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The Best Snack Based Care Packages for Your College Student

A top view of a person preparing care package with coffee, cookies, candles, and a cup.
Netrun78/Shutterstock.com

For a college kid spending their first year away from home, there’s nothing like a friendly reminder from the family that they are always thinking of you, especially if that reminder comes with a bit of crunch.

Snack-based care packages come in all styles, offering everything from beloved candy brands to zesty potato chips. And they are always appreciated by a community of students with all-day food cravings. If you are looking to send your college student a box of treats from afar, then here are a few snack packs we think you should check out.

Purchasing a Snack Care Package

Consider these factors in your hunt for a delicious box of treats:

  • Palate Preferences: When buying a snack-based care package for the college student in your life, it’s important to consider the palate they have developed over the years. Yes, your kiddo may be teetering on the verge of full-blown adulthood, but they still have a favorite snack, so tap into that consideration when scouting.
  • Snack Count: From a longevity point of view, it’s important to consider a care package that includes an ample snack count. You don’t want to send them anything that looks like they could have plucked from the supermarket themselves. You want to send them something with a good amount of heft and diverse flavors, so consider exciting options.
  • Health Factors: Of course, not all care packages are suitable for every student. Packs overflowing with chewy, sugary sweets aren’t the ideal choice for students who have braces or any other dental concerns. Additionally, students who lead a healthier lifestyle must avoid snack packs that contain ingredients like dairy, soy, wheat, or meat, so it’s important that you shop with a health-conscious mind for your student.

Best for Chip Lovers: Frito-Lay Fun Times Variety Pack

On the left, eight differently flavored bags of chips sit in a cardboard box. On the right, two sandwiches are flipped open to reveal a layer of potato chips on top of their contents.
Frito Lay

Packed with eight chip flavors from some of the most popular brands today, this Frito-Lay Fun Times Variety Pack offers the perfect amount of zest for every palate. Within this snack box are over three dozen one-ounce bags, including classics like Doritos Nacho Cheese and Cheetos Puffs. There are also more unique options like Smartfood White Cheddar Popcorn and Rold Gold Pretzels. Their compact size makes them an ideal choice for quick-fix lunches and the appropriately tiny midnight snack.

Best for Chip Lovers

Frito-Lay Fun Times Variety Pack

A 40-count of one-ounce chip bags that are perfectly compact for personal meals and camping.

Best for Candy Lovers: Foxy Fane Ultimate Snack Box

One hundred different candies and salty snacks are laid out above their packaging.
Foxy Fane

Stuffed to the brim with some of the sweetest and savoriest snacks around, this Foxy Fane Ultimate Snack Box includes 100 different types of sugary and salty treats. There’s a wide assortment here, from suckers and potato chips to salted crackers and chewy fruit snacks. This option’s large snack count makes it perfect for your college student come Halloween or for stocking the office break room with some always appreciated foods.

Best for Candy Lovers

Foxy Fane Ultimate Snack Box

This 100-count package is brimming with some of the sweetest and saltiest treats that college students crave.

Best for Caffeine Fiends: The Care Crate Co. Coffee Lovers Care Package

Coffee tools and supplies laid out on a black counter in front of the turquoise box packing.
The Care Crate Co.

This Coffee Lovers Care Package from The Care Crate Co. is the perfect gift for early risers and night owls, as it features all of the essentials necessary to perfect a piping hot cup of joe. In this bundle, you are getting a house blend of gourmet ground coffee from Phoenix Coffee Co., in addition to caramel-flavored coffee syrup and two types of coffee creamer. This care package really catches the eye because of two must-have coffee features: a Fench press and a stainless steel tumbler. Slide this one over to your college kid on move-in day and be prepared for tears of joy.

Best for Caffeine Fiends

The Care Crate Co. Coffee Lovers Care Package

Ideal for students with 8 a.m. classes or late-night study sessions, this care pack offers the coffee-brewing essentials.

Best for Meat Eaters: SB SnackBOX Jack Link’s Beef Jerky Care Package

Eight packs of beef jerky sit in their cardboard packaging.
SB SnackBOX

For the college kid who needs a quick boost of protein before or after their daily workout, this SnackBOX Jack Link’s Beef Jerky Care Package features eight of the brand’s most popular meat snacks. Included in the box are four 1.25-ounce bags of jerky, two of which are original and another two that are teriyaki-flavored. There are also three beef sticks and a beef-and-cheese combo pack. It’s great for students who are on the move, whether it’s for lunch in between classes or for those who need something protein-packed after sports with friends.

Best for Meat Eaters

SnackBOX Jack Link's Beef Jerky Care Package

This hearty care package features eight different beef snacks that offer an ideal amount of nourishment for those on the go.

Best for Healthy Minds: The Good Grocer Healthy Snacks Care Package

On the left, 20 health-conscious snacks sit in their cardboard packaging. On the left, a student walks across campus with the care package.
The Good Grocer Store

Students who follow a healthier diet will be pleased to know that not all care packages are swimming in sugar, wheat, and animal products. This Healthy Snacks Care Package from The Good Grocer is filled with 100% gluten-free and vegan-friendly snacks, meaning there isn’t an ounce of dairy, egg, or soy to be found anywhere in the bundle. There are 20 treats included in the pack, so if you need something to compliment your lunch, then pick out a bag of Pico de Gallo Bean Chips. Or if you want to unwind while watching a movie, then the plant-based deep chocolate brownie is your fix.

Best for Healthy Minds

The Good Grocer Healthy Snacks Care Package

This 20-count care package contains highly nutritious grab-n-go snacks that are entirely free of wheat, soy, and animal products.

Hollis Mills Hollis Mills
Hollis Mills is a freelance journalist and a content writer for LifeSavvy. He has a bachelor's degree in English literature, and as an undergraduate at Texas A&M University, Hollis wrote and edited for the nationally recognized student newspaper, The Battalion. When he's not writing, you can find him complaining about Boston Celtics basketball or giving plenty of peanut butter biscuits to his always-hungry Catahoula dog, Blue. Read Full Bio »
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