14 Best School Lunch Snacks You Can Buy At Costco

Packing a school lunch is more challenging than it may sound. One thing that can make it easier is having some good, ready-to-grab snack options that you can toss in the lunchbox next to the sandwich or thermos of soup you packed for your kids. Saving the extra step of portioning out a bag of chips or weighing a serving of nuts can be the difference between getting out the door on time and ending up late. If you're a regular Costco shopper, then you might know that there are a variety of delicious salty snack options, vegan snacks, and even sweet snacks available. However, many of these come in large bags or tubs, so they're not exactly convenient for those busy mornings.

Well, in addition to the large tubs and bags of snack foods, Costco also offers several individually-packaged options which are perfect for a school lunch. You'll find products to match different taste preferences, nutritional goals, and even dietary restrictions, helping to make the process of packing lunch a bit easier. Picking up a few of these different snack ideas can help you provide more variety throughout the week and keep your little one excited to see what's in their lunchbox each day. I went to my local Costco to compile this roundup. I have two school-aged children and included some of our favorites, but I also looked for some other options that could match the varying needs and preferences that other families may have.

These That's It mini fruit bars are one of my favorite things to pack for my kids to have as a snack with their school lunch. I love that each bar only has two ingredients (apple and either strawberry, blueberry, or mango, depending on the flavor). There's no added sugar or any other questionable ingredients. These bars are also certified gluten-free, which is important to us since we switched to keeping only gluten-free foods in the house after one of my daughters was diagnosed with celiac disease.

Importantly, I'm not the only one in the house who likes these little fruit bars. My kids are also big fans of them and certainly don't complain when they get on as a snack in their lunchbox. Despite having no added sugar, they have a sweet flavor (from the natural sugars in the fruits). The texture is also enjoyable; they're chewy, but not overly so that you hurt your teeth or jaws trying to eat them. These are simply an all-around winner here, and they're one that I think you might want to add to your lunch snack rotation, too.

These bags of Pirate's Booty are another one of my kids' favorite snacks to find in their lunchboxes. If you've never had Pirate's Booty before, it is similar to a cheese puff, but offers an airier texture. The puffs are made from baked rice and corn. They feature a delicious aged white cheddar flavor, which is more subtle than the often stronger coating on a cheese puff. Each of the bags in this pack weighs half an ounce. 

Given how light and airy each puff is, that still equates to a lot of crunchy goodness. Pirate's Booty is certified gluten-free and free of artificial flavors, colors, and preservatives. You can probably find Pirate's Booty at your local grocery store, but I would recommend picking it up at Costco (or at least comparing the price). You'll likely find that it is a much better deal.

If you've never had these Drizzilicious mini rice cakes, I'd recommend correcting that right away. Despite tasting like you're eating dessert, they're relatively low in calories and sugar compared to other sweet treats. Each bag has only 90 calories and between 4 and 5 grams of sugar. The individual bags are filled with mini rice cakes with three different flavor options: s'mores, cinnamon swirl, and birthday cake.

If you're looking to give your child a sweet finish to their meal, but don't want to overload them with sugar when they need to be focused on learning, these can be a great choice. I like all of the flavors, but the cinnamon swirl bites are probably my favorite. Anything "birthday cake" flavored is always popular with my kids, so they'll often choose to add those to their lunchbox. Each box from Costco has 32 packs, so you'll have several weeks' worth of school lunch snacks — unless you break into these yourself, as I often do.

Popcorn is always a popular addition to a school lunchbox. What's not to love about something airy, crunchy, and flavorful? However, many popcorn brands may leave you feeling not too great about adding them to your kids' lunchboxes. They may have too many calories, artificial flavors, or other questionable ingredients. 

The Skinny Pop popcorn from Costco features just three ingredients (popcorn, sunflower oil, and salt) and is made without any trans fats or artificial flavors and colors. Beyond being another one of the best gluten-free snacks you'll find at Costco, this popcorn is also kosher and dairy-free. As with many other snacks available at Costco, each box will set you up to fill several lunchboxes; there are 28 0.65-ounce bags of popcorn. It's also a good deal compared to what Walmart charges.

