Summer camp season means adventure, new friendships, and a lot of hungry kids. If you're packing lunchboxes or building a care package for overnight camp, you've probably noticed how many snacks in the pantry aisle are cooked in the same handful of oils. If you're hoping to send your camper off with something made with avocado oil and other real ingredients instead, you're in the right place.
We know the struggle of standing in the snack aisle trying to read tiny ingredient labels while a line forms behind you. That's why we put together this guide: a mix of easy grab-and-go packaged snacks and a few simple homemade options, all built around real food, avocado oil, and seasoning your kids will actually be excited to eat.
The Golden Rule Before You Shop
Ingredient lists are your best friend when you're building a camp snack stash. Formulations can change from one production run to the next, so it's worth a quick label check every time you shop, even for a snack you've bought before. Look for products made with avocado oil, real vegetables, or whole-food ingredients you recognize.
Packaged Camp Snacks Kids Actually Ask For
These shelf-stable options are perfect for early morning drop-offs or overnight camp trunks. We've mixed a few Jackson's favorites in with other brands doing great things with real ingredients.
Jackson's Variety Pack Super Veggie Straws® in Avocado Oil
Light, airy, and endlessly dippable, Super Veggie Straws® are made with a veggie blend of yellow peas, brown rice, cassava, and sweet potato, cooked in avocado oil, and finished with seasoning. The variety pack sends a mix of flavors along, so nobody in the cabin fights over the last bag.
- Highlights: Real veggie ingredients, avocado oil, and seasoning, with a superior crunch kids love straight from the bag.
- Dietary Specifics: Gluten-free, vegan, kosher, non-GMO, top 9 allergen-free.
- Why: Individually sized bags are easy to toss into a lunchbox or camp trunk, and the light texture holds up well without getting crushed.
Jackson's Wavy Sea Salt Sweet Potato Chips in Avocado Oil
Made with real sweet potatoes, avocado oil, and seasoning, these wavy chips deliver a sturdy, satisfying crunch that's great for a lunchbox or an afternoon snack break between activities.
- Highlights: Simple ingredient list, hearty wavy cut, and craveable sea salt flavor.
- Dietary Specifics: Gluten-free, vegan, kosher, non-GMO, Paleo Flex Certified.
- Why: Wavy chips travel well in a backpack and pair nicely with a piece of fruit or a cheese stick for a more filling snack.
Jackson's Wavy Cheddar & Sour Cream Sweet Potato Chips in Avocado Oil
For the kid who wants a little more flavor drama, this wavy cheddar and sour cream option is made with real sweet potatoes, avocado oil, and seasoning, delivering bold flavor in every crunchy bite.
- Highlights: Savory, tangy flavor with the same sturdy wavy crunch.
- Dietary Specifics: Gluten-free, vegan, kosher, non-GMO.
- Why: It's a flavor-forward option that still fits the same real-ingredient standard as the rest of the lineup, great for kids who like variety in their snack rotation.
Siete Chile Lime or Queso Puff Snacks
Siete's grain-free puff snacks are made from lentil flour and avocado oil, coated in bold seasoning blends like chile lime or queso. They're a fun, crunchy alternative to traditional cheese puffs.
- Highlights: Grain-free lentil puff base, cooked with avocado oil, bold seasoning.
- Dietary Specifics: Gluten-free, grain-free, dairy-free, vegan, non-GMO.
- Why: A playful, kid-approved flavor that still checks the avocado oil box.
The Only Bean Crunchy Roasted Edamame
According to the brand, these dry-roasted edamame beans are packed with 14 grams of plant-based protein per serving and made with just edamame, sea salt, and avocado oil.
- Highlights: Crunchy, protein-forward snack made with a short ingredient list.
- Dietary Specifics: Gluten-free, grain-free, vegan, kosher.
- Why: A more filling option for kids who need extra fuel before an afternoon of swimming or hiking.
Pip's Sea Salt Twists
These light, crispy corn twists are made with upcycled corn flour, sea salt, and avocado oil, according to the brand, giving them a fun shape kids enjoy snacking on straight from the bag.
- Highlights: Airy twist shape, mild sea salt flavor, made with avocado oil.
- Dietary Specifics: Gluten-free, dairy-free, vegan, kosher, non-GMO.
- Why: A different shape and texture keeps snack time interesting for picky campers.
LesserEvil Avocado-licious Organic Popcorn
This air-popped popcorn is finished with organic avocado oil, coconut oil, and Himalayan salt, per the brand, for a light, crunchy option that's easy to portion into small bags.
