With Lake Michigan so close to us now, my summer goal has been to spend as much time at the beach as possible.
The beach is my happy place. I’m one of those people that can just sit and watch the water for hours, and Lake Michigan is large enough to make you believe it just might be the ocean – except there’s no salt water or sharks.
Since we’ve upped our beach game, I’ve noticed how much it actually costs to eat at the beach. Our little slice of sand has food trucks, some beach shacks and other places to grab easy food when we’re on the move and headed to put our toes in the sand. But, it adds up quickly!
In the spirit of also trying to save money (Hello, home reno!), I needed to find some beach appropriate snacks that would fill our bellies while keeping our wallets full too.
Realistic beach snacks
Before we get started, I want to tell you that I did some research before taking these off to the beach and then before suggesting these snacks. I actually couldn’t believe how many people were suggesting things for you to eat in the sand that would also end up giving you a mouthful of grit.
Realistically – and especially with kids – anything sticky is out. Sauces, jams, salads, dressing and anything else like that gets a big no from me. The second we lay the towels down, my kids are already covered in sand. Anything that’s difficult to eat, needs a fork or a spoon (because those will end up on the sandy towel) or could potentially be a vehicle for a sand sandwich is out.
Based on that, these are ideas will work for you and your kids. They’ll keep you satisfied throughout your trip, be simple enough to pack and make sure the grains of sand stay on the ground and not in your mouth.
Popcorn
This is an easy go-to snack that you can pop into a container or baggie and take with you. As long as it’s not coated in oil or butter, this is a beach must.
Stonyfield Yogurt Pouches
We pack these with us to take wherever we go because my kids are obsessed with Stonyfield Organic yogurt. I also love that some of the Stonyfield Yogurt Pouches have vegetables in them too.
My kids aren’t huge vegetable eaters so the Blueberry Apple Carrot, Apple Cinnamon Sweet Potato and the Strawberry Beet Berry are all awesome options for us. They get some dairy, they get some fruit and they get some veggies.
And, since these are self-contained and don’t require a spoon that will undoubtablely be put down in the sand, I get a mess-free way to feed them at the beach.
Oh! And you can freeze these ahead of time too! If you bring them along in a cooler, it’s pretty much just like feeding the kids ice cream at the beach.
Plantain Chips
These are sweet and your kids will love them. I think they taste better than straight banana chips (Those are an option too, of course.) and they’re easy to make at home if you can’t find them at the store. Check out the recipe here.
Pretzels
My son is a fan of pretzels so these are another snack I love to take with us places. However, they work especially well at the beach since they aren’t oily and won’t stick to anything.
Grapes
Sometimes it can be difficult to take fresh fruit to the beach. Due to the juicy nature or the texture of it, it can be a nightmare. But, grapes work really well since the fruit portion is encased. You can also try them frozen too for a fun snack!
Wraps
You won’t see my suggesting a lot of sandwiches on here (unlike the other lists I’ve seen). Honestly, if you’re sitting in the sand, feeding your kids a sandwich is impractical. That said, a good wrap is pretty self-contained and if you wrap in in foil, plastic wrap or even paper, one, little hand can hold it without touching the food on the inside.
Carrots
Carrot sticks make a great take-along snack and they’re a good veggie for the beach. They easy and most kids love them.
Crackers
I like bring crackers with us because they come in so many flavors. They won’t stick to things and my kids will generally eat them and feel content for a while. The bonus is that you can bring several kinds depending on each of your children’s tastes
Granola Bars
You can make these at home or buy them pre-packaged, but the best part of the granola bar is that it’s self-contained. Along with the Stonyfield Yogurt Pouches, granola bars are also one of the snacks my kids are most likely to eat when they want a quick fix. To make your own, click here.
Cheese Squares or Cubes
Please note I say cheese squares or cubes and NOT string cheese/cheese sticks. If you’re looking to get your kids all their servings of dairy, and they’ve eaten all your yogurt, cheese squares are a great way to do it. Cheese will help to keep them full and buying the pre-packaged squares makes for a simple way to snack.
In my opinion, string cheese is not a good option for the beach because the likelihood that one hand ends up with sand on it between each string pull is extremely high.
Zucchini chips
If your kids will eat these, go for it! They’re simple to make at home and summer is the best time to make them because the zucchini is in full bloom. They’re great for the beach because unlike regular potato chips they aren’t covered in grease. If you can make them crunchy enough, you just might fool your kids too.
