Master List Of Healthy Snacks For Toddlers

Ask any parent what their current challenge is with their toddler and the most common answer will be getting the toddler to eat balanced meals. Snacks are a task because toddlers have varying preferences and temperaments from extremely picky eaters to tiny foodie monsters.

In today’s post, I will share a master list of healthy toddler snacks so that hopefully you can find in here some balanced snack options no matter how little or more your child eats.

But first here are my,

TIPS FOR BUILDING HEALTHY SNACKS FOR TODDLERS

1. Get the snack formula right – The best formula to keep in mind every time you build a snack plate is protein + healthy fats + fiber. If you include snacks that cover these three components on a plate you are guaranteed longer satiety and fewer chances of a toddler wanting more snacks an hour later.
2. Add something crunchy – Toddlers love crunch! We can all attest to a toddler’s love for crunchy foods. Get them excited about snack time with some healthy whole grain crackers, corn chips, or their favorite crunchy snack paired with some cheese and fruits.
3. Colors of the rainbow – Add some colorful vegetables for a well-rounded snack plate. Many of us don’t think to add vegetables to our toddler’s plates but snack time is a great time to add some colorful veggies in a fun form. Vegetable puffs, vegetable sticks with hummus, vegetable pies or patties, vegetable chips. More ideas listed below.
4. A sweet treat doesn’t always have to be junk – I know snack time is when that little cookie monster comes out. Instead of restricting cookies or other favorite sweet treats why not pair them with a glass of whole milk, or bake your homemade version so you can include more wholesome ingredients? Here are some healthy sweet treat ideas for you.
5. Favorite foods – Healthy is not boring! Add a few of your picky eater’s safe foods to the snack plate alongside new snack exposures. To make food more fun and better accepted why not add a little extra chocolate chips or sprinkles over snacks like chocolate chip cookies, homemade muffins, or banana boats?

6. Think mini meals – Snacks don’t always have to be snacky foods, you can even go the mini meal route. Leftovers from lunch or last night’s dinner can be paired with other healthy accompaniments to make a little snack plate. 

MASTER LIST OF HEALTHY SNACKS FOR TODDLERS

Here are some snack ideas for toddlers to help you plan family meals.

Mini Meal Snacks

The first type of snack idea for toddlers is not necessarily a snack food. Toddlers are still at the age where there is no real need to make a big distinction between snack types of foods and meals in itself. They eat tiny amounts of food at a time and sometimes a snack is at best a continuation of meal time.

I like to offer any leftovers from the previous meal with some more healthy add-ins to give my toddler a balanced mini-meal type of snack plate.

Examples of a mini meal can look like:

Leftover scrambled eggs or omelet from breakfast along with a fruit and crackers for a snack.

Or last night’s roast chicken, shredded and offered with some cheese and fruit or built into a chicken sandwich with mayonnaise.

Sometimes when we have leftover vegetables from lunch, I add them to a whole wheat wrap with some low-sodium sauces, chutney, or mayonnaise for a vegetable wrap.

Fruit-Based Snacks For Toddlers

1. Chopped fruit served with yogurt.
2. Banana boats – sliced bananas topped with nut butter of choice, desiccated coconut, or chocolate chips for more flavor.
3. Apple slices with peanut butter.
4. Fruit cups.
5. Fruit popsicles – yummy mango popsicles are a hit with my kids.
6. Nice creams – are fruit-based dairy-free desserts for kids, like this blueberry nice cream a perfect healthy snack on hot summer days.

Vegetable-Based Snacks For Toddlers

1. Carrot and celery sticks served with hummus
2. Vegetable patties and fritters like zucchini fritters, broccoli patties, and these mixed vegetable patties.
3. Crispy kale chips.
4. Root vegetable fries e.g. sweet potato fries, parsnip fries served with mayonnaise.
5. Spinach egg muffins. 
6. Green smoothie.

