If you’re heading back to school, gearing up for another year of packing school lunches, and/or are looking to jump-start the new school year with a healthier approach to snacking, we’ve got you covered. These kid-friendly and parent-approved natural snack food brands are perfect additions to any snack pack. And what’s more? They all give back and aim to make a positive difference in the world.

Read on to explore some mission-driven food brands that are creating healthy, socially conscious snacks.

1. Justin’s
From almond butter snack packs to peanut butter cups you can feel good about eating, Justin’s nut butters practice sustainability, integrity, and transparency in everything they do. Founded by Justin Gold, the company prides itself on sourcing only the highest quality, local ingredients that help mitigate environmental impact. They also partner with a variety of organizations that help further this mission: People and Pollinators Action Network, Growing Gardens, Rainforest Alliance, and more. Justin’s also contributes to global hunger relief efforts with partnerships with Conscious Alliance and Whole Planet Foundation among others.

this bar saves lives

2. This Bar Saves Lives
This snack bar company is in the business of doing good. With a focus on fighting malnutrition, the company has helped raise enough nutrient packets to help save more than 6,500 children. Founded in part by activists and actors Ryan Devlin, Todd Grinnell, and Ravi Patel, with support from Kristen Bell, This Bar Saves Lives is a social enterprise company designed to help malnourished children in countries such as Liberia.

3. Happy Family
Happy Family’s socially conscious efforts spread far and wide. The company’s Happy Family Foundation contributes to game-changing organizations and has led to the construction of the Happy Family Children’s Village in Tanzania. Happy Family brands provide organic food for babies, tots, and children. The company’s mission aims to change the trajectory of children’s health through nutrition.

4. Deep River Snacks
Jim Goldberg
, the Founder and CEO of Deep River Snacks, leverages the chip brand as a platform to raise both awareness and funds for organizations that help develop life-saving cures. Its motto “Because we give a chip!” reflects its mission to help make a difference in communities. In addition to donating thousands of bags of chips to charitable events throughout the year, the company also donates 10 percent of its annual net profits to a variety of charities.

KIND

5. KIND
There are a lot of brands with ambitious missions and KIND’s purpose is no the exception. Since its founding in 2004, the snack bar company has been on a mission to make the world a little kinder with its KIND Movement. KIND’s Founder and CEO Daniel Lubetzky‘s philanthropic efforts led to the founding of an independent organization called Feed the Truth, which aims to improve public health by making today’s food system more transparent. A pioneering social entrepreneur, Lubetzky has also founded or co-founded PeaceWorks Inc., Maiyet, and the OneVoice Movement. He is also the author of “Do The KIND Thing” (2015).

Interested in working for an innovative food brand that makes an impact on the world? Explore our FoodForce job board.

Photo Credits: Facebook