Healthy Snacks on the Go (Ideas from a Mom of 3)

Whether your kids are toddlers, teens, or thirty-something bloggers 😉 #snacksarelife. If you don’t have a well-stocked diaper bag with the right fuel for your family, your mom status can go from hero to zero pretty quickly. A lack of packed snacks (thank my rhyming-obsessed preschooler for that line) can take you on a detour through the drive-through or a convenience store, where, let’s face it, healthy options are typically limited. “Convenient” options are often more expensive as well. Packing your own food can save you time, money, and sanity. So, let’s talk about what healthy snacks on the go we like to pack and where to stock up on some healthy diaper bag/mom bag snack choices.

Healthy Snacks on the Go-Keepin’ It Real

We always try to keep fresh options available first. For us, this is usually bananas, whole apples, or mandarins. (Cuties, Halos, etc.) Unless it’s a road trip or a scheduled outing like the pool or park, I usually don’t pack anything that needs refrigerated. We eat PLENTY of veggies and other seasonal fruits at home, so unless we are on a road trip or have a cooler, I typically don’t pack these in the diaper bag. If you’re looking for inspiration for healthy road trip snacks, check out this post.

Grab-and-go

(Note: Fourganic Sisters may use links on this site that can be defined as “affiliate links”. This means we may receive a small commission (at no cost to you) if you subscribe or purchase something through the links.

Fourganic Sisters is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.)

Each week, we divide our snacks for the week into small containers at home for easy snacking, lunch-packing and grab-and-go options. This is way cheaper than individually-packaged items.

It can include:

–whole wheat crackers

–organic cheese crackers

-nuts or seeds

-homemade trail mix

–pretzels

–popcorn, etc.

I usually grab a few of these pre-portioned selections to throw in the bag.

I use reusable mini containers. Our favorites are just a simple Gladware or Rubbermaid, but there are definitely more eco-friendly options available if you want to spend a little more.

We’re kind of obsessed with energy bites too. Check out these trail mix oat bites of 2-ingredient cashew cookie date balls.

Healthy Snacking on the Go-Pouches

Next, I like to keep a pouch of some sort in the mix. Even my four and six-year-olds will eat anything in a pouch, so applesauce or sometimes baby-food type pouches can be clutch.

You can find these easily at Wal-mart, Aldi, Kroger, Sam’s Club, etc. If you like shopping in bulk, I totally recommend Boxed.com. It’s like an online Sam’s Club where you don’t have to have a membership.

They have organic applesauce pouches here (Here’s $15 off your first $60 purchase), along with organic snack bars and crackers.

Bite-Sized Diaper Bag Snacks

This category is pricier but definitely convenient. Healthier options have gone more and more mainstream in the past decade. I used to just pack these types of snacks for my own needs, but you know how minions roll. How will they ever learn to share if mom keeps them to herself? (Eyeroll emoji) I love Epic meat bars and sticks.

All my kids love these too, especially the sriracha chicken. They’re a little spicy, but not overwhelmingly so.

I can frequently find them on sale at Kroger for less than a buck.

We love Larabars, Perfect bars, and RX bars as well.

The possibilities for a good “bar” choice are endless these days. Just check the labels and make sure the ingredients are simple and whole-food based.

Another good protein option is a nut butter pack like THIS.

Have you dealt with a school pickup line yet? No? Well, for us, it coincides with the afternoon munchies. I’m constantly pulling out a snack bar or banana or something while we’re sitting in line. This is where these items come in handy.

In Case Of Emergency

Finally, for years I’ve kept a few of these YumEarth organic lollipops in my little emergency pouch.

You NEVER know when these little gems can come in handy. I’ve used them everywhere from the grocery checkout line to the doctor’s office (for particularly traumatic visits) and also the last thirty minutes of a road trip when everyone is losing their minds <Crazy eyes emoji>. They are an integral part of my healthy diaper bag snack stash! You can pick them up from Amazon, but I’ve also seen them at Kroger, Target and even places like Marshall’s or T.J. Maxx.

What kind of diaper bag should I get?

So how in the world will you fit all these healthy snacks on the go into an acceptable-size bag? Well, you probably won’t be packing all these snacks at once ?.  I try to keep two options per person per outing. THIS is the bag I’ve used the past two years. I love that it looks more like a regular “purse” than other diaper bags.

There is plenty of space for baby/toddler essentials, plus snacks, wallet, and even our medical supplies like an Epi-pen and inhaler. I love the zippered front pockets for water bottles. There are two main sections and inside the bigger of the two there are four pockets. It wipes clean super easily and holds up to a ton of lugging around in every element.  I highly recommend it. (It looks like Skip Hop may have discontinued it, but I still highly recommend Skip Hop bags. They have a ton of options.

Jodi swears by a backpack. She uses the Citi backpack and gives it rave reviews.

Tell us in the comments; what are your favorite healthy snacks on the go?