Teenagers don’t always have it easy—between juggling homework and school projects, sports and even a part-time job, things can be pretty hectic during the week. Oftentimes, it can seem impossible to find nutritious snacks for teens that are quick to prepare, and that they’ll actually like. But with a little planning, you can find healthy foods for teens that will keep them energized throughout the day. Check out our healthy kids snack list below for some of our favorite ideas!
7 Healthy Snacks for Teens
Hummus and Pretzels
Hummus is chock-full of protein and tons of other vitamins and minerals, making it a great choice for teenage healthy eating. You can find single serving packs of hummus and pretzels in your local grocery store, making it a no-brainer choice for a long day at school.
Light Popcorn
Whether it’s packed in their lunch bag or served up on a long car ride, popcorn is definitely a favorite snack among most teens. And, it can be part of a healthy diet for teenagers as long as it’s on the light side—meaning, it’s not drowning in butter or too much salt! Even better, make your own at home on the stove with kernels and oil (and a closed pot), or buy a hot air popcorn popping machine for the house.
Frozen Grapes
If you want to encourage healthy eating for teens, don’t tell them they can’t enjoy a sweet treat—instead, offer them alternatives they can’t pass up! Rather than serving them candies or sugary gummy snacks, freeze some grapes in the fridge and then serve them to your teenage crowd. You can also try this with cubed mango and pineapple chunks, too! We guarantee this healthy fruit snack will be gobbled up in no time.
Fruit Smoothies
What kind of teen doesn’t love a good smoothie? A fresh fruit smoothie is a great healthy snack for teenagers because it contains tons of vitamins and minerals that teens need to power through their day. We love this Strawberry Smoothie recipe from LilVienna.com, which contains fresh strawberries and almond milk. You can also make ones with frozen bananas and peanut butter, topped with dark chocolate shavings. This is an especially good snack food for teenage athletes.
No time to make a smoothie? Crispy Fruit is a great choice for your on-the-go teen!
Brown Rice Sushi Rolls
This healthy snack for teens is definitely Instagram worthy! Instead of using traditional white rice, serve sushi rolls with brown rice, this version has more fiber and antioxidants because it hasn’t gone through the refinement process.
Whole Wheat Tortilla Chips & Salsa
While whole wheat tortilla chips aren’t exactly the top choice for healthy snacks for teenagers, they are a much better option than traditional potato chips and creamy dips. Salsa contains tons of vitamin C and lycopene, which is a beneficial antioxidant. You can easily make homemade salsa with just a few simple ingredients – just make sure to go easy on the salt!
Sugar-Free Pudding
You can buy boxed version of “sugar-free instant” pudding at the store, or make an at-home version on the weekend that’s be put into portioned servings. We like this Sugar-Free Vanilla Pudding recipe on ChocolateCoveredKatie.com’s blog. Top with fresh berries for a great after school snack for teens.