Healthier Packaged Snack Options for Kids

Liz Hoobchaak
Jul 8
4 min read

When I started off on a therapeutic diet for health reasons many years ago, it was very hard to find any pre-packaged foods that aligned with the ingredients that I found acceptable. I spent countless hours in my kitchen trying to recreate popular snacks for my kids so they wouldn't feel left out. I had some great successes, but also some great flops.

Over the years, I have seen companies start to put out better products using much cleaner ingredients. It's an exciting shift in the food world to know that people are becoming more aware and valuing what they are putting in their body. And companies are listening by creating newer and healthier options.

Athough we should aim to always limit processed foods and focus on whole foods like fruits and veggies, sometimes, as busy parents, we just need some convenience! With busy sports schedules, travel and everyday school lunches and snacks, we sometimes need to quickly grab a snack and know that we are using a good product that will help nourish them.

I have compiled a list of my go-to snack options that you can trust are quality ingredients from companies that I have researched and vetted. Many of these are products that I have in my house and use with my own family.

What to look for when choosing a snack:

It can be confusing to know if a certain packaged food is a good product. Many prepackaged foods are often marketed as "healthy" or "all natural" or "oragnic". These labels don't necessarily mean that they are good for you and may still contain ingredients that should be avoided.

Don't fall for the marketing tactics! Always turn the package around and read the ingredient list instead.

Here is what I look for:

A short ingredient list with all ingredients I could recognize. My rule of thumb: If I could not purchase that ingrendient seperately in a store or identify what it looks like, I should probably not be eating it.
No added sugar or very minimal sugar. (Sugar can be sneaky since it can be hidden as many different names. Did you know that 'Rice Bran Syrup' is just another type of sugar? Sounds health-ish, right? Nope.)
No preservatives. If a product has a long shelf life, it most likely contains many preservatives.
No artificial food dyes or coloring. If you see a color with a number (like Red 40 or Yellow 5), don't consume it.
No natural or artificial flavorings. 'Natural' flavors are mostly still lab-made chemicals that may only contain a tiny fraction of anything natural.
No seed oils. I look for less processed natural oils like olive oil and avocado oil. Most seed oils (canola, corn, soybean, sunflower, grapeseed to name a few) are highly procced and inflammatory.

For more information on how to read food labels, this article is a great resource to help sort through some of those big words you see on packaging labels. Click Here for a printable pdf of all the same information that you can bring with you to the grocery store as a reference while reading food labels.

Healthy Snack List

A quick discalimer - I don't claim that these are all "health" foods and should be consumed regularly. I recommend focusing on whole food ingredients whenever possible. These are simply healthier alternatives of things that you might otherwise buy in the store. Some of these are online purchases, and I have tried to include links where possible. However, the majority of these products can be found in your local grocery store.

Cereals / Granola: