With the new school year approaching, having healthy snacks readily available can help children stay energized and focused throughout the day. Because snacks often make up a significant portion of a child’s daily food intake, it’s important to choose options that provide essential nutrients. Focus on snacks that include fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and low-fat or fat-free dairy products to support healthy growth and development.
Snacks are also a great opportunity to build lifelong healthy eating habits. Try some of these simple snack ideas that are approximately 100 calories or less:
Fruits
- 1 small banana
- 1 medium apple
- ¼ cup raisins
- 1 cup of strawberries
- ½ cup fruit cocktail packed in juice (not syrup)
- ½ cup orange juice
- 1 small pear
- 1 medium peach
- 1 cup watermelon cubes
- 1 cup cantaloupe cubes
- 1 cup honeydew melon
- 15 grapes
- 1 small orange or mandarin
- 1 kiwi
- ½ cup unsweetened applesauce
- ½ cup pineapple chunks
- ½ cup blueberries
- ½ cup raspberries
- ½ cup blackberries
- ½ grapefruit
Vegetables
- 1 cup of cherry or grape tomatoes
- 2 cups of raw mixed vegetables with 2 tablespoons fat-free dressing
- 12 baby carrots
- 18 small celery sticks
- 1 cup raw cauliflower
- 1 cup low-sodium vegetable juice
- 1 cup cucumber slices
- 1 cup of bell pepper strips
- 1 cup of snap peas
- 1 cup broccoli florets
- 1 cup jicama sticks
- 1 cup of zucchini slices
- ½ cup salsa with veggie sticks
Whole Grains
- ½ cup oat circle cereal
- 2 graham cracker squares
- 3 cups of air-popped popcorn
- ½ whole-wheat English muffin with jelly
- 4 unsalted whole-wheat crackers
- 2 brown rice or multigrain rice cakes
- 1 mini whole-wheat pita
- ½ cup cooked oatmeal
- 1 slice whole-wheat toast
- 1 small whole-grain tortilla
- 1 cup whole-grain cereal
Low-Fat or Fat-Free Dairy
- 6-ounce cup fat-free plain yogurt
- ½ cup low-fat cottage cheese
- 1 cup of fat-free milk
- ½ cup fat-free pudding
- ½ cup fat-free frozen yogurt
- 1-ounce low-fat cheddar cheese
- 1 light string cheese
- ¾ cup low-fat yogurt
- ½ cup ricotta cheese with fruit
- 1 ounce part-skim mozzarella cheese
Other Healthy Snacks
- 1 large, hard-boiled egg
- 8 baked tortilla chips with salsa
- 10 almonds
- 12 pistachios
- 1 tablespoon peanut butter with celery sticks
- 2 tablespoons hummus with vegetables
- 1 tablespoon sunflower seeds
- 10 cashews
- 1-ounce roasted chickpeas
- 1 tablespoon pumpkin seeds
Making smart snack choices can help children get the nutrients they need while developing healthy habits that can last a lifetime.
Shakera Williams, DrHSc, MPH, Associate Extension Agent – Nutrition and Community Health, (Flavors of Health and CDC-HOP) Webster Parish Chair, Webster, Claiborne, and Lincoln parishes
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