10 Easy Allergy-Friendly Snacks for Kids on the Go

Because life with food allergies is already complicated enough—snacks shouldn’t be.

If you’ve got kids with food allergies, you already know that snacks require planning. You can’t just toss random things in a lunchbox or grab something off a gas station shelf. Whether we’re prepping for school, heading out for the day, or packing for one of our many road trips, I always make sure we’ve got a solid stash of allergy-friendly snacks for kids ready to go. We learned very quickly when we did NOT plan for this on a beginner trip in our travel trailer that not all campground locations (usually in very rural, unpopulated areas) have access to allergy-friendly options and we were SOL for the weekend. NEVER again will I not pre-pack food as this is the most important part of a fun, healthy trip for us. 

And while I love a good homemade option, let’s be honest—convenience matters. Especially when you’re juggling appointments, school pickups, therapy sessions, or just trying to get out the door without forgetting someone’s inhaler.

Here are my go-to allergy-friendly snacks for kids—a mix of store-bought favorites, easy homemade ideas, and my top tips for preparing and packing so you’re never stuck in a snack emergency. 

📌 Follow along on my Pinterest board for more allergy-friendly recipes and hacks!

🛒 Store-Bought Favorites That Actually Taste Good

When it comes to allergy-friendly snacks for kids, I always start with a few trusted store-bought options that I can toss in a backpack or lunchbox without a second thought. I have two chocolate lovers and one child who will not touch chocolate or most sweets with a ten foot pole. So, I have to keep my options open and my eyes peeled so that I can cover both bases, because kids always keep us on our toes, right mamas?! And, if you have read any of my other posts, you know we live on the road 9 weeks out of the year camping, and not all stores and locations are created equal. I know that I need to stock up on our favorites before we go so that we have safe, family-friendly options no matter where the open road takes us. You can read about how we travel with the kids more here. 

1. Trader Joe’s Gluten-Free Madeleines

These are a huge favorite in our house. They’re soft, sweet, and feel like a little treat without triggering any of our allergies. I drive 30 minutes to our nearest Trader Joe’s to stock up—they’re that good. And, my non-chocolate loving kiddo is OBSESSED with these and they usually go quickly. Bonus, they are individually wrapped and great for school snacks and on the go. Winner, winner chicken dinner! 

2. Bobo’s Peanut Butter Sandwiches

Gluten-free and dairy-free, these are perfect to keep in your bag or glove compartment for those that can have nuts and oats. They don’t crumble like a lot of gluten-free snacks and come in flavors my kids actually eat. The key for this snack in particular, is that it is FILLING. It is basically a meal and we can get by in any situation where there isn’t anything safe to eat. 

3. Aldi’s Gluten-Free Snack Finds

Depending on where you live in the country, if you have access to a Trader Joe’s or an Aldi, you are in luck. They have affordable, yummy gluten free, dairy free, and other top 8 allergy friendly options that end up being our go-to choices when we are running to the store. Obviously with Aldi, don’t forget your quarter and your reusable bags! We’ve found great options here, like these gluten free cookies, allergy-safe granola bars, lots of dairy-free ice creams/cream cheese/yogurt options and gluten-free pretzels. Worth the trip if you have one near you! Their brand, LiveGFree is always one I look for when I am in the freezer section/baking/pasta areas of the store too. 

4. Applesauce & Fruit Pouches

Simple. Safe. Always a win. I stock up on the unsweetened, no-mess pouches from Amazon or Aldi—perfect for toddlers and no clean-up required. 

5. Nature’s Bakery Gluten Free Fig Bars

We loved these fig bars before we were gluten free, so finding out that they had a gluten free option was a huge win for this house. These are a staple for lunchboxes and field trips. They’re just the right amount of sweet while still being filling and they definitely tide us over when we are on the go. And, again, they don’t crumble like some other well-known granola bar type brands, so that is awesome.

6. That’s It Fruit Bars

Whenever my kids want something sweet, I grab these. They are individually packaged (huge win) and have limited ingredients (huge winx2). They also are YUMMY and the kids always choose these as a go-to sweet treat. 

