Unboxed: 8 healthy, back-to-school snacks for kids
On top of keeping their kids nourished throughout the day, parents want to provide their children with healthy, allergen-free and portable snacks.
Launching this fall at Whole Foods, these gummies are USDA Certified Organic and Non-GMO Project Verified, with no added sugars, artificial colors or flavors. We love that these mango and passionfruit gummies are made with just three simple ingredients: whole fruit (mango and passion fruit) and vitamin C.
These convenient, on-the-go yogurt pouches are packed with probiotics, calcium and vitamins. It comes in three flavors: berry berry, strawberry and mango. It is Certified USDA Organic, Certified Vegan, dairy free, gluten free and soy free. We love that Forager Project sources its cashews from small farmers in Vietnam and the Ivory Coast, where the trees don’t need irrigated water to thrive.
What an ideal on-the-go breakfast! Let’s toast to these convenient kids’ snack bars, which are made with just seven ingredients. This brand is innovating with wholesome, organic ingredients such as dates, coconut milk powder and sunflower seed protein powder and is sweetened with dates and maple syrup. These bars are Certified Gluten-Free, Certified Vegan and USDA Certified Organic.
These bite-size puffs, designed for toddlers who are 12 months or older, are made with organic ingredients including cassava flour, coconut oil, coconut sugar, veggies and fruit powders, with a protein blend made of from organic watermelon and organic pumpkin. The treats—which are USDA Certified Organic, Non-GMO Project Verified, Certified Vegan and Certified Grain Free/Gluten Free—likely would be welcome in any lunch box, even an adult's! We love that Lesser Evil creates snacks made from clean, sustainable ingredients.
These vegan, chocolate-dipped, crisped rice treats are a great school-friendly snack, as they are made without top allergens: nuts, peanuts, dairy, eggs, wheat, soy, sesame and gluten. For nutrition, the bars feature pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds and flax seeds. This healthy alternative brings back the nostalgia of a conventional crispy rice snack.
The secret behind these out-of-this-world, chewy snacks is carrots, sweetened with organic fruit juices—orange and mango, in this case. Each serving of this USDA Certified Organic treat counts for one-fifth of a daily serving of carrots and includes 1,000 micrograms of vitamin A. These allergy-friendly, vegan chews are a great lunchbox treat since they do not have any milk, eggs, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat or soy.
These soft, whole-grain snack bars are Clean Label Project Certified with ingredients such as such as fiber, omega-3s, choline and prebiotics to support a developing brain as well as the gut. With gluten-free oats, puffed quinoa, chia seeds and pea crisps, this is a great allergy-friendly choice. This Certified B Corporation earned a 2022 Good Housekeeping Healthy Snack Award and a 2022 Mindful Award for its Brain Bars.
Else’s innovative super cereal is comprised of nutrient-dense ingredients like almonds and buckwheat. This plant-based cereal is designed for babies 6 months and older. This product received the Clean Label Project Purity Award, which is given to brands that undergo rigorous product testing for over 400 impurities such as arsenic, lead, cadmium, BPA and more. It is USDA Certified Organic, Beyond Soy Certified and Certified Plant Based. We love that this brand’s mission is to serve up a sustainable, dairy-free cereal with clean nutrition.
Else’s innovative super cereal is comprised of nutrient-dense ingredients like almonds and buckwheat. This plant-based cereal is designed for babies 6 months and older. This product received the Clean Label Project Purity Award, which is given to brands that undergo rigorous product testing for over 400 impurities such as arsenic, lead, cadmium, BPA and more. It is USDA Certified Organic, Beyond Soy Certified and Certified Plant Based. We love that this brand’s mission is to serve up a sustainable, dairy-free cereal with clean nutrition.
With another school year beginning, many parents are adding "make lunch" to their weekday to-do lists—and looking for the latest healthy, natural snacks to help their kids thrive throughout the day. Parents are shopping for healthy kids snacks and natural brands to help kids thrive.
When stocking the kids snack aisle, natural retailers might want to remember that parents are looking for products that taste better than most gluten-free brands; feature nutrient-dense seeds; offer plant-based nutrients; and are free from the top allergens, including milk, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts, fish, wheat and soy. Better-for-you options increasingly include seeds as a functional ingredient; pumpkin and watermelon seeds are popular sources of plant-based proteins.
Here’s a gallery of the latest innovations in kids snacks.
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