Summer snack ideas are a MUST if you want to maintain your sanity throughout the long summer months. I don’t know what it is, but it seems like kids are hungry every other 15 minutes when they are out of school!
It could be boredom, which is why I created a hefty list of over 80 summer activities for kids. Whatever the reason may be, if we’re not careful, we could easily go broke trying to keep up with their hefty appetites.
To keep my grocery budget intact and my kid’s health on the up and up, I’ve decided to curate a list of healthy and budget-friendly summer snack ideas for kids.
These ideas will keep them full longer than 15 minutes and maybe, just maybe, we can do something other than being a personal chef and waitress all summer long.
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45 Budget Friendly (And Healthy!) Summer Snack Ideas for Kids
Good Snacks for Hot Days
First, let’s address the biggest issue — staying cool on a hot summer day. With heat at the front and center, you can opt for kid-friendly summer snack ideas that will refresh your kids and help them cool off. Try one of these three recipes…
via Raining Hot Coupons
DIY Summer Snacks for Kids
Next, you’ll want to keep them entertained and what better way than to get them to help out in the kitchen! These DIY summer snacks are sure to please, so try all of them.
via Eating on a Dime
4. Easy To Make Frozen Yogurt Bites
6. Energy Balls
Healthy Summer Snacks for Kids
Let’s not forget to include plenty of healthy summer snack ideas. I found three I think are totally kid-friendly and something my own kids are sure to love. Give these a try (the apple cookies are my favorite)!
via Paleo Eats and Treats
A Ton of Other Healthy Kid Snack Ideas
11. Frozen grapes
13. Fruit and cheese kabobs (we’ll opt for dairy-free cheeses)
14. Gluten-free apple cinnamon donut bites
15. Assorted veggie cups with hummus or dressing
16. Classic PB&J sandwiches
18. Popcorn
19. Grilled cheese sandwiches
20. Ants on a log (celery, nut butter, raisins)
22. Applesauce
24. Strawberry and peanut butter roll-ups
25. Hard-boiled eggs
26. Mini pancake bites (prepare ahead of time and keep in freezer!)
27. Frozen banana bites
28. Plain fruit (apples, blueberries, bananas, mangoes, pineapples, pears, grapes, strawberries, 29. Halo oranges, etc) with peanut butter fruit dip
30. Nuts
31. Trail mix
32. Apple chips
33. Sweet potato chips
34. Dried fruit
35. Raisins
36. Muffins
37. Graham crackers and frozen yogurt (you can also get non-dairy yogurts like coconut etc)
38. Veggie straws
39. Yogurt and granola
40. Dairy-free fruit ice cream
41. No bake granola bars
42. Healthier rice krispy treats
43. Fruit smoothies (here are 10 healthy fruit smoothie recipes for kids)
44. Bell peppers and cream cheese (or hummus)
45. Tortilla chips and bean dips
46. Mini pizzas (sliced zucchini, crackers, or bagels topped with marinara sauce and cheese)
Taking Snacks on The Go
Quite a few of these snacks are easy to take with you on the go this summer. You just need to have the right tools!
Using some of these summer snack ideas, make sure you have snack Ziploc bags, water bottles, sandwich containers, and silicone cupcake holders to make on the go snack packs.
Your on the go snack packs could include all of your kid’s favorites — cookies, fruit, trail mix, popcorn, sandwiches, pretzels and more.
If you want to include mess-free condiments in their snack packs, use Jif to go packs and other products like it or purchase condiment containers.
Tips On Getting Your Kids to Eat Healthy Snacks
- Combine fruits and veggies with a healthy fat (avocado, nut butters, yogurt, etc) to give them that whole dipping effect they seem to enjoy and to help them stay full longer.
- Freeze fruit to make frozen slushies, nice creams, sherberts, etc.
- Serve an assortment style type of snack to help picky eaters try new things.
- Prepare snacks ahead of time and organize them so your kids can grab it themselves.
Wrapping Thangs Up
Parents, we can survive the summer with our hangry kids. We just need to stay on top of some good summer snack ideas that not only appeases them but keeps them healthy.
Hopefully, with this list, you have a good idea of where to start. So, take note and next time you’re at the grocery store, buy whatever you need to buy to introduce some of this deliciousness into your kid’s summer.
And bonus points to those of you who use Ibotta to save a little extra money to create these budget-friendly summer snacks. New users can receive $10 for redeeming their first cashback offer. Learn more on how Ibotta works here.