Snack Bin Ideas For Kids (Easy Storage Tips!)

I feel like kids snack CONSTANTLY. And my daughter Allison is no exception.

Her current lunch time at school is 10:45. That means when she gets home, it’s immediately snack time and she starts rummaging through the kitchen for food.

Now, I’m all about the healthy snacks. I’m a Nutrition Coach, so I know the importance of food and how it can affect your mood and school performance. But keeping up with all the snacks was a hassle!

In an attempt to organize more of my life, I started using bins for snacks and the aesthetic makes my brain feel much less cluttered.

Do you struggle with keeping all of your kids’ snacks organized? Here’s exactly what I use and how I use them for easy access. And scroll to the bottom of the post to get a list of snack ideas!

What kind of containers should you use?

I suggest using clear bins because you can easily see what’s inside. You can find these at just about any grocery store, including Wal Mart. The ones I have I found on Amazon.

And if you’re on a tight budget, you can find storage bins at the dollar store, in all different sizes and different colors- I don’t see many clear containers there, though!

Get various sizes, because you’ll use each size for different foods. I have a wider one for the chips and snack bars, and a smaller skinny one for treats like miniature candy bars.

Shelf space may be an issue, so measure the inside of your pantry shelves to make sure those bins will fit!

Where should you store the snack bins?

I store mine in a couple different places, because that’s where space allows. They’re also within easy reach.

Kitchen pantry

This is where you can put crackers, bags of chips, snack bars, fruit cups, and other shelf-stable items.

You can use just one bin- or if you have enough room, you can use multiple and organize similar items that way.

Put these bins at eye level for the kids so they can easily grab what they need without asking for help.

The pantry door is also a great way to store snacks when you don’t have much space. Shoe organizers are perfect for this!

I’ve also organized my entire pantry. And part of that allowed me to make room for the snack bins!

Fridge

My fridge snack bin has been a game changer for me! I’ve been able to clearly see where food is and make snacks more accessible for Allison.

I have a small longer bin for refrigerated snacks. Yogurt cups, Gogurt tubes, cheese and cracker snack packs, applesauce pouches… those are readily available for Allison to grab.

How to store open snacks

Honestly, I get paranoid about open bags of chips and crackers. They lose freshness quickly, yes. But we’ve also struggled with moths in the past, making their way into boxes of pasta.

Nowadays, I take any bag that’s been opened and pour it into sealed airtight containers. This keeps the food fresh longer and prevents those pesky insects from getting inside. I use these now for all of my pasta, rice, and other grains and flours!

These ones I keep in my top cabinets because Allison usually just grabs the individual packages. But you could easily keep them at arm’s reach for the kids. Especially if you keep small bowls on hand so they can pour their own snacks.

Snack ideas

My family tends to go through tons of different snacks, and gets bored easily with the same ones day after day. So I keep a list handy of snack ideas that I can rotate month to month, so that nothing gets old.

Here are some of my favorite snacks that you can rotate and keep on hand:

• Granola bars
• Protein bars (I love Nature Valley)
• Fruit cups
• String cheese sticks
• Yogurt cups
• Applesauce pouches
• Individual bags of chips and crackers
• Cheese and cracker snack packs
• Individual cups of peanut butter
• Fruit snacks
• Fresh fruit

Final thoughts

In the end, this doesn’t have to look pretty. It just has to function and work for your brain. There’s no perfect way to store snacks- so if you’re happy with your snack system, then that’s what works!

I also got my own snack bins for me and my husband. So this isn’t just for kids snacks- it’ll work for the whole family!

Have you seen any other snack station ideas? Leave a comment and tell me, because I’m always looking for more ideas!