High Protein Snacks for Kids: Healthy snacks for at home, school, or on the go!

Kids can be picky eaters, so nutrition gaps are common. When you have a child that needs more protein it can leave you asking what are high protein snacks for kids? 

The best healthy high-protein snacks for kids are all-natural foods that kids think taste good. Even the pickiest eaters will eat high protein snacks that have the benefit of vitamins and minerals if it has a great flavor. High protein can be hidden inside cookies, bread, and pouches, so kids don’t even know they are getting a protein boost. 

The benefits of high protein snacks are that they help fill nutrition gaps in kids that may be missing out on protein. Even the best eaters could benefit from this list of fun healthy snacks for kids.

Keep reading to find some of the best high-protein snacks for kids including protein pouches, energy balls, and even cookies. Use this list to find healthy snacks for school, at home, or on the go.

High protein snacks for kids

The best high-protein snacks for kids include protein along with micronutrients. Children benefit from eating snacks that come in a form they are familiar with like cookies. Hidden ingredients inside familiar snacks do the work of helping kids absorb the protein inside. 

It’s no wonder that our favorite protein is hemp hearts because they are full of nutrition and can be blended into foods kids love without them knowing they are eating healthy. Micronutrients, like vitamin B6, and complex carbohydrates help your muscles absorb amino acids. So foods like hemp hearts that contain both vitamins and fiber are the best choice. 

Kids need protein because they need the energy to play and grow. Protein plays a vital role in the development of children’s muscles and bones. If your child isn’t getting enough protein they can become sluggish and miss out on growth milestones. 

Protein deficiencies are rare, however, so you don’t have to worry if you are having a good amount of protein at meal and snack time. The only time you should have concerns is if your child is underweight, a picky eater, or has a metabolic condition that causes protein waste. 

Whatever your protein needs, whole foods protein sources are the best after a hard day of play. Here are a few high protein snack ideas that kids will love:

Hemp Hearts 

Hemp hearts help you absorb the vitamins and minerals of the foods you eat with them. Fat, vitamin B6, and complex carbs are important for amino acid absorption. 

Luckily, hemp hearts contain healthy omega fatty acids and all essential amino acids. The combination of vitamins and complex carbs is why sprinkling hemp hearts into kid-friendly foods like oatmeal is a useful way to get protein. 

When it comes to snack time it’s best to pair hemp hearts with your child’s favorite food. Dip soft fruits and avocado in hemp hearts to give your fruit more texture and taste. Toddlers can benefit from hemp hearts too. Allow toddlers to pick up avocado slices, explore the texture and have a quick morning snack at home.

Of course, hemp hearts also give texture and nuttiness to a variety of snacks like yogurt, smoothies, and granola. Try using hemp hearts to add more protein to any of your snacks between meals. 

 

 

Hemp Heart Energy Protein Balls

One of the fun ways for kids to get their protein is by practicing making no-bake hemp heart energy protein balls. The simple recipe with oats, hemp hearts, almond butter, and honey is easy to make for you and your kids. 

Any time you can get your kid’s hands dirty and keep them involved is a chance to help them learn healthy eating habits. Research shows that kids who are more involved in their food choices go on to make healthier choices as adults. They’re also more likely to finish all of their dinner without bargaining. 

No judgment here, most parents have said, “just one more bite and you can have a cookie.” Luckily, if that’s how you’re bargaining you can choose a healthy cookie alternative too. 

Chocolate Chip Hemp Protein Cookies

Sprinkling hemp hearts on your favorite foods is a quick and easy way to save time. However, if the hard work of parenting ever gives you extra time, try cooking with hemp hearts. 

Like the protein balls, protein cookies use protein powder as a healthy addition to dessert. There’s no need to worry about unhealthy additives or supplements here. Humming Hemp protein powder is free of all additives and is made from raw all-natural hemp seeds.

Hemp protein is a plant-based protein that your kids won’t even notice in these healthy cookies made with chocolate chips. These chewy and chocolatey cookies are sweetened with coconut sugar and use applesauce to replace eggs. The best part is these cookies are vegan, making them an allergy-friendly alternative for kids with milk, egg, or peanut allergies.

Protein-Packed Quick Breads or Muffins 

Hemp hearts make a great topping to any bread, muffin, or pancake. If you really want to add a lot of protein to your baked goods add hemp protein powder into the batter. 

Try a few recipes with flavors kids are used to and already love, like banana bread and pumpkin bread. Protein-packed quick breads or muffins, are a great way to prepare a snack for the week. They also make a great breakfast when you need to save time. 

Try our hemp banana bread and hemp pumpkin bread recipes for two different options to get your protein. Both hemp hearts and hemp protein will give you the protein you need, but they bake differently and give you two different fat options. Don’t worry about the choice, both are good, so you can’t go wrong. In fact, try them both and let us know your favorite.

Hummingbars

Sometimes you want a store-bought prepared snack when you’re on the go. Hummingbars are the fastest way to get your protein when you’re on the move. 

If you’re heading out before school or work, you have no need to bake to get your protein. Hummingbars work for both a morning snack or as an afternoon treat. The chewy texture is safe for toddlers who are still learning to work their teeth, but be sure to break them up first. 

