Come check out what household of 3 active kids is loving for packaged pantry snacks!
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What a SUMMER!
We had a such a blast this summer! My older 2 headed back to high school this week, and my youngest starts middle school on Tuesday, which means I’ve been pulling out all of my back to school posts. One of the posts that always seems to need an update every year or so is the pantry snacks post! We discover brand new products over the course of a school year, and also find new favorites that my growing kids get into!
Real fuel without the burn-out
I am a huge advocate for moms doing the real food thing in a way that is sustainable. Meaning…we need to be able to make this happen all school year long. Not just the first couple weeks. I love a good homemade snack! In fact, there are a good handful of fun, handmade snacks on the blog here! But, my experience has been that hand making everything on the menu is a one way ticket to burn out. There needs to be some balance.
Is there really such a thing as a clean ingredient packaged snack?
Thankfully, with every year that passes, food companies are noticing us! You know…the “crunchy moms.” The ones that look at a label and either keep it or set it back down! The clean ingredient snack options today compared to when my girls were little is incredible! Having a handful of packaged snack options that have fantastic ingredient lists is absolutely a game changer for those with busy schedules and active kids.
Let’s check out what my kids have been loving for pantry snacks lately!
Also! There is a FREE pantry snack list at the bottom! You can post the list in your pantry and use the QR Codes to order super fast when favorite snacks are running out!
Aloha Organic Protein Bars
Both the kids and mom and dad have been reaching for these Aloha protein bars for a bridge in between meals. They come in full sized bars, and also minis. I like keeping the minis on hand so that dinner isn’t ruined, though with a house full of teenagers, that is not usually the case!
Organic Fruit Pouches
You really can find fruit pouches just about anywhere these days! I like the cost effectiveness of grabbing the fruit pouches at Costco or Sam’s Club. I try to stick to organic since a lot of the fruits used are on the dirty dozen, but do what you can! My cross country runners use them as a quick energy hit before a race, and my youngest will use them in between rotations for long, 4 hour gymnastics practices. You can round these out to make a balanced snack with some protein from a meat stick or a handful of nuts if packing this for school snack.
That’s It Fruit Bars
These fruit bars are another Costco staple that my girls use as a quick energy hit before or during a long practice. Just a bar of dried fruit, these cutie little bars pack up so easily and you can pair them with something fat or protein rich to balance the snack for school. A cheese stick or meat stick are good options.
Grassfed Beef Sticks
Finding quality meat sticks when my girls were little was so hard! These days, you can find them just about everywhere. I like the cost savings from getting larger packs of them from Costco or Sam’s Club, but price check where you live, and get what works for you!
RX Protein Bars
We first found these easy protein bars at Sam’s Club a couple years ago, and my crew loves them! Just simple ingredients and easy to pack. I will give one little caution – if you have teens with braces, these do not work well! The bars stick to the brackets a bit, making it harder for kids with braces to manage in our experience!
RX Nut Butter & Oat Bars
If your crew needs more of a energy/carbohydrate hit for more active schedules, or just needs more of a granola bar type texture, these nut butter and oat RX bars are a great match. These taste so good, and they are also less sticky to chew for any kids with braces! These pack up nicely and don’t have any pieces of chocolate to melt if the backpack gets left in the sun too long at practice!
Seven Sunday’s Cereal Snackies
Costco carries these cereal snack packs here and there, and they really are so convenient. I tend to be a penny pincher and just buy the bigger bags of the Seven Sunday’s Cereal and scoop handfuls out into snack boxes, but these grab and go bags are so nice. It has a great ingredient list, and super kid friendly taste.
Lark Ellen Farm Sprouted Trail Mix
Trail mix is easy enough to make on your own, but this bagged trail mix a great option to have on hand when life gets away from you! Sprouted even! Keep some snack boxes on hand for the kids to grab a quick handful to keep in their bag!
Justin’s Nut Butter Pouches
My kids use these nut butter pouches to squeeze out for apple slices or banana! I love packing these with banana chips or apple chips too. The chips make packing easier than fresh bananas to avoid squishing bananas or apple slices going bad if they aren’t all eaten. My high schoolers sometimes use these just on their own as a quick fat/protein snack in between classes at school.
Noka Superfood Smoothie Pouches
Smoothie on the go?! Yes please! Perfect for those days when the kids are gone most of the day! I like to keep some in the freezer so that they can be an ice pack for a lunch or snack box. They thaw out by the time the kids want to eat them. My kids do enjoy them room temp or cold. If your kids like them cold, freezing is the way to go.
IQ Protein Bars
These little IQ Protein Bars are another Costco/Sam’s Club find that my kids have really enjoyed! They are easy to eat and taste great!
The New Primal Snack Mates Mini Meat Sticks
These were the meat sticks I bought for the girls when they were little – they were about the only option around back then! They still really love them and they are the perfect size for younger kids. These taste great too! When the girls were little, I used to pack a small meat stick like this with a clementine or some dates to balance the snack.
Helena’s Hummus On The Go Pouches
If you have kids that love hummus, these are a great, clean ingredient hummus in a convenient pouch for on the go! I love that they use clean olive oil versus seed oils! Pack these up with the kids’ favorite cracker and snack time is a breeze!
Chia Squeeze Pouches
These little chia squeeze pouches have been staples in our house for years as well. All 3 of my kids still grab for them! It’s a great way to get some hydration, fiber, and energy into them!
BeeFree Warrior Bites
I was trying to find these little Wella Super Bites that I get at Sam’s Club. They come in a nice big bag with a great price! But, they don’t come that way on Amazon, and seem to only be available at Sam’s! I found something super similar that has a fantastic ingredient list too though! These BeeFree Warrior Bites are the perfect handful for a snack box. They can keep the box in their practice bag or backpack for school too.
FREE Snack List Printable!
I know how busy things get! I just hate those days when the kids say “Where did all the (fill in whatever their fav snack is) go?!?!? Post this great snack list up in the pantry so that you can easily find and scan whatever snacks need to be replaced!
well that was fast! Thanks for posting, this is exactly what I was looking for!
p.s. Nourished Mornings is excellent l, our family has already cooked through 1/4 of it.
Allegra
Ha! I really loved this idea and it was so relevant with back to school and filling up my own pantry! I’m glad it helped! I’m also so glad you’ve been enjoying the cookbook!