What Healthy Snacks Can Teenagers Eat?

There are many common snacks out there high in added sugars, refined grains, and more ingredients that should be reduced in teenagers’ diets because they need to fuel their growing bodies with adequate nutrient-dense meals and snacks. There are ideal levels of macronutrients such as carbs, fat, and protein, as well as micronutrients such as minerals and vitamins that teens need for their growth and development.

Let us take a look at healthy snacks that teenagers can eat for their nutrition and wellbeing.

26 Healthy Snacks for Teenagers

Mini Meals

Do you want the perfect snacks that are substantial, high in calories, and hearty? The snacks in this section are just what you need.

Chicken and Avocado Salad

Avocado is high in healthy fats, fiber, folate, magnesium, and potassium. For a filling combination, serve crackers or sprouted grain bread along with your rotisserie chicken and avocado salad.

Nut Butter and Banana Open-Face Sandwich

Get healthy bread and spread cashew butter, almond, or peanut on it, then top it with a drizzle of honey and sliced banana.

Stuffed Sweet Potato

Sweet potatoes are packed with protein, vitamin C, fiber, potassium, and provitamin A. To enjoy this appealing meal, stuff a small roasted sweet potato with avocado, chicken, beans, or baked veggies.

Veggie Frittata

Veggie frittata is super easy to make! You can use your teen`s protein-packed favorite ingredients. A slice or two of this will serve as an enjoyable meal or snack.

Homemade Snacks

These snacks require little time and will give your teenagers a lot of nutrients.

Hummus Jars

Bursting with fiber, healthy fats, manganese, protein, folate, and magnesium, hummus is a satisfying dip made from chickpeas.

Apple and Nut Butter Sandwiches

For a protein and fiber-rich snack, have your teens spread their favorite nut butter between apple slices. This is one filling and delicious combo they will thank you for. For extra crunch, roll the edges in hemp seeds, chopped nuts, or chia seeds.

Cashew, Almond, Cherry, and Dark Chocolate Trail Mix

These ingredients are remarkably excellent sources of antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals, needed for teens’ optimal health. With dark chocolate chips, you can mix chewy dried cherries, creamy cashews, and almonds for an appealing combination.

High Protein Snacks

Did you know that teens’ protein needs are 20–60% greater than adults’? This is due to their nutrient requirements for growth and development.

These protein-rich snacks are particularly filled with nutrients that help build muscles and maintain optimal health. Athletic teens particularly need more snacks like this. What`s more? These snacks will help your teen stay full between meals. Let`s take a look.

Greek Yogurt Parfait with Fruit, Nuts, and Chia Seeds

Greek yogurt contains 15 grams of protein per 6-ounce (170-gram) serving, while chia seeds are rich in phosphorus, protein, calcium, manganese, healthy fats, and magnesium. Make an enjoyable, protein-packed parfait for our teens with chia seeds, Greek yogurt, chopped nuts, and fresh berries.

Edamame, Chickpea, and Feta Salad

This plant-based snack is the perfect choice for vegetarian teens. It is a reliable source of healthy fat, as well as gives a calcium boost.

Tuna and Cheddar Lunch Box Bites

Tuna provides omega-3 fats and is a rich source of highly absorbable protein. Are your teenagers lovers of seafood? Well, get them to try tuna and cheddar bites. Tuna improves brain function and ensures teens` development.

Homemade Snacks you Can Make Ahead of Time

Let`s discuss teen-friendly snacks you can prepare if you have a bit more time to spare. Keep reading!

Peanut Butter and Jelly Chia Pudding

You can rest assured that chia seeds are loaded with nutrients that your teens need. This snack contains protein, manganese, healthy fats, magnesium, phosphorus, and calcium.

For teens who need to avoid dairy, the peanut butter and jelly chia pudding recipe combines antioxidant-rich wild blueberries with creamy peanut butter, as well as uses coconut milk, so it’s safe.

Veggie, Cheese, and Egg Muffins

You can make egg muffins in advance and store them in the fridge or freezer so your teens can reheat them when they`re ready to eat. Egg muffins are particularly protein-packed. You can even add healthy veggies and cheese to your muffins.

Chocolate No-Bake Energy Bites

Chocolatey snacks and teens sure go together. You can help them make it healthier by adding ingredients like dates, oats, almonds, and cashews to keep them energized between meals.

Nutrient-Dense Smoothies

What about the smoothies that have nutrient-dense ingredients? Unlike many other snacks, they`re not loaded with added sugar, and they can be whipped up in minutes.

Peanut Butter and Jelly Date Smoothie

Your smoothie can be devoid of added sugar; just classic peanut butter and jelly. Date sweetens it naturally, and peanut butter fills it with protein. Your teen is good to go on a healthy smoothie.

Chocolate Cherry Smoothie

This is another healthy smoothie that works excellently with its cherry content. It`s also safe because it doesn`t contain excess sugar.

Green Smoothie

Green smoothie contains a whole lot of spinach and gets its fruity taste from strawberries, banana, and orange. Isn`t this a great way to sneak in veggies if your teen avoids it?

Avocado Berry Smoothie

This is a particularly nutritious beverage! Use nut butter or Greek yogurt to increase the protein content in your bowl of creamy avocado and sweet berries.

Nut-Free Snacks

You probably didn`t know that 2.2% of children and adolescents in the United States are allergic to peanuts. This is why we have compiled nut-free snacks that are safe and healthy for your teens.

Roasted Chickpeas

This is a plant-based protein snack that is entirely free of nut. It is crunchy, salty, and excellently healthy.

Guacamole, Veggies, and Tortilla Chips

Creamy guacamole is easy to make and is easily paired with tortilla chips and veggies. This recipe is high in folate, healthy fats, fiber, magnesium, and potassium.

Banana Oatmeal Muffins

Unlike most muffins loaded with ingredients that aren`t safe for teenage children, this muffin recipe uses nourishing ingredients like maple syrup, rolled oats, whole milk, bananas, and Greek yogurt. What more does a teen need in a snack? This is a super nutritious option for your teenagers.

Healthy Premade Snacks

There are various snack packages out there, however, homemade snacks are a great option for teens. Here are some premade snacks that you can try.

Premade Energy Bites

Get your teens nutrient-dense with premade energy bites that are packed with healthy ingredients like dried fruit, oats, coconut, and nuts.

Healthy Chips

Go for chips loaded with veggies and high in fiber. Your teens will thank you for it.

Dried Fruit

Teens love dried fruit. Pair it with some nuts or seeds so they can even be more filling.

Trail Mix, Nuts, and Seeds

There are varieties of packaged trail mix with salted and unsalted nuts and seeds. Take your time to buy the best for your teens. Be sure to read the nutrition information before making a choice.

Turkey Sticks

Turkey sticks provide a convenient, portable protein source.

Cheese Sticks

Whole milk cheese is rich in calcium, healthy fats protein, and minerals such as zinc and selenium that are great for immune health.

Now that you Know…

Now you can boast of healthy teenage children because they`re eating the best of snacks around. If you`re a parent of teenagers, you definitely know that this is the time to monitor what they eat and drink, as they are prone to explore different kinds of snacks at this stage of their lives.