Apples
Apples are always a great snack choice. However, when it comes to the beach, non-sliced apples are also one of the simplest things to throw in a bag.
If your kids demand slices, slice them ahead of time and then use a rubber band to hold the slices on the core. It makes it easier to travel with and keeps the slices from browning. You can read more about it in this post.
Dried fruit
All dried fruits are not created equal. In fact, some dried fruits are very sticky. I find the best options to be dried apples, apricots, bananas, pineapple rings and pears. These will often be better for the beach. Things like gooey raisins, mango or some of the other will have sand sticking to them.
Nuts
As long as your kids aren’t allergic, nuts can be a great choice for the beach. Nuts can be a good way to get in a helping of protein (which my kids never seem to eat enough of). They’re really filling too. Just don’t bring anything you have to shell at the beach.
Trail Mix
This is a fun way to combine some of the ideas above so you get different nutrients while you’re soaking up the sun. You can make trail mix at home or buy it at the store, and have a healthy-ish snack that is flavorful too.
What other options would you add to the list?
To find out more about Stonyfield Organic Yogurt Pouches, click here. To learn more about Stonyfield Organic’s mission to help make play spaces safer for our children, click here.
For more parenting tips, click here.
You have so many great snack ideas. We are at the beach all summer long and are always looking for new snack ideas.
I have to make sure to add these to my grocery list. These would be perfect for our next beach trip.
I’ve never thought of freezing grapes beforehand, but that’s genius for the beach! I took chunks of watermelon to the beach last weekend, and my daughter chowed it down. It was so hydrating! I just brought forks, too, so we didn’t get our sandy fingers in the fruit.
I like your ideas! We usually do a lot of fruit and chips. Or fruit snacks as well.
It has been so long since I have been to the beach. Maybe next year, I’ll be able to spring a trip as I have always wanted to go to Padre Island. I’ve heard it is beautiful. When I go to the beach or even the swimming pool, we always pack plenty of snacks and drinks. My kids would love the frozen grapes, yogurt, cheese, and trail mix.
These are some great beach snack ideas. We love to bring popcorn or dried fruits/nuts to the beach. We will be going to the beach next weekend.
So many great ideas! I’m thinking of taking my kids to the beach this weekend so this will help me with what to pack!
I think these are all great ideas. I know my kids would love any of these snack choices. Those yogurt pouches sure are a great idea.
All such fantastic ideas. I love the idea of freezing grapes to bring! Brilliant!
As a traveling nanny, I am all for the realistic beach snacks! We also use the Stoneyfield yogurt pouches, and little loves them! We have also found that fresh watermelon and pineapple are his favorite when out in the heat during breaks from the water.
These are all delicious and practical snacks for the beach. I know my kids would be very, very, happy!
These are great suggestions! My kids were always excited whenever we broke out the snacks! We always found that crackers, yogurt, and fruit made a great combination.
These are all yummy options for snacks to pack for the beach. I’m sure they would be so much more affordable than buying food on the boardwalk too!
Yummy bites!
We love going to the beach, staying all day, so that means snacking all day. I like to bring granola bars and of course Stonyfield yogurt pouches.
Such great snacks to take to the beach. We love anything that doesn’t require staying cold so I don’t have to pack along a cooler
Fresh fruit, nuts and cheese are so easy to pack and enjoy. Picky eaters usually like them, too!
those are great snack ideas. i personally love pouches as you can just throw them in a bag and no messes.
These are all great ideas for a healthy snack for the beach. Those yogurt pouches are so convenient.
Cheese cubes and popcorn are always my go to for beach snacks or anytime snacks!
We just went to the beach for vacation. I love all of these ideas. We took yogurt pouches too. So easy and you aren’t eating sand! Hahaha!
These snacks are all nutritious and easy to prepare for a beach trip. The Stoneyfield pouches are great too. My grandchildren love those yogurt drinks.
Great snack ideas. I can practically feel the sand between my teeth from all the sandwiches I’d eat on the beach when I was a kid. Last week, I forgot snacks for my daughter and ended up buying a bag of cheetos and some fruit for her. Guess which she ate.
These are some great snack ideas! We’re trying to do better at eating healthier around our house. I also love that you put snacks in this list that are realistic!
These are all great beach snack ideas. I’ll have to remember some of them for the next time we go ourselves 🙂
Louise x
I’m not sure about the frozen grapes- choking hazard?
These snack ideas are so perfect because they are easy and not too messy for the beach. Plus they are pretty healthy too!