Easy Kid-Friendly Summer Snacks That Are Healthy and Frugal

TL;DR: These five kid-friendly summer snacks are healthy, budget-friendly, and easy enough to make with the kids right beside you. No cooking required, no expensive ingredients needed, and every single recipe uses simple seasonal staples you can find at any grocery store.

Why Are Kid-Friendly Summer Snacks So Hard to Get Right? {#why-are-kid-friendly-summer-snacks-so-hard-to-get-right}

They don't have to be! Healthy summer snacks don't have to be boring. Bright colors, tasty treats and new approaches will please even the pickiest palates! Summer has so many possibilities at the store, the farmstand or even right in your own backyard! Healthy doesn't have to come with a hefty price tag. Focus on seasonal and frugal summer snacks and ingredients that go a long way, and you and the kids will be happy all summer long!

How Do You Keep Kids' Snacks Healthy Without Spending a Fortune? {#how-do-you-keep-kids-snacks-healthy-without-spending-a-fortune}

Keeping kid-friendly summer snacks budget-friendly is easier than you think. We all know that kids snacks can get really expensive, really fast. Some easy ways to save some money on snack time is to snack prep just like you might meal prep: buy base ingredients like yogurt or cottage cheese in bigger quantities. Shop for what is in season and if it isn't in season, look for it frozen. I can't stress this enough, do not sleep on the frozen fruit. It is affordable, doesn't go bad like some fresh fruit can and is easy to keep on hand!

Why Do Kids Need Nutritious Snacks During the Summer? {#why-do-kids-need-nutritious-snacks-during-the-summer}

Nutritious snacks for children support brain development, healthy growth, and a lifelong good relationship with food, and summer is actually one of the best times to build those habits. One of my favorite ways to get kids to eat healthy summer snacks: involve them in the process! Kids can help you shop, help you prepare in the kitchen, and help you plant veggies and herbs in the backyard or a windowsill garden.

For more ideas on building good habits with your kids, check out Healthy Habits Healthy Kids from Confidence Meets Parenting.

In addition to having the kids help, have things prepared in advance. Veggie platters, fresh fruits and frozen treats that are ready when they are will save you time and teach the kids some independence in knowing what they can grab.

What Are the Best Frugal and Fun Summer Snacks for Kids? {#what-are-the-best-frugal-and-fun-summer-snacks-for-kids}

Here are my top five no-cook, kid-friendly summer snacks that are healthy, frugal, and genuinely delicious:

1. Dips with fresh fruits and veggies
2. Frozen Treats: fruit pops, avocado fudge pops and berry yogurt clusters
3. The Wonder of Watermelon
4. Fresh Fruit Parfaits
5. Homemade Trail Mix

How Do You Make a Healthy Dip Kids Will Actually Eat? {#how-do-you-make-a-healthy-dip-kids-will-actually-eat}

The secret to getting kids to eat more fruits and veggies is simple: have a great dip ready and waiting. One of my kids' favorite treats is dip. So getting them to eat fruits and veggies is easier when I have dips ready and waiting! Dips get a bad rap in my opinion. You can make delicious dips with clean fresh ingredients! Here are a couple of ideas to get you going.

What Do You Need for Greek Yogurt with Strawberry Dippers?

This two-ingredient snack is one of the easiest quick summer snacks you'll ever make.

Ingredients:

• Greek Yogurt (I like coconut and vanilla)
• Strawberries

Simply slice the strawberries and serve them with a small dish of yogurt.

Having the strawberries to dip gets the kids eating and exploring. The snack is packed with protein, calcium, fiber and vitamin C.

How Do You Make Avocado Ranch Dip with Mini Veggies?

This creamy avocado ranch dip is a refreshing kids snack that comes together in minutes with a blender.

Ingredients:

• 1 ripe avocado
• 1 cup of greek yogurt or cottage cheese
• 1 tsp lemon or lime juice
• 1 clove garlic
• 1 Tbsp fresh dill
• Salt and Pepper

Other equipment:

• Blender or Food Processor

Place all ingredients in a food processor or blender and blend it until it's nice and smooth.

I love to serve this one with bright and colorful vegetables! The dip is a pretty light green in color and tastes so fresh and delicious!

A tip with the vegetables: make it mini! There is something about tiny things that kids love, so grab the mini cucumbers, mini peppers, tiny carrot chips, cut celery nice and small. The kids will eat it up, literally.

Getting kids involved in the kitchen is one of the best ways to build patience and independence. If you're curious about how to make that process smoother, this piece on how to teach your children patience is a genuinely helpful read.

What Are the Best Frozen Treats to Make with Kids This Summer? {#what-are-the-best-frozen-treats-to-make-with-kids-this-summer}

Frozen treats are one of the most fun no-cook summer snacks you can make, and these are secretly packed with the same amazing nutrition as the dips! Check these out!

How Do You Make All-Natural Fruit Popsicles at Home?

All you need are a few simple ingredients and popsicle molds to make these fresh, colorful summer recipes for kids.

