minimally processed foods for kids

Bookmark This List of Minimally Processed Foods for Kids

Written by: Happy Wolf

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Time to read 5 min

Being a parent can be pretty overwhelming, with all the busy schedules, work demands, and sleepless nights! Finding time to prepare healthy snacks at home can also seem impossible. To help you, we put together a list of minimally processed foods for kids you can feel good about.


What does minimally processed food actually mean? 

When we hear "processed foods," we often think of unhealthy food. However, most of the foods we eat have been processed in some way to make them safe to eat, more palatable, easier to eat, or increase their shelf-life. For example, frozen fruits and vegetables are considered to be processed foods because they were picked and frozen at peak ripeness so they don't spoil, or cow's milk is pasteurized to remove harmful bacteria.


To make things easy, we can group foods into three categories: whole, minimally processed, and highly processed foods. Generally speaking, we want to feed our families mostly whole and minimally processed foods and less often from the highly processed category.


Whole foods are foods in their natural state. An apple, banana, or cucumber are examples of whole foods. 


Minimally processed foods are a pretty large category because they are considered to be any foods altered from their natural state by milling, fermenting, cooking, and even combining ingredients to make snacks and meals. 


Many foods wouldn't be available to us without processing! Milling grains into flour means we can have baked goods like bread, and fermenting dairy and vegetables has brought us yogurts, cheeses, and pickles. 


You can think of minimally processed foods as food that is made from ingredients that can be easily found in a home kitchen such as flour, oil, cheese, salt, vegetables, etc. 


Whereas highly processed foods can be thought of as industrially formulated foods that are typically higher in sugars, refined grains, fats, preservatives, and sodium. These foods often contain hydrogenated oils, flavorings and colorants, modified starches, and/or bulking agents (1). You wouldn't find these ingredients in your home kitchen or local grocery store.


Research has found an association between highly processed foods and non-communicable chronic diseases (NCD) like heart disease, cancer, or type 2 diabetes while also finding a protective association between whole or minimally processed foods and NCD (2).


While highly processed foods are made to be convenient and highly palatable, minimally processed foods can be just as convenient and tasty while also being a healthier choice for your family.


How we chose our list of minimally processed snacks for kids 

When putting together this list of minimally processed, convenient snacks for you, we considered the ingredients list and the nutritional benefits each snack would provide.

  • We looked for snacks that had simple ingredients we could find in our home kitchens.

  • We looked for snacks that contained at least 2 grams of fiber and protein, were low in sodium and added sugars, and didn't contain any preservatives, additives, or hydrogenated oils.

Our official list of minimally processed foods for kids you can feel good about 

Here is our official list of minimally processed snacks to help you feed your family snacks you can feel good about without spending hours in the kitchen preparing them!


Evergreen Waffles 

Lately, we have been loving these Evergreen Waffles. They are made with whole grains, have 4-15 grams of protein and 2-4 grams of fiber per serving, and contain no hydrogenated oils or refined sugars. Plus, they are made from ingredients you can find at home. The best part is that there are nine amazing flavors to choose from!


Sunnie Snacks Hummus Dippers 

Sunnie Snacks Hummus Dippers are a tasty and convenient snack for your little ones. Each pack has 5 grams of both fiber and protein, plus lots of iron to support healthy development. These hummus dippers are gluten- and additive-free, so you can feel good popping them in your kid's lunchbox. 

Sunnie Snacks Hummus Dippers


Happy Wolf Snack Bars 

Of course, we must include our own minimally processed, super delicious snack bars! After searching grocery stores for snack bars with simple ingredients, we came up empty-handed, so we created our own preservative and additive-free snack bars instead! Each bar contains 2 grams of fiber and 3 grams of protein, lots of healthy fats, vitamins, and minerals, and is free from the top nine most common food allergens. Kids love the taste, and adults love the convenience! Try out all our flavors to find your favorite here


Mushkins Oatmeal Smoothies

Looking for ready-to-eat oatmeal smoothies without the prep? Mushkins Oatmeal Smoothies are gluten-free and low in sodium (only 3% of your daily value!). Each flavor option has 1-3 grams of fiber and 1-6 grams of protein to keep your kids feeling full. We love that the ingredients are simple, and the packaging makes them convenient to toss in a lunchbox or to eat on the go for those after-school activities!


Low-sodium Triscuits 

Low-sodium Triscuits are only made with three simple ingredients. We like them because they are available everywhere and affordable, they are made with whole grains, and they are very low in sodium for crackers. They also have 3 grams of fiber and protein per serving (4 crackers).


Simple Mills Crackers

Simple Mills crackers are made with a wholesome blend of almond flour, sunflower seeds, and flax seeds. We like them because they are gluten-free, grain free, corn free, and packed with nutrition. Each serving has 2 grams of fiber and 3 grams of protein. 


Stoneyfield Organic Yogurt & Tiny Sprouts 

You can feel good about giving your kids convenient Stoneyfield Organic Kids Yogurt Pouches because they are an excellent source of protein and calcium, keeping their muscles and bones strong. You can add some Tiny Sprouts Organic Superseed Boosters to boost your little one's nutrition even more. These boosters contain a wide range of wholesome ingredients that are full of essential vitamins and minerals. 

Yogurt cups for kids snacks


SeaSnax 

SeaSnax seaweed snacks are crispy and savory, convenient, and minimally processed snacks. They are made with seaweed, olive oil, and sea salt and are surprisingly low in sodium! Seaweed is also one of the few food sources of iodine, which is crucial for supporting thyroid health (an important hormone-producing gland). Seaweed also contains loads of antioxidants, vitamins and minerals, too!


Applesauce cups 

Unsweetened applesauce cups are an easy-to-pack snack that contains pureed apples and ascorbic acid (aka vitamin C). While ascorbic acid can be considered an additive, we gave it a pass because it is an important vitamin that helps keep the apple puree from browning—no kid wants to eat brown apples!


LesserEvil Popcorn 

LesserEvil Pink Himalayan Salt popcorn is a minimally processed snack you can feel good about. This convenience food only contains corn kernels, coconut oil, and salt. Plus, one serving provides 4 grams of fiber and only 7% of your recommended daily allowance for sodium. 

pink himalayan salt popcorn as minimally processed snack for kids


Solely Gummies  

Solely Gummies are the perfect healthy alternative to sugary snacks! They're made with whole organic fruit and that's it. No added sugar, preservatives, or any surprise ingredients - a great replacement for all of the sugar-filled, highly processed snacks.


Amara Smoothie Melts

Packed full of simple and organic ingredients like raspberries and carrots, Amara Smoothie Melts are a convenient, healthy, and clean snack choice for your kids. With only a few simple ingredients, these plant-based yogurt snacks are the perfect bite for tiny hands! The melts are made with the highest quality fruits and veggies and have no added sugars. 


We hope this list helps you find healthier, minimally processed foods to save you time in the kitchen! For more great snack ideas, check out our blog on Healthy Lunchbox Snacks Toddlers Love!





References

  1. Gibney MJ. Ultra-Processed Foods: Definitions and Policy Issues. Curr Dev Nutr. 2018 Sep 14;3(2):nzy077. Retrieved from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6389637/

  2. Mariana Zogbi Jardim, Bruna Vieira de Lima Costa, Milene Cristine Pessoa, Camila Kümmel Duarte. Ultra-processed foods increase noncommunicable chronic disease risk. Nutrition Research. 2021.Vol 95, (19-34). Retrieved from: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0271531721000567?via%3Dihub