Summer is quickly approaching and I know I am going to have a very hungry kid on my hands. I love having him home for summer, but it seems like if we buy a bag of chips or candy it disappears within an hour.
I like to keep around snacks that will be filling and still not be really expensive. So, I put together a list of 20 snack ideas under $.25 each.
These are snack ideas that for our family I feel comfortable letting my son eat almost every day. I understand all families are different, and some of these items you may not consider to be healthy. I am not too picky, I just don't like a lot of chips and junk foods.
I like to put the fridge foods in a snack bin so he can just head to the fridge and see what is in the bin. It works great to eliminate the "mom, what can I get to eat" all day long.
Depending on where you live, your prices might be higher. These are just items that by purchasing at Aldi or getting on sale I can usually find for under $.25 each.
20 Snacks Under $.25 Each
Popcorn
We buy our popcorn at Aldi and make homemade microwave popcorn. You can also buy the microwave popcorn bags and they will be around $.25 a serving too.
Hard Boiled Eggs
I like to make up a big batch of a dozen and then keep them in the fridge. They are great to grab as a snack to fill you up.
Bananas
Mandarin Oranges
Carrots
I buy the bags of baby carrots and put a serving size in a snack bag.
Pretzels
Meijer often has the bags for only $1. I divide them up in snack bags.
Deviled Eggs
These are not only a great snack to have, but we love these for lunches too.
Raisins
Dried Pineapples
These are great when you are looking for a sweet treat. I buy pineapples when they are $.79-$.99 and make our own.
Celery
I just cut them up into serving sizes and place them in a snack bag.
Milk
I know it's a drink, but milk can make a great snack. With 16 servings in a gallon of milk you can pay up to four dollars a gallon and still only spend $.25 a serving.
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Granola Bars
We often make our own granola bars or you can find them at Aldi for around $.24 a granola bar.
Peanut Butter Toast
A slice of bread toasted with a serving of peanut butter spread on it is a great filling snack. I love this for breakfast or a snack.
Block Cheese
I like to buy block cheese when it's on sale and cut it down to serving sizes. They are perfect to put in baggies as a snack.
Yogurt
I buy the 32 ounce containers from Aldi and put 1/2 cup in small storage containers. Then my son can just grab a container out of the fridge.
Peanuts
Aldi sells the large containers of peanuts for around $2.50. Each container contains 16 servings. It makes a great protein filled snack.
Cold Pasta Salad
Sometimes I make it homemade, but usually I make it from a box. My son loves it even though it probably isn't the healthiest. It's easy to make and divide into small containers for each serving.
Watermelon
I love it when I can find a great deal on watermelon. During the summer I can often find watermelon for $2-$3 and slice it up into individual servings.
Craisins
Animal Crackers
My son loves animal crackers, probably because they are so sweet, it's pretty much cookies. We buy the bags when they go on sale at Meijer. They are great for a sweet snack.
The trick with almost any snack is keeping in mind portion control. If I give my son a bag of Goldfish, he can eat it one serving. By dividing out the servings it makes him and I much more aware of how much he is eating. I know I mentioned I use a lot of baggies, but in most of these items you can reuse the baggies or buy re-useable bags.
What inexpensive snacks do you like to serve?
Tammy says
One snack I love is take an apple & slice into 6-8 slices core out then put a spoon of peanut butter in the center where the core was and put back together. Of course you can't make too far ahead, but works great to go to a park or pool. We also like Fit & active crisps (sour cream & chive, or tomatoe basil) with a square of block cheese. Yummy!
Julie says
I love the apple idea! That sounds like a great swim snack for my kiddo. Thank you for sharing.
Angela says
Milk is not a beverage, it is a food that you drink>so says most doctors you talk to. That's why it's a good snack.
Melissa French, The More With Less Mom says
My kids are hard-boiled egg addicts. Thanks for sharing! Hello from Thrifty Thursday.
Julie says
Hard-boiled eggs are such a great snack! We love them too.
Missy Rakes says
What a great list! I'm pinning for future reference.
Julie says
Thanks!
Brittany at Equipping Godly Women says
Great list! I know my boys are ALWAYS hungry, so having a long list like this will be helpful. Pinned already!
Erin says
Have you seen the post on how to make hard boiled eggs in the oven using a muffin tin? Much easier!!
Julie says
I have, but haven't tried it yet. It looks much easier. Thanks for the tip!
Brittanie @Simplistically Living says
Great ideas. You can't go wrong with delicious and cheap snacks! Thanks for sharing at the #HomeMattersParty.
Heather says
Some great ideas here! I wrote down some new ones for us. And you're right – portion control is key. We also do the frozen 100% fruit bars, string cheese, "ants on a log", applesauce, tuna on crackers or celery, chips and salsa, make-your-own peanut butter crackers, sometimes a baked potato with cheese and salsa, Graham crackers (they like to spread it with cream cheese or to dip it in applesauce), cottage cheese...
Julie says
Those are all great idea! I haven't tried graham crackers with cream cheese, but it sounds great. Thanks for sharing.
Amanda Miller says
graham crackers with jelly is awesome too!
Julie says
I haven't tried graham crackers with jelly. Sounds good!
Joy says
Try the graham crackers with strawberry cream cheese spread. YUM!
Julie says
Sounds great! I will have to try that sometime. Thanks!
Julie @ Logger's Wife says
I'm pretty sure I should by stock in Cheese-Its. My husband and daughter love them! Not a cheap snack though. I've been keeping an eye out for sales and using my Kellogg's Family Rewards for coupons to make them affordable. My daughter also likes to snack on applesauce pouches. I tried to get her to use reusable ones but she only likes Go-Go Squeez. I think it is the style of pouch and the fact she can get them out of the pantry herself. Again, I stock up when I can find them on sale or use a coupon.
(visiting from Fellowship Friday)
Julie says
My son loves Cheese-Its too. I made the mistake of buying Cheese Nips one time and was told they aren't even close in taste. 🙂