From packing lunchboxes to afternoon snacks, a mom has always got to have her snack-game ready! I’m all for easy, practical, homemade recipes to help our kids snack well. Some of our family’s favorites include Anytime Chocolate Chip Cookies, Sourdough Breakfast Brownies, and Apple Pie Energy Balls. But sometimes you just can’t do homemade. So, let’s get SUPER practical. What are your best options for kids’ snacks that you can grab from Wal-Mart? I’m so glad you asked!
1. MADE GOOD MINI GRANOLAS
These are a favorite for my kids! These Made Good Mini Granolas come in multiple flavors, and they are perfect for tossing in a lunch box. They are certified organic and certified nut-free, if your school requires nut-free foods. They come in a small, 0.85 oz bag. They even contain a full serving of vegetables thanks to the vegetable extracts used.
2. STONYFIELD YOGURT CUPS
When it comes to healthy snack options, yogurt always makes the list. But it is kind of shocking what they put in some brands of yogurt! While these cups still contain 9 g sugar each, that’s about 25% less than you’ll find in most pre-packages kids yogurt. It is also a good option because it contains 6 strains pf probiotics, which can help build gut health. And good gut bacteria can aid in a strong immune system!
3. GREAT VALUE STRING CHEESE
Wal-Mart doesn’t carry an organic string cheese option, so we have to settle for conventional when we shop at Wal-Mart. Their Great Value brand string cheese doesn’t contain any weird ingredients, so it still makes a pretty good snack. With 7 g protein and almost no extra sugar, I’d say that these are worth grabbing!
4. CLIF KIDS Z BARS
These Clif Kids bars are probably my kids’ very favorite packaged snacks. They come in a variety of flavors like Iced Oatmeal, Chocolate Brownies, and more. I love that they don’t contain any High Fructose Corn Syrup, and they are certified organic. They offer a good source of fiber, but it should also be noted that they contain 11 g of sugar. Moms will want to factor that sugar content into their overall daily consumption. These make great breakfast bars for something quick, and they are 1.2 oz bars.
5. UNCURED DELI MEATS
I love offering uncured deli meats as a snack. They really pack in the extra protein while limiting extra carbs and sugar. The good news about uncured meats is that they don’t contain nitrates or nitrites, which are both linked to cancer (source). They also usually don’t use carrageenan, which is linked to diabetes concerns (source). Sometimes we will wrap a couple of pieces of ham around a stick of string cheese for quick high-protein snacks.
6. SIMPLE MILLS CRACKERS
Everyone’s favorite snacks are always crackers. Whether you prefer simple salted crackers or cheesy crackers, Simple Mills is a great option. They don’t contain any concerning ingredients, and they are also free of artificial flavors and colors
7. BOILED EGGS
There is no snack better than real, whole foods, which is why boiled eggs made the list! They make a great, protein-rich snack (6 g protein per egg!) with no sugar. Eggs make the perfect keto food, too. If you simply don’t have time to boil them yourself, you can buy pre-boiled eggs from Wal-Mart. But with a cheap egg-cooker like this one, you can boil a dozen cage-free, farm-fresh eggs in no time. Sprinkle them with a little sea salt or Himalayan pink salt, and they make a great addition to your snack line up!
8. SIETE CHIPS
Siete has a great selection of tortilla chips! They are cooked in avocado oil rather than seed oils, offering healthy fats. They have a variety of flavored snack chips like sea salt, lime, and nacho cheese. We’ve loved every flavor we’ve tried. And if you’re looking for gluten-free snacks, Siete chips check that box, too!
9. FISHER DRY ROASTED CASHEWS
Beware of bad nuts! It may seem like all nuts make a great snack time choice, but that’s NOT the case! Most nut options are cooked in seed oils. That’s why I love these Fisher Dry-Roasted Cashews. They only have two ingredients…cashews and salt. And they are yummy! These cashews are a great salty snack to keep in your car or desk drawer for an emergency. They will stay fresh for a long time in a Ziploc bag.
10. DAVE’S SNACK BITES
I love making my homemade Chocolate Chip Superfood Energy Balls or my Apple Pie Energy Balls, but if I need to buy something store-bought, these Dave Snack Bites make a great choice. They don’t contain any artificial sweeteners, and they can help satisfy that sweet tooth. They are even certified organic! They come in yummy flavors like chocolate peanut butter and cinnamon roll.
11. BOBO’S OAT BITES
These soft baked granola bars come in many flavors like strawberry and chocolate chip. The ingredient list is clean and fairly simple. They’ll make a great, packable snack for kiddos!
12. THAT’S IT FRUIT BARS
These fruit bars are great because they only contain fruit, that’s it! There is no added sugar like you’ll find in many fruit pouches or diced fruit cups, which is awesome.
13. APPLES AND QUALITY PEANUT BUTTER
You can buy pre-sliced organic apples and quality peanut for a delicious, dippable snack! Remember, apples are usually on the EWG’s Dirty Dozen list, meaning it is best to buy organic apples to avoid pesticides. Also, I’d skip the peanut butter to-go cups, and scoop out your own high-quality peanut butter. Peanut butter can hide all sorts of seed oils, sugars, and other unwanted ingredients. Stick with a simple one that just contains peanuts and maybe a little salt. This Great Value Organic Peanut Butter is one good option.
14. CHOMPS BEEF STICKS
Chomps make another great high-protein choice! This beef jerky contains grass-fed beef and 10 grams of protein, which is a nice chunk of daily protein. This is an especially great snack to offer right before a sports practice.
15. LESSER EVIL POPCORN
For those looking for a crunchy snack, check out Lesser Evil Popcorn. It only has 3 ingredients…popcorn, coconut oil, and salt. No seed oils to be found! It is also low calorie. Each 4.6 ounce bag only has about 120 calories.
So there you have it…15 healthy snacks you can grab at Wal-Mart for your bottomless pits (a.k.a. always hungry kiddos)!
