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?
Kelsey Ferguson says
Great ideas! I remember my mom stressing out each summer about our snack intake. Apparently, my four brothers ate more than she would have liked. 🙂 Now to convince my 3-year-old that he likes some of these...
Julie says
Boys sure can eat! 🙂
Kamea Hope says
We have 7 children, and spend a lot of money on food! Bananas, like you said, are cheap, filing, and healthy. We buy apples (seconds) directly from the grower - they are perfect, just smaller which is good for kids. One of my kids favorite healthy snacks is parfait - yogurt, with some frozen berries mixed in, and topped with oats. Mmmm.
Blessings,
Kamea
Julie says
Parfaits are a great idea. My son is on a big raspberry kick. I bet he would love a parfait. Thanks!
Michele Morin says
I love this! I've never seen your blog before, but found it today at Fellowship Friday -- always ALWAYS looking for snack ideas with four "starving" sons running here and there. ONe thing that they really like is beef jerky (which is quite expensive) but at discount stores I've been able to find big bags of "ends" that have been snipped off Slim Jims or whatever brand. I put a few of those in a baggy, and they can take them in their pocket if they want to. Blessings on your weekend!
Julie says
I am so glad you found me! My husband loves beef jerky, but we only buy it for trips because of the cost. I haven't seen the "ends" before, I will have to look for those. Thanks for stopping by. 🙂
Amanda Miller says
if you have a dehydrator, you can make your own delicious Jerky! My dad has perfected a great recipe!
Julie says
I just got a dehydrator for Christmas and I am loving it! We made jerky one time, it disappeared so quickly. 🙂
Dawn says
Great ideas! With teenagers in the house food is always on their mind. I keep a lot of fresh fruit and veggies, cheese and yogurt on hand, along with peanut butter and lunch meat for a quick sandwhich. We also get the tortilla chips(from aldi's) and make a big bowl of salsa with veggies from the garden. (Or sometimes I use diced tomatoes from Aldi's and add green pepper, onion, and spices). I also keep frozen popsicles On hand. My daughter learned to make lemonade popsicles with homemade lemonade and the mold I have here to do it. Keeps her busy and we use 'good' (real lemons,,raw sugar or honey and filtered water) ingredients so it isn't so full of junk.
:)Dawn
Julie says
Those are all great ideas! Love the idea of salsa from the garden, I could eat salsa all day everyday. Thanks for sharing.
Kristine Hart says
Great snack ideas. I love the bagging snacks into serving sizes. Your son can just grab something w/out interupting you. Make my own hummus is a cost saver for sure, and it's healthy too!!. It cost less than a third of store bought. The hummus I made for a post the other week cost me about a dollar. And it's so much better! Thanks for sharing!
Julie says
Hummus is a great idea! It is a great filling snack with some protein. Thanks for sharing.
Laura Lane of Harvest Lane Cottage says
This is a really helpful set of tips!
Julie says
Thank you!
Lela says
You can buy boxed pudding mix and divide it into individual servings. Not exactly healthy, but it's cheaper than buying the pudding cups. Great for a treat! Sometimes we crush up oreos and sprinkle on top and add a gummy worm 🙂
Julie says
Great idea! I love the oreo and a gummy worm. It's fun stuff like that the kids love. Thanks for sharing.
Sarah says
Can you please share your pasta salad recipe? Thanks!
Julie says
I mostly use the Betty Crocker pasta salad mixes. I just buy them when they are on sale. You can also buy rotini and add Italian dressing and some cheese or pepperoni.
chantay says
This is a pasta salad that my whole family loves: 16oz box rotini pasta, McCormicks salad supreme seasoning, 16oz bottle Italian dressing, tomatoes, green pepper, onion and pepperoni (the pepperoni is optional). Boil the pasta adding 2T of the oil from the dressing to the water. Drain pasta let cool slightly, add the veggies and pepperoni, aproximately half the bottle of Salad Supreme and the bottle of dressing. mix together and refrigerate. Refrigerate over night is best, but 4-6 hours works too. Hope your family enjoys it as much as mine does!
Julie says
Thank you so much for sharing! I can't wait to try it.
Amanda Miller says
Bow tie pasta, fresh spinach, shredded parmesan cheese, toasted pine nuts (optional), mix and cover with any brand italian dressing (I like the Wishbone brand) and salt and pepper to taste. This pasta salad gets even better as it sits in the fridge!
Julie says
Thanks for the recipe, I can't wait to give it a try!
Carlee says
It is always hard to keep fun snacks around that you actually want your kids to eat! Thanks for the ideas!
Julie says
Your welcome!
Paula says
These are great! I will also make up a box of Jello - pudding or gelatin and portion them out into single serving containers. I can 4-6 servings from a box that cost .69-.89 on sale - store brand or Aldi's.
Julie says
Jello is a great idea! Thanks for sharing.
Kristen @ Joyfully Thriving says
Good list, Julie! It's amazing how much one can pay for convenience when it's really easy to make snack bags yourself.
Julie says
Thanks! Your right, just a few minutes can really save you money.
Dorothy T says
These are great ideas...wish it worked for me...lol I have 6 kiddos and all are teens and preteens and boys...so they eat ALOT
Julie says
Boys can eat and eat!
Julie says
I love apples and bananas for my boys too. Bananas are less than 25 cents each at Aldi, and apples are too if they're around $2 a bag. I also bake different kinds of granola bars and cookies often because they are cheaper and healthier. Aldi also sells mini bagels which we put peanut butter and chocolate chips or raisins on and eat untoasted. Crackers and cheese are also filling and inexpensive if they don't eat it all in one sitting. Teenage boys are always starving, so I try to be frugile but pack them full of protein.
Julie says
Mini bagels are a great idea too! I will have to try them with the peanut butter and chocolate chips. Thanks for the idea!
Jerusha (@TheDisneyChef) says
I love all of these ideas! With baseball/sports/beach/travel season on us, this post is certainly a lifesaver for my house!
Wait, do those count as cheap snacks?
Leanne | The Transplanted Southerner says
Great post! Sometimes I feel like the snacks cost more than the meals in our house!