Healthy Snacks for Any Summer Playdate

You load the car with floaties, goggles, sandbox tools and soccer balls to prepare for your day [...]

You load the car with floaties, goggles, sandbox tools and soccer balls to prepare for your day trip to the pool, park or beach. But there are two things you simply can't leave home without: your kids and their healthy snacks. If you're looking to make your normal go-to's a little smarter, try these healthy snack options for both your beach bag and mini cooler to keep the kids satisfied while they play in the summer sun.

Annie's Organic Cheddar Bunnies: Baked cheese crackers are a staple snack for busy kids. These bunny-shaped crackers are made with real cheddar cheese and include no artificial flavors or synthetic colors. They pack only 150 calories per 51 cracker serving compared to other brands' 18-20 crackers, so your little ones can indulge without worry!

Annie's cheddar bunnies
(Photo: iHerb)

SkinnyPop: Gluten-free and guilt-free, this popcorn is a healthy alternative to satisfy your salty cravings. Buy a SkinnyPack® to get six 100 calorie bags of white cheddar or original flavored popcorn. Other flavors include black pepper and naturally sweet.

Skinnypop popcorn
(Photo: Plum Market)

Health Warrior Chia Bars: You guessed it; the main ingredient in these bars is protein-, fiber- and omega-3 rich chia. Each bar contains less than 5g of sugar but provides snackers with just the right amount of sweetness. These bars are available in fruity flavors like apple cinnamon, mango and açai berry, as well as dessert-like dark chocolate cherry and coffee.

chia bar
(Photo: Health Warrior)

Stretch Island Fruit Strips: Without packing a cooler, it's difficult to bring fresh fruit along on your summer playdates. These all-natural fruit strips contain 1/4 cup of real fruit each and come in delicious flavors including harvest grape, summer strawberry and ripened raspberry. Your kids will love these candy-like snacks and you'll love knowing they're a smart option.

fruit strips
(Photo: Stretch Island)

Kashi® TLC Cookies: We all crave cookies occasionally. Indulge wisely with these whole-grain sweets made only with natural ingredients. These soft baked cookies are available in Chocolate Almond Butter, Oatmeal Dark Chocolate, Happy Trail Mix and Oatmeal Raisin Flax and make healthy dessert possible.

Kashi cookies
(Photo: Kashi)

Frozen berries: During a hot day, nothing is as satisfying as a cool, refreshing snack. Berries and grapes are already a popular, easy, on-the-go snack for families, but freezing them prior to your playdate will make them even more delicious. Keep them chilled in your cooler for a satisfying serving of fruit, even on the warmest of days by the pool.

frozenfruit

Sargento Natural Light String Cheese: String cheese is a kid-favorite snack because of its pull-able properties, but it's difficult to find a fromage that's both skinny and tasty. This Sargento option packs only half the fat of other string cheeses but tastes just the right amount of salty and satisfying. And at only 50 calories per stick, it's a smart, fun way to snack with the kids.

Sargento cheese
(Photo: EWG)

Mott's Healthy Harvest Applesauce: A cool serving of applesauce hits the spot after an afternoon of playing hard at the park or pool. These cups have no added sugar and all natural ingredients to ensure that your indulgent afternoon snack is also a healthy one. Try Granny Smith for a delicious apple taste as well as the strawberry, peach, blueberry and berry flavors. For kids who love squeezables, this is also available in Snack & Go pouches.

Mott's applesauce
(Photo: Mott's)

Baby carrots: If your kids love to dip their snacks, baby carrots, celery or other veggies with hummus or peanut butter are must-haves in your cooler. This is an easy way to give your family some fuel as they play and is much healthier than ranch dressing or other veggie dips. Buy your dip pre-made or try homemade hummus 13 ways!

Carrots and Celery

Homemade Kabobs: Let the kids help with snack prep by making kabobs before heading out the door. Let them create their own using their favorite fruits or vegetables and cheese on wooden skewers. Just wrap them in foil and place them in the cooler. At snack time, they won't have to touch their food with sandy or dirty hands; just hold the stick and snack away!

fruit kabob
(Photo: The Crafty Crow)
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