Dietitian Approved Healthy Store Bought Snacks for Kids

Updated August, 2025

So let me guess, you love the idea of baking snacks for your kid's lunch boxes but the reality is you don't have time to be endlessly stuck in the kitchen? Well guess what? Neither do I! Families are busier than ever and for most of us we need to buy some of our snacks, to simply make it through the week. I'm here to tell you that you definitely don't need to feel guilty about this. There are plenty of store bought snacks that get my tick of approval as a dietitian. I do try, where possible, to buy items in bulk to avoid single use plastics and contributing to waste, but I also recognise that's not always possible (and sometimes you also just need some grab and go options!). My own philosophy is I do what I can, when I can, and that every little thing I CAN do helps. 

One of the best things you can do is learn how to read a Nutrition Information Panel (NIP). You can use this information over and over again to decipher foods you find in the supermarket and make the best choice. If you'd just rather steal my ideas for snacks, then feel free to scroll on down.

Understanding Nutrition Labels….

Ideally most of the food we purchase should be minimally processed and from the 5 major food groups. Many processed snacks for kids are high in refined carbohydrates, meaning they are often low in fibre (and other essential nutrients), and higher in sugar, fat or salt. Understanding nutrition information panels (NIPs) can be a powerful tool for helping you make better choices when it comes to the foods you select at the supermarket. 

Example Nutrition Information Panel 

* Contains on average 10g of wholegrain 

Ingredient list: whole grain oats (15%), Whole grain oats flour 14%, coconut butter (cream), Brown Sugar, Wheat flour (folate), golden syrup, berries (cranberries 6% (cranberries, sugar, sunflower oil), blueberries 2%), grape juice, grain dextrins, baking soda, antioxidant (rosemary extract)
Contains: Oat, wheat and milk.

What to look for..

Per Serve or 100g?: Using the per 100g column will allow you to compare different products. 

Energy: For snacks, 600kj or less is desirable

Fat: Look for products with less than 10g of fat per 100g.

Carbohydrates - Sugars: Sugar from natural sources such as fruit or milk (lactose) are not associated with health problems. Ideally we want to minimise added sugar in our diet. Foods with more than 15g of sugar are likely to be high in added sugar. Check the ingredient list to check for sources of both natural and added sugar. Ingredients will be listed from least to most, so if sugar features in the first few ingredients the product has more added sugar.

Watch Out!: added sugar comes in many forms! Look out for these words: sugar, raw sugar, brown sugar, corn syrup, sucrose, fructose, glucose, maple syrup, honey, golden syrup, rice syrup, coconut sugar.

Fibre - Not always included on NIPs. Look for products with more than 3g of fibre per 100g

Sodium - Choose the item lowest in sodium. Less than 400mg of sodium per 100g is desirable. 

Want to know more about reading food labels, head here.

My Pick of Supermarket Snacks for your Lunch Boxes

Roasted nori sheets -

These are a great source of iodine. 1 small 8g packet provides 30% of a young child’s daily iodine requirement. It should be noted that these are very high in salt but as the serving size is so small (8g) the total quantity of salt consumed is small. 

Fruit/Raisin bread - 

I’ve always got a loaf in my freezer. Sure it has some added sugar, but most of the sugar comes from the added dried fruit. It’s low GI, filling and has around 120 calories per buttered slice (1 slice is plenty for a recess snack). Tip top have also have a wholemeal Raisin toast and that’s got my tick of approval

Cheese and Crackers -

Even when you’re low on time you can still still grab a handful of crackers and cut a slice of cheese (or a cheese stick if you really need to). Not all crackers are created equal though. You definitely want to focus on buying a wholegrain variety (look for those with at least 3g of fibre per 100g) and with a sodium content less than 400mg/100g (harder to find). 

My top picks would be Ryvita wholegrain crisp breads, Vita-Wheat crisp bread range and crackers (note these all exceed 400mg of sodium/100g,but most are under 500g/100g) and Sakata Wholegrain rice crackers (contains an impressive 9.6g fibre per 100g and has less 400mg of sodium/100g). 

Team with your child’s preferred cheese and you have a filling snack option high in fibre, B vitamins, Omega 3 fatty acids (from the seeds), calcium, phosphorus and magnesium.

Roasted or puffed Chickpeas and Fava Beans  (Happy Snack Company)-

The crunchy texture of these products will appeal to many kids. 

They come in plain (lightly salted), as well a variety of other flavours. They also hit the mark for fibre content, sodium and overall calories, not to mention they also count towards your child’s daily intake of vegetables!

Popcorn -

Look for those with a lower sodium content, ideally less than 400mg per 100g. I’d also stay away from any of the sweetened varieties, children don’t need the extra sugar in these products. My pick would be Cobs^R natural sea salt variety. I buy it in the large packs and portion it out to save money, but if you’re really low on time you may prefer the individually packed option.

Fruit Bars -

We love The Mood Food Company’s range of Natural Wellbeing Bars. They are free of added sugars and made entirely of fruits, legumes and seeds. They’re also boosted with inulin a gut loving prebiotic fibre to support optimal gut health. 

FodBods Protein Bars -

My pick out of the very many options out there. These are probably the only protein bar I've ever had that actually taste good. Designed specifically for people with FODMAP intolerances, they are suitable for everyone. Designed with dietitians, these bars are made from 100% natural  plant based ingredients. They even have a small "buddies range" for school (I love the strawberry shortcake flavour) and the traditional protein bar is great for active teens (my boys love the peanut choc chunk). 

