Easy Toddler Snack Ideas

Need toddler snack ideas to keep your little one happy throughout the day? We can relate! As the parents of 3 kids (#4 on the way), we know all too well how much of a struggle it can be to not only find snacks your child will enjoy, but to give them a variety of options. And when you’re also trying to keep the snacks at least mostly healthy, you come across an even bigger problem. 

If this is a struggle you find yourself having each week (or even every day), we hope this article will help you out! Below you will find some tasty toddler snack ideas to keep in mind the next time you go grocery shopping. Load up on ingredients and you will always have something on hand for snacktime. 

Fruit and Cheese

Who doesn’t love a plate of fruit and cheese? These are always some good things to have on hand. But don’t limit yourself to just cheddar cheese and grapes – experiment with different flavor profiles!

Fruit and cheese is always a great snack idea, even for adults. So don’t hesitate to toss a bit extra on there for you to snack on as well. This is one of our Toddlers Favorite snack ideas.

For fruit, you can try grapes, strawberries, bananas, kiwi, pears, oranges, apples, pineapple, avocado, raspberries, blueberries, cherries, blackberries, apricots, cantaloupe, watermelon, honeydew melon, grapefruit, cranberries, figs, mango, peaches, plums, and pomegranates just to name a few options.

But don’t stop there, if you know your child has a few favorites not listed, make sure to add them to your list. Sometimes it’s easier to bring them to the grocery store and let them help pick out the fruit. This helps them feel more involved and ultimately more interested in the snack options they have to choose from.  

As far as cheese, there are a lot of different options there as well! You can try cheddar (mild and sharp), Colby jack, Swiss, pepper jack (you never know, they may love the kick of spice), Monterey Jack, Havarti, Provolone,  and Mozzarella.

You can also play around with the cut of the cheese. Offer them sliced (thick and thin), cubed, and sticks of cheese to keep things interesting. 

Cheese and Crackers

Speaking of cheese, you can’t really go wrong giving your kids cheese and crackers. As with most things, the key is to switch things up! Try square saltines, buttery rounds, multigrain, Triscuit, etc. You can also offer them other crunchy snacks like pretzels and pita chips. 

Again, this is a great time to have them help you at the store and let them pick a few different options. They’ll remember being able to pick them at the store and can give your guidance and direction as to which ones they want to eat later- instead of you picking “the wrong ones MOM!”. We know how that goes and doing this usually helps limit the number of times we have to hear that sentence.

Meat, Cheese, and Crackers

Again, you can’t go wrong here! It’s a pretty classic option- whether you’re a toddler having your post-nap snack or an adult at a get-together with friends.

We’ve already talked about the many options for crackers and cheese. Now let’s talk about meat options: ham, turkey, roast beef, chicken, pepperoni (including turkey pepperoni, if you’re not a pork fan), meatballs, and salami.

And that’s not even considering the different flavor varieties (hello, honey ham and mesquite chicken!)

Bring those kiddos along and show them how many options they can choose from and help you pick which ones to buy.

Fruit and Yogurt Parfait

If you have fruit and yogurt, you have the ingredients needed for this delicious, healthy snack. Even Donkey from “Shrek” would agree that everyone loves a good parfait.

For added flavor and texture, try adding things like granola, oatmeal, coconut flakes, and chocolate chips to your parfait creations. You could even let your kid choose their parfait toppings to turn it into a snacktivity. 

Our kids love being involved and helpful in the kitchen. They enjoy making their snacks like this, it teaches them a few life skills in the kitchen and gives them a little activity to do that helps break up the day.

Warning, it may get a little messy the first couple of times, but just try to remember that you’re letting them work on some motor skills here too so it will get better over time.

Veggie Tray – A Healthy Toddler Snack Idea

We’ve learned that a kid may not want to eat their veggies – unless they have something tasty to dip them into. This can go for adults too, we won’t lie.

So, give them an array of veggies and some tasty dip.

Here are some veggie options: snap peas, carrots (slices or sticks), cherry tomatoes, snap peas, edamame, roasted sweet potato or sweet potato fried, zucchini, broccoli, asparagus, bell peppers, squash, brussels sprouts, celery, and green beans are all great options. You can either roast them or serve them raw!

Some dips you may want to try include ranch dip, hummus (so many flavors here: regular, roasted pepper, roasted garlic, etc), french onion, garlic, and herb dip, guacamole (yum!), bean dip, spinach dip, cottage cheese, and peanut butter (great with celery).

Snack Time Safety Tips

Of course, we can’t leave you without talking about some important safety tips. The main one is to make sure your kiddo can’t choke on their food.

So, take the extra few minutes it takes to prep their snacks properly. This includes peeling, cutting, and removing big seeds.

We also think it’s a good general practice to stick around while your kids are snacking. It may seem like it’s unnecessary, but even adults can choke on food pretty easily. So, whenever possible, stay within easy reach of your child when it’s snack time or meal time. 

We hope that this quick article gives you plenty of ideas for things to buy on your next shopping trip. Have fun experimenting and don’t hesitate to get those kids helping you along in the grocery store!

Try some of these fun drink ideas too.

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