10 frugal and filling snack ideas for hungry kids
Reader Monica recently left a comment asking for frugal and filling snack ideas for her kids so that she can keep them full between meals (without them resorting to cold cereal, which doesn't keep them satisfied for long).
So Monica, this is for you!
Fat, protein, and fiber are super helpful for keeping away hunger pangs, so if you look for snack foods with those qualities, you're going to have much better luck with keeping your kids full than you would if you served them, say, pretzels.
At first glance, it seems cheaper to go the pretzel route, but spending a little more on foods with fat, protein, and fiber should be cheaper in the long run because it takes less of these foods to satisfy hunger overall.
1. Granola bars
Granola bars do have sugar in them, but the good ones also have plenty of whole grains and fat, which offer some staying power. Plus, they're easy to grab and go.
You can buy granola bars, of course, but it's also not very hard to make a pan of them yourself.
In fact, you could make two pans of bars and freeze half.
Here's an orange coconut granola bar recipe, and here's another you can make with raisins or chocolate chips.
2. Granola
Hungry teens and kids can go through several bowls of Chex or corn flakes and be hungry again in an hour.
A bowl of granola is going to stick with them a lot longer, though!
If you'd like to try making your own (SO much cheaper than store bought), give this recipe a try. It makes really clumpy granola, which is awesome, AND you do not have to stir it while it bakes.
(I haaaate stirring granola while it bakes!)
3. Trail mix
Trail mix is just as easy to snack on as crackers or pretzels, but because it has nuts, it's full of fat, protein, and fiber.
Your kids might not be super keen on some of the weird trail mixes available, but the sort with nuts, raisins, and M&Ms is perennially popular.
And trail mix is super easy to make yourself...just dump the ingredients together and you're good to go.
4. Hard-boiled eggs
These are not exactly a traditional snack food, but if your kids like hard-boiled eggs, cook up a dozen of them so that they're ready to go.
5. String Cheese or cheese cubes
A block of cheese isn't a very teen-friendly snack (most kids won't bother with slicing!), but string cheese is a little more appealing, and if you buy it at a warehouse store or at Aldi, it's pretty affordable.
It does have more packaging than regular cheese, though, so if that bothers you, you could slice cheese into sticks yourself.
Or you can cut cheese into cubes.
If you go the DIY route, make sure to store the cheese in a clear container in your fridge so that your kids will remember it's there.
6. Produce with a dip
While produce is a super healthy thing to eat, on its own, it won't keep your kids full for very long.
Pairing it with a dip can help a whole lot. Ranch dressing is easy to eat with veggies, and hummus is also a good option.
If your kids are more into fruit, consider making a fruit dip. The fruit dip is going to have some sugar, yes, but it also has a respectable amount of fat and protein.
(Try this fruit dip recipe from my friend Kate. It's a lot less sugary than the fruit dip that calls for marshmallow creme!)
Bananas and nut butter also make a filling combo. I just cut bananas into chunks and put a dab of peanut butter onto each chunk.
Nut butter + apples is also great, as is cheese with apples.
7. Muffins
Continuing with the easy-to-grab-when-you're-hungry theme: bake some muffins.
If you're trying to lose weight, muffins aren't a really great option because they tend to be fairly calorie-dense.
But if you're feeding an active, hungry teenager, it's not like you've got to spend a lot of time worrying about caloric density!
Prepared muffins from the grocery store are pretty processed and they tend to be very high in sugar. Luckily, muffins are crazy easy to make at home, and if you make a large batch, you can freeze a bunch of them for future snacking.
Try these pumpkin/sweet potato chocolate chip muffins or these banana chocolate chip muffins.
8. Cheese Tortillas/Quesadillas
I know hungry teens won't want to spend a lot of time cooking, but this really takes a minimum of effort.
Get a small flour tortilla, sprinkle some shredded cheddar on top, and microwave for 30 seconds, or until the cheese is melted. Roll it up enchilada-style, and enjoy.
