Back to School snacks

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Nourish - Back to School snacks

September brings early alarms, packed schedules and a lot of energy going out the door before nine o’clock. Food is fuel, and never more so than during a school day full of lessons, activities and yard time.

The real gap is to fill is what goes in alongside lunch: a couple of healthy snacks for the day, and a solid breakfast to start things off right. Think of these as the top-up, not the main meal.

Here are five snacks worth having in the cupboard this term

1. Homespun Oat Bars

Made right here in Ireland, these oat bars are Homespun’s take on the classic flapjack, without the usual sugar load.

  • Refined sugar free, using chicory root syrup and dates instead
  • Simple ingredients: oats, seeds or nuts, coconut oil
  • Comes in nut-free options like Chia, Pumpkin and Sunflower, alongside nuttier varieties, so there’s something for every lunchbox rule

2. Nairn’s Oatcakes

These oatcakes are a savoury option to balance out all the sweet bars in a lunchbox rotation.

  • Wholegrain oats as the main ingredient, with a short, simple ingredient list
  • A few different variations to satisfy all palettes
  • Versatile: pair with cheese, a seed butter, or hummus for something more filling

You can also try crispbreads either if you’re looking for something a little larger with similar topping options. Shop crispbreads here >>

3. Monki Organic Sunflower Seed Butter

For families avoiding nut butters altogether, sunflower seed butter is the easiest swap.

  • Nut-free alternative to peanut or almond butter, same creamy texture
  • Works spread on oatcakes, rice cakes, crispbreads, or in a wrap
  • Made from just sunflower seeds, with no palm oil

Available in stores >>

4. Dried Fruit

Dried fruit is an easy win when you need something quick with no prep.

  • Naturally sweet, so it satisfies a sweet craving without added sugar
  • Contributes to fibre intake as part of a varied lunchbox
  • No packaging faff. Just portion into a small tub and go

We have a few different options from Tropical Wholefoods dried mango to True Natural Goodness dried Apricots.

5. Delicously Ella Apple and Raisin Oat bars

Made with gluten-free oats, dried apple pieces, juicy raisins and topped off with a touch of cinnamon. These oat bars are a vegan-friendly, chewy, sweet, and fibre-rich snack for when you crave something sweet yet healthy.

  • Free from preservatives, emulsifiers and artificial ingredients

And for breakfast?

A good breakfast is the other half of the equation. Porridge oats with a spoon of Chia seeds or Linwoods Flaxseed stirred through cover both slow-release energy and a fibre boost, and take minutes to make. If mornings are tight, overnight oats prepped the night before mean breakfast is ready before anyone’s even properly awake. Linwoods have a selection of different flavours, to cater for different needs.

Bring the little ones into it

If you’ve a bit more time at the weekend, get the little ones involved in making their own snacks for the week ahead. Two to try:

  • Our nut-free energy bites recipe, perfect for providing taste and fuel. Find the recipe here >>
  • Our banana muffins, a good way to use up spotty bananas and freeze well for grabbing on busy mornings. Grab the recipe here >>

Ways to shop with us

Grab all these ingredients you’ll need at your closest Nourish. However you like to shop, there are a few different ways to find Nourish when you need us:

  1. Visit us in our Nourish Stores
  2. Find us in select Dunnes Stores
  3. On our website Nourish.ie
  4. Click and Collect

Find your local store here >>