I am going to give you some great ideas of healthy snacks for toddlers. It is so important to start their eating habits off healthy and EARLY. Try to avoid the junk foods and sugary sweets as snacks. Instead offer your child alternatives that are healthy and delicious. My son loves his healthy snacks and so do I.
Remember also depending on their age to be aware of foods that could be potential choking hazards. Always ask their pediatrician and do your research about age appropriate snacks.
Here are some snack ideas that include these 4 basic Food Groups
It is so important to include the food groups into every area of your toddlers diet. With 3 meals and 2 snacks given daily, this ensures that your toddler is receiving a well balanced diet.
FRUITS
Fruits are a given. They are like the best healthy snacks for toddlers. Apple slices to applesauce, bananas and oranges. Fruit is the best given to your child in the natural state if all possible. If you must give frozen or canned then do so. If you do choose canned then make sure it is in water or the natural juices. Try and avoid the fruit in the heavy syrup. You want the best healthy snacks for toddlers.
You can do so much with fruit. You can make smoothies or fruit kabobs. Make up some sugar-free jello and add some fruit. The possibilities are endless. My three year old prefers apple slices over anything. Fruit is a great snack. Remember to keep lots of fresh fruit in the house!!!
VEGETABLES
One of the things that I like to do is to keep fresh “raw” vegetables cut up and in plastic bags in the fridge. You have them on hand for snack time. Carrots, celery broccoli, cucumber slices. Every child is different when it comes to vegetables.(*Remember age appropriate to avoid potential choking hazards*)
My nephew loved tomatoes but my son, not so much. Remember to always keep offering different veggies to your children. Their taste buds may change and then they will start liking other vegetables. My son is 3 and finally now likes sweet peas. I kept offering them to him and now he will eat them.
Corn on the cob is a great healthy snack for toddlers. Yes I am serious! Fresh corn on the cob is great with no butter and salt. My toddler loves this. Who says that corn on the cob has to be served with meals only, not in my house it is a great snack!
*Healthy Tip* Have your toddler dip their vegetables in some yogurt. Yogurt serves as a great vegetable dip! Just use some plain yogurt. It’s healthy and makes the veggies taste great!! You can come up with so many of your own creations and lists of healthy snacks for toddlers.
DAIRY
Yogurt is the best!! Yogurt is a favorite in my house. Making smoothies with fruit or using it for vegetable dip. I was so glad that my toddler always had a love for yogurt. You can make some great parfaits by adding some fresh fruit.
I sometimes like to give my son some cheese cubes. This is not often. He from time to time prefers some cheese. He will ask me for some. You can buy the string cheese or cartoon character shaped cheeses. I do not recommend that you give them cheese often. It is not good for them in large quantities.
I also will buy sugar free ice cream and allow my toddler to have some for a snack. Another neat idea that you can do is freeze some yogurt. I will buy the Go-Gurts and stick them in the freezer. These make great popsicles that are a healthy alternative to ice cream. YUM!
GRAINS and BREADS
In our household we do not use white flour, or any products containing it. We use only whole wheat grains. Peanut Butter sandwiches are a great healthy snack for toddlers. You can also put some peanut butter on a wheat pita or a tortilla wrap. This makes it a little different than traditional PB and J’s.
My toddler did not like jelly and would not eat it. If your child likes jelly try looking into some healthier options. You could try by making your own homemade jelly, an alternative to those in the store. Trust me there are so many other products on the market.
You could take a bagel or a pita and make some little pizzas. My son loved these. They are great for a healthy little lunch option too. You can even allow them to help make up the pizza with you. They will get so excited to help. I will soon be offering some great toddler recipes for some healthy snacks for toddlers so stay tuned for more!!
It is so important that we as parents teach our children a healthy lifestyle. They will take these good habits with them as they grow older. I talk about the greatest gifts that we can give our children. Healthy eating is one of these gifts.
I hope that you have enjoyed my tips on healthy snacks for toddlers. I enjoy writing on these topics. They are so important to me. For all of you parents who are serious about healthy eating as well, BRAVO!! When you give your toddler the gift of healthy eating, it is a gift that will last a lifetime.
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