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Summer Pool Snacks: 22 Healthy Ideas

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Quick, healthy, and portable snack ideas that you can easily take to the pool this Summer! These snack ideas will give your kids sustainable energy and also keep them satiated while swimming.

healthy summer pool snack ideas

Swimming (and any water activity for that matter) always makes my kids super hungry!  Without fail, they swim for a while, and then come running in for snacks.  Today we’re sharing our favorite summer pool snacks (some pre-packaged, some simple and homemade!) that are not only healthy, but filling enough to give your kids the energy they need to swim, run and play on a summer day! Are you looking for more great summer snack ideas?

Check out our Summer Snack Round-Up!

Our Favorite Summer Pool Snacks

What do we look for in our summer pool snacks?

  • Easy to pack
  • Not too messy
  • Handheld or utensil free
  • Kid-friendly
  • Nutritious and satisfying

These snacks fit that criteria and are sure to be your new pool day go-tos!

Apples + Peanut Butter

The combination of apples and peanut butter is both sweet and slightly salty, but also has a great balance of carbs and protein to give kids energy while also helping them feel satiated. Peanut butter can be messy to pack and so we will splurge on the individual to-go cups for outings to the pool! We also love celery and peanut butter!!

Boiled Eggs and Veggie Sticks

Packed full of protein, boiled eggs are easy to transport and filling.  Veggie sticks are a given – by themselves, or great dipped in hummus for a little extra oomph!

Frozen Grapes

Sweet, refreshing, and delicious! Never tried frozen grapes before?  It is so easy.

Muffin Bites

Who says muffins are just for breakfast?  Packed full of healthy carbohydrates, they are the perfect pool snack to give your kids lots of energy.  Make them ahead, freeze them and then pull a few out for your next trip to the pool.  Mini muffins are easy to eat and easy to pack. You have to try these Fruit and Veggie Muffin Bites!

muffins bites are a healthy summer pool snack

Pinwheels

Pinwheels are one of our favorite packable snacks. They are filling, flavorful, bite-sized, and can easily be made ahead of time! These Mexican Pinwheels are one of our very favorite versions. We also love these Sundried Tomato Basil Pinwheels!

pinwheels are a filling summer pool snack

Energy Bites

These little bites of goodness are just the ticket for a quick and healthy snack! We like these Chia Seed Energy Bites, Peanut Butter Fudge Protein Energy Balls, and Key Lime Energy Bites.

Homemade Fruit Leather

Kids love fruit snacks – but they are packed full of sugar.  Our homemade fruit leather is all-natural, no-added sugar, and so fast to whip up a batch!

homemade fruit roll-ups stacked on top of each other looking at the rolls

Three Ingredient Peanut Butter Banana Bars

You only need three base ingredients to make these simple and delicious 3 Ingredient Peanut Butter Banana Bars! These sweet and chewy little bars are made from whole foods so your kids get a balanced and nourishing snack.

Hummus

We love hummus! And even better.. our kids love it too! Let’s face it. Kids love to dip. So why not provide them with a dip that’s packed with nutrients? It’s super easy to whip up your own homemade hummus, like our Green Goddess version. But there are so many different varieties that are easily available in your local grocery store. Serve with pretzels, wheat crackers, and veggies!

Popcorn Trail Mix

Trail mix is a simple, easy, customizable snack idea! This popcorn version is very popular with kiddos- and we love it because it’s good for them, too! Want some more homemade trail mix ideas? Here is a guide to make your own combinations- plus 7 of our favorite versions!

Organic Edamame

This simple and quick snack is packed full of protein and fiber.  Make sure to look for organic and non-gmo edamame.  You can find it in the freezer section of most grocery stores. Simply steam and sprinkle with salt for an easy, healthy, and portable snack.