Messy Monkeys -

Out of all the flavoured savoury snacks/biscuits on the market for children these would probably be my pick. They are high in fibre (2g per serve) and don’t contain artificial flavours or flavour enhancers, the salt and fat content is however quite high (as are many other similar products in this category).

Sunrice Mini Bites -

Another good pick in the savoury snacks category. Made from brown rice the fibre content is good, the fat content is less than the Messy Monkey’s above and sodium content is similar (above 400mg for all flavours). Contains natural flavours.

Pretzels -

We like pretzels for their no fuss ingredient lists. Beware though many brands are excessively high in salt. Our pick are the Parkers mini pretzels in the multi pack (unfortunately the bulk pack has much higher sodium levels)

Mini dips and baby cucumbers -

We love the Obela mini dips for the convenience of their grab and go size!  Keep and pack of baby cuqs (cucumbers) on hand and have you have a super healthy snack prepared in 30 seconds!

Yoghurt Pouches -

Look varieties with no or low added sugar such as Jalna Purity Range or Rafferty’s Garden. Higher protein ranges like Chobani FIt or YoPro's are great for active teens. 

Perfect — thanks for sharing your draft notes. I can see how these new foods fit beautifully into the tone and style of your existing blog. Right now your notes are more like raw thoughts (with nutrition breakdowns and comparisons), so my job will be to smooth them into the same chatty, parent-to-parent yet dietitian-authoritative voice you’ve already used in the blog.

Here’s a polished version of your new additions in the same style and flow as the existing post:

Koja Oat Bites (Choc Chip or Raspberry)

These little bites are part muesli bar, part cookie. They’re pretty small (only 103 calories per bar), but I think the nutrition profile isn’t bad for a sweet snack. The sugar content comes in under 10g/100g and the sodium is really low (88mg/100g), which is fantastic. The fibre is also incredibly high (17g/100g) thanks to chicory root fibre. The downside? The fat content is higher than ideal (15g/100g, with a fair chunk of that saturated thanks to coconut oil). This is something we see time and again with processed snack foods — if you lower the sugar, you usually need more fat to keep the taste appealing.
Now, the marketing might make you think these are a “whole food” product, but in reality they fall into the ultra-processed category. So why am I including them? Because they actually taste good (unlike many reduced-sugar bars that taste like cardboard!) and the nutrition is decent for a sweet option.

MuchMe Nuts & Seed Clusters

I absolutely love this range. They’re a great option when you’re craving something sweet but still want it to be filling and nourishing. My personal favourite is the roasted almond and cashew clusters. The ingredients are simple — just nuts with some natural sweeteners like cane sugar and rice malt syrup.
I pack these for my teens who no longer need to worry about nut-free policies at school, and for my younger kids the pumpkin seed clusters are a brilliant nut-free alternative. As a reminder, seeds contain many of the same important nutrients as nuts — iron, zinc, protein, healthy fats and fibre — so swapping nuts for seeds is a great way to make sure kids still get those benefits even in nut-free settings.

Freeze-Dried Fruit (Frisp, Snacktacular, etc.)

Fresh fruit will always be my number one pick, but freeze-dried fruit can be a fun alternative. A small pack usually contains about half the calories and fibre of the fresh version, since the water content has been removed. It’s still nutrient-rich, though, and a great back-up for the times when the fruit bowl is empty and the grocery shop hasn’t happened yet!
Do watch out for varieties with added sugar (like some of the Frisp strawberry crisps), though the amounts are usually minimal.

Dried Fruit Straps

There are now lots of different options on the market — Carmen’s 100% Real Fruit Straps, True Fruit Straps, Nibblish Fruit Swirls, Bob the Snail, to name a few. Like freeze-dried fruit, they aren’t as filling as fresh fruit, but they’re still a good way to mix things up and get some extra nutrients in. Dentists will tell you they’re not great for teeth (because they’re sticky and cling to the teeth), but as an occasional option I think they’re perfectly reasonable.

Muesli Bars (My Top Picks)

While we have a whole blog post on muesli bars, I couldn’t write this without including a few favourites here too.

• Carmen’s Fruit & Nut Bars – These get my top tick for their whole food ingredients, minimal added sugar (most of the sweetness comes from dried fruit), and nutrient boost from the nuts and seeds.

• Nature’s Valley Canadian Maple Syrup Bars – A nut-free option with a really simple ingredient list. The downside is the higher sugar content, so I recommend sending just one of the two bars that come in a pack.

• Uncle Toby’s Choc Chip Chewy Muesli Bars – A more processed option, but the nutrition profile is actually better than the Nature’s Valley bars (lower sugar, more fibre, fewer calories).

Sunbites Crackers

These have been around for a few years now and are almost a cross between a cracker and a chip. My top pick is the Sea Salt variety, which has a fairly simple ingredient list. Once you move into the flavoured versions (hello sour cream and chives), you’ll start seeing additives like yeast extract or hydrolysed vegetable protein. Nothing alarming, but it’s no longer that simple ingredient base.
Nutritionally, the fibre content is impressive (7.4g/100g) and the sodium is moderate (just under or just over 400mg/100g depending on the flavour). The fat is high (around 22g/100g), which isn’t surprising given they’re almost “chip-like.”
Interestingly, when I compared Sunbites with Grainwaves (made by the same company), the nutrition panels were nearly identical! One is marketed as a cracker, the other as a chip — the main difference is the shape.
Bottom line: stick to the Sea Salt variety for a simpler option. These aren’t an everyday pick for me (I’d lean towards Vita-Weats for that), but as a fun, tasty snack to sprinkle into the mix, they’re a reasonable choice.