When you think about the most classic lunchbox snacks, one that will almost certainly come to mind is Goldfish. These crunchy, fish-shaped cheese crackers have been a favorite for decades — they were released in 1962. If you want to send these to school with your child — but don't want to have to deal with portioning them out from a larger bag — Costco has you covered. You can pick up a box with 45 individually portioned 1-ounce bags.

As you might be able to guess, you'll get a great deal on these at Costco compared to shopping from many other retailers. The case of 45 individual packs comes out slightly cheaper per pack compared to Walmart's 30-count box. When you think about how many snacks you'll go through in a week — let alone over the entire school year — those savings can add up.

As long as your child's school doesn't have any restrictions on sending nuts, then you might want to consider picking up a box of the Kirkland Signature trail mix snack packs. The trail mix is made with a delicious blend of peanuts, raisins, cashews, almonds, and milk chocolate and peanut M&Ms. Each box includes 28 individual packs, each weighing 2 ounces.

Trail mix can make an excellent snack. Each pack offers 5 grams of protein to help give your child a boost of energy to make it through a long school day. Costco customers have a lot of positive things to share about these trail mix packs. They note that the mix offers the right ratio of different ingredients. This, they say, ensures that it delivers the optimal combination of saltiness, sweetness, and crunchiness.

Sure, you can put a granola bar in your kid's lunchbox every day. However, if you want to break from the ordinary and make snack time a bit more exciting, then you might want to try these Made Good organic granola bites. Each ball-shaped, bite-size granola bite is certified gluten-free, certified vegan, and certified organic. The bites are also made in a dedicated facility, which is free from the top nine allergens (peanuts, tree nuts, dairy, egg, soy, sesame, fish and shellfish, and wheat and gluten). So, if your child has any allergies that prevent them from being able to eat other popular brands, these could also be a good choice. The pack includes 24 individual packets. 12 are chocolate chip flavored and 12 are mixed berry flavored.

Many grocery stores won't sell the same bulk quantity as Costco, so you'll need to purchase smaller boxes that may only have about five bags of the bites. At Target, a box of the chocolate chip bites works out to be considerably more expensive per pouch. Walmart offers a 24-pack like Costco does. However, it is only available online (at least in my area) and costs several dollars more.

Fruit snacks are another classic school lunch snack. My Costco has several brands for sale. The one I tend to buy most frequently for my kids is these mixed fruit Welch's fruit snacks. They're a hit with my girls and are easy to toss in a lunchbox. In my opinion, their texture is a bit better than some other brands; they aren't overly chewy and don't get completely stuck in your teeth after each bite. These are also labeled gluten-free. As of July 2025, the company has also started transitioning away from using food dyes. This box includes a statement that the fruit snacks are colored using natural sources.

I see Welch's fruit snacks in practically every local grocery store, but I almost exclusively buy them at Costco; that's because they're so much less expensive, and you get a big box that will last a long time. At my warehouse, you get a box of 90 snack bags. Compare this to Target's 40-pouch box, which is several cents more per pouch. If your kids eat fruit snacks like mine do, those savings can certainly add up over the school year.

A bag of chips is another tasty snack that most kids will be excited to find in their lunchbox. If you want to offer variety and avoid sending the same type of chip over and over, then this variety pack from Frito-Lay might be a good choice. The pack includes 54 bags of chips total with seven popular Frito-Lay varieties: Cheetos, Nacho Cheese Doritos, Cool Ranch Doritos, Lays Classic, Lays Barbecue, Ruffles Cheddar and Sour Cream, and Fritos. Each bag weighs only 1 ounce, so these could also be a good pick if you don't want to send a huge serving of chips to be devoured at lunchtime.

Cheetos and Doritos are two popular picks among many children. If this is the case with your kids, you might appreciate the specific breakdown of each type of chip in this pack. Instead of the 54 bags being evenly split, there are more Cheetos and Doritos (12 of each), and fewer of the other varieties (eight Lays Classic, seven Fritos and Cool Ranch Doritos, and four Lays Barbecue and Ruffles Cheddar and Sour Cream).

