Kids are always hungry. This is nothing new!
Children are constantly growing and with that constant growth comes unending hunger! Having healthy enough snacks on hand is key when it comes to keeping toddlers from being cranky.
I say healthy enough because it can be easy to get lost in pit of “all the time” mentality motherhood. What I mean is, sometimes I can get obsessed with having my kids eat the healthiest snacks and meals possible all of the time.
That’s not reasonable. Yes, my kids will eat vegetables and fruit, and fermented foods and healthy grains most of the time. It’s not something that has to be an all of the time thing.
It’s OK for them to eat a quick and not quite as healthy snack every once in a while.
Anyways, while we are generally a pretty healthy household, we’re also a household on a budget. We have snacks that fit our requirements of healthy enough and also budget friendly!
When it comes to fitting into the budget, the less expensive the snack, the better!
I never buy snacks that are pre-portioned and individually packaged. You are just paying for the convenience factor (usually about 5x the cost of the bulk item!)
If you just have to have your snacks prepackaged like that, for just a few dollars, you can buy a large pack of zipper bags. Portioning out your own snacks can save you a TON of money.
Here are our go-to cheap and healthy (enough) snacks!
Click through the link to find the recipes!
Banana Bread
The banana bread we make costs about $1.75 a loaf to make.
Every week, we bake about twice a week. Rosy loves to help me bake. We usually add it onto the end of our homeschool routine in the mornings. I love having banana bread without all of the sugar that comes in traditional bread to offer the girls. They both love it!
Apple Cinnamon Muffins
These muffins cost about $1.35 to make a dozen.
I don’t put the sugar in this recipe, and both of my girls eat them up! These are a great option for quick and go. If Rosy needs a snack and we are headed out the door, this is one of my go to options.
Graham Crackers
Ok, who doesn’t love a good graham cracker? Both of the girls love these. They cost $1.00 a box, and they’re the ultimate “throw into my purse just in case” kind of snack.
Again, these aren’t the healthiest option, but they’re great in a pinch or for a treat!
Apples
Apples are between $0.30 and $0.40 each.
I have always put an apple in my bag or grabbed one when heading out the door, and the same now goes for the girls.
To make it a bit more filling, a little bit of peanut butter keeps it a healthy snack.
Bananas
Bananas cost around $0.20 each.
So cheap, healthy and the ultimate portable food! I can throw a banana into my bag and it’s ready to go!
A plus is not having to worry about buying too many bananas because any that are beginning to go bad can be put into banana bread! If there’s still a few left, I throw them into the freezer to be used in smoothies or banana bread in the future.
Pretzels
Not the healthiest snack, but buying a bag of pretzels is $1.00. They last for a few weeks at the rate we eat them. I keep them in a large plastic container in the pantry and they’re great in a pinch!
Cheese Cubes
This cheese is around $0.20 a serving.
We don’t buy any pre-packaged cheese, but just the block of cheese in a pound or half pound container. I then slice it up into cubes and store it in a plastic bowl in the refrigerator. This way, it’s ready for snacking! No prep required.
Raisins
Raisins cost about $0.20 a serving.
We buy raisins specifically to put into oatmeal every morning, but they make a wonderful snack item too! Several raisins in a bowl often accompany us as Rosy’s snack during our afternoon walks.
It’s easy to throw a grocery budget off of the rails when you walk down the snack aisle at the grocery store!
You don’t have to!
Try out these snacks for your kids, they’ll love them, and your wallet will too!
Want to save even more money? Check out my FREE meal planning printable!
Curious about how we save money and keep a tight grocery budget? Read about our grocery budget here!