Got a teenager who is constantly hungry? Check out this mega list of healthy snacks for teens (and tweens) for ideas they’ll love.
“I’m basically always hungry.”That’s what my 15 year old said to me the other night as he stood in front of the open refrigerator searching for something to eat–approximately 10 minutes after he last ate something.
The teen (and tween) appetite surge is real.
And it can be crazy! Like eating-a-yogurt-and-banana-immediately-after-two-platefuls-of-dinner crazy.
With one teen in the house (and a tween whose appetite is growing too), I’m always looking for things to buy and make so we have plenty of healthy options.
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For ideas, I cast my net out to the always-helpful Real Mom Nutrition Facebook community. I got so many good suggestions, I decided to share them in one giant list, along with my own favorites too (plus recipes!).
So if you’re looking for healthy snacks for teens, I hope this list will help. You can also get a free printable of this list by tapping the button below.
Print it out, ask your teen go through it and mark what sounds good, then take it to the store so you can stock up!
And here’s an article I wrote about how to create a self-serve snack station, so your kids can make their own snacks.
100 Healthy Snacks For Teens Who Are Always Hungry
Protein-Rich Snacks
- Eggs: Hard-boiled, deviled, scrambled
- Easy Scrambled Egg Muffins
- Veggie burger or nuggets
- Jerky (beef or turkey)
- Meatballs (frozen or homemade)
- Tofu (baked or air-fried)
- Shredded chicken, rotisserie chicken, or grilled chicken
- Chicken nuggets
- Roasted chickpeas
- Nuts (pistachios, almonds, cashews)
- Edamame
- Energy balls/bites
- No Bake Peanut Butter Balls
- Nut-Free Snack Balls
- 27 No-Bake Energy Balls
- Tuna or chicken salad
- Sunflower seeds or sunflower seed butter
- Quiche
- Protein-rich bars or shake
- Peanut Butter Breakfast Shake
- Refried beans
- Bean dip
DAIRY SNACKS
- Cheese stick or cubes
- Milk (dairy or non-dairy, plain or flavored
- Yogurt w/ fruit + granola
- Frozen Homemade Yogurt Tubes
- Yogurt smoothies or kefir
- Mango Yogurt Drink
- Cottage cheese
- Pudding
- Chocolate Tofu Pudding
FRUITS & VEGGIES
- Applesauce
- Easy Slow Cooker Applesauce
- Fruit bowl w/ easily grab-able fruit
- Banana w/ peanut butter or Nutella
- Apples w/ peanut butter
- Pre-cut melon
- Grapes
- Individual fruit cups
- “Banana split” with yogurt + granola or nuts
- Banana Bites
- Sliced cucumbers + carrots
- Celery sticks stuffed with cream cheese or peanut butter
- Carrots + peppers w/ hummus
- Homemade Kid Friendly Kale Chips
- Broccoli + cauliflower florets w/ dip
- Smoothies w/ fruit + spinach
- Kid-Friendly Green Smoothie
- Olives
Grain Snacks
- Whole grain toast
- Whole grain crackers
- Popcorn
- No Fail Stovetop Popcorn
- Quick oats w/ favorite toppings
- Whole wheat pasta w/ sauce or pesto
- Homemade Pesto
- Whole grain cereal
- The Best Cereals For Kids
- Homemade muffins & quick bread
- Banana Bread With Chocolate Chips
- Fudgy Chocolate Zucchini Bread
- Blueberry Lemon Zucchini Muffins
- Peanut Butter Chocolate Oatmeal Cups
- Wild Blueberry Oatmeal Cups
- Mini bagels
- Muesli
- Dark Chocolate Raspberry Muesli
- Tortillas
- Potatoes (baked, mashed, etc.)
- Pretzels, hard or soft
- Sweet potato, baked or fries
- Granola
- Clean-Out-The-Pantry Granola
- Chocolate Granola Bars
- Double Chocolate Granola
- Tortilla chips
- Homemade Baked Tortilla Chips
- Trail mix w/ dried fruit, nuts, seeds, cereal
- Pancakes
- Blueberry Pancakes
Packaged & Frozen Foods
- Frozen samosas or pierogi
- Homemade Potato Pierogi
- Frozen fish fillets
- Frozen potstickers
- Frozen peas or corn w/ butter
- Frozen waffles
- Whole Wheat Waffles
- Homemade or packaged frozen burritos
- Freezer Beef Burritos
- Frozen pasta (ravioli, tortellini)
MINI-MEAL SNACKS
- Quesadillas
- Breakfast sandwich on bagel or English muffin
- Make-Ahead Breakfast Sandwiches
- Charcuterie plate w/ cheese, meat slices, crackers + fruit
- Tortilla wrap w/ turkey, hummus, cheese & veggies
- Pizzas on English muffin, Naan, or french bread w/ favorite toppings
- Homemade Pepperoni Rolls
- Easy Mini Calzones
- Mac-n-cheese, boxed or homemade
- Instant Pot Mac-n-Cheese
- Slider buns w/ BBQ pulled pork or chicken
- Pita + hummus
- Homemade Hummus
- Rice cakes w/ nut or seed butter
- Nachos w/ beans, cheese & veggies
- Toast w/ baked beans & cheese
- Pita wraps w/ leftover meat, lettuce & Tzatziki sauce
- Tacos (breakfast-style or regular)
- Slow Cooker Taco Meat
- Taquitos, homemade or store-bought
- Canned soup or ramen
- Rolled cold cuts w/ cheese & fruit
- Tortilla rolled w/ peanut butter & banana slices
- Sushi/California rolls
- How to Make Simple Sushi Rolls
- Pasta salad
- Whole grain toast w/ avocado & everything bagel seasoning
- Overnight oats w/ milk, nut butter & chocolate chips or fruit
- PBJ or Sunbutter & jelly
- Mini meatloaves (baked in muffin tin)
- Grilled cheese sandwich & fruit
- Rice bowls w/ prepped veggies
- Toast w/ eggs
- Chips and guacamole or salsa
My advice: Print out this list
If your kids are like mine, they’ll say “I don’t know” when you ask them what snacks they want from the store. My advice:
Print out this list
and hand it to them. Have them circle what sounds good, then use that to plan out your grocery list and snacks for the week.
More Ideas for Feeding Teens
- Dinner Ideas for Teens
- Lunch Ideas for Teens
- Breakfast Ideas for Teens
Hi! I'm Sally, a registered dietitian and mom.
I believe that EVERY mom can feel successful and confident about feeding her kids. Sign up for my emails for support & inspiration (plus dinner ideas!) and I'll send you 16 game-changing tips for feeding your kids--even the super-duper picky ones.
