Feedings toddlers—mine are 21 months—seems to be an evolving challenge. Obviously, there are all the challenges that come with toddlers’ newfound picky eating habits, as I wrote about here a few weeks ago. And that is a whole ‘nother challenge.
But sometimes, we just get stuck in a food rut. It’s that post afternoon nap time and the kids could use a snack. But what to serve them? I try to stay away from most of the processed snack foods when possible, no matter how much I enjoy goldfish crackers or teddy grahams myself. (And if you haven’t tried these pleasures as an adult yet, you should. They are delicious). However, as delicious as they are, my kids often go several meals without eating much as all. If they’re going to eat, I’d like them to eat something of substance, with some nutritional value. However, lately, we have run out of ideas. Here’s a list of our go-to options:
Applesauce
Toddler “trail mix”–cheerios mixed with some sort of dried fruits (craisins/raisins/dried papaya/prunes/apricots)
Cheddar cheese rice cakes
Fruit-pears/apples/bananas/orange
Banana bread/pumpkin bread
Mini-bagel with cream cheese
Yogurt (the mess factor here can be an issue)
Whole wheat pretzels dipped in hummus
Canned black olives
Any other go to (reasonably) healthy snacks people offer their toddlers? I’m fresh out of ideas! Help me out here….
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Hummus and crackers, or as a dip with skinny cut carrots and apples.
Celery w/any nut butter (ants on a log)
Cottage cheese with little slices of avocado
Mini muffins with a little jam
Baked sweet potatoe “fries”
slice bell pepper (we call em “crunchers”)
We can’t eat some of the things listed since ours are only 15 months but they love the toddler trail mix I mix freeze dried fruit, blueberries, crackers w/ cheese or peanut butter, and the most popular at our house is dried fruit packs from Costco.
Possibly too processed, but in addition to what you like we also enjoy:
Fruit leather (the all-fruit kind)
Cream cheese or peanut butter + fruit spread rolled up in a whole-wheat tortilla and sliced into rolls
String cheese
Snapea Crisps
Crunchy fried green beans from Trader Joe’s
Popcorn
granola bars, actually your oatmeal bar recipe is one of our favorites:)
peanuts and other nuts, though I can’t recall the appropriate age for eating them
apple slices with warmed peanut butter so its dippable
spinach dip with carrots, crackers or pita pockets
We love to bake, so mini-muffins are a big around here. My girls (now 2 and a half) see all the good stuff (pureed squash, pumpkin, garbanzo beans, or cauliflower; grated apple, zucchini, carrot; dried fruits of all stripes) going into the mix, and have yet to complain. I freeze muffins and defrost 8 at a time, which lasts me a couple of days.
Pasta salad is another snack option. I know it’s not generally considered snack material, but it works around here!
When it’s safe on the allergy front, nuts are a healthy choice. Almonds are popular at our house.
Peanut butter & jelly sandwich on whole wheat with the good, natural peanut butter.
Cheese Pizza- this can be nutritious depending on the crust & quality of toppings.
I recently found a fun snack for my daughters. Use a pretzel rod and put a dab of cream cheese on the end, then put goldfish crackers on a plate and have them use the pretzel rod to “go fish.” It’s just a silly way to add fun to snack-time.
Oatmeal – I use the organic instant kind. I have to feed it to my 16-month girls but they enjoy coming around for a bite, playing a bit, coming for another bite…. and it sticks to their stomach and is nice & warm on cold days.
Slices of Sweet Peppers, Sliced Carrots, Slightly-cooked but still crunchy Green Beans – they are pretty clean & easily prepared snacks.
One of my favorites as a kid was ants on a log. I tried this once with my kids and they turned their noses up at it, but perhaps I should try again.
Ants = raisins or craisins
Log = celery
Sticky stuff to keep it all the ants on the log can be mud or snow.
Mud = peanut butter
Snow = cream cheese
We also do a lot of cheese in our house. Maggie asks for String cheese, Burke asks for “square” (American). Logan will eat anything 😉
String cheese
Sliced cheese with crackers
Freeze dried fruit (Trader Joe’s is our favorite brand)
Freeze dried veggies (Just Tomatoes brand available at Whole Foods or online)
Thinly sliced bagels with cream cheese, smoked salmon, and a slice of tomato.