Healthy Packed Pool Snack Ideas

Sometimes you are in a rush and just want to grab some packaged snacks to throw in your pool bag. These are some of our favorites:

  1. Applesauce pouches
  2. Frozen yogurt tubes
  3. Whole wheat crackers
  4. Pistachios
  5. String cheese
  6. Hummus Singles
  7. Kind Bar Minis
  8. Bare Dried Fruit
  9. Trail mix individual packages
  10. Beef Jerky
  11. Raisin Packs

I would love to know what other snacks you take to the pool!

Natalie Monson

I'm a registered dietitian, mom of 4, avid lover of food and strong promoter of healthy habits. Here you will find lots of delicious recipes full of fruits and veggies, tips for getting your kids to eat better and become intuitive eaters and lots of resources for feeding your family.

Learn More about Natalie

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12 Comments

Thank you so much for your blog! Living in wi we were not very healthy….lifestyle out here is soooo different……my kids…and I hate to admit myself are very picky….your blog so helps us on our journey!!!

This is very timely. Tyler starts 3 hour a day workouts with the swim team tomorrow and I have been brainstorming what to send him for snacks.

hello!can you explain how you made the hard boiled eggs in those shapes?? Thank you for your blog, such a help to me when I am lost what to make for my kids!

We actually used an egg mold. If you Google ‘egg mold’, there are a lot of different fun molds out there. Thanks for reading and good luck!

@ Colleen, adult picky eating is cured pretty much the same way kid picky eating is: repeated exposure and no pressure. I wanted to like mushrooms so I cooked different recipes with mushrooms and … left the mushrooms on my plate. I think I threw away mushrooms on eight different occasions. When I finally worked up the nerve to put a piece of mushroom in my mouth, I piled the fork with other food to help mask the mushroom. I still threw some mushrooms away but I was glad I was able to get that bite in. Eventually I worked up the nerve to eat a piece of mushroom by itself (quickly followed by a bite of other food on my plate). Now I can eat mushrooms without an issue. It took me probably 20 times to get there but I got there. Now if I had someone griping at me to eat mushrooms those first 8 times I wasn’t ready to eat them then I’m not sure if that would have helped. I also know that by avoiding mushrooms my whole life didn’t bring me any closer to eating them. Ellyn Satter’s Division of Responsibility makes so much sense with regard to parents feeding children, it’s the parents job to decide what and when to eat and it’s the childrens job to decide if and how much to eat. For adult picky eaters, it’s the “grown-up, responsible side that wants to eat better” deciding what and when to eat and it’s the “picky eater side” deciding if and how much to eat.

[…] Here is a website that has lots of delicious snack ideas for kids. They have recipe ideas for summer time snacks at the pool. That’s a great one because I go to the pool a lot with my grand kids and they love to munch while they are having fun! The ideas range from simple (frozen grapes or bananas with peanut butter) to baking your own crackers, breads, fruit snacks and muffins. Truly a cool site with inspirational and healthy snack ideas. A great site for moms at http://www.superhealthykids.com […]

Hi Samantha,
If your fruit is completely dry, it will last forever. Any damp or wet spots would encourage mold. However, dried out fruit will just get crunchier the longer you keep it. I store this in the pantry, in either a Ziploc bag or any type of Tupperware. It never lasts my family more than a week, because it doesn’t make much, and we eat it quickly.

@ sallyjrw — I agree. I was a pretty picky eater up until about 4 years ago. (I’m 35.) My older two kids are actually pretty good eaters considering that I was picky. So thankful they didn’t pick up from me. My 4 year old will eat and try pretty much anything.

The thing I tell my kids is you just never know if you like something if you don’t try it. And you have to try it again and again. I told them how I didn’t like corn. So I tried a little. Didn’t like it. Try it again a couple months later. After a few times of trying, it started growing on me. Now I LOVE corn on the cob. My son who is probably the pickest (but still a good eater) finally tried some pinto beans. He said they were ok. I told him if he tried everytime, he may like them someday. (And how you cook something and what you put on them makes a HUGE difference.)

I never even heard of egg molds before. Thank you!!! My kids all love hard boiled eggs, and they will flip for this!