Dairy-Based Snacks For Toddlers

Dairy-based snacks like cheese and cheesy recipes are favored even by the pickiest toddler. Therefore these are an easy option to serve most toddlers. Here are some protein-rich snack ideas for toddlers who love milk and cheese.

1. Yogurt bowls – Yogurt bowls are easy to assemble. Add your toddler’s favorite fruit and some nuts for crunch and you have a delicious snack ready. Some yummy combinations are apple-cinnamon-yogurt, berries-nut butter-yogurt and pureed mango-chopped almonds-yogurt.
2. Smoothies – Here are some protein-rich smoothie recipes for kids.
3. A toddler cheese platter – These snack plates are a great option for toddlers who like to graze on food.
4. Chocolate milk with a cookie – A balanced approach to eating doesn’t mean every meal has to include veggies and fruit, sometimes a cup of chocolate milk and a favorite cookie bring the child a lot of joy. Instilling this sense of feeling happy and satisfied with our food is important so the child can grow up to view meals in a balanced way, knowing when to respect hunger cues and when to take a moment to enjoy some yummy indulgent foods too.
5. Cheese toasties

Meat-Based Snacks For Toddlers

1. Ham sandwiches
2. Roasted chicken sandwiches
3. Sauteed chicken skewers
4. Deconstructed chicken salad snack – If your toddler doesn’t like certain foods touching each other or mixed together try a deconstructed salad snack. Add some torn-up lettuce, rotisserie chicken- black olives-cucumbers-bell peppers in separate sections on a snack plate for the toddler to try.

Wholegrain Snacks For Toddlers

1. Wholegrain crackers and cheese with fruit.
2. Wholegrain pancakes
3. Wholegrain muffins

For some quick wholegrain snack recipes for kids check my Instagram reels for ideas.

Healthy Sweet Treats For Toddlers

Sweets can be healthy and wholesome without a toddler even noticing. Some of our family favorites are,

1. No bake energy balls
2. Energy bars
3. No bake berry cheesecake cups
4. Healthy oats muffins
5. Homemade Nutella spread.

Healthy Packaged Snacks For Toddlers

These days many brands are making healthy packaged snacks for kids, these can come in handy when you are in a rush and want to provide something quick and easy.

Also, food should be all about enjoyment and balance. Restricting yourself and your children is not a sustainable way to achieve healthy eating habits long term.

Instead, focus on packaged snacks made from ingredients you know of, that are low on added sugars (under 10g /100g) and most importantly pair packaged snacks alongside other Whole Foods options. That way in the long run you can maintain healthy eating habits, not feel deprived, and enjoy the food you eat.

One way I will do this is, if I serve my child’s favorite chips I also add a fruit and some cheese on the side for a more filling meal.

Or pair my child’s favorite chocolate/cake with some fresh fruit or a cup of chilled milk. 

FAQ’S ABOUT TODDLER SNACKING

1. What if my toddler only wants to snack all day?

Toddlers first and foremost have a reduced appetite due to rapid growth and development. In this situation offering mini meals is more suited over a hard and fast mealtime routine. Try offering snacks that are mini meals in themselves. Read this previous post on strategies many moms use when their toddler only wants snacks all day.

2. How many snacks to offer my toddler in a day?

A toddler should be offered 3 meals and 2 snacks. One mid-morning snack and one evening snack should be enough. But then, these are simply guidelines, and as a parent, you may face low-eating days or a day when your toddler wants multiple snacks at a time. It takes time for a toddler to establish a meal routine, disruptions are usually seen when the child is teething, going through a growth spurt, or routine transitions in life. Give them some grace and keep their hunger cues in mind when planning the daily meal routine.

3. What are some easy-to-go snacks for traveling with toddlers?

Easy-to-pack snacks like string cheese, fruit, energy bars, and energy balls are good for a snack outside the house. For more to-go snack ideas for toddlers check this older post of mine.

What are some of the healthy snacks that your toddler enjoys? Do leave me ideas in the comments below, I am sure these will come in handy to other moms reading this article.