School started a few weeks ago and everyone’s settled into their new routines. My kids, however, have begun complaining that they want new snacks to bring to school. They’re tired of the usual snacks and want new flavors. I get that. It’s good to mix it up and have a variety so I’ve put together a list of snacks that are perfect for the lunchbox – but provide some nutrients. While tasting all the samples I found snacks that my husband and I loved as well and will go on our next shopping list because Mom and Dad need to snack healthy too, right!?
Snikiddy Organic Grilled Cheese Puffs
These baked corn puffs were a big hit with my kids! The ingredients are organic and all-natural. The Grilled Cheese flavor tasted like Cheetos, just not as salty and that seemed like a healthier alternative. The Mac & Cheese flavor tasted a little like pirate booty and was only mildly salty, but still with lots of flavor. Although there’s no fiber, this is definitely a healthier option. Buy on Amazon.
All of my kids love apples so when it comes to apple chips, as long as it’s just chips, they can have as many as they like. Bare Apple Chips are made of Fuji and Reds and there are absolutely no other ingredients. They’re baked so they’re crunchy and the flavor is more condensed, which makes them sweeter. Half a cup, which is a reasonable serving, provides 4 grams of fiber! There’s also Granny Smith and Cinnamon flavors. There’s a $3.00 off coupon on Amazon now if you buy a 24 pack of the 0.53 size (perfect for school lunches). Buy on Amazon.
Eat Your Vegetables Chips by Good Health
These chips are nothing short of amazing! They include no less than 8 vegetables: carrots, sweet potatoes, kale, spinach, broccoli, tomatoes, beets, and shiitake mushrooms, plus several types of beans. Unlike regular potato chips that are thin and have a light, airy consistency, these are more like tortilla chips. I couldn’t taste the beans at all but I think this is what gives them the heartier texture. It’s amazing that there are so many veggies in there and obviously this doesn’t replace eating raw and cooked veggies, but it’s a very nice supplement to a vegetable-rich diet. Buy on Amazon.
The Sea Salt flavor was pretty good. My oldest kids found it too salty, but my five-year-old loved it, claiming “I love salt!”. The Sea Salt & Lyme flavor was too sour for us all (except for my husband who loves sour flavors) but the big winner was the Sour Cream and Onion flavor. You can really taste and sour cream and onion, no need for extra dips. These chips are crunchy, zesty, flavorful and addictive. They reminded me of cool ranch Doritos. My daughter really loved these as well. What I especially like about these chips is that because they are packed with fiber-rich veggies, they are very filling. A serving (14 chips) makes a perfect snack, along with string cheese, for example.
I’m always trying to get my kids to eat food with omega-3’s. Bare Chia Coconut Bites come in three flavors: we tried the chia and vanilla, chia and flax and chia and pineapple. The ones with the flax and vanilla tasted very similar. They’re perfect for that sweet/salty craving. The sweetness is pretty delicate and not overpowering. It’s so good, I would use it as a topping for yogurt, overnight oats or to make a beautiful presentation for a fruit salad. The pineapple flavor was a little strong for my kids and I. It was just too sweet and although it contains sea salt, I barely felt it. Half a cup has 4 grams of fiber and the chia and flax has a bonus of extra omega-3’s from the flax.
Baked Chewy Bars from Enjoy Life
Granola bars are a popular snack because they travel well and you can always throw one in the bag or purse. Enjoy Life makes a variety of bars that contain Pure Life Balanced Dry Blend made of sunflower kernels, cassava flour, sorghum flour and quinoa flakes. Plus, there are no artificial ingredients and they are wheat, dairy, and nut-free. We tried The Carrot Cake, Lemon Blueberry Poppy Seed, and Caramel Blondie flavors. The Caramel Blondie was hands-down, everyone’s favorite. It was like eating cake both in terms of consistency and flavor! At only 7 grams of sugar per bar, it’s a pretty decent cake alternative! My daughter loved the lemon blueberry poppy seed flavor but the rest of us were not huge fans of the lemon flavor. At 5 grams of sugar, she can have it every day. The carrot cake was also pretty popular. It was delicious, a little tangy and not overly sweet, plus six grams of sugar is not bad at all! It also has 20% of the recommended vitamin A, so I guess you can say it’s part of a veggie serving… Buy on Amazon (there’s a 15% off coupon right now).
Protein Crisps by Our Little Rebellion
These chips are made with soy protein and cassava, so each serving (24 chips) has 10 grams of protein and 4 grams of fiber! The vegan chips are low in fat and carbs and they’re very filling. We tried the hot buffalo flavor and they were simply too spicy for both my husband and I – I didn’t even have the kids try. My mouth was on fire! The Sweet & Smokey BBQ was better but I’m not a fan of BBQ and neither are my kids. My husband is, though, and liked these a lot. He thought the BBQ flavor was not too strong and since he’s a vegetarian, these chips are a great addition of plant-based protein for him. Buy on Amazon.
Popcorners by Our Little Rebellion
Popcorners is one of our go-to snacks and the Carnival Kettle and Salt of the Earth corn chips are very popular in our household but I wanted to try more exotic flavors that will give my kids that new taste they’re looking for. First of all, not sure if this is a new thing, but all of the corn in the chips is non-GMO, plus the chips are all double-pressed for extra crunchiness. The White Cheddar are very cheesy and delicious – the kids loved it. The Cinema Style tastes a lot like buttery popcorn and were also a big hit with the kids. The Sweetly Salted Caramel is perfect for that sweet/salty craving and is not overly sweet. I found these so addictive! I was supposed to leave some for my husband because he wanted to try them. Oops. Buy on Amazon.
My hands-down favorites are a tie: Cheesy Jalapeno and Sweet Heat Chilli. The Cheesy Jalapeno were surprisingly delicious! They’re very spicy and taste a lot like nachos that you buy at the movie theater with that orange gooey nacho cheese. Not sure how, but whoever made these managed to replicate the taste while using real cheese ingredients and jalapenos. The Sweet Heat Chilli chips were also amazing! They’re sweet, salty and spicy – this chip has it all! They’re not too spicy, though, and all the flavors mixed in together are simply perfect. Buy on Amazon.
I was not compensated for this post. I received samples. This post contains affiliate links. We receive a small percentage of the money generated by your sale (and it doesn’t cost you anything).
Senior Reviewer Maytal Wichman has also written for The Huffington Post. She has been living in New York City for fourteen years and holds a Bachelor’s Degree in English Literature as well as a Law Degree, but blogging is her true passion. Maytal is a stay-at-home mom to three kids (ages 10, 8 and 5) and loves finding great products that make her family’s life easier.
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