🥣 Homemade Snacks That Don’t Take Forever

These allergy-friendly snacks for kids are quick to prep, free from top allergens, and actually taste good—yes, even to picky eaters.

7. SunButter Energy Balls

Gluten-Free Oats + SunButter + maple syrup + allergy-friendly chocolate chips (we love any of the options by Enjoy Life the best) = instant win. Sometimes, I throw in ½ a tablespoon of local honey (especially if the kiddos are sick) and even some plant-based vanilla protein powder (we use Shaklee) to give it some extra benefits and yummy-ness. No baking required, and the kids love helping roll them.

8. Banana-Oat Muffins (Top 8 Free)

I batch these on Sundays, freeze half, and pull them out during the week. Sweetened naturally with bananas and loaded with fiber. Simple Mills also makes a great boxed option, so if you don’t feel like starting from scratch, these are a great easy go-to when you are pressed on time (and don’t love baking). 

9. Apple “Nachos”

Thin apple slices topped with melted SunButter, a drizzle of maple syrup, and allergy-safe chocolate chips. Feels like dessert, but still wholesome. Of course for my non-chocolate kiddo, I omit the chocolate chips so I usually make two batches of these. My kids can have almond butter, and peanut butter, so I often switch up the SunButter depending on my mood. We love chunky peanut butter in our house, so this gives it that extra crunch and makes it really reminiscent of a caramel apple at Halloween time, so these are definitely a fall-favorite. 

10. Popcorn (Stovetop or Air-Popped)

Skip the bags—homemade popcorn is budget-friendly and easy to customize. Add sea salt or cinnamon-sugar depending on the vibe. Honestly, this is our favorite snack in the house. If you and/or your kiddo can have corn, we get organic popcorn kernels, olive oil, and salt, and you are good to go! Just pour a light layer of your favorite EVOO in a pot until it covers the whole bottom. Mix in salt (our favorite is Himalayan Pink) to taste, and then put the popcorn on high heat. Mix in ½ a cup of kernels, or think one full coating on the bottom of the pot (do not overfill or it just burns), and cover with a lid. Once it starts popping, you are good to go! We have popcorn movie night every Friday, and this is our favorite kid friendly snack. Grab some fun popcorn bowls from the Target Dollar Bin, and you are on a roll! 

I have been working on perfecting my gluten-free sourdough recipe to help have things stocked on hand. To be completely transparent, I haven’t been able to master it. So, if you have any tips, please shoot them my way! But, I was able to master the REGULAR sour-dough recipe and have produced some amazing things out of it. So, if you are able to eat gluten, you should check out that recipe here.

🎒 Packing & Prep Hacks for Busy Days

Pack Smart, Not Perfect

• Use bento boxes or small reusable containers to portion snacks ahead of time. We love these stackable snack containers for the car, because I have 3 kids and there are 3 colors, so we always know who’s snacks are who’s. They come apart so you can just use one at a time, and they are awesome.
• I buy in bulk when I can, then pre-pack single servings to grab and go.We love these reusable silicone storage bags and bring them everywhere. I have a few sets in the house and a few in the trailer, so we can always rinse, refill, and repeat!
• For road trips, I keep a snack caddy in the car, filled and restocked weekly. If we also have things that need to be refrigerated on the go, we use this little portable cooler for the car and it works awesome.

Final Thoughts

These are the allergy-friendly snacks for kids* that make our everyday life just a little bit easier. Whether we’re headed to school, loading up the travel trailer for a road trip, or just trying to survive Target with three kids in tow, I always make sure we have safe snacks on hand.

Don’t forget to check out my Allergy-Friendly Living for Kids for even more snack ideas and allergy-friendly inspiration.

🗣 What are your favorite allergy-friendly snacks for on-the-go days? Leave a comment below or tag me on Instagram—I love finding new favorites!

*Some of the links included in this post are partner/affiliate links. By purchasing these products through my links, you are helping to support my small business. I appreciate you!