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Cheap Snack Ideas For Kids

November 16, 2023 By: Sweet Frugal Lifecomment

Snack Ideas Kids Will Love

If your kids are anything like my kids, than they seem to always be hungry. My kids can eat through a pantry of snacks quicker than I can count to ten! Over the years I have started brainstorming cheap snack ideas for kids so that they can fill up their ever growing bodies, be (somewhat) nutritious, and also won’t cost me an arm and a leg.

Below you will find a few of the best frugal snack ideas for kids. These snacks are perfect for on the go, after school, or everywhere in between. Budget friendly and parent approved! Yay!

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Homemade Cheap Snack Ideas For Kids

These frugal snack ideas will require a little bit of preplanning and effort in the kitchen. But I promise the result is worth the extra time!

Homemade Graham Crackers

My kids love when I make these homemade graham crackers. They are easy, delicious and fun to customize the shape depending on the season!

Muffins

Muffins make for great snacks and are super quick and easy to whip up. There are so many different types of muffins, a couple of our favorites are this Whole Wheat Banana Chocolate chip muffin recipe, and this Huckleberry Muffin Recipe.

Banana Bread

Don’t throw away bananas that are overripe, instead use them to make this quick banana bread recipe. This recipe is so moist and easy. It’s been a favorite in my family for a few generations!

Homemade Popsicles

Homemade popsicles aren’t just for summer, they make a great treat for all year round! We love to make popsicles with juice, leftover smoothies, or pureed fruit, it really just depends on what we food we have in the fridge.

Smoothies are also a great way to use up any extra produce before it goes bad. We freeze our popsicles in popsicle molds bought from Amazon!

Cake Mix Cookies

Stock up on box cake mix when it goes on sale and use it to make these 3 ingredient cake mix cookies. They are easy to customize to meet your current craving, and super easy to throw together.

Partly Homemade Snacks For Kids

If you don’t have the time or energy to make homemade snacks from scratch, you might want to try some of these partly homemade snack ideas. They will require a little bit of effort to throw together, but not as much as the ideas above.

Popcorn

Popcorn is a staple at my house. It’s cheap, quick to prepare, and somewhat healthy. I like to buy popcorn kernels and pop them over the stove in a little bit of oil, or you could buy a popcorn maker from Amazon for a decent price.

You can even change up the flavor by sprinkling on some yummy seasonings. My kids especially love using parmesan cheese, salt, garlic powder or seasoning salt.

Related: 10 Quick Ways to Save Money on Groceries

Cinnamon Toast

I learned about cinnamon toast from my husbands family and I’ve loved it ever since. It’s super simple and the kids love it!

All you have to do is butter a slice of bread, sprinkle cinnamon and sugar on top and then bake it in the oven at 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes or until toasted. It’s so good!

Cheese Quesadilla

Cheese Quesadillas are another cheap snack idea you can easily make at home. They are delicious and quick to throw together for after school or when you’re rushing out the door. Tortillas are fairly cheap to buy at the store, and even cheaper to make yourself.

Smoothies

I love stocking up on fresh fruit when it’s in season and then freezing it in bulk. The frozen fruit is perfect for making budget friendly smoothies.

Frugal bonus tip: Pour any extra smoothie into a freezer container and store it in the freezer. The frozen smoothie can be put into your kids lunchboxes for a quick and easy school lunch treat. These are a huge hit with my kids!

Ants On A Log

Ants on a log is a fun and quick snack. It’s made by spreading peanut butter on top of celery and then adding a few raisins! Easy peasy!

Yogurt Parfaits

Making a yogurt parfait is easy. Just layer yogurt with berries and then top it off with granola. You could even try making your own yogurt (something I haven’t tried yet….) for even more savings!

Cinnamon Sugar Tortillas

Another quick to fix snack for kids is cinnamon sugar tortillas. All you have to do is spread butter over the top of a flour tortilla and then sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar. Bake the tortilla in the oven at 350 degrees for 10-20 minutes, or until golden and crispy. Lastly, cut it into triangles using a pizza cutter and enjoy! It’s one of my kids favorite after school snacks.

Related: How To Make Flour Tortillas

Grab and Go Snack Ideas For Kids

If you are in a hurry, or just don’t feel like cooking, try a few of these grab and go cheap snacks for kids. They require little/none preparation and are tasty, but frugal!

Frozen Grapes

Have you ever tried frozen grapes? They are so so SO delicious! I love to stock up on grapes when they go on sale, and then freeze them in a freezer bag. They taste like a yummy popsicle and are the perfect cheap snack for kids.

Fresh Fruit

One of our favorite frugal snacks is fresh fruit. I like to watch sales at local grocery stores and buy whatever fruit in on sale. I’ve learned that if I set fruit out on the counter, my kids are much more likely to grab it when they are looking for a snack.

Related: Best Ways To Store Produce To Keep It Fresh Longer

Cheese & Crackers

Who doesn’t love cheese and crackers??? It’s a classic cheap snack and for good reason! Stock up on crackers when they go on sale so you can help your kids enjoy cheese and crackers for an easy and frugal afternoon snack.

