You’re a Mom, so you know that kids are just bundles of energy! They jump around, climb everywhere and yes, follow you all around the place as well – all that needs lots of energy. And considering how fussy they are with their food, its quite likely that they’re not getting the nutrients and calories that they need. And that’s exactly why energy bars for kids are the perfect solution!
Energy bars are the perfect substitute for candy bars that are loaded with sugar, preservatives and added color. Here are some more benefits of using energy bars for kids.
Benefits of Energy Bars for Kids:
- All kinds of healthy ingredients like nuts, fruit and healthy fats can be included
- A single bar can provide nutrients picky eaters are missing out on
- Energy bars can also be made without the need of an oven
- It provides enough energy for kids to be physically active
- Energy bars discourage kids to reach out for unhealthy snacks
- They provide a quick option when kids are too busy to eat a full meal
- Energy bars make great travel snacks
20 Healthy Energy Bars for Kids
1. Baked Paleo Energy Bars
You can’t get enough of these super crunchy energy bars that are too yummy to have just one! Jessica Gavin brings together an assortment of nuts in this incredible recipe. If you can’t find maple syrup, you can also try using honey or jaggery syrup.
2. Quinoa, Fig & Chocolate Granola Bars
Quinoa energy bars aren’t that common, but these bars from Ambitious Kitchen are super yum! Packed with sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, flax and chia, here are some bars that are jam packed with anti oxidants and essential fatty acids.
3. Apple Pie Granola Bars
These bars from Amy’s Healthy Baking are going to make your home smell incredibly amazing! The cinnamon and applesauce give these bars a lovely flavor and the apple bits will give your kids a nice surprise as they bite into them!
4. Dry Fruit Jaggery Energy Bars
Lots of nuts give these energy bars a good crunch but the ghee adds an extra level, making it almost like halwa! The jaggery sweetens and binds the energy bars giving the kids a nice bite!
5. Paprika Parmesan Granola Bars
Energy bars are generally sweet, containing dates or syrups. If you’d like the kids to try something different, go for this savory version from Good Housekeeping. With paprika, pepper and cheese, this is going to be quite an explosion for the taste buds.
6. Peanut Butter Honey Granola Bars
These granola bars are perfect for even young kids, since it uses only creamy peanut butter, honey and oats! Julie’s Eats and Treats has a recipe that lists salt as one of the ingredients, but you can skip it if you like. For older kids or for yourself, try crunchy peanut butter – might just work great!
7. Chewy Chocolate Strawberry Bars
We’re seeing a lot of strawberries nowadays, so it’s the perfect time to try out these chocolate strawberry bars from The Healthy Maven. And in combination with chocolate, they sound great for Valentine’s Day! Use a nut butter of your kids’ choice to make it appealing to them.
8. Chocolate Cherry Granola Bars
If your kids liked the strawberry bars, you might want to give these cherry granola bars from Emilie Eats a try. With seeds, nuts and cocoa, it’s a sure recipe for a kid pleaser! Drizzle some homemade chocolate syrup on the top for the ultimate healthy treat!
9. No Bake Dry Fruit Brownie Bars
Muesli, desiccated coconut and a whole lot of nuts find their way into these no-bake dry fruit brownie bars. With cocoa powder and chocolate syrup entering the mix, this is a bar that’s no less than a dessert!
10. Pumpkin Spice Granola Bars
Enjoy an explosion of spices in these super-flavorful pumpkin spice granola bars from Garlic and Zest! With cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves coming together with pumpkin seeds, these are ideal for winter. The warm, healing nature of the spices are sure to make any cold or flu run away!
11. Savory Curry Granola Bars
When you speak of spices, you can’t help but think of curry! The addition of curry powder, ginger and pepper make these savory curry bars from Fannetastic Food great to tickle your taste buds. You can use regular puffed rice to make these savory yummies.
12. Millet Chocolate Energy Bars
We’re huge fans of including whole grains and traditional millets in our diet, which is why we love this millet chocolate energy bars recipe from The Awesome Green! The kids probably won’t even realize that there are such healthy ingredients as millet and coconut oil in it!
13. Maple Oats Bar
Don’t be deceived by the simple name of this energy bar – there are many interesting ingredients in it! From cranberries to sunflower kernels to bran flakes, this is one energy bar recipe that has a good deal of nutrition along with the taste.
14. Oat Honey Discs
Who says bars have to be rectangular or square? They can be circular too!! These oat honey discs from Laura Fuentes use oats and almond flour, making them a gluten free option for those with gluten intolerance or celiac disease. You also have the option of adding cocoa powder or leaving it as is.
15. Apricot Homemade Energy Bars
If your family likes to try out interesting mix of flavors, try out these apricot energy bars from A Sweet Pea Chef. With lemon zest and dried apricots, this is not going to be like any other energy bar you’ve tasted before! You can use ground flax seed and freshly grated coconut in this recipe.
16. Strawberry Banana Granola Bars
These granola bars from Amy’s Healthy Baking have not one, but the goodness of two fruits! Though the recipe mentions frozen strawberries, you can use fresh ones since they’re in season now. The banana and honey lend a lovely sweetness to these bars, not to mention good nutrition!
17. Carrot Cake Bars
Just hearing the title must be making you smile – now you can give the kids an energy bar saying it’s actually cake! The Big Man’s World turns a traditional favorite into bar form, adding dry fruits along the way. If you don’t want the pineapple chunks, you can substitute with dried figs and apricots.
18. Fruit and Nut Granola Bar
This is probably the easiest energy bar you can make! With very basic ingredients like whole wheat flour, oats and almonds, you can make these yummy energy bars in just a little time. I don’t know of any Mom who wouldn’t like a quick recipe!
19. Pizza Snack Bars
You won’t find a kid who says ‘No’ to pizza, and you can put this fact to good use with these pizza snack bars from Healthy Helper! Complete with olives, tomatoes, basil and oregano, they’ll never think they’re eating an energy bar!
20. Mini M&M Granola Bars
Sometimes, you need to cheat a little to get the kids to eat healthy, and this recipe from Crafty Morning is one such example! The addition of colorful little gems will immediately make the kids get up and take notice. You can use puffed rice instead of Rice Krispies and powdered jaggery instead of brown sugar.
As you can see, energy bars for kids can be made with pretty much anything that’s in your kitchen. You can replace any ingredient that you don’t have with a suitable substitute. Follow the storage instructions according to the recipe. Generally, the baked versions have a longer shelf life and may work better for travel. So go ahead, choose a recipe your kids will like and give it a go!