If you're looking to pack some of your childhood favorites in your child's lunchbox, you might be wondering which '90s snacks you can still buy today. Well, there are more of these still on the market than you might think, including a few options at Costco. One of these that might bring back some fond memories for you is Fruit by the Foot. Shop at Costco and you can pick up a large box with 48 fruit rolls. The box includes three different flavor options to introduce some variety into school lunch snacks. It has 24 Berry Tie-Dye rolls, 12 Blue Raspberry Tie-Dye rolls, and 12 Strawberry Tie-Dye rolls.

Fruit by the Foot is labeled gluten-free. The manufacturer also states that these are made without any artificial flavors, sweeteners, or colors. Costco reviewers have a lot of positive things to share about these. They have, overwhelmingly, given them high ratings, sharing that they make a nice lunchbox treat.

I've recently started buying these Archer 100% grass-fed beef sticks from Costco. I find that they're a more filling snack, since each one has 4 grams of protein. I also like rotating these into lunches to offer some greater variety for my kids. Each stick is made from grass-fed beef, is certified gluten-free, and is certified to comply with the paleo diet. 

These are also one of the best sugar-free snacks at Costco for those who are looking to minimize how much sugar they're feeding their children. You probably won't be surprised to learn that you'll get a better deal on these when you shop at Costco compared to many other retailers, like Target.

Is Nutella one of your children's favorite store-bought hazelnut spreads? If so, they'll almost certainly be pleased to open up their lunchbox and find one of these Nutella & Go! packs. Each little snack pack features two compartments — one with the creamy hazelnut spread, and one with several breadsticks to dip into it. These packs can make snack time a sweet and exciting experience. Shopping at Costco will bring the per-unit price for these down compared to the per-unit price when you shop at Walmart.

These Probiotic Strawberry Yoggies from Nature's Garden are another one of my kids' favorite snacks from Costco to find in their lunchboxes. The little Yoggie bites are made with real strawberries and have a delicious yogurt coating. They taste almost like candy, especially when they're cold. While these are shelf-stable, I'd recommend storing them in your refrigerator for that reason alone. Packing them with an ice pack in your child's lunchbox can also help keep them cool.

In addition to the fact that these are made with real fruit, I also like that they're free of any artificial flavors or colors. They also contain two billion probiotics, so they can support a healthy gut. Finally, I appreciate that each bag from Costco includes 30 individual packs, which can last my family a long time.

If you haven't tried any products from BoBo's, then you've been missing out. The company makes baked oat snacks that are 100% whole grain, plant-based, certified gluten-free, kosher, Non-GMO Project-verified, and glyphosate-free. These Bobo's PB&Js oat snacks are definitely one of the underrated Costco snacks that deserve a spot in your cart. The strawberry or grape jelly is surrounded by peanut butter-flavored oatmeal, making for a truly enjoyable experience.

These can make an excellent lunchbox snack, especially if you're looking to give your child a little extra fuel to make it through a long day. Each bar has 230 calories, 17 grams of whole grains, and 4 grams of protein, so they could even take the place of a sandwich for those days you don't have time (or energy) to pack a more involved lunch.

Costco offers a lot of individually-wrapped snack options — even more than you might think. So, narrowing down all the options to what's included in this roundup was a bit of a challenge. I relied on various resources and data points to help me determine what to feature. For one, I used my firsthand experiences with some of the different products from Costco. As a mother of two children, we've personally tried many of these snacks, and I know which ones can be a big hit.

I also tried to include a range of snack types. I probably could have filled this whole round-up with different bags of chips and pretzels, but I know kids (and parents) want and need more variety than that. So, I worked to include a mix of salty and crunchy options, fruit-based snacks, meat sticks, and more. I was also cognizant of including products that could satisfy different nutritional needs and preferences. For example, some of these options are gluten-free, nut-free, or vegan, while others feature a limited ingredient list, lower sugar levels, or higher protein levels.