Or if your kids are a little more motivated (or you feel like cooking a snack for them) heat a pan on the stovetop. Sprinkle half of a tortilla with cheese, fold in half, and cook for a few minutes on each side, until the cheese is melted.
9. A bowl of oatmeal
If your kids are fans of cold cereal for a snack, see if they'll consider switching to oatmeal at least part of the time.
Compared to most cold cereals, oatmeal is better for sticking to the ribs, and it's usually cheaper too.
To make oatmeal kid/teen friendly without resorting to the purchased packets (those are no cheaper than cold cereal), make a big batch of homemade instant oatmeal packets.
You can switch up the flavoring to provide some variety, and if you want to add some fat, top the oatmeal with cream or butter.
(I personally love oatmeal with some peaches and a bit of heavy cream.)
10. Ham and egg muffin cups
These have all the portability of muffins, but they're savory instead of sweet. And you can make them ahead of time for reheating when hunger strikes.
Here's an option that has eggs, ham, and bread.
Here's another option that doesn't require bread.
And there's a paleo version as well. (though they call for prosciutto, which is pretty crazy expensive. Sub ham to cut costs.
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Aaaand, that's ten! I hope this list helps you fill up your kiddos without blowing your grocery budget.
Readers, I'm sure there are more filling and frugal snack ideas that I've neglected to mention. Add your suggestions in the comments for fellow parents of hungry people!
P.S. I'd be remiss if I neglected to point out that homemade bread and rolls make a pretty great snack. And they are really frugal. But I totally understand that most people won't want to bother with making yeast bread, which is why it didn't earn a spot on the list.
P.P.S. I started writing this post when Monica's question came in as a comment, and when I went back to look at the comments later on, I saw that a lot of you made similar suggestions to the ones I included in this post. Great minds think alike, O fellow frugal people!
I'm shocked you didn't put yogurt on your list. 🙂 Cheese, nuts, fruit, and yogurt (plain, full-fat, with some fruit and honey or jam stirred in) are pretty much all my kids ever get for snacks. I'm probably the most unfun mom ever, but I find that this way, I'm not constantly feeding them. Of course, the oldest is still only 7 and I have three boys with another baby (sex unknown as of yet) on the way, so I imagine that won't last long . . .
I just jumped on to say the same thing. I have a batch of yogurt on the stove right now, and it is one of my favorite snacks for my kids at bedtime because it sticks with them.
I agree. I love plain yogurt with frozen berries and granola. I really enjoy prepping this every morning and taking it to work. Plus, it's low calorie!
One our of common snacks is simply leftovers from the previous meal. My kids eat lunch, then later in the afternoon if they're hungry again, they eat the leftovers from lunch. Super easy, healthy and helps keep us from having wasted food.
I don't have any more tips, but wanted to say thanks because I have two growing kiddos (10 and 8 years) who are eating me out of house and home right now. We need some healthier options for them indeed. I'll be trying a few of these recipes!
Thanks!
~Jenny
http://www.introvertsguidetosobriety.com/food/4-things-that-ive-learned-by-not-dining-out/
What a great list! I think I am going to take some of these ideas for our family (2 adults + 1 toddler). The ham and egg muffin cups look delicious 🙂
Quesadillas are one of my husband's favorite snacks, and super easy for him to make himself!
Yesterday I made Morning Glory Muffins from the King Arthur flour site. They were really good which surprised me because they were made with all whole wheat flour. I used chopped carrots and apple, cranraisian which soaked in water(substituted for orange juice) and flak seeds, along with reducing the sugar.
This seems like a very versatile recipe that can be made with what is on hand plus it is filling.
This is one of my favorite muffin recipes. My nieces think they're dessert muffins; I haven't told them there's almost as much carrot in them as w w flour. BTW, the muffins will be more tender, and more like a baked good made with white flour, if you use the OJ. The OJ does something to/with the w w flour.