- Highlights: Air-popped whole grain popcorn drizzled with avocado oil.
- Dietary Specifics: Organic, non-GMO, no added sugar.
- Why: Popcorn is naturally portioned and easy to pack in small bags for a lighter snack option.
Biena Edamame Variety Pack
Biena's crispy edamame snacks come in individually sized packs made with avocado oil, offering flavors like Himalayan Pink Salt, Ranch, and Chili Lime, according to the brand.
- Highlights: Single-serve packs in three flavors, made with avocado oil.
- Dietary Specifics: Gluten-free, grain-free, vegan, no added sugar.
- Why: Individual pouches make portioning simple for a busy camp counselor or parent.
Barnana Lime & Sea Salt Plantain Tortilla Chips
Made with plantains and avocado oil, per the brand, these tortilla chips bring a citrusy, salty crunch that's a fun break from traditional potato-based chips.
- Highlights: Plantain-based chip with tangy lime and sea salt flavor.
- Dietary Specifics: Gluten-free, grain-free, organic, non-GMO.
- Why: A nice change of pace for kids who want something a little different in their lunchbox rotation.
Nutritionist Wan Na Chun, MPH, RD, CPT of One Pot Wellness told Eat This, Not That!, "I love Jackson's Sweet Potato Chips, which are cooked in avocado or coconut oil. Sweet potatoes contain beta-carotene, which is converted to Vitamin A in the body. Jackson's Sweet Potato Chips contain 40% of the daily recommended allowance of Vitamin A." It's the kind of endorsement that makes packing lunch a little easier.
DIY Camp Snacks for Homemade Goodness
Sometimes the simplest snacks are the ones you make yourself. These three DIY ideas are easy to prep in a big batch on Sunday night and portion out through the week. Always check your camp's nut policy before including nut-based ingredients.
Homemade Energy Balls
Blend rolled oats, pitted dates, unsweetened shredded coconut, and a spoonful of nut or seed butter, then roll into small balls. They hold their shape well in a lunchbox and give kids something to chew on between activities.
Custom Trail Mix
Combine plain nuts or seeds, unsweetened dried fruit like raisins or cranberries, coconut flakes, and a few cacao nibs for a mix your camper can help build themselves. Pre-made trail mixes can vary widely in ingredients, so building your own gives you full control.
Fruit Skewers
Thread grapes, melon chunks, and berries onto small wooden skewers for a colorful, easy-to-eat snack that needs no packaging beyond a reusable container. It's a simple way to make fruit feel a little more fun for camp.
Always Check Your Labels!
Before you toss any packaged snack into a lunchbox, take a second look at the label, even for brands and flavors you've bought before. Formulations can change, and a product that fit your family's needs last season may look different this year. It's also worth remembering that just because one flavor or product from a brand is made with avocado oil doesn't mean every product in that lineup is formulated the same way, so check each item individually.
Jackson's snacks are always cooked with avocado oil, always vegan, and always made in a top 9 allergen-free facility, so you can grab a bag with confidence no matter which flavor lands in the cart.
As one Jackson's customer, Sonya, put it: "With 3 kids always on the go between school and sports, these are a great convenient snack that my kids love." That kind of reliability is exactly what busy camp mornings call for.
Other Camp Snack Considerations
- Shelf Stability: For overnight camps without refrigeration, lean on shelf-stable choices like chips, popcorn, trail mix, and energy balls.
- Ease of Eating: Choose snacks that aren't overly messy and don't require utensils.
- Allergies & Camp Policies: Always confirm your camp's nut and allergen policies before packing. Check out our guide to allergen-free snacks for more ideas.
- Portion Sizes: Small, single-serve bags help avoid waste and keep variety in the rotation.
- Hydration: Pack a reusable water bottle alongside every snack bag. Staying hydrated matters just as much as snacking well.
Send Them Off Fueled and Feeling Good
Packing camp snacks made with avocado oil and other real ingredients doesn't have to be complicated. Between a rotation of crunchy packaged favorites like Super Veggie Straws® and Jackson's sweet potato chips, a few standout brands doing great things with real ingredients, and a couple of simple homemade options, your camper can head into every adventure with snacks you feel good sending along. Here's to a summer full of new friends, big crunches, and lunchboxes you're proud to pack. Shop Jackson's Super Veggie Straws® and sweet potato chips and stock up before the next camp drop-off.
