5 Healthy Snacks for Kids Going Back to School

It is that time of year again! Kids are going back to school, or home schooled. Regardless, their days are becoming more structured. With this comes snack times. It is easy to reach down the aisle and pack your kid's lunches with what is convenient. Gushers, mini bags of chips, granola bars, fruit cups, maybe thrown in an apple with a side of caramel dip and call it a “healthy” snack.  

All these easy snacks are full of processed ingredients and sugar, so be careful because sometimes even if it says “reduced” sugar they are telling you the truth but it doesn’t mean that the snack is healthy. Here are a few yummy treats to pack in your kids' lunches that they are sure to enjoy!

• Vegetables/fruit and hummus: this may seem like a weird combination. Fruit and hummus but there are so many types of hummus out there! I like to pair apples with dark chocolate hummus (Fontaine Sante is my choice). It is phenomenal! If your kid isn't a fan of one flavor keep trying until you find one, or even better, make your own!  
• Coconut chips: these are a little more on the pricey side but they are a good sweet and crunchie alternative to a small bag of chips! Again, there come in different flavors, just make sure the brand that you buy is school friendly. I prefer the Bare brand 😊  
• Homemade granola: this is actually one of the easiest things to make, not to mention delicious. By making these at home YOU control what goes into the granola bars, limiting the amount of processed ingredients that you kids will be eating! Pinterest is an AWESOME resource for recipes 😊 
• Dried fruit: this is a great substitute for gushers. Yes, they are still on the higher side of sugar but they are better than eating a bag of gushers because they are a more natural source.  
• Apple sauce: instead of fruit cups try sugar free applesauce, most kids don’t even know the difference unless they are told. If they do notice, try adding some cinnamon as a sugar alternative!  

I hope that these tips help you make better decisions when choosing your child's lunch snacks. Or enjoy them yourselves, I know that I will be 😊