.
We don’t play the “I didn’t eat my lunch, but now I want snacks” game. Nope! My kids know what to expect. They get the bulk of their nutrition, energy, protein and fiber from mealtime. I don’t want to fill them up with carbs, sweets and empty calories without much nutrition.
With that being said, between meals, they still are always hungry. Haha! And it’s no wonder I guess, with the speed at which they are growing. Sheesh! Slow down!
So, for all those hungry kids working up a big appetite doing all the wonderful summer things like swimming, dancing and running wild… Here is the big list of healthy summer snacks for kids!
Come Pin with Me! I have several Pinterest boards devoted to children, snacks, meals and healthy food.
Free Summer Snack Cheat Sheet Printable!!
Here is my list of go-to snacks this summer to fill up hungry tummies and keep the kiddos fueled up for all their summer adventures!
Get your FREE printable to help you quickly think of healthy snacks for your hungry kids this summer!
This cute, helpful printable can be placed on your fridge, or next to your shopping list, to jog your ideas. Enter your email, and I’ll send it straight to your inbox!
Click here to get the snack cheat sheet!
What are Healthy Kid Snacks?
Without further ado, here is the big list of healthy, summer kid snacks!
~ Coconut Orange Creamsicles
These are absolutely delicious, creamy popsicles that are chock full of high healthy fat coconut milk, no refined sugar, no dairy and easy to make! My kids are crazy about them.
~ Dragon Fruit Smoothie
Here is another tasty, frozen treat. Kids will love the bright, pink color of this yummy smoothie!
A great trick with smoothies, is you can add in lots of different nutritious goodies, and they won’t know it! Mwahahahaha! Such as green powders, nutrition powder, vitamin c, hemp, chia, flax, the list could go on and on.
These are great lids that fit onto regular mouth mason jars. They are perfect for preventing spills with kids drinks, and smoothies! You can sip from the lid or insert a straw!
~ Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Popsicles
This delicious treat is a recipe from Errika over at The Home Intent! A fun thing that the kids could even make themselves if wanted, bananas, layered in peanut butter, chocolate and different healthy toppings like nuts. Check out her post and recipe here!
~ Nuts and Dried Fruit
Make up a big container of your own trail mix, adding delicious nuts and dried fruit that are the kids favorites. A handful of this nutritious snack packs a great punch of energy!
I love these kid friendly, unbreakable snack bowls for these types of snacks!
Nut ideas: peanuts, cashews, almond slices, pecans, walnuts, sunflower seeds.
Dried fruit ideas: raisins, apricots, blueberries, mango. (Tip for fruit – Check the ingredients to make sure they don’t have added sugar. Some dried fruits do, and it’s an unnecessary addition and bad for the teeth and ruins a healthy snack.)
~ Energy balls
Energy balls are a great way to prepare a ready to grab, quick snack that has protein and fat to support an energy boost to get past those in-between meals hungry tummies.
My version here has peanut butter, and chocolate chips!
An here is a yummy version from Amber over at 1898 Mama! It is a chocolate energy ball!
~ Fruit Salad
I can’t compile a big list like this, full of healthy, summer snacks for kids, without including fruit salad! One of my kids very favorite things is a big bowl of fruit salad, cold in the fridge. It’s so refreshing after getting hot, playing outside.
You can do fruit salad with a bunch of variations, depending on what are the favorites!
Here are some ideas:
pears, strawberries, apples, blueberries, pineapple, cantaloupe, watermelon, mandarin oranges, raspberries, grapes (cut in quarters for younger children), kiwi, peaches and cherries.
Our favorite combo is cantaloupe, watermelon, strawberries, and blueberries.
~Eggs
Eggs are available aplenty here on Windy Ridge! Our fluffy bottom girls lay us the tastiest, fresh eggs. Eggs are not just for breakfast! The two favorite ways to eat eggs as snacks here are hard boiled and deviled.
Hard boiled eggs are the best right after they’ve been cooked and are still warm, but of course are delicious cold, too. We love them with a sprinkle of salt and pepper, or some mustard or sriracha sauce.
Deviled eggs never last very long around here and I have to fix a bunch. Here is my deviled eggs recipe. There is a secret tip I share to make filling the eggs super easy and a trick to get the filling extra smooth!
~ Vegetable Plate
Washing and chopping some veggies ahead of time makes a great, healthy snack to munch on throughout the day. Cucumbers, olives, cherry tomatoes, bell peppers, carrots, green beans (if you quickly blanche the beans, they will be softer), and broccoli.
Cooked Variation:
Another yummy option would be to roast veggies ahead of time and make a roasted veggie salad. Squash, green beans, broccoli, potatoes, carrots, sweet potatoes and mushrooms. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, olive oil and roast on a baking tray until tender. Throw in a storage container and keep in fridge for something nourishing to grab.
~Bone Broth
It is so easy to make broth with a chicken carcass that you have already eaten. My kiddos love to sip on a mug of warm broth with salt. Such an amazing punch of healthy nutrients, hydrate, and fill tummies.
I know this doesn’t seem like a summer food, but it is so chock full of goodness, I had to include it!
How to Make Broth:
I like to do my broth in my instant pot! After we eat a roast chicken, I dump it in the instant pot, cover with water, add a splash of apple cider vinegar (helps pull out the good minerals from the bones, you don’t taste it!) and cook on high pressure for an hour or so.
~Fresh Popped Popcorn
(Disclaimer- Popcorn can be a choking hazard, especially for young children, so please be aware of that before deciding whether or not to serve to your children.)
Popcorn in a bag is super yummy, but if you like to eat popcorn often, it isn’t the healthiest. It is full of hydrogenated oils. Yuck.
Fresh popped popcorn is actually easier to make than you might think! It can be pooped on the stove top in a saucepan, or you can use an air popper, which is what we do most of the time. It is a set it and forget it situation, and the stove top requires a bit more babysitting, but it is super yummy.
Here is the brand of air popper we have.
To pop on the stove top:
Start by adding a bit of fat, like coconut oil, to the pot, let melt and add the corn kernels, just until they completely cover the bottom of the pot.
Over medium/high heat, begin gently circling the covered pot over the burner until you start hearing popping. This can take a few minutes. After you begin to hear the popping slowing, remove from heat.
~Hummus with Crackers, and Vegetables
Hummus is a yummy snack that is filling. Dip some healthy, organic/wholegrain crackers or sourdough crackers and/or dip veggie slices or sticks into hummus. Cukes, olives, carrots and cherry tomatoes are especially good.
Tip: Look for an organic hummus that contains olive oil or coconut oil (good oils), instead of soy/palm/vegetable oil (bad oils).
Thank you for reading to the end of this big list of healthy, summer snacks for kids!
I hope you and your children have a wonderful summer together! Let me know in the comments what your favorite snacks are, and if you’ve tried any of these with your kids!
Shopping Links:
Balance Complete Powder for Smoothies
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What?? No PIE???? After talking ingredients over with the large, furry one and probably would get an o.k. from the smallest non-furred one and more than likely a yes vote from the taller snaggeled silly one I think a Pie Sammich with a side of Pie ought to be on the list, near the top. Oh well, one must give it the old uneducated try. That works better than a bunch of egg-headed excuses! Sometimes. I do like everything but just can’t convince certain parties I need such. I best not push it or I might get a swift kick right in my ‘such’! GBWYall!