If your kiddo heading off to preschool this year and you need preschool snacks, this list of easy ideas has you covered. I aimed to include affordable and easy to eat options that are nut-free and kid-approved!

preschool-snack-assortment-on-countertopPreschool Snacks

Packing a snack for your kiddo is one of those parts of parenting that’s often harder than it seems—especially if you aren’t sure how hungry your kiddo will be or what they might be in the mood for. This list of preschool snack ideas has an assortment of healthy ideas that you can use individually or mix and match to pack a more substantial snack—because some kids are hungrier than others in the afternoon.

TIP: I know that many preschools have parents share snack duty, so this list will give you ideas in that situation too.

examples-of-preschool-snacksPreschool Snack Ideas

My goal with this list is to offer a range of ideas that require little to no prep work on your part, are appropriate for preschoolers from a nutritional and chewing standpoint, and that are foods kids usually like. There’s probably no snack that every single kid will eat, but I did do my best!

TIP: You can do just one of these or a combination of two of the snacks for a balanced snack. If there will be milk served, one snack item may be enough depending on appetite.

  1. Applesauce Mini Muffins
  2. Applesauce pouches
  3. Banana
  4. Banana and graham crackers
  5. Banana Mini Muffins (an easy egg-free choice)
  6. Blueberries
  7. Canned fruit in 100% juice
  8. Cheese stick
  9. Clementines
  10. Cucumbers and puffs
  11. Crackers (cheese crackers or whole grain) and cheese
  12. Crackers and hummus
  13. Dino Bars snack bar
  14. Dried fruit like apples
  15. Dry cereal (Cheerios, Kix, Chex)
  16. Fruit leather and crackers
  17. Kind Kids Granola Bars
  18. Milk and crackers
  19. Milk and or cereal
  20. Mini bagel and cream cheese
  21. Pretzels and cheese
  22. Raisins and sunflower seeds, dry cereal, or slivered cashews (not whole) if nuts are allowed
  23. Sandwich quarter or half
  24. Snap peas and hummus
  25. Snap pea crisps and fruit
  26. Smoothie in reusable pouch
  27. Toddler Trail Mix
  28. Yogurt, drinkable
  29. Yogurt pouch or tube
  30. Cliff Kids Z Bar

TIP: Find my favorite Healthy Snacks to Buy at the Store.

Easy Snacks for School

These foods are great to keep in mind for sending snacks to any school since most kids will be hungry by mid-afternoon. They’re kid-friendly, no matter the age, and can be expanded upon as kids get older.

fruit-cup-and-quarter-sandwich-in-snack-cups

Reusable Snack Containers

These three containers are ones that we’ve used for years and find to be super durable and easy to clean (and the first two are shown in this post).

Replay Stacking Snack Containers (these are the colorful ones shown above) and are sold in a set of 4 containers for $12.99.

Beaba Clip Containers (these are the clear containers shown above with the yellow and blue lids underneath) and are sold in a set of 6 for $14.95.

Bumkins Reusable Bags are great to use instead of plastic bags if you want a reusable option. I mostly rinse ours out but you can also run them through the dishwasher or washing machine. A set of 2 bags is $8.99.

Best Tips for Preschool Snacks

  • Follow guidelines from your preschool or daycare on allergies or any other ingredient recommendations.
  • Aim to include 1-2 food groups for balance and to keep the kids satisfied until the next meal.
  • Trust the kids to eat as much as they need to fill their hunger cues.
  • Remember that it’s okay to keep things simple. You don’t have to make snacks from scratch all the time!
  • Rotate through favorites to expose the kids to a range of nutrients.
  • Feel free to share this list with your preschool or daycare or parents association if you share snack duty with other families.
  • You may also like my Fav Store-Bought Snacks, my Baby Snacks, and my Master List of Healthy Toddler Snacks.

If you have any questions or additions to my list, please comment below. The more I hear from you all, the better I can make my content for your families!

