Do you want healthy snack alternatives for kids? Here are 16 healthy kids’ snacks to buy- all free from artificial colors & flavors.

Most parents want to find non-gmo, natural, healthy snacks for their toddlers and preschoolers, as well as for their older kids.

But it can be challenging at times to find packaged healthy snacks for kids, especially for picky eaters, when they’re used to eating unhealthy snacks.

So here is a list of 16 of the best healthy snacks that your kids can bring to school, pack for lunch, or eat at home. The majority of kids will love these, and pretty soon they’ll be asking you for the healthier snack alternatives instead of the unhealthy snacks that most kids are eating.

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1.) Cheddar Bunnies– A Healthy Alternative to Goldfish Crackers

 

 

✅Annie’s Cheddar Bunnies are a great healthy alternative to Goldfish. They’re organic and they also don’t contain animal enzymes in the cheese.

2.) Healthy Potato Chips

 

 

As a parent, I definitely think it’s important to find healthy chips for kids.

✅Good Health potato chips are a great alternative to the unhealthy, regular name brand potato chips.

I personally don’t love plain potato chips (in any brand) but if your kids do (or even if you do,) these are definitely a great option for healthy chips.

✅Good Health also offers healthy potato chips in a BBQ flavor that are pretty popular. This is down the alley of what my kids, husband, and I enjoy. (We like flavored chips.)

And these are a great substitute for some of the popular flavored potato chips that have unhealthy oils and other concerning ingredients.

These are also sold in bulk portion-size bags, which makes it easy for your kids to bring for school lunches or even for you to pack for work.

✅ The Siete brand sells healthier salt & vinegar chips, which you can grab here on Amazon. This is my favorite flavor of potato chips and all of kids love them too.

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3.) Potato Crisps- Pringles Alternative

 

 

As a kid, I absolutely loved Pringles and my own kids did too.

But as an adult, I started looking at the ingredients in them, and I realized I wanted to find a healthy Pringles alternative.

✅The Classic Original flavor by The Good Crisp Company tastes very similar to the Original Pringles flavor, but without the long list of unhealthy ingredients. And unlike Pringles, they are non-gmo.

These potato crisps are also a gluten-free pringles alternative.

You can find this pringles alternative on Amazon in different flavors and in packs that are portioned out, which is perfect for kids to bring to school for lunches or as an after-school snack.

✅Check out these Sour Cream Flavored Potato Crisps on Amazon here. You can get them in snack-sized portions for school or work.

✅You can also get the Salt & Vinegar flavor of potato crisps as another Pringle alternative that is gluten-free and non-gmo. (The one I linked comes in a pack of 8.)

4.) Farmhouse Cheddar Crackers– A Healthy Cheez It Alternative

 

 

✅These Simple Mills Farmhouse Cheddar Crackers are my favorite healthy Cheez It alternative.

Granted, they don’t taste exactly the same as Cheez Its, but they taste pretty good for healthy crackers and are a decent substitute. They’re gluten-free, made with real cheese, and non-gmo.

✅These Back to Nature Cheese Flavored Crackers are also a great VEGAN alternative to Cheez Its.

5.) Healthy Fruit Snacks

 

 

Unfortunately, most of the popular fruit snack brands are filled with artificial colors and flavors.

Both research and personal experiences of others have revealed negative results of kids having snacks with artificial food dyes, such as behavioral problems.

But fortunately, there are healthier options that don’t have these things.

✅These YumEarth Organic Fruit snack gummies are vegan, gelatin-free, and have no artificial colors or flavors.

✅Annie’s also has healthy fruit snacks, and there are different flavors available, such as the ones shown below.

6.) Annie’s Fruit Tape– Healthy Fruit Roll Ups

 

 

If you’re looking for a substitute to the name brand Fruit Roll-Ups or a healthy Fruit by the Foot alternative, we’ve got you covered.

✅This Fruit Tape tastes just as good, if not better than Fruit by the Foot & Fruit Roll-Ups, but with way better ingredients.

7.) Back to Nature Classic Creme Cookies– A Substitute for Oreos

 

 

✅These cookies are the best Oreos alternative I’ve found so far. My kids would eat the whole box if I let them.

8.) Healthy Substitute for Rice Krispies Treats

 

 

✅Blake’s Seed Based Crispy Treats are my favorite healthy crisp rice treats.

They do have seeds in them, so some kids may not like that. But the flavor and texture is really great. I like these better than the name brand Rice Krispies Treats. And they’re gluten-free, non-gmo, and vegan.

They have a few different flavors.

9.) Healthy Marshmallows

 

 

✅ These Dandies marshmallows are a healthy substitute for marshmallows because they are non-gmo, all natural, vegan marshmallows.

Related Post: 15 Healthy Candy Alternatives for Kids- Ditch Artificial Colors & Flavors!