Raisins

Raisins are great to grab and eat on their own, or you can mix them with some nuts and chocolate chips for a cheap trail mix snack. Make sure to buy the raisins in bulk for the best value.

Apples and Peanut Butter

We love the delicious apples and peanut butter snack at our house. You can serve the peanut butter as an apple dip, or our favorite thing to do is slice the apples with a mandolin and top each slice with peanut butter and chocolate chips! So yummy!!!

Cheerios

Ok, I know it’s basic, but cheerios is one of the best cheap snack ideas for kids because it’s not only frugal, it’s also quick, easy and loved by all! Basically a win all around! Make sure to watch grocery sales because cheerios are often marked down and available as a rebate with many cashback apps.

Cheese

Cheese is the perfect quick snack! I like to buy a large block of cheese (Costco usually has the best prices) and cut it into individual slices/cubes for even more convenient snacking.

Applesauce

I love canning jars and jars of applesauce every fall. I try to buy a couple of boxes of apples when the price drops to 50 cents/lb and turn them all into applesauce.

It’s true that not everyone loves to can, and that’s fine! You can buy applesauce and it is still a frugal snack.

Pretzels

Pretzels are another cheap snack idea for kids. They are perfect for a quick grab and go snack or as a lunchbox filler. Pretzels are consistently one of the cheaper snack options in the grocery store, and almost always kid approved! Yay!

Best Frugal Snacks

There are so many options when searching for the best frugal snacks! We can feed our kids and their love for snacks without having to hurt our grocery budget.

What To Do When Grocery Prices Rise

Easy After School Snack Ideas

Mel’s Home Cooking Recipe Book

Pin For Future Reference:

What are your favorite cheap snack ideas for kids?

Cheap Foods to Buy For a Well Stocked Pantry

September 17, 2020 By: Sweet Frugal Lifecomment

Budget Friendly Foods You Should Keep Stocked.

Having a pantry stocked with frugal foods will not only help you save money on groceries, it will also curb your temptation to buy expensive take out food. Today I get to share with you a few of the best cheap foods to buy for your frugal pantry.

Cheap Foods To Buy for Baking

First, let’s talk about cheap baking foods. Make sure you watch the grocery stores for sales on baking items. These sales usually come in October/November. When you see a good baking sale stock up with enough baking supplies to last you until the next sale.

1. Flour

Flour is essential for most baking. It is used to make breads, muffins, pancakes, and even in soups and stews. Fortunately, flour is also very cheap! It will stay fresh in the pantry for about a year. You can even extend the storage time by keeping your flour in the fridge or freezer. Easy!

2. Sugar

Sugar is another must have for baking! It enhances flavor and is a common ingredient in many recipes. Sugar will stay fresh in the pantry for two years, making it a great shelf stable food.

3. Baking Soda and Baking Powder

When baking from scratch you will also want both baking soda and baking powder. If you store baking soda in your pantry will stay fresh for up to two years. Baking powder doesn’t last quite as long and should be used within a years time.

4. Yeast

If you are wanting to make any homemade bread or pizza crust you will need yeast. Yeast will last for 6 months on the shelf. Or! You can store it in the freezer (like I do) for 2 years.

5. Vegetable Oil

Oil is another important and cheap staple to keep in your pantry. When you see a good sale on oil, stock up. It will stay fresh on your shelf (unopened) for two years.

6. Cocoa

Cocoa is an important ingredient to keep stocked for a good chocolate fix, without having to spend a lot of money (just the way we like it!). I like to use cocoa to make brownies, cakes, cookies, and hot chocolate.

Related: 15 Easy Pantry Dinner Ideas

Cheap Foods to Buy For The Pantry

Here are some great budget friendly food items I recommend keeping stocked in your pantry.

7. Pasta

Pasta is a great item to keep stocked at home. It’s cheap, plus it can be cooked many different ways. You know you are getting a good deal on pasta when it’s under $1/box. I love making this quick pasta bake for my family and knowing it only cost me a couple of bucks!

8. Rice

It doesn’t get much cheaper than rice! You can use it as a side dish with fish, chicken, etc. Or stir it into casseroles to make them a little more filling.

9. Dried Herbs/Spices

What pantry is complete without some spices? I love cooking with spices to give my meals that flavor we all want. Dried herbs are a lot cheaper than buying fresh.

A few good pantry staples are:

Salt & Pepper
Chili Powder
Oregano
Basil
Garlic Powder
Cinnamon
Nutmeg

10. Condiments

Condiments are another great item to keep stocked! They just make everything better! We personally use ketchup, mayo and mustard the most. Oh, and hot sauce for my husband…I don’t think he could go without it, really!

May is a great time to buy condiments, as this is when they will usually go on sale.

