One of the biggest challenges of eating paleo is the loss of convenience foods. As adults, we survive by giving up snacks (it’s better to thoroughly space out our meals anyway), by freezing our own food for quick and easy dinners during the week, by embracing leftovers, and by planning ahead.
But the loss of convenience foods is all the more challenging when it comes to feeding kids. Kids typically need to eat more frequently. They don’t always give us much warning when they’re hungry. And they are apt to have complete meltdowns if food isn’t fast enough when they’re “starving”.
So, what are good snack foods for kids? Well, I guess the short answer is anything they will eat and is easy for you to put in front of them. Since even the word “snack” can mean a variety of things (is it something your kids will eat at the table? in the car? at school? at a picnic?), I decided to assemble a list of ideas to help inspire you. As I tried to decide the best way to present all these ideas, I decided a simple list was best. All of these snacks should be fairly quick and easy to prepare (many of them could be packed for school lunches or snacks out of the house). I’ve also classified my ideas into two categories: “Make Ahead” means that this snack is very easy to grab but you need to have baked or otherwise prepared food ahead of time, and “Super Portable” means that you can easily throw it into a bag or container to eat in the car or stroller. (If you have very young children, make sure you aren’t giving them a snack that is a chocking hazard).
Snack Idea
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Make Ahead
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Super Portable
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NUTS AND SEEDS:
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Almond Butter
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Nuts (Almonds
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X
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Seeds (Sunflower Seeds
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X
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Homemade Trail Mix (just combine your favorite nuts, seeds and dried fruit)
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X
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X
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MEAT AND EGGS
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Leftovers (chicken strips, meatballs, roasted or grilled meat)
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X
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Jerky or Meat Sticks (US Wellness Meats has a variety to choose from)
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X
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Grass-fed Deli Meats (bologna, summer sausage, etc. again, check out US Wellness Meats)
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X
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Pate and Paleo Crackers or Veggies (US Wellness Meats)
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X
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Canned Fish
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Devilled Eggs (with paleo mayo)
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X
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Hardboiled Eggs
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X
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X
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Leftover Scrambled Egg or Omelet
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X
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Grass-fed no-filler hotdogs (Applegate has one as does US Wellness Meats)
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X
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VEGGIES:
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Leftovers (spiced yams, mashed cauliflower, steamed or roasted or grilled veggies, etc.)
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Raw Veggies (broccoli, carrots, celery, avocado, cucumber, tomatoes (yes, I know they are technically a fruit), bell peppers, jicama, cauliflower, spinach, etc.)
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X
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Steamed, Roasted or Grilled Veggies (see my post But I’m Bored of Vegetables for ideas)
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X
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X
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X
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X
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X
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FRUIT:
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Fresh Fruit (apples, bananas, grapes, berries, mango, pineapple, papaya, melons, pears, peaches, apricots, kiwi, oranges, etc.)
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X
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Dried Fruit (Raisins
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X
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X
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Fruit Salad
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SNACK BARS:
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Homemade Fruit and Nut Bars (like my recipe for Chocolate-Date Squares)
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X
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X
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LÄRABARs
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X
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X
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X
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X
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LOWER-SUGAR PALEO BAKING:
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X
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Homemade Fruit and Nut Bars (like my Chocolate-Date Squares)
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X
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X
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Paleo Muffins (carrot-parsnip, broccoli-banana, zucchini, etc)
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X
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X
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Paleo Bread (multigrain, nut-free, yeast-based)
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X
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X
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X
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X
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X
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X
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X
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X
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X
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X
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X
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OTHER:
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Smoothies (with coconut milk or almond milk)
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X
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X
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Particular Easy to Keep Stashed in Your Purse/Diaper Bag: LÄRABARs, Tanka Bars
, Nuts, Coconut, Seeds, Dried Fruit, Fruit Leather
, Freeze-Dried Fruit
(unopened package), Jerky(unopened package)
Some extra options for Lacto-Paleo/Primal Snacks: Cheese Sticks or Slices, Yogurt, Kefir, Freeze-Dried Yoghurt (Happy Baby brand has the least sugar, the best taste, and the most probiotics), Kefir Smoothies (Lifeway Organic ProBug is particularly portable, available at Whole Foods)