30+ Best Trader Joe’s Snacks for Kids On the Go
Trader Joe’s is hands down the best grocery store for tasty and healthy snack ideas. Whether you are headed to the beach, the park, a playdate, or a road trip, these are must-have Trader Joe’s snacks your kids will love. As an added bonus, many of our favorite healthy snacks are perfect for when you’re on the go! Add all of these to your shopping list before your next trip to your local Trader Joe’s store, and you’ll be fully stocked.
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The Best Trader Joe’s Snacks for Kids
There’s something for everyone in the snack aisle, from cookies and crackers to trail mix and granola bars. So load up your shopping cart with our top picks for snack time.
Sweet Treats at Trader Joe’s
You don’t have to overindulge to enjoy a little bit of something sweet! Trader Joe’s has plenty of great additions to your snack pantry that are kid and mom approved:
1. There’s no shortage of sweet treats in the freezer aisle; one of our favorite snacks is Trader Joe’s Gone Bananas! Dark Chocolate Covered Banana Slices, a tasty alternative to ice cream.
2. The PB&J sticks are excellent for road trips and park days. You’ll want to keep them in the cooler because the sticks will get soft when hot.
3. The best two “sweet treats” for the beach are the Animal Cookies and Alphabet Cookies because there’s no chocolate to melt EVERYWHERE, and the tubs they come in are sturdy and handy to travel with. (PRO TIP: if you have half a bucket of the Animal or School House cookies- throw a sheet of wax paper in and add your granola bars or other packaged dry goods on top and snap the lid shut!)
4. Soothe that sweet tooth while adding some energy-boosting protein with the Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups.
5. Dark Chocolate Almonds and Dark Chocolate Covered Cherries are excellent choices for easy on-the-go treats.
6. You haven’t lived until you’ve tried freezing the Yogurt Squishers. They turn into instant “ice cream” if you eat them right away. But if you’re hitting the road, freezing ensures they’ll travel well and stay cool all day.
7. If you want to indulge a little, the Hold the Cone mini ice cream cones are just the right serving size for little kids.
Salty Snacks, Carbs & Dips at Trader Joe’s
Salty carbs are always a snack win, and Trader Joe’s has plenty of kid-friendly crackers and chips:
8. The Hummus and Pita chips have handy little packages wrapped up and ready to go, so these are super easy items to take anywhere.
9. The Peanut Butter Filled Pretzel Nuggets are a cult favorite for a reason. The combo of pretzels and peanut butter dip all in one with no sticky mess to clean up makes them one of the best snacks.
10. The super yummy Avocado’s Number Guacamole On-the-Go comes in a 6-pack of little cups. Pack a bag of Trader Joe’s Tortilla Chips, and you’re good to go!
11. The Whole Grain Organic Rice Cakes make for a great snack all on their own. Or you can jazz them up by adding a smear of any of Trader Joe’s delicious nut butters. Kick it up a notch for a healthy mom snack and turn it into avocado toast with some fresh avocado and sprinkle of Everything But the Bagel Seasoning.
12. The Roasted Plantain Chips are perfect for a salty snack with just a few simple ingredients. Cooked in sunflower oil and dusted with salt, they offer a satisfying crunchy alternative to potato chips.
13. If your kids can’t get enough of Takis, try the Trader Joe’s version, Rolled Corn Tortilla Chips. These chili-lime chips are the perfect dupe of the popular junk food with less saturated fat and half the sodium, making them a slightly healthier option you can feel better about.
14. Made with 100% cheese, the Oven Baked Cheese Bites couldn’t possibly be simpler. Packed with protein, you can easily pop them in your mouth for snacking, or they make great salad toppings.
15. The Sandwich Crackers (either PB or cheese) are easy snack crowd-pleasers.
16. Trader Joe’s Baked Cheese Crunchies (aka TJ’s Cheetos) – if you haven’t tried these, run, don’t walk. Our kid testers say they are “better than real Cheetos” Let us know if yours agree!
