Our 17 favorite new products, including coconut flour tortilla chips, healthy banana brittle, chickpea puffs, and more.
If you're looking to widen your child's snack options beyond Goldfish and little boxes of raisins, you're in luck. There are a ton of new healthy and kid-friendly packaged snacks on the market, many of which are also good options for families dealing with allergies or other dietary limitations. (Some trends we spotted among the offerings: plant protein, chickpeasgalore, and plenty of coconut.) Here are the 17 snacks we're most excited about:
Perfect for stashing in your bag on your way to the playground, these cookies contain a whopping 18 grams of protein per cookie, plus 6 grams of fiber. As if this weren't cool enough, they also manage to be vegan and gluten-free. So far they're available in oatmeal raisin, coconut white chocolate macadamia nut, peanut butter chocolate chip, and double dark chocolate flavors.
BUY IT: Munk Pack, Double Dark Chocolate - 2.96 oz Protein Cookie, 6 Pack, $16.79 on Amazon
These snack bars have all of the usual virtues of a healthy, kid-friendly snack circa 2017: they're vegan, they're gluten-free, there's not a preservative or added sugar in sight. However, what really makes this snack company special is its commitment to donating a meal to a child in need for every bar purchased. Packed with nutrient-dense, antioxidant-rich ingredients like nuts, seeds, and fruits, the bars come in a variety of flavors like Chocolate Banana, Peanut Butter and Jelly, Blueberry Almond, Chocolate Espresso Bean, and Cherry Cashew.
BUY IT: KUTOA Health Bars, Vegan, Gluten-Free, Cherry Cashew, 12 Count, $17.39 on Amazon
These crunchy, satisfying bean snacks have 7 grams of protein per serving, as well as 3 grams of fiber. Plus, they're roasted in nutritious coconut oil. This is a perfect lunch box addition, as it's satiating and will help give your child energy throughout the school day.
BUY IT: The Good Bean Gluten-Free Crispy Favas Plus Peas, Variety Pack, 6 Count, $32.01 on Amazon
Larabars are great for non-allergic kids because they're super healthy and full of fiber, containing nothing but dried fruits and nuts like dates, almonds, and cashews. The brand's new bites are like a little truffle version of the bars. With six flavors, including caramel sea salt, chocolate hazelnut, and mint chocolate truffle, to name a few, kids will feel like they're getting a candy treat, even though the bites are made with just 5–7 simple, healthy ingredients (all of which are listed right on the website) and contain no added sugar.
BUY IT: Larabar Bites, Gluten Free, Double Chocolate Brownie, 5.3 oz, $6.03 on Amazon
Chickpea-based snacks are all the rage these days for their healthy fiber and plant-based protein. These Lebby chickpea snacks make the bold move into sweet territory, (Believe it or not, there's a precedent for this: see dessert hummus. The pleasing chewy texture takes well to sweet flavors like chocolate and cinnamon. Buy an assorted pack, which includes Dark Chocolate Covered, Cinnamon Crunch, Sesame and Honey, and Hot and Spicy and get hooked on the healthy snack.
BUY IT: Lebby Roasted Chickpeas, Variety Pack, 4 Pack $9.95 on Amazon
Made from green peas and chickpeas, this puffed, baked snack comes in an original salted flavor, as well as ranch and caramel sea salt. (The company also makes a crispy roasted chickpea snack that you can buy on Amazon.)
BUY IT: Popped Chickpeatos, Case of 8 4-oz Bags, $28.00 at watusee.com
The makers of our favorite granola bars have come out with another great snack. Available in a variety of flavors like Strawberry Apple, Apricot Pear, Pineapple Coconut, and Cherry Apple, these chewy bars contain only fruit and chia seeds. It's a great offering when your kids want something sweet, and it's super-portable for snacks on the go.
Pressed by KIND Bars, Strawberry Apple Chia, 12 Count, $14.22 on Amazon
The makers of what is likely your child's all-time favorite snack—the almighty cheddar bunny—are now making cheese puffs. As usual, everything is organic. These puffs are also gluten-free, made with whole grains, and baked rather than fried. They include real cheddar cheese, without any artificial flavor.
BUY IT: Organic Cheddar Cheesy Puffs, $3.69 on Amazon
And Annie's has another new product that's kind of a cross between a cheese puff and their classic bunnies: white cheddar cheese puffs in the shape of a cute bunny tail. Again, they're organic and made from totally real cheese.
BUY IT: Annie's Organic White Cheddar Bunny Tail Baked Corn Puffs, $28.99 on Amazon
These squeezable smoothie packs are full of fiber from fruits and whole grains like oatmeal and quinoa. Packed in shelf-stable pouches, these fruit-based snacks are preservative-free and come in flavors like Apple Quinoa Cinnamon, Maple Pear Quinoa, Blueberry Açai Flax, Raspberry Coconut, and Peach Chia Vanilla. They're super-portable and nutrient-dense; plus, kids will never not find it fun to eat food out of a squeezy tube.
BUY IT: Munk Pack Oatmeal Fruit Squeeze Snack | Variety Pack, Ready-to-Eat Oatmeal On The Go, 4.2 oz, 10 Pack, $24.99 on Amazon
Barney Butter is a family-owned almond butter company, and they package their almond butter in a couple of convenient ways for on-the-go snacks and packed lunches. Their dip cups tuck nicely into a bento box and are perfect for dipping crackers, fruit, or celery. Barney's also has almond butter pouches, which are great for squeezing on to bread or fruit, or just directly into your mouth. Plus, they come in fun flavors for when you need something a little more fun than plain almond butter: think cocoa and coconut, honey and flax, and a vanilla and espresso flavor that the grown-ups will love.
BUY IT: Barney Butter, Almond Butter, OnGo Snack Packs, Cocoa + Coconut, 6 Packets, $9.57 on Amazon
These are extra-crisp, delicious chips that are baked, not fried. They come in an original flavor made with Himalayan pink salt, a spicy honey BBQ, and peppercorn ranch. Plus each bag contains 7 grams of protein. Plocky's also makes delicious hummus chips that are available on Amazon.
BUY IT: Plocky's PrOTATO Protein Crisps, Pack of 12, $43.60 at ShopGourmet.com
This crunchy, addictive snack consists simply of thinly sliced banana that's baked until it's super crunchy, then coated in flavorings. It's about as natural as a chip can get. Plus, the snacks are made from "upcycled" organic bananas, meaning the ones that would normally go to waste because they're deemed toO ugly for stores. The brittle is available in coconut, chocolate, peanut butter, and ginger flavors.
BUY IT: Barnana Banana Brittle, Gingersnap, 3.5 Ounce, $10.99 on Amazon
16. VEA SNACKS MINI CRUNCH BARS
These snacks feature ingredients like sweet potato, coconut, brown rice, and plenty of spices packed into a mini, bite-sized super-crunchy bar. They come in flavors like Peruvian Sweet potato and Thai coconut. The company also sells crackers made with seeds and herbs.
BUY IT: Vea Peruvian Sweet Potato Mini Crunch Bars 5oz, $13.50 on Amazon
