Healthy Lunchbox Snacks for School: 3 Recipes
Feeding kids is a never-ending chore. Meal-snack-meal-snack-snack-meal-snack-bed and repeat.
And then there’s the lunchbox, which often returns home untouched! Kids demand fruit roll-ups, Goldfish, and Uncrustables like all of their friends. But maybe sometimes you want to add in a homemade snack with a bit of extra nutrition (and love!).
In this blog, I’ll share my favourite homemade lunchbox snack recipes – that are good for any time of the day, really.
Balanced Snack Ideas
When packing a lunch kit or offering your child a snack at home, offer two food groups. Rather than just crackers, add some cheese. Rather than just vegetables, add a hummus dip! This will ensure your child has more changes to get in the nutrients they need throughout the day.
Here are a few simple ideas for you if you’ve run out of snack ideas:
1) Peanut butter on crackers
2) Boiled egg and fruit
3) Berries and yogurt
4) Muffin (recipe below) and dried fruit
5) Veggies and hummus dip
6) Energy balls with nuts and fruit (see recipe below)
Below, I’ll share some of my favourite snack recipes. Of course, if you have the patience, get your kids to help. But mom’s mental sanity always comes first 😉
Healthy Lunchbox Snack Recipes
Apricot Oatmeal Bran Muffin
Equipment
- 2 muffin tins lightly greased or lined with paper cups
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup wheat bran
- 1/2 cup boiling water
- 1.5 cups whole wheat flour
- 1 cup quick-cooking rolled oats
- 1/3 cup wheat germ
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup lightly packed brown sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 cup buttermilk or 1 cup milk + 1tbsp lemon juice or vinegar,
- 1/3 cup canola oil
- 1 cup chopped dried apricots
Instructions
- In a small bowl, stir together wheat bran and boiling water; set aside.
- In a large bowl, combine flour, oats, wheat germ, baking soda and salt.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together brown sugar, egg, buttermilk and oil until blended. Pour over flour mixture, along with bran mixture, and stir until just combined. Fold in apricots.
- Divide batter evenly among prepared muffin cups. Bake in preheated oven for 16 to 18 minues or until a toothpick inserted in the centre of a muffin comes out clean. Leat cool in pans on wire rac for 10 mnutes, then transfer to rack to cool completely.
Prune Energy Balls
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup almonds or walnuts or a mixture
- 1 cup prunes dates could work too
- 1/4 cup chia seeds
- 2 tbsp cocoa powder
- 2 tbsp smooth nut butter
- coconut oil to blend
- 1/3 cup shredded coconut
Instructions
- Place nuts in a bowl of a food processor with a knife blade and blitz for 10 seconds.
- Add prunes, chia, cocoa and nut butter and blend until smooth.
- Add a small amount of coconut oil, a few drops at a time, until the mixture is sticky, and holds its shape when you roll a small amount between your fingers.
- Take a tablespoon (15mL) of the mixture and roll into a ball. Continue creating balls until the mixture is all gone.
- Place the coconut onto a small plate and roll balls into the coconut, to coat.
- Place balls in an air-tight container in the fridge. They will keep for up to a week.
Chocolate Chip Chickpea Cookies
Equipment
- 1 stand mixer or hand mixer
Ingredients
- 1 15oz can chickpeas or 1.5 cups cooked
- 3/4 cup brown sugar
- 3/4 cup butter or coconut oil, softened
- 1 egg
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup whole wheat flour
- 1/2 cup old fashioned oats
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 3/4 cup chopped nuts, of choice optional
- 3/4 cup raisins optional
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare baking sheets with non-stick cooking spray or parchment paper.
- In a stand mixer, beat sugar and butter or coconut oil until smooth.
- Beat in egg, vanilla and chickpeas. Mix to your liking for the chickpea consistency.
- In a separate bowl, mix together: flour, oats, baking soda and salt.
- Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture and mix on low speed until a thick dough forms.
- Add the chocolate chips, and other optional ingredients.
- Drop the dough by rounded tablespoons onto baking sheets leaving some space between each cookie.
- Using a fork, or the palm of your hand, gently flatten the tops of each dough ball.
- Bake for 11-13 minutes, or until golden brown. Do not overbake.
- Transfer to wire rack and cool.
Founder of First Step Nutrition | Registered Dietitian Nutritionist
Jen believes raising happy, well-nourished eaters who have a healthy relationship with food doesn't have to be a battle! She is an author and speaker with 18 years of experience specializing in family nutrition and helps parents teach their kids to try new foods without yelling, tricking, or bribing.
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