17. Cheddar Rockets- TJ’s answer to Goldfish and, in our opinion, the better cracker!
18. Round Crackers, TJ’s version of Ritz, go perfectly with the cheddar slices and salami.
19. Trader Joe’s White Cheddar Corn Puffs (AKA Pirate’s Booty) is an instant classic.
20. Fans of Trader Joe’s Organic Roasted Seaweed snack packs are sure to gobble them up.
Meat and Cheese at Trader Joe’s
Trader Joe’s is really the best place for charcuterie. If you’re hitting the road, pack it in a lunch box with salami, ham, turkey, and cheese. There are also loads of individual grab-and-go cheese options:
21. The String Cheese and Cheese Sticks make for excellent portable protein.
22. The Baby Bell Cheese in red wax or the super soft “cow cheese” in the foil-wrapped triangles are both excellent choices.
23. Trader Joe’s Protein Palette packs salami, parmesan cheese crisps, and almonds in one handy container.
Fruit at Trader Joe’s
You can’t go wrong with fruit, but some can handle a day on the go better than others:
24. You really can’t beat Trader Joe’s fresh fruit selection. For ease on the go, simply wash and return to the box they came in and pop them in the cooler. This works great with grapes and berries.
25. The packaged sliced fruit, like the sliced melon, pineapple, and watermelon, is a huge time saver and always a hit!
26. Trader Joe’s freeze-dried fruit bags are an easy way to pack nutritious snacks without needing a cooler. The resealable bags make them a great snack on the go, but your kids can easily eat a whole bag in one sitting.
27. Frozen fruit – the frozen mango and pineapple tidbits hold up well in the cooler; they are perfect defrosted and delicious for a quick cool down at the beach.
28. The Fruit Sauce Crushers are a no-brainer, especially for toddlers, but even big kids can enjoy these mess-free options.
29. The Organic Fruit Wraps are like a healthier version of Fruit by the Foot and come in a variety of flavors.
Veggies and Dips at Trader Joe’s
Another great use for those bento lunchboxes! Add different veggies to each compartment and some ranch, tzatziki sauce, or hummus for dipping. Our favorite veggies to pack are sliced bell peppers, carrots and cucumbers- all pretty sturdy so they weather road and beach trips well.
Some of our favorite healthy Trader Joe’s snacks can be found right in the produce section:
30. Pack different veggies into each compartment of a bento box and some ranch, tzatziki sauce, or hummus for dipping. Our favorite veggies to pack are sliced red bell peppers, carrots, and cucumbers- all pretty sturdy, so they weather road and park playdates well.
31. Baby Carrots, need we say more?
32. TJ’s Baby Cucumbers are excellent because they require pretty much no prep work at all.
33. The Tzatziki sauce is perfect for dipping those carrots and cukes.
34. TJ’s offers a dozen varieties of hummus, including the popular Mediterranean Style Hummus, and each pair perfectly with veggies or crackers.
Trail Mix & Nuts at Trader Joe’s
35. We love the individually packaged almonds, cashews, and trail mixes that TJ’s offers, which are always in our beach bag. (PRO TIP: Be mindful of any combinations with chocolate or yogurt chips; you’ll want to keep those in the cooler so you aren’t stuck with a melty mess!)
Protein Bars at Trader Joe’s
You can never go wrong with protein bars. Individually packaged and perfect for keeping on hand at all times to keep “hanger” at bay and focus on the summer fun! Trader Joe’s always has a great range of bars. You’re sure to find at least one your kids enjoy:
36. The “___(fruit)___ walks into a bar” bars are always popular.
37. The PB&J bars are perfect for stashing in a bag for an easy snack; it’s like a pre-packaged sandwich!
What are your kids’ favorite Trader Joe’s snacks? Share any must-haves we missed in our Local Anchor Facebook group.
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