Ingredients:

• 2-3 cups of fresh or frozen fruit
• 1/2 cup fruit juice (like an all natural apple juice), lemonade, coconut water or plain yogurt
• Splash of lemon or lime juice
• 1-2 tsp of honey, syrup or agave

NOTE: Children under one year of age shouldn't have honey so be sure to choose one of the other sweeteners.

Other equipment:

• Blender
• Popsicle Molds

Place all of your ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Pour into popsicle molds and freeze overnight.

These popsicles are so fresh and delicious. I especially love blueberry pops and mango pops but I haven't really made one that's not absolutely delicious!

How Do You Make Avocado Fudge Pops?

Yes, you can make creamy, chocolatey fudge pops with a ripe avocado, and they taste incredible.

You read that right! You can make creamy, delicious fudge pops with a ripe avocado. It's actually a great way to use up avocados that are a little past their prime because it doesn't matter that they have some brown spots.

Ingredients:

• 2 ripe avocados peeled and pitted
• 1 1/4 cups of greek yogurt or cottage cheese
• 1/2 cup of cocoa powder
• 1/2 cup maple syrup or agave nectar
• 2 tsp vanilla extract

Extra Equipment:

• Food processor or Blender
• Popsicle Molds
• A ziptop bag and some scissors can make a piping bag to more easily fill the molds if you would like! Totally optional.

Again, all you need to do is blend all of the ingredients and pour into popsicle molds and freeze overnight.

What Are Berry Yogurt Clusters and How Do You Make Them?

Berry yogurt clusters are one of the quickest and most nutritious snacks for children you can prep ahead for the whole week.

This is another quick and delicious treat, and this one only has two simple ingredients and they take no time at all to prep for the freezer!

Ingredients:

• 1 cup fresh or frozen fruit
• 1 cup greek yogurt

Additional Equipment:

• Bowl
• Spoon
• Small Cookie Scoop
• Parchment Paper
• Cookie Sheet

In a bowl mix together a cup of fresh or frozen fruit of your choice and a cup of greek yogurt. I like the coconut and vanilla for this one too! It adds a nice flavor without overpowering the fruit.

Once they are mixed together use a small cookie scoop to put little plops of the mixture onto a parchment lined cookie sheet. Then put the whole sheet in the freezer to firm up. If you don't have a cookie scoop you can easily spread it all out onto a tray and then break it into pieces once it's frozen.

What Is the Easiest Way to Serve Watermelon to Kids? {#what-is-the-easiest-way-to-serve-watermelon-to-kids}

The easiest way to serve watermelon is to cut it into sticks, and it transforms the whole snack experience. Kids love watermelon. It's a classic summer treat, but how you cut it can determine how easy the snacking is for the kids. I love to cut the watermelon in half and then into a grid. You get these adorable watermelon sticks that line up beautifully in a plastic container for super simple, grab and go goodness!

How Do You Make Fresh Fruit Parfaits with Kids? {#how-do-you-make-fresh-fruit-parfaits-with-kids}

Fresh fruit parfaits are as easy as layering three simple ingredients, and the kids can build their own. This is a really fun treat to put out different options and let the kids take the lead.

Ingredients:

• Yogurt
• Fresh Fruit diced up
• Granola or crushed up graham crackers

Additional Equipment:

• Clear cups so you can see how pretty it is!

To make fruit and yogurt parfaits all you have to do is make layers of yogurt, fruit and crushed up graham crackers. They get to pick how it layers up and what they want to add to their treat!

Snack time is also a great opportunity to lean into the moments that make parenting genuinely fun. If you're thinking about building more of those positive rhythms with your kids, this piece on the happy cycle is worth a read.

How Do You Make a Kid-Friendly Trail Mix? {#how-do-you-make-a-kid-friendly-trail-mix}

The trick to a kid-friendly trail mix is swapping out the traditional ingredients for things they already love.

I love a good trail mix, but sometimes kids don't love traditional trail mix ingredients. Make it kid friendly by mixing in some of their favorites.

Ingredients:

• Cereal (Like Cheerios or Chex)
• Raisins or other dried fruits
• Chocolate Chips or Candy Coated Chocolate for a little treat
• Teddy Bear Graham Crackers

You can make as big or as small a batch of this as you need for your family. My rule of thumb is equal parts of each ingredient make a perfect trail mix. Portion it out in individual cups or snack size zip top bags to have an easy snack ready any time for the whole summer!

Ready to Make These Kid-Friendly Summer Snacks? {#ready-to-make-these-kid-friendly-summer-snacks}

I love that most of these, with the exception of the cutting, can be hands on with the kids in the kitchen. Have them mix, measure and arrange the snacks. Getting them involved will get them eating!

These five kid-friendly summer snacks are easy-to-make and nutritious, appealing to kids and convenient for parents to prepare. The ingredients are low cost, high impact and can be used across the recipes! As a bonus: no cooking, so no heating the house up in the summer!

Looking for more ways to keep the kids busy and happy this summer? Check out these 14 Fantastic And Free Summer Activities from Life As Mama! And while you're planning your summer, a printable summer bingo card from Teaching Mama is a great way to keep the fun going all season long.