Related: 10 Quick Ways to Lower your Grocery Bill

11. Vinegar

Vinegar is so useful in recipes and a great cleaning agent. Plus, it’s super cheap! Keep some stocked at all times for making marinades, salad dressings, or homemade cleaners.

12. Oatmeal

One of our favorite breakfasts are these overnight oats. They are quick, easy, and delicious!

Oatmeal is also great to have stocked for making cookies, granola, in smoothies and of course for breakfast.

Want to save even more money on groceries? Sign up for the upcoming January Pantry Challenge below!

Cheap Protein Foods to Buy

We all need protein. It keeps us feeling full and our bodies strong. Many meats can get expensive, here are a few protein rich foods that are super cheap!

13. Canned Beans

Canned beans are an excellent source of protein. They are also very affordable (that’s what we like to hear!). To save even more money buy dried beans and can them yourself!

I like to use beans in burritos, soups, and stews. They are also a great BBQ side or pot luck food.

14. Peanut Butter

If you’re looking for a kid friendly, mom approved protein, peanut butter is a wonderful option. We like to use peanut butter in our oatmeal, sandwiches, on toast, and on apples.

15. Ground Beef

Ground beef is something I always have stocked in my freezer. It’s so easy to pull out for quick meals (and I like quick meals!).

The cheapest way to stock up on ground beef is to buy it in bulk. I recommend buying a large 5 lb, or 10 lb loaf. and separate it into 1 lb sections. Freeze these sections in separate freezer bags and store in your freezer until ready to use. Sometimes I’ll cook it all up before putting it into freezer bags to make meal prep even quicker.

16. Chicken

Chicken is one of the most frugal meats and another great item to buy in bulk! I love the feeling of a freezer full of chicken!

Learn more how to prep bulk chicken in my article, What to do with your bulk chicken; including 6 Freezer Chicken Recipes.

17. Eggs

Eggs are a great source of protein and are fairly cheap. They will stay fresh in your fridge for about a month. Keep eggs stocked in your fridge to use for breakfast, lunch and in baking.

Related: 30 Family Friendly Meals On A Budget

Cheap Produce To Buy

I get a lot of concerned messages from readers who assume they can’t buy frugal foods because they like to eat a lot of produce. Well, I am here to tell you that you can still eat healthy, including a lot of fruits and vegetables without spending a lot of money! Here are a few cheap produce items I recommend:

18. Frozen Vegetables

A great staple to keep stocked in your freezer are bags of frozen vegetables. These are much cheaper than fresh vegetables and it’s nice to always have quick access to veggies.

I use our frozen vegetables as side dishes, in stir fry, soups and casseroles.

19. Carrots

When we are talking about cheap foods to buy, I have to mention carrots! For a cheap fresh vegetable keep a bag of carrots on hand. I like the petite carrots, but if you buy the large unpeeled carrots they will be even less expensive.

20. Potatoes

Potatoes are hearty, filling and versatile. They can also be cooked in dozens of different ways. Use them in soups and stews. Shred them into your tacos to make it a little more filling. Mash them, bake them, or fry them! The possibilities are endless!

The most budget friendly way to buy potatoes is to buy a large box when they are in season and keep them in a cool, dark and dry place. They will stay fresh for 6 months if stored correctly. (I grew up on an Idaho potato farm, so I’m basically an expert 😉 )

21. Canned Fruit

Watch grocery stores for case lot sales on canned fruit. Grocery stores will often sale cases of canned goods for a greatly discounted price during case lot sales. I love to stock up during these sales and keep the canned fruit in my pantry until the next sale.

We eat canned fruit as snacks and I put them in my kids school lunchboxes.

22. Canned Tomatoes

Canned Tomatoes are very cheap, especially when you watch for the Case Lot Sales. They are also great to have on hand to use in soups, stews, pasta sauce or to make some salsa (my fave!).

Related: 8 Foods You Should Freeze in an Ice Cube Tray

23. Bananas

Bananas are one of the cheaper fruits available, and so tasty too! Put them in smoothies, yogurt, oatmeal and eat them for lunch.

If your bananas start to go bad freeze them! Simply peel the banana, put it in a freezer bag, and toss into the freezer. I use these frozen bananas in smoothies and for banana bread or banana muffins.

Related: How to Eat Healthy For Cheap

Cheap Foods to Buy For Snacking

I love to snack! Probably more than I should, fortunately there are a couple of cheap snacks that I keep on hand!

24. Raisins

I always have a box of raisins in my pantry. They are high in fiber and a great energy boost. Eat raisins as snacks, throw them in a salad or mix them in your oatmeal. They are so versatile!

25. Popcorn

Want to know a secret about me? I am legit addicted to popcorn. I eat it Every.Single.Night. It’s my very favorite food. And fortunately, it doesn’t cost a lot of money to keep it stocked in my pantry. My kids also love popcorn as an after school snack!

In Conclusion

There are many cheap foods to buy to keep your pantry well stocked, without breaking the bank. Remember to keep watching for sales and deals. And, ALWAYS use what you buy!