Alrighty...I'm gonna have to try those!
I don't often buy orange juice, so decided to try the water. As I said it seems to be a recipe that is versatile. I also substitute the extract by using 1 teaspoon of vanilla and 1 teaspoon of coconut (the end of a bottle). Tried it again with orange and vanilla extract.
A tip I read, maybe at the KA site said to remove the muffins from the pan immediately after they come out of the oven to cool on a wire rack. I found this helps with tenderness and gets rid of that chewy crust. I bake muffins in fiesta ware ramekins using two scoops of batter.
When I am really on the ball I will make an extra pot of potato soup (a favorite with two of my boys) and just put it in the fridge. Between the two of them and lunches for my husband it disappears in no time. Frugal, filling and nutritious. To make it last for the teenagers, I put chopped hard boiled eggs in it for protein.
Yogurt and nuts (I know nuts don't seem frugal, but I buy them at Aldi and you really don't need many to feel satisfied) are favorites for me.
Thank you. I keep forgetting what to feed my children for snacks. These types of posts are useful reminders.
What a great list! I only have a 3 year old and a husband to worry about with snacking...it doesn't quite compare to teenage boys!
Granola bars and dehydrated fruits are a staple in our house for snacks. We also regularly have popcorn. My husband raves about Clif bars. They are not so frugal, coming in at $1 each, but they will satiate his appetite for HOURS!
I also make quesadillas and freeze them - they hold up well, are easy to microwave and you can hide a bunch of different veggies in them...
These are awesome ideas! I just made homemade granola for the first time last week and I'm never getting storebought again. It was a buttered pecan granola and ho-ly cow is it delicious. It has less sugar and costs much less than packaged granola.
I like to stuff dates with dark chocolate chips. It's super sweet and kiddos go nuts for them.
We always have nuts (pistachios or almonds), different kind of fruits and homemade oatmeal cookies at home. Our one daughter though is not a huge fan of eating nuts, so she either chooses fruits or oatmeal cookies. I rarely give them sugary snacks (juice drinks, chocolates, store-bought cookies, etc.) as sugar triggers hunger.
We like to drink chia seeds in our water/juice- that helps keep us full and adds fiber and good omegas to our diets! Even my five year old loves it!
Thank you so much for this post! Actually, we do use a lot of these suggestion already- especially the granola bars and granola (I use your no stir clumpy recipe !). I do make yogurt too - my older son eats 16 oz at a time so I had to start making it to remain sane! He often puts granola on top of plain yogurt. I appreciate all of your suggestions and those in the comments!
Isn't it great to not have to stir the granola while it bakes? So awesome.
And a brief update on the way my life goes: I made a double batch (using 6 cups of oats) of no stir granola yesterday morning, with nuts and raisins, before I went to work (and after the boys left for school). When I came out to the kitchen this morning I saw the now EMPTY container sitting on the counter...lasted 12 hours!
I don't think "snack" was in my brother's vocabulary when he was a teenager. He'd eat 2 breakfasts before school, a whole sandwich and orange during break and that again at lunch. Before sports' practice he'd eat more sandwich and fruit and scarf down dinner when he got home and eat dinner leftovers right before bed. And even then he looked like he could stand to eat more. My mom was okay with whatever we chose as lomg as we made it ourselves and cleaned up after ourselves. Not looking forward to tackling this when my boys are teenagers; they already seem to eat as much as me and they're toddlers!
You got me tickled remembering my son at that age. He was a big fan of Tolkien and hobbits so we started referring to his meals as first breakfast, second breakfast, early tea, first lunch, second lunch, ect! That boy almost ate me out of house and home! We would laugh when someone asked what his favorite thing to eat was. The answer was whatever is currently heading into his mouth, lol!
That's how my brother used to eat. My boy once ate a 5lb chicken that I cooked for dinner. The whole darn thing!
What about plain and simple fruit?
