Family Life Food & Recipes Nutrition 25 Best Packaged Snacks for School Playdates. Sports practices. Family movie nights. For occasions like these, our panel of junior taste testers sampled hundreds of products to find the ones that best tide kids over (and that parents can feel good about too). Ready, set, nosh! By Parents Editors Parents Editors The Parents Editors byline means there is an experienced group of editors and journalists behind the scenes of the article. Learn more about the Parents team, our core values, and editorial guidelines. our editorial guidelines Published on August 6, 2014 Share Tweet Pin Email Photo: Peter Ardito. 01 of 30 Finding the Best Packaged Snack Peter Ardito Parents tested 200-plus new snacks with a panel of 75 kids, from toddlers to young teens. To be considered, snacks couldn't contain artificial sweeteners or synthetic dyes. They also needed to be low in added sugars and contain nutrients. 02 of 30 Best Dried Fruit: Sun-Maid Fruity Raisin Snacks, Tropical Punch Shop It Courtesy of Sun-Maid This twist on golden raisins is a new offering in the fruit-snack world. The mini pouches are infused with several fruity flavors but don't contain added sugar or artificial sweeteners. "I can taste the cherry!" one kid said. 03 of 30 Best Crackers: From the Ground Up Purple Carrot Crackers Shop It Courtesy of From the Ground Up Purple carrots are a thing, and this genius company made them the main ingredient in its certified gluten-free mini crackers that are sprinkled with sea salt (parents' fave) or have Ranch flavor (kids' choice). A junior tester told his mom, "I want to take them in my lunch box to show my friends." 04 of 30 Best Chips: Good & Gather Crinkle Cut Sweet Potato Chips Shop It Courtesy of Target Part of Target's exclusive new line, these kettle-cooked chips are sturdy enough for dipping but thin enough for kids to bite easily. According to one of our panelists, "The ridges helped my onion dip stay on!" Parents appreciated that the product is made with just three ingredients and comes in a convenient resealable bag. 05 of 30 Best Nuts: Wonderful Pistachios No Shells Sea Salt & Vinegar Shop It Courtesy of Wonderful Families thought the balance of salt and vinegar in these shelled pistachios was spot-on. "They don't taste as tart as some salt-and-vinegar chips," said one kid tester. But if salt and vinegar isn't your family's jam, try the BBQ flavor, which also received high marks. 06 of 30 Best Allergy-Friendly Snack: MadeGood Star Puffed Crackers Shop It Courtesy of madegoodfoods.com A great one to pick up when it's your turn to send in the classroom snack: These crackers are free of the eight major allergens and are produced in a dedicated nut-free facility. "They're light, airy, and so much fun to eat," according to one snacker. 07 of 30 Best Cereal: 123 Sesame Street C is for Cinnamon Cereal Shop It Courtesy of General Mills This snack is legit educational. Each whole-grain, cinnamon-coated cereal piece is shaped like a letter—all 26 are in every box—and school-age testers spelled out their names. (Tots were entertained by the mini Sesame Street book that opens from the back of the box.) 08 of 30 Best Rice Cakes: Lundberg Family Farms Organic Rice Cake Minis Shop It Courtesy of Lundberg Family Farms Kids couldn't decide whether they preferred the Buffalo Ranch, Sea Salt, or White Cheddar flavors of these tiny rice cakes. "They're all so yummy and crunchy," said one child. A preschooler noted that the Ranch was "a little spicy, but the good kind." 09 of 30 Best Bar: Quaker Chewy Fruity Fun Granola Bars, Amazing Apple Shop It Courtesy of Quaker It was love at first bite: Our kid testers raved that these soft, whole-grain-oats-based bars are "better than apple pie." Parents were impressed that they have just 5 grams of added sugars and are made in a peanut-free facility. 10 of 30 Best Pretzels: Hormel Soft Pretzel Bites With Cheese Shop It Courtesy of Hormel This one's a contender for your new favorite movie-night snack. The soft, warm pretzel nuggets and sidekick cheese sauce received a perfect 10 rating from kids. Parents mentioned that the prep was easy in the oven or microwave. 11 of 30 Best Yogurt: Stonyfield Organic Strawberry Yogurt and Choco Chimps Shop It Kids said mixing in crunchy chocolate cereal balls made the yogurt "awesomely sweet." And yet these cups have less added sugar than you'd expect (7 grams) while packing 10 grams of protein. 12 of 30 Best Cheese Snack: The Laughing Cow & Go Creamy Original Shop It Courtesy of Target Cupholder-ready, this whole-wheat breadstick and cheese-dip combo earned glowing reviews from kids and parents alike. "The cheese is so creamy," said one young tester, who licked it off the breadstick on the way to soccer practice. Parents reported that the snack is satisfying, keeping the kids full for a couple of hours. (Word to the wise: Pack one for each person—there will be double-dipping.) 