15 Healthy Snacks For Lunch Boxes
There are many ways to get nutrition in lunch boxes and make it fun and exciting. If it tastes good, they won’t notice that it is also good for them. Here are a few ideas to run with on healthy snacks to stuff in a lunch box.
1. Homemade trail mix – If kids aren’t allowed to bring nut products to school, do dried fruit and pumpkin or sunflower seeds. Recipes for 5 Ingredient Trail Mixes.
2. Chips & salsa – Always a perennial favorite; you can even make homemade salsa and tortilla chips on the weekend. Recipes: Homemade Corn Tortilla Chips by Butter Believer and Easy Homemade Salsa by Grass Fed Girl
3. Veggies: Cucumber circles, carrot sticks, bell pepper slices, cherry tomatoes. Make it exciting by having a few different ones in the container.
4. Mini kabobs– Use small wooden skewers and thread grapes, small cubes of cheese and leftover ham or chicken. Healthy, tasty and fun.
5. Hummus– This Middle Eastern chickpea dip is super healthy and is another great way to serve up those baby carrots. Dips and kids are always a hit. Recipe: 5-Minute Hummus Recipe from Healy Real Food Vegetarian
6. Tzatziki– Originally from Greece, this garlicky yogurt dip is not for everyone but may just suit your kid’s need for saltiness. Great with sliced cucumbers, pita chips and meatballs. Recipe for Tzatziki Sauce.
7. Cheese – Single serve cheeses are awesome for sticking into lunch boxes.
8. Super Fruit Dip is perfect for dipping any number of fruit you child enjoys. Giving a nice boost of protein.
9. Apple with cinnamon. Cut an apple and sprinkle with cinnamon to avoid it turning brown. If your kids don’t care for cinnamon, just give them a quick dip in salt water and it will look like a fresh cut apple all day long.
10. Fruit medley – More exciting than 1 orange or 1 apple: make a medley of what you have: a strawberry, a few raspberries, some blueberries and a slice or two an orange. Looks much more appetizing!
11. Larabar or your own homemade version. Here is a recipe for apple cinnamon snacks.
12. Yogurt. Avoid heavily sugared (especially high fructose corn syrup) and artificially flavored yogurts. Instead, mix it with fruit and honey or maple syrup. You can place it small reusable containers or freeze it in these for a push pop treat.
13. Tuna or salmon salad with crackers are delicious.
14. Organic freeze dried fruit and fruit leathers– Honestly, these are great, healthy snacks when done right, meaning with organic fruits and no additives.
15. Ants on a Log – A classic snack that everyone enjoys!
More easy meal ideas:
Packing food for lunch seems much healthier than fast foods, which we should probably avoid as much as possible. Good tips.
Sometimes it can get a little boring eating the same combination of foods day after day. Instead of doing the basic sandwich, fruit and juice box why not think of some creative ways to make lunchtime a little more interesting. A great option is to make up small pots of jelly and drop in a few pieces of fresh fruit before it sets. This is almost like digging for treasure! You can also change things up by making a little finger food buffet some days. You could include chicken strips, cherry tomatoes, cubes of cheese and some bread sticks.