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Toddlers are known for being picky – even if you have a good eater, pickiness still rears its ugly head in toddlerhood at one point or another!
I have been blessed with a good eater (most of the time), but like I said, even she has her picky days where it seems like she won’t eat a thing. Or worse – she just windshield wipes her food onto the floor. Ugh.
But, we’ve all been here.
Toddlers at this age want a sense of independence and to make their own decisions – woah, when did my tot become a teenager?? To help satisfy this need, and to increase the likeliness my toddler will eat her meal/snack, I offer her a choice between 2-3 items that she can pick from.
I am telling you, this is a game changer. She (almost) always eats the food she picks! Win-Win!
We currently offer our little 3 meals and about 2 snacks a day (1 between breakfast & lunch, and 1 between lunch & dinner – if she’s hungry we will add a third snack).
Here are some tried and true snacks my toddler loves.
Fruit
What toddler doesn’t love fruit? I guess there has to be some toddlers out there who don’t, but I think it’s safe to say, the majority love it. Something sweet and nutritious, what’s not to love? My toddler pretty much likes all fruits, with her favorite definitely being blueberries. I like to have a variety of fruits on hand for her to enjoy. I recently started giving my tot prepackaged fruit cups in 100% juice with no added sugar (liquid drained before serving) and these are a hit for us. It allows me to offer even more variety without having each of the individual fruits on hand.
Another fruit option we are a fan of is freeze-dried fruit. I love the Crispy Fruit brand that comes in individual prepackaged servings. These are healthy and amazing for on-the-go. This option can be a nice little change-up in your traditional fruit lineup because it’s crunchy! This brand can be found at your local grocery store or on Amazon. Just be careful with some freeze-dried fruits such as strawberries which leave a red residue, and can be a little messy, so make sure you have wipes on hand when you are out-and-about. Our favorite non messy freeze-dried fruits are apples and pears.
*Note – before feeding your child fruit, please make sure you are serving it correctly to decrease choking hazard. Take a look at this website, Solid Starts (they also have an app I frequently use). With this site, you can search for a food and it will tell you how to correctly serve it to your child depending on their age. It is a lifesaver (literally)!
Fig Newtons
These are one of my toddler’s all-time favorites, which is great because it’s another healthy option! These are a mostly mess-free option for your travels as well. I get homemade fig newtons from our local farmers market most of the time, but there are some other great alternatives out there if that’s not something that’s available to you.
One of those great alternatives is YUMI bars. These organic bars are much like fig newtons but have some added nutrients packed in as well such as superfood veggies. They come in a couple different flavors like strawberry, blueberry & purple carrot, and apple & cinnamon squash. This is definitely a great way to sneak in some hidden veggies and nutrition.
Flat Organic Fruit Snacks
We usually only give these on an every-so-often basis, but they are a hit with my toddler. There are a couple different brands we like. We like the Plum Organics Teensy Snacks – Soft Fruit Snacks and the BEAR Fruit Minis. Both of these are made with real fruit and the BEAR Fruit Minis have no added sugar. We definitely prefer the BEAR Fruit Minis because of this but in a pinch will give our tot the Plum Organics Teensy Fruit Snacks. Both of these products are similar to regular fruit snacks except they are flat which lessens the choking hazard by a ton! These come individually packaged so are great for on-the-go. These will definitely be one of your kiddo’s favorites. You can find these at your local grocery store or on Amazon.
Applesauce Pouch
I’m sure this is a winner amongst most toddlers, and is a fun way to give a healthy snack! We like the GoGo Squeez Applesauce Pouches or Target Brand Good and Gather Organic Applesauce Pouches. We get the unsweetened applesauce and both brands come in the option of other fruits/veggies added! My little loves the GoGo Squeeze Applesauce pouch with Cinnamon and the Good and Gather Applesauce pouch with Blueberry and Beet. These are also a great additive to lunchtime. If your toddler likes to squeeze them, be careful with them when you are out-and-about!
If this is a problem you experience, you could also look into getting something like the no-spill food pouch top. There are many different brands of these but the gist of it is, they go overtop the hard spout of your child’s pouch and the child can only get the contents to come out by sucking and not squeezing! These are reusable and great if you have a kiddo who likes to make a mess by squeezing their pouch. This little invention makes it more friendly for when you’re on-the-go.
Cheese
Cheese can be a great additive to any meal or be served as a snack to your little! At the age of 2, cheese should be served in small cubes to your child to decrease the risk of choking (again, take a look at Solid Starts for cutting recommendations according to age). It’s best to choose a full-fat cheese which has essential nutrients to help your child’s brain and body grow. It is also recommended by the CDC, US Food and Drug Administration, and the American Academy of Pediatrics that you should choose a pasteurized cheese product to decrease the risk of foodborne illness/disease.
Instead of doing cubed cheese, you could also try cottage cheese which some kids love, especially with fruit.
It’s also a good idea to keep an eye on the sodium level in the cheese you are serving to your child. According to the Mayo Clinic, kids ages 1-3 should consume less than 1,200 mg of sodium a day. Keep this in mind when selecting cheeses and other food for your littles!
There are so many more foods that are great for kiddos to snack on but these are just a few of our favorites.
You could get very creative with snacks and cut fruits/veggies into fun shapes, or offer a snack charcuterie board.
I’m all about nutritious, easy snacks!
Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE all the cute ideas but as a busy mom, I need all the time savers I can get (as long as they are good quality time savers). I definitely pick and choose things I go the extra mile with and things I cut corners with (like prepackaged healthy snacks).
But, it’s all about balance, right?
And what you can get your kid to eat, too.
What are some easy snacks your littles love?
XOXO,
Katie
