Kid Snacks (and Snacks for Grown-Ups Too)

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	Make Ahead	Super Portable
NUTS AND SEEDS:
Almond Butter or Other Nut or Seed Butters (by the spoonful, spread on paleo bread, spread on paleo crackers, spread on celery, or with apples for dipping),
Nuts (Almonds, Cashews, Walnuts, Pecans, Macadamias, Pistachios, Hazelnuts, Brazil Nuts, etc.)
Fresh Coconut or Coconut Flakes/Chips		X
Seeds (Sunflower Seeds, Pumpkin Seeds, etc.)		X
Homemade Trail Mix (just combine your favorite nuts, seeds and dried fruit)	X	X
Homemade Paleo Granola
Paleo Porridge
MEAT AND EGGS
Leftovers (chicken strips, meatballs, roasted or grilled meat)	X
Jerky or Meat Sticks (US Wellness Meats has a variety to choose from)		X
Grass-fed Deli Meats (bologna, summer sausage, etc.  again, check out US Wellness Meats)		X
Pate and Paleo Crackers or Veggies (US Wellness Meats)	X
Canned Fish (don’t laugh, but my 2-year old LOVES Brisling Sardines), Smoked Fish or Jerky
Devilled Eggs (with paleo mayo)	X
Hardboiled Eggs	X	X
Leftover Scrambled Egg or Omelet	X
Grass-fed no-filler hotdogs (Applegate has one as does US Wellness Meats)		X
VEGGIES:
Leftovers (spiced yams, mashed cauliflower, steamed or roasted or grilled veggies, etc.)
Raw Veggies (broccoli, carrots, celery, avocado, cucumber, tomatoes (yes, I know they are technically a fruit), bell peppers, jicama, cauliflower, spinach, etc.)		X
Steamed, Roasted or Grilled Veggies (see my post But I’m Bored of Vegetables for ideas)	X	X
Veggies (raw or blanched) and Paleo Dip (guacamole, ranch dip, etc.)
Olives or Pickles (even better if you make your own!)		X
Kale chips
Sweet Potato Chips	X	X
FRUIT:
Fresh Fruit (apples, bananas, grapes, berries, mango, pineapple, papaya, melons, pears, peaches, apricots, kiwi, oranges, etc.)		X
Dried Fruit (Raisins, Dried Cranberries, Dried Apricots, Unsweetened Banana Chips, Dried Papaya, Dried Mango, Dried Blueberries, Dates, Dried Figs, etc.), including no sugar added Fruit Leather		X
Freeze-Dried Fruit (Strawberries, Blueberries, Grapes, Peaches, Apricot, Kiwi, Papaya, Banana, Mango, Brothers-ALL-Natural Fuji Apple Crisps, 0.35-Ounce Bags (Pack of 24), Crunchy N Yummy Organic Freeze Dried Fruit Pineapple ( Pack of 6)etc.)		X
Fruit Salad
SNACK BARS:
Homemade Fruit and Nut Bars (like my recipe for Chocolate-Date Squares)	X	X
LÄRABARs (Read the ingredients list because some flavors contain peanuts)		X
Tanka Bars		X
Paleo Granola Bars	X	X
LOWER-SUGAR PALEO BAKING:
Almond Coconut Bars	X
Homemade Fruit and Nut Bars (like my Chocolate-Date Squares)	X	X
Paleo Muffins (carrot-parsnip, broccoli-banana, zucchini, etc)	X	X
Paleo Bread (multigrain, nut-free, yeast-based)	X	X
Paleo Club Crackers	X	X
Paleo Graham Crackers	X	X
Cinnamon “French Toast” Flat-Bread	X	X
Simple Chocolate-Coconut Bars	X	X
Pumpkin Spice Dehydrator Cookies	X
OTHER:
Smoothies (with coconut milk or almond milk)		X
Coconut Milk Kefir “Yogurt”	X

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)