Getting your kid to eat healthy is, well, ahem, "challenging" to say the least! On top of picky ickies, you want to make sure what goes in their mouth is good for them. Easier said than done, amiright?!

When kids are young, flavor reigns as the true boss in the house, but you want to make sure that what goes in their little mouths is healthy for them.

Without guidance, kids would happily eat mac n’ cheese and pudding all day long. Mix the disdain for healthy eating with a picky eater or very opinionated personality and you have a tug-of-war on your hands.

Getting kids to eat healthily is easier said than done, but it can be achieved with the help of flavorful snacks that get them excited about snack time and keep them entertained with fun textures. Flavor and texture play such a big role in a kid’s experience of taste that it’s almost impossible to keep them away from junk food.

To help with this ever-present battle that parents struggle with on a regular basis, the team at Youtopia Snacks has put together a guide on how to get your kids to care about healthy eating, providing healthy and convenient snack options. With the right choices of alternative snacks, you can provide healthy snacks for kids to enjoy, taking pride in the lack of junk food in your home.

In case you are still wondering which snacks you should buy for the littles, we have also included our top five favorite snacks that keep kids entertained and make snack time easier for everyone involved.

These snacks pack a flavorful punch in perfect, portion-controlled packs that are sure to satisfy a kid’s cravings while teaching them about healthy eating habits and helping them understand that healthy eating doesn’t have to be boring, bettering their relationship with food for the future. These snacks are so good that you’ll start buying them for yourself, too!

Picking out healthy snacks for kids can be a daunting challenge, especially at the beginning of the school year when you have had the whole summer to cook lunches at home that everyone can eat right away, rather than hoping that it will stay fresh in their lunchbox throughout half the day.

Below are several key things that you should keep in mind when picking out healthy snacks for kids, and what you can do to help them make their own healthy choices in the future:

Flavor is a Must-Have

Flavor is king in a child’s mind. They might not have the refined tastes you do as an adult, but everything is new and exciting to them. Depending on the kid, they might be more sensitive to “gross-tasting” healthy snack foods, which tend to have a different texture or slightly different taste than their junk food alternatives. This is especially true for kids who have a taste for junk food and are learning to cope with the household change towards healthier foods.  

Help Them Feel in Control

An important part of packing your child’s lunches is keeping them involved in the process so they can learn from your example. Help them feel in control of their dietary choices by presenting several healthy snacks to them and asking them which ones they would like to have in their lunch boxes.

Since they are choosing from a set of snacks you present, rather than letting their imagination run wild, they will be more likely to choose the one they are really interested in. This will help them feel less opposed to healthy eating as they get older as well, as they are enabled to make their own healthy and responsible choices.  

Don’t Sacrifice Texture

While the flavor is the most important factor in choosing a snack, texture also plays a critical role in how likely kids are to enjoy a snack.

Keep in mind that the texture you enjoy might not be the texture they enjoy. You may enjoy crunchy snacks, like a nutty candy bar, while they might prefer softer, goopier snacks like apple sauce. Kids’ experience of taste and texture are very different from our own, but if you know what your child generally enjoys, you can find healthy snacks to keep them satisfied.

Keep up the Variety

If they open their lunch to find the same old flavors several days in a row, your kids are more likely to start trading lunches with the other kids at school. Once that happens, you have no more control over what they eat during the day.

Most kids love variety and would prefer to change up even one element of their school lunches every day or every other day. This change does not have to be drastic – in fact, it can be as simple as swapping a package of honey mustard Youtopia Snacks with a package of Bananas for Chocolate. The different flavors will appeal to their exploratory senses.

If you’re not sure if this is the right move for your kid, ask them. Their choices should be limited to healthy snacks on hand and can be as simple as asking if they want a different lunch, or if they want the same lunch they had before.

Add a Healthy Treat

Never be afraid to add a tasty treat in their lunchbox. The fear of food is never conducive to a healthy relationship with food but knowing how to responsibly make choices and how to satisfy cravings in healthier ways will help set an example.

This means that you can pack something small and sweet without going overboard, and it is always wise to try healthy alternatives to their favorite junk foods. Whether it’s a juice drink or a chocolate square, your kids are sure to enjoy the treat – and yes, that means you can pack a small treat for yourself, too!

Follow Your Example

You are setting an example by packing your kids’ lunch with healthy snack foods, but they need to see you eating healthier as well. If your kids are around when you pack lunches for the day, try asking them what you should have for your lunch. If they tell you to pack junky snacks, you can refuse gently by telling them it hurts your tummy, or that you want something that will keep you full.

This is a fun way to keep them involved, make them feel like their voice matters, and, as a bonus, it keeps you accountable for eating healthier.

It is time for the kids to go back to school, which means it is time for you to start packing lunches again. Where did their lunchboxes even disappear to? :)

Once you find their lunchboxes in the attic and clean the crayon markings out of it, you might find yourself wondering what you can add that isn’t packed full of sugar.

Packing for school is significantly different from packing a lunch for work. At school, there is no breakroom to grab a cup of coffee and microwave your bowl of oatmeal, which means any food you pack needs to be ready to eat several hours into the day. On top of that, kids get bored easily with the same flavors, so you will need to pack a variety of foods for them to enjoy.

Lunches should be packed with healthy snacks for kids that do not require refrigeration. Since they will not get a chance to eat until later in the school day, you want to make sure their snacks stay appetizing.

The easiest way to do that is to provide a mix of pre-packaged healthy snacks for kids, as well as some whole foods that do not require a lot of preparation. Don’t be afraid to pack a surprise treat as well but keep it on the healthy side; a pack of organic gummy bears or trail mix with high-quality chocolate bites are a favorite for many kids.

It can be tiring to always decide what flavors to pack for the day, especially if you are also packing your own lunch. If you are not sure what flavors to pack, try asking your child by presenting a couple of healthy options and giving them the choice to make their own decision. This will help them feel involved in the process, and like they have more control over their diet.

Kids have an active imagination and love to play with their food. While it might be rude at formal meals, it is an important part of their development to be creative and enjoy their food in every way they can. For many kids, imagination runs wild and suddenly their hard-boiled egg becomes a mouse running away from carrot cats, or other silly scenarios.

To help encourage this playful learning, you can get a little crafty and creative with their lunchbox snacks as well, while sneaking in a couple of healthier foods.

Cut veggies into fun shapes and make fun animals out of their whole foods – for example, two carrot rounds inserted near the top of an egg can make a cute mouse – or for sandwiches, simply using fun-shaped cookie cutters can make all the difference between a fun lunch and a chore.

Snack time can be daunting, but parents, the team at Youtopia Snacks has your back. With years of experience as snack-time experts, full-time parents, and lunch-packing aficionados, we’ve seen it all – at least, that’s what we’d like to think.

We believe in you and your lunch-packing abilities! Below is a list of our top 5 favorite snacks that make snack time a breeze.