 

10.) Healthy Graham Cookies

 

 

✅These Must Love Classic Graham cookies are a great graham crackers alternative to the name brand. They are sweetened with dates and have no added sugar. They’re also plant based and non-gmo.

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11.) Nutella Alternative

 

 

✅ If you’re looking for a healthy Nutella alternative with no palm oil, Nocciolata Hazelnut Cocoa Spread is a great option. It’s organic and some people actually like it better than Nutella.

A few other healthy alternatives to Nutella are:

➡ Artisana Organics Hazelnut Cacao Spread– This is another Nutella alternative with no palm oil, and it’s organic & sweetened with coconut sugar.

➡ Nutiva Organic Dark Hazelnut Spread– This is a vegan Nutella substitute. It’s organic & gluten-free.

➡ ChocZero Milk Chocolate Hazelnut Spread– This is a great keto-friendly Nutella alternative. It’s naturally sweetened with monk fruit & it’s gluten free.

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12.) Healthy Cheetos Alternative

 

 

✅ These Hippeas Chickpea Puffs are a healthy alternative to Cheetos. Some people like them even better than Cheetos.

This variety pack includes the Sriracha Sunshine flavor which is a healthy hot cheetos alternative without the red 40. They aren’t as spicy as hot cheetos but they are a great substitute and a much healthier option.

13.) Girl Scout Thin Mints Alternative

 

 

✅ These Back to Nature Fudge Mint Cookies are a natural, healthy alternative to Thin Mints (the Girl Scout cookies.)

They’re non-gmo, plant-based, and naturally flavored.

I have bought these several times because they’re a yummy, but much healthier substitute for Girl Scout Thin Mints. And I feel better about my kids eating cookies that don’t have artificial flavors or colors.

14.) Healthy Fig Newtons Alternative

 

 

Are Fig Newtons healthy?

You may wonder why I’m suggesting a healthier alternative, because figs are healthy, right?

The truth is, while the name brand Fig Newtons do have some good ingredients, such as whole grain wheat flour, they also contain some unhealthy ingredients such as artificial flavor and a bioengineered food ingredient.

Even worse, the Strawberry Newtons flavor contains color dye and the first ingredient is invert sugar.

✅ Nature’s Bakery has healthy fig bars you can buy that are non-gmo, vegan, and contain only natural ingredients.

There are also other flavors they offer, which also contain figs, such as:

➡ Nature’s Bakery Blueberry Fig Bars

➡ Nature’s Bakery Apple Cinnamon Fig Bars

There are also other flavors, including:

➡ Nature’s Bakery Raspberry Fig Bars

➡ Nature’s Bakery Strawberry Fig Bars

➡ Gluten-Free Nature’s Bakery Fig Bars

15.) Fudge Stripes Cookie Alternative

 

 

✅ These healthier fudge striped cookies from Back to Nature are non-gmo, plant based, and don’t have any artificial flavors.

16.) Healthier Chips Ahoy Alternative

 

 

✅ If you’re looking for a Chips Ahoy alternative for healthier crunchy cookies, these Back to Nature Chocolate Chunk Cookies are pretty good.

They’re non-gmo, plant based, and are free from artificial flavors.

✅ If you like the Chips Ahoy Chewy cookies, these Soft Baked Chocolate Chunk Cookies from Back to Nature are a healthier alternative. And I personally think they taste better too.

They also have a soft baked Peanut Butter Chocolate Chunk flavor. Both are non-gmo & plant based.

 

So those are 16 healthier snack alternatives for kids that are better for us than the name brands, (which are often filled with artificial colors, flavors, and genetically modified ingredients.)

➡To encourage your kids to make healthy decisions, grab our free printable Healthy Lifestyle Match Game for kids. This is a fun way to remind them of positive habits and things to do to take care of their health.

 

**Note/Disclaimer: While I refer to many of the snacks in this post as “healthy” or as ‘healthy alternatives’, I’m not suggesting anyone should overeat these or put these in the same category of health as meals, fruits, vegetables, etc. If you’re going to buy your kids packaged snacks, these are healthier brands and options in comparison to the brands we see most commonly advertised. It is still important to limit a child’s/person’s sugar intake and make nutritional decisions based on their personal needs and to take into account any allergies, sensitivities, or concerns from their physician. Please also ensure your children are old enough and physically able to safely eat the snacks you give them without choking, and always supervise children when they eat.

All information on our website is for informational purposes only. We are not liable for you acting or failing to act on anything you see or read on our site. We are not medical experts and every parenting situation is different. Parents are responsible for making their own parental decisions and seeking advice from qualified medical professionals when appropriate. See our full Disclaimer policies here on our Terms of Use page.

Thanks for reading & have a great day!

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