Hummingbars have all the protein you need and none of the additives you don’t. All five flavors have the powerful protein boost of hemp hearts with omega fatty acids. You won’t have to worry about a major sugar crash either because hummingbars contain all-natural honey as a sweetener. 

Try hummingbars on their own or get creative. Break up hemp bars and place them on top of ice cream to sneak more protein into your next dessert.

Roasted Vegetable Snacks 

Crispy edamame, chickpeas, and corn nuts are fun snacks that give you a big amount of protein. You can find quick options of each of these in stores everywhere. 

Whatever snack you choose, be careful about the additives of prepackaged snacks. If you’re like me, you’ll want to be sure to avoid preservatives, high sodium, and hidden sugar. 

The healthiest option is often to make roasted protein snacks yourself. You can make your own roasted edamame, corn nuts, and chickpeas easily at home. 

Consider trying the different snacks in different forms too. Experimenting with cooking techniques makes a great textural learning experience for you and your little one. 

Edamame

Edamame is a complete protein with about 20g protein per 1.5 oz serving. Be careful feeding toddlers the edamame snacks, they can be hard. Avoid a choking hazard by saving these for older children. Bigger kids will love eating them like they are nuts or a bag of chips.

Corn Nuts

Corn nuts are a classic that contain up to 4g of protein per 1.7 oz serving. It’s important to note that corn nuts aren’t nuts, they’re roasted corn. 

Whether or not corn nuts are healthy is debatable. However, with the limited ingredients in the original version it is a great allergy-friendly option, if you can have corn. 

Corn nuts can be a fun treat in moderation. Save corn nuts for a special day by swapping them out for popcorn on movie night.

Chickpeas

Chickpeas are a versatile protein with 6g of protein per 1 oz serving. Using chickpeas to make hummus is also a great protein source for children.  You can even get to know your child’s preferences by giving them steamed chickpeas and hummus to see which textures they enjoy. 

Pro tip: Double up on the protein by making bento boxes containing roasted chickpeas, edamame, or corn nuts with crackers and hummus.

Baked Protein Snack Crips

It’s hard to break a potato chip habit once you’ve got one, but you can sub potato chips for vegetable-based snacks in a bag. Your little one will still get the feel of eating the salty snack but will get more protein instead. 

My favorites are made from lentils, peas, or beans containing both fiber and protein. Luckily, you have a host of protein-based crips and snack puffs to choose from.

When you stop to pick up your hemp hearts in a store near you, be on the lookout for some of these snacks too.

Even dried cereal like Special K and Kashi Go contain a good amount of protein. You can bag them up and let your toddlers eat them, instead of salty chips with no nutritional value.

Seed Butter Fruit and Rice Cakes

Seeds and nuts are a fast way to get all the protein, vitamins, and minerals you need. A seed butter sandwich or cracker spread is easy to make and tastes great. This is a treat your kids will ask for. 

For a fun alternative to peanut butter crackers, you can spread seed butter on rice cakes and use strategically placed strawberries, blueberries, bananas, and pretzels to make a cute cat face.

 

 

Cheese & Crackers

Dairy is a great way to get protein. Low-fat cheese and multigrain crackers are quick and full of protein. Make a grab and go shelf and fill them with all your favorite snacks to make on the go bento boxes.

  • Cheese
  • Crackers
  • Berries
  • Apples
  • Dried Cereal
  • Nuts 
  • Hemp Seeds

The list goes on, many of your favorite foods will work.

Protein Pouches

Applesauce pouches are convenient and kids love them, but they don’t contain much protein. So use your favorite flavors to make your own pouches. Choose a high-protein vegetable and hide them behind the sweetness of fruit, so your little ones get the protein they need.  

  • White beans and sweet potatoes
  • Apples and lentils
  • Hemp hearts, avocado, and apple
  • Strawberry, yogurt, hemp hearts
  • Pineapple, banana, coconut milk, hemp protein
  • Berry blend, apples, and soy milk
  • Apples, avocado, spinach, edamame 
  • Banana, nut butter, apple, plant-based milk 

Add ice and any of these pouches can be turned into a smoothie. But if you’re looking for convenience on the go, you can’t beat a pouch. 

Yogurt pouches can also make fun frozen yogurt desserts. If you add yogurt and hemp you’ll get double the protein. If you’re not a fan of dairy, you can add plant-based milk along with hemp protein powder for more protein. 

To make snack time a fun activity and a learning experience for kids, have them try bites of whole food while you blend them for pouches. When at home have whole food snacks, and when on the go or packing for school lunches use the pouches. This way little kids still get the chance to work on their fine motor skills, chewing and tasting new foods. 

Summary: High protein snacks for kids

High protein snacks for kids can be a variety of homemade baked snacks, whole food bites, and treats on the go. Having a variety gives your child something to choose from. 

Kids need protein to help their muscles grow and develop into strong little people. Use these protein snack ideas to help fill gaps in your child’s diet, or keep them on the right track. Getting them involved in the process gives your child an interest in the protein they need. 

Whether you are at home or headed to school protein balls, hummingbars, or protein pouches will make a quick and powerful protein snack. Pick up your hemp hearts online today to start making baked recipes or quick toppings for your child’s favorite foods.  

 

 

Humming Hemp Product Line Up