zero waste snack ideas for kids
Kids like snacks. Who am I kidding – I like snacks. Having something in your cupboards that you can grab on your way out the door, that doesn’t need to be prepped or refrigerated, is super handy. These days there are countless packaged snack options at the store for convenience for a busy family – but these generally come with wrappers, destined for the landfill. Not great if you are striving for zero waste. Of course a piece of fruit is the ideal zero waste snack (just bring home the peel or core for your compost bin). But sometimes your kiddos (and you!) just don’t want fruit, or want something with your fruit. What’s a busy family to do?
Bulk bins to the rescue! Here are some of our favorite snack foods from our local bulk shopping:
- Yogurt covered pretzels
- Granola (we also use this as cereal in the mornings)
- Sesame sticks
- Homemade popcorn from bulk kernels. I like to make a big bowl on Monday, jar it, and it stays fresh until Thursday, if it doesn’t get eaten before then.
- Trail mix (if there are chocolate chips in there, it’s a guaranteed hit in my house!)
- Veggie chips (although to be honest, these didn’t go over too well with the kids)
- Raisins
- Dried mangos or apples
- Pumpkin or sunflower seeds
And here are my kiddos enjoying some snacks from the bulk bins. 
We shop for these by putting them into our cloth bags at the store. When we get home, we put all the tasty snacks into jars to preserve them better. The jars are stored down low in a cupboard that the kids can easily reach and serve themselves. We try to keep track of the contents and finish things off before getting more or before they get forgotten in a back corner :).
So there you have it – easy zero waste snack ideas for kids (and adults!).
What are your favorite bulk bin snacks? How do you snack on the go and still strive for zero waste? I’d love to hear in the comments below!