Healthy Snack Ideas for Toddlers
I am by no means perfect (we eat a lot of bars and made.good brand cookies in our house) and it’s not always easy to do the healthy thing, but I am continually challenging myself to present healthy snack and meal options. There’s been research that shows that nutrition in the first two years of a child's life sets the tone for the rest of their lives (no pressure). We’ve found that using our Bento Boxes with the 5 compartments of choices to offer our son snacks makes him feel empowered, and he is more likely to eat the healthy snacks since he feels like he’s choosing them. Some light structure but giving your toddler the freedom to “choose” can go a long way in creating healthy snack and/or meal habits. I have put together a list below of some healthy snacks for your little ones. This list is geared more towards the toddler years, as that’s the stage I am in, but you can also give to babies if you’re baby-led weaning (just cut to the right size or make easy chewable texture). Some of our favorite go-to Healthy Snacks: Apples with nut butter Hard Boiled egg with avocado Hummus with veggies Roasted chickpeas Steamed veggies Steamed sweet potato Popcorn (with caution before 12 months) Smoothie with chia and or flax seed Banana Berries Sliced Cucumbers Sliced Red Peppers Veggie Straws (check for no sugar added) Cherries Pretzel Thins Chomps Beef sticks Olives (we are still working on this in our house…I am committed) Steamed Carrots Simple Mills Crackers Serenity Kids Pouches or Puffs Popsicles- all fruit no sugar added Nuts (in smoothes, in yogurt) Cottage Cheese Avocado toast on sourdough or ezekiel breadAs parents, it’s important to offer a variety of foods to our children to help give them a balanced diet. I have found for my two year old, that some days he won’t like a certain food or snack, but maybe on the 7th try, he will. This is where I encourage you not to give up, keep presenting them with new textures, flavors, and healthy choices.
by Kelly Buller