I feel like I am constantly feeding my daughter (who will be 8 years old next month). It gets frustrating at times! She is just always, always hungry. This morning I gave her a snack and less than 20 minutes later she was wanting something else to eat. I'm not giving her snacks with empty calories! and they are all very healthy (no sugar, high in protein and fat, etc.). I homeschool her and I don't know what she'd do if she were attending school. She eats regular meals and is not at *all* overweight.
So that said, I am always on the lookout for good snack ideas! This morning I hard boiled a dozen eggs to have on hand (she ate two as soon as they were ready!). I had forgotten about those as a snack, I've certainly done that before! I'm going to try out the granola bars.
I like to do smoothies for her. For one thing it masks a banana, which she doesn't like to eat straight up. 😉
A long time ago my 2 boys would bring home 2 of the neighbor boys and we would make grilled cheese and tomato soup. 2 loaves of bread, 2 packages of cheese & several cans of tomato soup. Those were the days...
I'd add: pitted whole dates stuffed with pecan halves (a favorite of mine, but kind of pricey), and, a favorite for youngsters in this area, cheese-toast, which is a single slice of bread (whole wheat works fine) with sliced cheese on top, heated under a broiler or in a microwave until the cheese just starts to melt.
As a constantly hungry, probably rather odd kid, I ate olives a lot, big whole kosher dills, raw cashews and plain carrots, and bell peppers slices, along with some of the more normal snacks, like apples or bananas with peanut butter. Nowadays I like a little ranch dressing with carrots and bell peppers. My nephew liked raw broccoli florets with a dab of mayo on top. My mom used to cut up celery sticks and we'd fill the "ditch" in the celery stick with peanut butter topped with a few raisins in a row. (also called ants on a log).
I wish I liked olives! They're so good for you. Alas, I've hated them every time I've tried them.
This is such a helpful post, Kristen! I especially like the cheese tortillas and quesadillas picture and am about to put flour tortillas on my grocery list. And judging from my husband's reaction just now as he was looking at the picture of the ham and egg muffin cups over my shoulder, I'm going to be making those soon too!
It depends on the season. Now its peanut butter with everything for my daughter, apples, bananas, toast, celery, sometimes just a giant spoonful. Come the summer its fruit, veggies, smoothies. I can't tell you how many times I have found my kids eating my peas and sting beans right out of the garden. At least they come in and wash the cucumbers. My son could eat 24/7 but he is 17 so snacks are pretty much meals for him.
My daughter is allergic to gluten and dairy. I make a lot of her snacks with gf oatmeal. One of our favorites that I try to keep in the house is "oat chewies." I mix two cups of rolled oats with mashed bananas, peanut butter, and a little maple syrup and then drop in little mounds on a baking sheet and bake for about 15 minutes at 350 degrees. They are filling and nutritious. I've also made them with mashed sweet potato instead of banana.
Ooh, going without gluten AND dairy is rough. You must be a very creative cook by now!
I wish they would sell string cheese without the wrappers! One of my boys is averse to most cheese EXCEPT string cheese or SUPER expensive "fancy" cheeses. I refuse to buy string cheese due to the plastic waste, but there are no other cheeses that even come close in texture. If anyone knows of string cheese NOT in individual wrappers, let me know!
I feel the same way about buying frozen fish. Whyyyyy does every company package each fillet individually? It's such a waste, and also a huge pain when I want to thaw fish for my whole family.
I don’t know if you have Superstore in the States but they have big bags of frozen fish fillets that are not individually packaged. They’re frozen separately, so it’s easy to get out however many you need, and the bag is heavy duty with a ziplock. Super handy!
I wish we had that! I hate how most fish fillets are sold individually packaged. So much waste, and such a headache when you want a bunch to thaw.
I had an after school daycare for years and the children always burst through the door hungry! One of their favorite snacks was cheese buns. I'd just put cheese on top of cut in half buns then broil for a couple minutes. Sometimes potato chips were on the table as well! This and a glass of milk was always a favorite:)