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preschool-snack-assortment-on-countertop

30 Healthy Preschool Snacks (Easy, Nut-Free, Kid-Approved)

Choose 1-2 foods from each category or use inspiration from the combinations in the post. Nutrition will vary based on the foods you choose for snack time.
5 from 10 votes
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 0 minutes
Total Time 5 minutes
Cuisine American
Course Snacks
Calories 125kcal
Servings 2

Ingredients

Shelf-Stable Produce

  • 1 applesauce pouch
  • 1 container canned fruit in 100% juice
  • 1/4-1/2 freeze-dried fruit
  • 1 fruit leather
  • 1/4 cup dried fruit

Fresh Produce

  • 1 banana
  • 1 clementine
  • 1/4-1/2 cup berries
  • 1/4-1/2 cup sliced cucumber
  • 1/4-1/2 cup snap peas
  • 1/4-1/2 cup sliced bell pepper strips
  • 1/4-1/2 cup cherry tomatoes

Whole Grains

  • 1-2 Applesauce Mini Muffins
  • 1- 2 Banana Mini Muffins
  • 2-4 graham crackers
  • 1/4-1/2 cup whole grain crackers
  • 1/4-1/2 cup puffs
  • 1/4-1/2 cup cereal
  • 1 slice whole grain bread
  • 1 mini bagel
  • 1/4-1/2 cup pretzels
  • 1 snack bar

Proteins

  • 1-2 tablespoons hummus
  • 1-2 tablespoons sunflower seeds
  • 1 oz deli lunch meat
  • 1/4-1/2 cup snap pea crisps
  • 1 cheese stick
  • 1 yogurt tube
  • 4-8 oz milk
  • 4-8 oz smoothie
  • 4- 8 oz drinkable yogurt
  • 1/4-1/2 cup cottage cheese

Instructions

  • Choose 1-2 items from the list above. Choose milk or water.
  • Offer to the kids or pack for preschool and let the kids decide how much to eat according to their hunger.

Notes

  • Follow guidelines from your preschool or daycare on allergies or any other ingredient recommendations.
  • Aim to include 1-2 food groups for balance and to keep the kids satisfied until the next meal.
  • Trust the kids to eat as much as they need to fill their hunger cues.
  • Remember that it's okay to keep things simple. You don't have to make snacks from scratch all the time!
  • Rotate through favorites to expose the kids to a range of nutrients.
  • Feel free to share this list with your preschool or daycare or parents association if you share snack duty with other families.

Nutrition

Calories: 125kcal, Carbohydrates: 24g, Protein: 3g, Fat: 2g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 6mg, Sodium: 152mg, Potassium: 300mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 10g, Vitamin A: 130IU, Vitamin C: 5mg, Calcium: 69mg, Iron: 1mg
Tried this recipe?Rate in the comments and tag @yummytoddlerfood on IG!

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Comments

  1. 5 stars
    These are such great after school snack ideas! I am going to try some of these for my kids. They have a pediatric dentist appointment coming up I want to get them in a good routine of having less sugary snacks. Thanks so much!

  2. 5 stars
    Amy,
    Thank you so much for all your hard work! Makes life a lot easier having such great resources available online.
    Lots of blessings to your family!

  3. 5 stars
    Hi

    I was googling for content about healthy school snacks for kids, When i came across your excellent resource page.

    I just wanted to say that your page helped me, I would have never found the resource with out it.

  4. 5 stars
    Love this list! And advice for how to send snacks for the class? At my child’s school we take turns bringing snacks and I would rather not use plastic Ziploc baggies every time, would you buy enough reusable snack containers for the whole class or how would you do it?

    1. You could use a big reusable bag (like one from Stasher) to transport them? I guess you could buy enough containers for each kid, but that seems like a lot to ask for one parent to do!

  5. 5 stars
    Cashews are technically not a nut, they’re a seed. It grows on the cashew fruit (which makes very interesting wine btw!) Great list, this helps! I apparently make over complicated lunches for my son, he would rather I just keep it simple, so these simple snack ideas are perfect for my overthinking brain.

    1. My Animal Crackers recipe should work nicely with a cup-for-cup style of gluten-free flour blend like the one from King Arthur Flour.

      1. It’s not about skipping them if you can’t do them. It’s about your title being misleading. If you are making a nut free snack list then it should not include cashews. Someone who is not aware might send them with their child without knowing. The previous poster was right for posting and letting you know.

    1. You can skip the cashews if you can’t do them! Some schools are just peanut-free, but of course follow your specific guidelines!

      1. It’s not about her sneaking it past anyone. It’s about including a NUT in a post that clearly states: 30 Healthy Preschool Snacks (Easy, Nut-Free, Kid-Approved). They are not all nut free since she is including cashews. If she wants to include them that’s fine but she should edit her title. Too many people take things for face value on the internet and that’s why I pointed it out.

  6. 5 stars
    May I ask what type of containers used for the small snacks? Your website has helped me a lot. Thanks!