Summer Snack Survival
Do you have a picky eater, a chronic grazer, or a house full of hungry hormonal teens? Maybe you’re an expectant mom eating for 2, or a mom that’s sooo busy managing the household and kids while balancing her job that you barely have enough time to make meals for the whole family. So, you snack your way through the day. I’ve got you! I am sharing 100 summer snack ideas!
Dare To Be prepared
Don’t spend the majority of your summer catering to snack requests (or demands in many cases)! Get prepared. Stock up with some of these balanced snacks ahead of time that can easily be incorporated into mini-meals, picnics at the park, beach days, play dates, road trips, or wherever your summer plans take you.
Balance is Key
It can be easy to just grab for a few crackers or an apple when we’re feeling snacky, or when the kids are “starving” between meals. But, even the healthiest of foods (when eaten alone) can cause our blood sugar to spike rapidly and quickly, and then cause a crash shortly after. Meaning, we might feel ok right after eating a lone banana, or a plain rice cake, but chances are an hour later (or maybe sooner) you’ll be hungry again or might feel that dreaded energy slump in the afternoon if our snacks are not balanced. Balanced blood sugar = staying full longer, more energy, fewer cravings, and balanced mood. This is not only beneficial to mom, but for everyone in the family!
Get Savvy About Snacks
So, how do we know if a snack is balanced? The only steadfast rule to snacking is it should contain protein, fiber & a healthy fat. This same rule applies to meals. Carbohydrates should ideally not be eaten alone. Examples of snack foods that fall in the carbohydrate category are fruits, vegetables, oats, bread, cereal, cookies, cakes, sugary beverages, chips, rice cakes, crackers, etc. Most carbs will have some fiber, which helps to keep you full, is good for digestion, and helps keep blood sugar steady. Carbs should always be paired with a source of protein and healthy fats. Examples of some high protein snack foods are greek yogurt, eggs, nuts & seeds, cheese, legumes (beans, lentils, etc.), fish, hummus, edamame, etc. Examples of some snack foods that are a good source of healthy fats are avocado, nuts/needs, dark chocolate, cheese, eggs, fish, full fat yogurt, olives, etc. The possibilities are endless when it comes to creating balanced, yummy, filling, and easy snacks for you and your family.
Snack For Days
Since there are almost 100 days of summer, I thought I’d provide a list of 100 summer snack ideas so you can focus more on having fun with your family and less on what everyone will be snacking on.
These are almost all whole foods (minimally processed), mostly plant-based, mostly gluten-free, refined sugar-free, and require very little to no prep. I tried to keep most at 3 ingredients or less, with a prep time of 3 minutes or less. So you can have more time to relax and enjoy your summer!
- Carrots & hummus
- Celery & peanut butter
- Cottage cheese & pineapple
- Banana & almond butter
- Rice cake, smashed avocado & hemp seeds
- Boiled egg & berries
- String cheese & apple
- Greek plain yogurt & berries
- Apple & peanut butter
- Whole wheat toast and sun butter
- Rice cake, canned tuna & avocado
- Pear & almond butter
- Whole grain, seeded crackers & hummus
- Cucumber & guacamole
- Freeze dried strawberries & string cheese
- Edamame
- Trail mix
- Jicama & guacamole
- Olives & whole grain, seeded crackers
- Dark chocolate covered almonds
- Pistachios & apricots
- Dates with almond butter
- Dark chocolate chips and bing cherries
- Watermelon & almonds
- Raisins & walnuts
- Figs & pecans
- Dried persimmons & almond butter
- Plain yogurt with pumpkin seeds & honey
- Roasted chickpeas
- Bitchin sauce with veggies (baby carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, etc.)
- Apple chips with plain yogurt & cinnamon
32. Avocado slices with hemp seeds
33. Applesauce mixed with almond butter & cinnamon
34. Cottage cheese & peaches
35. Chili spiced dried mango & cashews
36. Dates dipped in tahini with dark chocolate chips
37. Homemade popcorn & peanuts
38. Banana with hazelnut spread sprinkled with hemp seeds
39. Orange slices with almonds
40. Kiwi with plain greek yogurt
41. Energy balls with oats, nut/seed butter & nuts/seeds
42. Dried cauliflower bits with hummus
43. Roasted crispy lentils
44. Lara bars
45. Black olives & whole grain, seedy crackers
46. Date, tahini, oat homemade cookies
47. Bada bean bada boom
48. Whole grain crackers & avocado
49. Bell peppers with hummus
50. Plain rice cake with cream cheese, smoked salmon & everything bagel seasoning
51. Almond & raisins
52. Sourdough toast with avocado & boiled egg slices
53. Plain rice cake with almond butter & berries
54. Frozen grapes & pistachios
55. Mango slices with plain greek yogurt & unsweetened coconut shreds
56. Cherry tomatoes with fresh mozzorella cheese
57. Plain rice cake with hummus & red pepper slices
58. Grapes & cheddar cheese chunks
59. Watermelon salad with feta cheese & fresh mint
60. Black beans, corn, & avocado
61. Celery with peanut butter & raisins
62. Jujubees with almond butter
63. Chia seed pudding with berries
64. Snap peas with bitchin sauce
65. Homemade ice cream with frozen strawberries, coconut milk, protein powder & maple syrup
66. Dates stuffed with peanut butter
67. Chia seed pudding with dark chocolate chips & unsweetened coconut shreds
68. Frozen banana dipped in dark chocolate with chopped peanuts
69. Homemade granola bars with oats, nut butter, milk, ground flax & honey
70. Canned tuna with avocado and whole grain/seeded crackers
71. Pita bread with hummus
72. Banana and peanut butter rolled in tortilla
73. Homemade popsicles with blended plain greek yogurt, berries, & maple syrup
74. Roasted thinly sliced sweet potato topped with smashed avocado, lime & hemp seeds
78. Homemade fruit salad topped with sunflower seeds & unsweetened coconut shreds
79. Tortilla wrap with hummus & sliced cucumber
80. Seaweed chips & cucumber sprinkled with black sesame seeds
81. Homemade bark with puffed quinoa, dark chocolate, pumpkin seeds, & hemp seeds
82. Dried figs & walnuts
83. Baked pears with a drizzle of honey, walnuts & cinnamon
84. Dried apricots & cashews
85. Sliced radish with hummus
86. Homemade muffins with oats, bananas, milk, & nuts
87. Baked apples with cinnamon, drizzle of honey, dipped in almond butter
88. Pears & cashew butter
89. Homemade banana ice cream topped with walnuts
90. Whole grain toast topped with sunflower seed butter and sliced banana
91. Blackberries & string cheese
92. Caprese salad with grape tomato, mozzarella cheese, fresh basil, & drizzle of olive oil
93. Air fryer broccoli with avocado oil & nutritional yeast
94. Freeze dried beet chips with guacamole
95. Whole grain/seeded crackers with avocado & Parmesan cheese
96. canned salmon with smashed avocado on plain rice cake
97. Olives, tomatoes, & whole grain/seeded crackers
98. Whole grain toast with cream cheese, blackberries, & honey
99. Plain greek yogurt with pomegranate seeds & honey
100. Smoothie with milk, spinach, banana, nut butter & berries
Summer Snack Ideas
I hope this list of summer snack ideas helps you enjoy the summer and focus more on time with your family. Do you have a favorite summer snack? I would love to know!
