Before going vegan about 3 years ago, my kids used to eat lots of goldfish crackers, yogurt cups and cheese sticks for snacks. Even once we went "vegan" but not necessarily "whole foods plant based", they ate a lot of convenient vegan snacks, like non dairy crackers, soy yogurt cups and Z Bars.
In 2012 I read Disease Proof Your Child by Dr. Joel Furhman, and I realized how so much of what I was feeding my kids had little to no nutritional value at all. I have been on a journey since to increase the amount of nutrients in their diet, and a large part of that has include changing our snacking habits. My goal for snacktime is to fill them with nutrients and phytochemicals, as well as satisfy their hunger until the next mealtime. I've found that if my kids are truly hungry, they are happy to eat an apple or a banana; even carrots or lettuce. Through trial and error, I have found many new snacks that they love and that are better for them.
Plant Based Snacks for Kids
Green Smoothie
Banana Ice Cream (frozen bananas blended together)
Apple cut up with nut butter to dip
Banana with nut butter
Grapes, Strawberries, Raspberries, Cherries, etc.
Larabar
Trail mix (usually peanuts, cashews and raisins, sunflower seeds)
Chickpeas, rinsed and drained, with nooch (nutritional yeast). Can also roast these for a crunchy snack.
Sprouted whole grain bread with nut butter
Cucumbers, carrot sticks, celery with or without hummus
Whole Romaine leaves (seriously, my daughter will eat a bunch if she's in the right mood)
Homemade oatmeal bars (recipes to come)
Chocolate Balls
Sunflower seeds
Applesauce
Air popped popcorn
Microwave Potato Chips
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