13 of 30 Best Snack Kit: Sabra Kids Taco Dip & Rolled Tortilla Chips Shop It Courtesy of Sabra Kids were amazed by this combo of taco-flavored hummus and crisp tortillas in the shape of breadsticks. "I want to have this every day," enthused one eater. They're sold in packs of three, and the company buys the chickpeas from family farms. 14 of 30 Best Morning Snack: Organic Valley Egg Bites, Uncured Ham & Swiss Shop It Courtesy of Organic Valley For the days when your crew needs a second breakfast, these "egg muffins," as one of our panelists called them, deliver 8 grams of protein apiece. Kids thought they tasted "fluffy" and got bits of "juicy ham" in each mouthful. 15 of 30 Best Family Snack: Applegate Naturals Charcuterie Plate Shop It Courtesy of Applegate Naturals Stave off "Is dinner ready yet?" with this small, ready-made platter for sharing. Kids happily scarfed down the cheddar-cheese cubes and milk-chocolate-covered pretzels, but the uncured chorizo salami rounds were the crowd favorite. 16 of 30 Best Flatbread: Stonefire Naan Dippers Shop It Courtesy of Stonefire These mini flatbreads got the prize for versatility. Kid testers put them to work in mini pizzas and micro sandwiches and dunked the rounds in dips, sauces, and soups. "They make everything more fun," said one tester. Another added, "I like their bubbles." 17 of 30 Best Pudding: GoGo squeeZ AlmondBlend Pudding Shop It Courtesy of GoGo squeeZ Made with almond milk, these pudding pouches—in Chocolate, Cocoa-Hazelnut, Banana, and Vanilla—were, in one kid's estimation, "the best thing I ate today." They supply nearly as much calcium as half a cup of cow's milk. 18 of 30 Best Chocolate Snack: Trü Frü Nature's Raspberries Shop It Courtesy of Trü Frü Coated in white chocolate and then dipped in dark chocolate, these berries are "hyper-chilled" at –300°F before they're shipped to the supermarket. Testers agreed the results are delightfully Willy Wonka–esque. 19 of 30 Best Novelty Snack: FarmRich Star Wars Mandalorian Cheesy Potato Tots Shop It Courtesy of FarmRich How adorbs is Baby Yoda as a tot? Kids (and grown-ups) smirked as they ate up these spuds, which are blended with cheddar and mozzarella cheeses, then coated in whole-grain breading. 20 of 30 Best Smoothie Bowl: Kind Frozen Smoothie Bowl Shop It Courtesy of Target Tween and teen testers bonded over these bowls layered with a fruit–almond milk mash-up, almond butter, and granola. "It was just what I needed when I was starving and hot after practice," one middle-schooler recounted. Top flavors were Almond + Triple Berry Acai and Almond + Mango Pineapple Passion Fruit. 21 of 30 Best Pocket Pie: Del Monte Veggieful Broccoli Potato Cheddar Pocket Pies Shop It Courtesy of Del Monte Kids do like broccoli—at least when it's covered in cheddar cheese and wrapped in a delicious dough. "It's the kind of snack you want to make your kid when they come in from playing in the cold," one mom said. 22 of 30 Best Toddler Snack: Gerber Freshful Start Organic Veggie Bites Shop It Courtesy of Gerber Our youngest testers fed themselves this Target exclusive, a flower-shaped blend of broccoli, potatoes, red bell peppers, lentils, and cheddar cheese. Parents reported that it's become a go-to in their house. 23 of 30 Best Frozen Fruit: Wyman's Just Fruit & Greek Yogurt Bites Shop It Courtesy of Wyman’s Tiny wild blueberries from Maine mixed with vanilla Greek yogurt balls are just as good as fro-yo, according to our junior testers. Kids debated whether they taste best icy or slushy (after thawing a bit). You do you. 24 of 30 Best Family Fave: Goldfish Baked Snack Crackers Shop It Courtesy of Pepperidge Farm "This is my classic mom side," says Mina Stone, author of Lemon, Love & Olive Oil. "I can't resist sharing with my son." 25 of 30 Best Fresh Fruit: Rockit Apples Shop It Courtesy of Walmart "They're small enough to fit into a bento box or a snack bag, and my kids finish the whole thing, so there's no waste," says Julia Edelstein, Parents editor-in-chief. 26 of 30 Best Treat: Bakerly Chocolate Hazelnut Filled Crêpes To-Go! Shop It Courtesy of Bakerly "The chocolate is smooth and creamy," says Ericka Sanchez, author of ¡Buen Provecho! 27 of 30 Del Monte Fruit Refreshers Shop It Courtesy of Del Monte Kids said the sweet pineapple pieces in passion-fruit water tasted like sunshine. 28 of 30 Sabra Kids Taco Dip & Rolled Tortilla Chips Shop It Courtesy of Sabra This tangy twist on hummus is lunch-box gold. 29 of 30 Grillo's Fresh Pickle De Gallo Shop It Courtesy of Grillo's Cucumber salsa is now a thing! Great for dipping crackers and veggies. 30 of 30 Siete Churro Strips Shop It Courtesy of Siete Made with cassava flour and avocado oil, they're crunchy and cinnamony. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit