We are getting close parents — it’s almost time to go back to school. Some of you may already be back in school. That means the grind is happening and it’s about to be busy all the time, doing all the things.
If your kid does after school activities or after school sports, you know how important snacking is. Left to their own decision making skills, your child may not make the best choice at the snack machine. You need to be prepared parents – here are my top picks for the best shelf-stable snacks for backpacks.
Rules for Backpack Snacks
- Nothing soft or fragile – backpacks take a beating, bananas, freeze-dried fruit, and chips will not make it out in any sort of edible shape. Don’t waste your money.
- Must be tasty – sure, you can pack 100-calorie almond packs, but you also might find them in the backpack abyss in the June timeframe, aka, end of school.
- Must be filling – yeah, a snack is supposed to be a small bite to hold you over until your next meal, but we don’t want them heading to the vending machine after their snack bag of mini rice cakes.
- Pack water too – always make sure they have water — some snacks have a little more sodium in them and you want them drinking water, not soda.
Top 10 Best Shelf Stable Snacks for Backpacks
*Note: I have not received any type of compensation or samples to mention products in this post, these are just the products I have tried and recommend. There are no affiliate links in this post.
Fresh Fruit
Of course, this is my number one! Just be careful with what you pack — otherwise, you’ll be washing the backpack too.
- whole apples
- whole oranges
- grapes in a sealed container – not a plastic baggie
- blueberries in a sealed container
Crunchy Chickpeas
Crunchy chickpeas are typically baked and give the satisfaction of crunch and saltiness of a savory snack, but with protein and fiber. You can either buy the bigger bags and break them into smaller snack sized portions, or buy snack sized packages for a quick grab option.
Saffron Road and Biena taste great!
Nut Butter Packets
I love nut butter packets! The great news is there is a ton of variety in what you can buy, from just plain peanut butter to maple almond butter. These are a super quick snack — just knead the package, tear off the corner, and you can eat straight or pack a package of crackers (make sure it goes in the front pocket of the backpack).
Dried Fruit Bars
These are great for your kid with a sweet tooth, but you don’t want them grabbing straight sugar. Larabar, That’s it bars, and KIND Whole Fruit bars are my favs. These bars can take a fairly good beating in a backpack and still taste great.
Tuna Packs
Okay, now you don’t want your kid to be the smelly kid who brings fish to school, but hear me out. Tuna packets are a great snack, especially for athletes who are working to get more protein throughout the day.
You can either get the tuna snack packs or a simple tuna pack (make sure you also pack a fork) — and if they are worried about the smell, just eat it outside.
Applesauce Pouches
Talk about the quickest convenience snack. I’ve seen kids pretty much slam these in one gulp. They are easy to eat, especially on the go — think, walking down the halls. There are so many different brands, even store brands. Just look for one without any added sugar.
Chickpea Puffs
Not to be confused with crunchy chickpeas, the puffs are like the slightly healthier version of the old-school ones that would stain your fingers orange. You know what I’m talking about. Hippeas are the only ones I know of and we love them, but if you see another brand you like, try it!
Jerky
It would probably blow your mind to look up all of the different types of jerky available now — beef, turkey, bacon, salmon, venison, and yes…mushroom jerky. I’m sure there are more that I don’t even know about. Jerky gets a bad rap for the sodium content, but it’s a great shelf-stable, high protein snack that kids love — and it can survive a school day in the bottom of a backpack.
Nuts/Trail Mix
If your kid doesn’t have an allergy, nuts are a filling and easy snack to throw in their backpack. We like getting the big bags of flavored nuts from Costco and then just filling snack-sized baggies for snacks. You could also buy single serving packages if that makes life easier for you.
Granola or Protein Bars
I’m careful with this one, because not all bars are created equal, and not all are appropriate for kids. Use your best judgment, parents. KIND bars are always a safe bet. I also like GoMacro bars and Orgain snack bars.
So there you have it, my top 10 list of what to have ready for backpacks. Have a great school year!
