15 Snack Ideas for Your Growing Tween

As my oldest leaves her preschool years behind (far behind) and goes further into her tween years – and ever closer to her teen years – we are faced with new stages of her childhood. So much is changing and her body definitely needs fuel to keep up with those changes. My girl herself has noticed that her body is asking for more food and nervously wonders, “Why am I always hungry?” I assure her that it’s perfectly normal and part of growing and that her body just needs to keep up with the energy it’s using to grow!

One thing we do is take advantage of such opportunities to help her think about her food choices and have conversations about healthy eating. While we always emphasize that moderation is key and that she doesn’t have to deprive herself of any food, we do want her to snack smart when she’s snacking in-between main meals. (This is true for both her and her younger brother.) So, she’s been helping us shop for healthier food and smarter snacks that will help her have better choices in the kitchen for those times she gets hungry.

If you have a growing tween in your house that is often hungry and snacking a lot, you’re probably looking for snack ideas to help him or her make smart choices. While it’s easy to grab a bag of chips or any number of quick pre-packaged snacks, I try to remind my daughter to look beyond our pantry and think of what foods she can pair from the pantry and the fridge to put together a healthier snack, even if she has to take 2 minutes to spread or cut something. Below is a list of easy snack ideas for your growing tween that will help satisfy those in-between meals hunger attacks they so-often get!