Quick and easy snack ideas

We have lots of simple ideas for home-made snacks, plus tips to help you pick up healthier packaged snacks in the shops

We are all spending a lot more time at home at the moment, and it can be tempting to give the kids more snacks than usual.

Fruit and veg snacks are always the best choice, but if they are having packaged snacks, just remember to aim for 2 a day max.

Quick home-made snack ideas

DIY snacks can be healthier and often cheaper than packaged ones. Preparing them with the kids can also be lots of fun and a great activity to do together.

Your children will love these great snack ideas – why not give them a try today!

Try these healthier snacks!

Muffins with cream cheese and cucumber sticks

Yoghurt with mandarin segments

Toasted malt loaf with strawberries

Sugar snap peas with low-fat hummus

Sliced fruit with yoghurt dip

Home-made popcorn

Toasted pitta with tuna, mayo and yoghurt dip

Mashed avocado and boiled egg

Cheesy oatcakes with tomatoes

Rice cakes with low-fat cream cheese and cucumber

Hummus with veggie fingers

Boiled eggs

Choosing healthier snacks in the shops

If you're short on time, here are some good ideas for snacks that you can pick up in the shops:

  • a slice of malt loaf
  • lower-fat, lower-sugar fromage frais
  • plain rice cakes or crackers with lower-fat cheese
  • sugar-free jelly
  • a crumpet
  • a scotch pancake

Many products also have traffic light labels on the front of packs, which can be a really useful guide when choosing which ones to buy.

Pick snacks with more greens and ambers on the label, and cut down on snacks that show any reds.

An example traffic light label showing: 68 calories of energy (3% of recommended daily total); 1.3 grams of fat (2%); 0.2 grams of saturated fat (1%); 9 grams sugars (10%); and 0.23 grams salt (3%). The fat and saturates amounts are coloured green; the sugar and salt amounts are coloured amber

Just remember – when it comes to packaged snacks, aim for 2 a day max to help you keep an eye on how much the kids are having.

Tips for healthier snacking

  • Quiz

    Dried fruit

    Dried fruit counts towards your 5 A Day, but it can stick to teeth and could lead to painful tooth decay. When should it only be eaten?

    Dried fruit should only be eaten at mealtimes to reduce the risk of tooth-decay.

    Answer again

  • Quiz

    Everyday sugar

    Which of these everyday items can be high in added sugars?

    In fact, there's often added sugar lurking in all these items. Try the Food Scanner app to help you see how much sugar, saturated fat and salt are in everyday food and drink.

    Answer again

  • Food Facts

    An apple cut into slices

    Add bite-sized fruit

    Try chopped apple, peeled satsuma segments, strawberries, halved grapes, tinned pineapple or melon slices to make it easier for kids to eat.

  • Food Facts

    A Change4Life character pushing a trolley straight past a shelf of chocolate biscuits

    Leave it on the shelf

    The simplest trick in the book – if you don't have sweets in the house, you cannot eat them. You will save money, too!

  • Food Facts

    A smiley face made from a banana and 2 slices of kiwi fruit

    Make it fun

    Offer your kids a range of brightly coloured fruit and veg, cut into shapes, or draw funny faces on a banana or satsuma.

  • Food Facts

    A bag of unsalted mixed nuts

    Nuts and seeds

    Nuts and seeds are a healthier snack, but they're high in energy, so remember to keep an eye on the amount you eat and don't give whole nuts to kids under 5.

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