Nutritious and delicious, these healthy toddler snacks are easy to make and perfect for little kids and big kids too!

Hi Friends!

We’re talking snacks today! Specifically, healthy toddler snacks. Although I don’t have a toddler YET, at the rate time is flying, I will soon! And if Squish is anything like his mama, he’s going to love snacks!

So, I asked my friend and fellow mom, blogger & RD Katie to stop by today and share some of her toddler’s favorite snacks!

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Hello! My name is Katie and I’m the registered dietitian, Mom, and blogger over at Mom to Mom Nutrition. When I’m not sharing healthy, family-friendly recipes, I’m talking all things toddler and baby— which naturally has ignited a friendship between Lindsay and myself. Lindsay and I might have kiddos at different ages and feeding stages, but we have one thing [ok, two things] in common: we love cooking for our babies and sharing what works and what doesn’t with one another. Strength in numbers—as most parents would agree!

Healthy Toddler Snacks

So that’s why I’m here today. Sharing 10 healthy toddler snacks that my somewhat picky, food-throwing toddler can’t get enough of. The photos are real life: a look inside my somewhat chaotic kitchen at snack time!

The Classics

For the busier days— which seem to be every day when you have a toddler! The key here is to find brands for dips and spreads your family likes AND prep some fresh fruit and veggies at the beginning of the week. I took a hint from Lindsay on the food prep point!

Pictured: Cottage cheese parfait with avocado and banana, peanut butter banana berry bites, hummus with cheese and crackers, and Wheat Chex with berries and popcorn.

1. Cottage Cheese: This one might surprise you— it surprised me actually when my toddler wasn’t turned off by the texture of cottage cheese. I was thrilled when he asked for seconds of MY cup. Now I give him his own cottage cheese parfait that includes dry whole grain cereal + fresh or canned fruit.

2. Hummus: This is THE go-to snacking protein for my family, for the big and little kids alike. Whether it’s spread on crackers, used as a condiment for sandwiches, or “dipper” for cucumber slices, carrot sticks, and bell peppers, hummus is THE snack. It’s messy, though. Don’t say I didn’t warn you….

3. Avocado: A healthy fat and creamy-to-eat food, my toddler loves avocado cold and cut into slices. Eaten solo. But have you seen all the love for avocado toast lately?!

4. Nut Butter: There’s a lot to love about the classic “dipper” for apples, celery sticks, and bananas, and a protein-packed spread for whole grain toast, waffles, or pancakes.

5. Whole Grain Cereal: We eat cereal dry in this house with a side of fruit, but you can eat it any way you’d like. I’d recommend looking at the nutrition facts label and choosing a cereal that is low in sugar and has a few grams of protein and fiber.

 

Toddler Snacks Requiring TIME

For the days when your toddler decides to take a LONG nap and you find yourself wanting to cook or spend a little more time on recipes.

Pictured: Fresh fruit [washed and prepped] for a berry smoothie, Cheerios trail mix with berries and chocolate chips, smiley face oatmeal, and banana bread mini-muffins.

6. Muffins: What I love about making muffins for toddler snacks is that one batch lasts a few days OR weeks, if you decide to make a double batch and freeze them (which essentially works for any muffin recipe I’ve tried.) I recently made a recipe for Banana Bread Mini-Muffins [pictured with a clementine] that my toddler can’t get enough of! I also have become hooked on these Chocolate Strawberry Breakfast Muffins from Jenna at Make Healthy Easy!

7. Smoothies: Smoothies are a great way to get extra fruit and veggies into your toddler’s diet. Mix with a little milk and you have added protein and calcium, among other important nutrients. Our favorite is OF COURSE any smoothie involving peanut butter and chocolate, like my Chunky Monkey smoothie, or my husband’s favorite: greens! Click here for an all-star list of green smoothie recipes!

8. Oatmeal: From bars to bites, to plain old oatmeal with fresh berries, you can’t go wrong with the whole grain, fiber goodness found in oatmeal. My toddler’s favorite? Oatmeal made with a banana and blueberry smile, of course! I also make a weekly batch of these No-Bake Peanut Butter Oatmeal Bites from Kristy at Chocolate Slopes.

9. Trail Mix: Homemade trail mix is SO easy and can be adapted based on your child’s favorite add-ins. Goldfish. Pretzels. Popcorn. Dried fruit. Nuts. And my favorite: chocolate chips. I’ve highlighted a few of our favorite trail mix combos in the pictures above!

10. Kabobs: This is my new favorite. I love taking a cubed cheese, cubed fruit, and alternating the two to make homemade kabobs! Joey loves pulling off the different kabob layers and talking about the food colors. I just tried a recipe from Liz at the Lemon Bowl for Fruit and Cheese Kabobs and it was a HIT in our house!

Here’s to snacks that are perfect for toddlers—- and just as delicious for parents. For you know, those moments when the kiddos want to share….

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Thanks so much to Katie for all these great ideas. Be sure to check out her blog and follow her on Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram!

In case you need a few more, here are some Bean favorites!

• Sweet Potato Banana Bites
• Frozen Yogurt Trailmix Bars (or Bites)
• Almond Butter Banana Cookies
• Pumpkin Energy Balls
• Homemade Raisin Newtons
• Peanut Butter Cookie Dough Dip
• PB Banana Oat Muffins
• Egg Wraps

Healthy snacks are a great thing to add to your weekly food prep sessions so you have them on hand during busy weeks. If you liked this post, you’ll love my ebook – The Ultimate Guide To Food Prep. It dives into even more detail about how to food prep, troubleshoots common problems and provides tons of tips to make it easier! Click the image below for more details!

Enjoy!
–Lindsay–