My kids are back in school, which means that our lazier days of summer have turned into early morning wake-ups and busy scheduled days. To help keep up their energy levels (and mine) and to avoid the hangrys, I make sure to grab plenty of high-protein snacks from the store to make sure that I always have an energy-boosting snack when we need one. It makes all the difference in their after-school mood.
Since I have a daughter with peanut allergies, I should note that many of these snacks contain nuts — a great source of protein — and are not safe for everyone or even to bring to many schools. Stick to the nut-free snacks for that, or throw ones that contain tree nuts in your bag or car to have on hand for kids (and parents) who can safely eat them.
Related: 5 ideas for sweet after-school snacks, hold the pounds of sugar.
Justin’s Nut Butter Snack Packs
Nuts are perfect for a long lasting energy boost and Justin’s Nut Butter Snack Packs, which come with pretzels or (new and so genius…) banana chips for dipping, are a convenient, healthy, and totally delicious way to enjoy their high-protein goodness. Justin’s is all-natural and really tasty, especially my personal favorite: honey almond butter.
SunButter On the Go Single Cups
Of course, if your kids have peanut and tree nut allergies like my oldest daughter, you’ll need an alternative to nut butter. SunButter is my personal favorite, and for snack time, I love SunButter On the Go Single Cups paired with apple slices or pretzels. It has the same amount of protein as other nut butters: 7 grams per serving!
Fage Total Greek Yogurt Split Cups
Yogurt is my all-time favorite snack and Fage Total Greek Yogurt Split Cups offer 11 grams of protein per container. As a Greek girl raised on yogurt that my dad actually strained overnight to get the thick, rich, Greek-style we craved, I find that Fage Total is by far the best Greek yogurt available. My kids agree. I also love that the split cup allows you to adjust how much sugary fruit or honey you add, but even if you add it all, it’s relatively low in sugar compared to other blended yogurts.
Related: 10 high protein school lunch ideas the kids will love.
RXBAR Kids
The Cool Mom Eats staff recently tried these nutritious RXBAR protein bars for kids and we love them. In fact, Stacie’s kids are kind of obsessed. Each bar is made with two egg whites, 1 date, and nuts, giving them a total of 7 grams of protein. Plus, they have no added sugar, no gluten, no dairy, and no soy. Just three to four clean ingredients. Did I mention that we love the taste too?
The Good Bean Roasted Chickpea Snacks
I love making homemade roasted chickpea snacks and my kids love eating them, so I was happy to find The Good Bean Roasted Chickpea Snacks which will save me time when I just can’t go DIY. These high-protein snacks (5-6 grams per serving) come in 7 yummy flavors that are gluten-free, nut-free certified (except for the sea salt flavor), vegan, kosher, and non-GMO. Chickpeas truly pack a nutritional punch: Besides the protein, they are also high fiber and contain lots of healthy folate.
Horizon Organic Good & Go! Snacks
My kids love Horizon’s milk boxes and I like the brand for offering widely available organic food, so the company’s latest Horizon Organic Good & Go! Snacks has us excited to do some taste testing. These protein-rich snacks (5 – 7 grams depending on the package) come in three varieties, all in convenient single serving packs: cheese and either pretzels, apple crisps, or a trail-mix like combination of raisins, cashews and dried cranberries.
Related: High protein snack attack: How to make roasted chickpeas 6 ways.
Oatmega Protein Cookies
Who doesn’t love a cookie at snack time? No one, that’s who. And if the cookie is chock full of protein (12 grams each!), omega-3s, and healthy fiber, you can feel really good that your kid is eating it. We haven’t tried these Oatmega Protein Cookies yet, so we can’t comment on the taste, but we love the healthy non-GMO ingredients and can’t wait to give them a go. They also happen to be gluten-free.
Enjoy Life Seed and Fruit Mix
My kids love Enjoy Life Foods, because their snacks are free from the eight most common food allergens, sulfites, and sesame, and — most importantly — they are just really tasty. For a high-protein snack, you can’t go wrong with their Seed and Fruit Mix packs. The nut-free trail mix is made with sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, dried fruit, and dairy-free chocolate chips, and is packed with 7 grams of protein and fiber to keep energy levels up.
Our Little Rebellion Protein Crisps
We love Our Little Rebellion’s PopCorners corn chips, so I was excited to learn that they sell a high protein snack too. Our Little Rebellion Protein Crisps are a soy based “chip” that have 10g of plant-based protein per serving. They come in 3 spicy flavors — wasabi ginger and honey, hot buffalo, and sweet and smokey BBQ — so these are for kids (or, uh, parents) who prefer savory, spicy snacks.
Related: 5 ideas for sweet after-school snacks, hold the pounds of sugar.
P-nuff Crunch Baked Peanut Puffs
Peanut lovers may go nuts over these P-nuff Crunch Bakes Peanut Puffs made from protein-filled peanuts, fiber-full navy beans, and rice. (I personally haven’t tried them because we’re a peanut-free house). Offering 5 grams of protein per serving, this snack is made from all natural ingredients — no artificial flavors, sweeteners, or preservatives are added — would make a great after-school nosh if you like the flavor. I’d say, if you’re a peanut-friendly house, they’re worth a shot.
