Healthy Lunchbox Snacks
Healthy lunchbox snacks don’t have to be a headache. This list of easy snacks will get that lunchbox packed quickly and easily.
It’s always a tug of war. You want to give them healthy snacks, and they inevitably want something that most often comes from a vending machine. But the best way to keep them munching on healthy foods is to keep things simple and basic. Oh… and toss in some dipping sauce. That always helps!
HOW TO PACK HEALTHY LUNCHBOX SNACKS
The main thing is to keep thing simple. And the younger your kids are, the more important this becomes. Kids like simplicity when it comes to healthy foods. And the good news is, that makes life much easier on you!
To keep thing efficient, you can purchase produce that is already prepped, and sauces or dressings are easy to make in batches over the weekend. Most will last for the full week without going bad, so that gives the kids healthy dips all week long. Even for after school snacks!
And if you need ideas for after school snacks that won’t ruin dinner, check out these suggestions. Psst… you can use some of these suggestions for filling lunchboxes too!
PROTEIN SNACKS
All protein snacks should be packed with an ice pack against the container to make sure the food stays safe to eat.
- Hard boiled eggs – See instructions below
- Quinoa Mini Muffins
- Deviled eggs – These will require more careful packing
- Tuna salad
- Egg salad
- Mini Egg Muffins
- Cheese Kabobs
VEGGIE SNACKS
- Baby carrots
- Cut red bell peppers
- Cut cucumbers
- Blanched asparagus
- Grape or cherry tomatoes
- Blanched green beans
- Snow peas
- Celery sticks
- Edamame beans
FRUIT SNACKS
- Easy Banana Pudding
- Orange slices
- Bananas
- Cut apples
- Strawberries
- Blackberries
- Blueberries
- Dried cranberries
- Dried apricots
- Tangerines
- Plums
- Nectarines
- Peaches
- Cut pineapple
- Cut mango
HEALTHY CARB SNACKS
- Garlic Parmesan Popcorn
- Brown rice crackers (rice cakes) with healthy toppings
- Lunchbox Spaghetti Cups
- No-Bake Granola Bars
- Goldfish Crackers
- Grain Free Crackers
HEALTHY LUNCHBOX SWEET TREATS
LUNCHBOX DIPS AND SAUCES
- Peanut Sauce
- Lemon Tahini Dressing
- Garlic Lemon Vinaigrette – great for dipping veggies!
- Thousand Island Dressing
- Italian Dressing
- Honey Mustard Dressing
- Ranch Dressing
- Traditional Hummus
- Taco Hummus
- Crock Pot Apple Butter – Great with crackers or sliced fruit!
- Guacamole
HOW TO HARD BOIL AN EGG PROPERLY
- Bring a small pot filled with water to boil.
- Lower 2-3 large eggs, gently into the boiling water.
- Set timer for 11 minutes and continue to cook at a full boil
- Prepare a small ice bath (ice and water in a bowl) for the eggs.
- When done, drain the water and quickly transfer the eggs into an ice bath.
- Let sit for at least 10-15 minutes, or until fully cooled.
- Crack the egg at both of the long ends, and then turn it on it’s side and roll the egg gently on the counter to crack the rest of the shell.
- Remove the shell, cut the egg in half and add to your lunchbox. Store in the fridge if making ahead of time.