Summer is coming to an end and it’s time to start thinking about heading back to school. Among the many things to prepare for, food is one of them. Whether it’s preparing breakfast, packing a lunch, or having healthy snacks around, nutrition is an important part of a child’s development.

Our Favorite Snack Picks for Kids

Nut and seed butters are great items to have at home to spread on celery sticks or bananas. Justin’s makes peanut, cashew, and almond butters. 88 Acres makes nut free butters from seeds, like pumpkin and sunflower. This is a great option for kids with nut allergies. You can even send individual packets with your child to school.

Another healthy snack idea is fruit salad, using chunks of watermelon, pineapple, and blueberries. Keep a tub of Truwhip next to the fruit in the refrigerator, and kids can top off their fruit bowl with a dollop. It has only 2 g of sugar in 2 tablespoons and is free of high-fructose corn syrup and hydrogenated oils. It will make the fruit taste like dessert but will have plenty of nutrients.

Jicama is slightly sweet and super crunchy, something kids love! Cut jicama into French fry-like sticks. This makes it super easy for kids to grab a handful and crunch away. Bell pepper slices are another great crunchy snack. Avoid the green ones since they tend to be a bit bitter. Yellow and orange bell peppers are sweet.

If time is an issue and you can't chop and prep, you can buy jicama and celery sticks already prepared in the store, as well as mixed fruit bowls.

If you’re looking for short cuts or pre-packaged grab-and-go snacks, here are a couple of my favorites. SneakZ has 3 flavors of milkshakes. They “sneak” in four vegetable purees (five in the chocolate), so each juice box has the equivalent of ½ a serving of veggies. Once Upon a Farm makes fruit and veggie smoothies that come in squeezable pouches. They are organic and come in three types: babies, toddlers, and kids.