Ideas for delicious, simple and healthy on-the-go snacks for toddlers… Tricky to say the least! But it’s an important thing. Healthy snacks are an important part of early childhood and a must-have when busy schedules and long periods of time away from home. But because your tummy fills up quickly, you don’t want to waste the opportunity to eat low-nutrient or non-nutritious snacks like chips and fruit gummies. Instead, make every bite count with these nutritious, portable toddler treats!
A Must-Have Toddler Snack to Take with You: Fruit Snacks
Dried fruits, whole fruits, jams, baked fruits: fruits come in many forms and your kids will love it! But remember,”gummies” aren’t one of them! (For children under 4 years of age, gummy fruit snacks are not only choking hazards, but they won’t be a healthy snack option rather than a glorified candy.) Some healthy fruit snacks you can provide for your child include:
1. Clementines: These tiny citrus fruits are made for busy kids! They are very easy to peel and are an excellent source of vitamin C, a key nutrient that helps heal cuts and maintain immune health.
2. Dried cherries: Dried fruit is a great on-the-go option, especially since you don’t have to worry about browning or bruising like you would with fresh fruit. A good choice: dried cherries. They are a good source of β-carotene (for healthy eyes, skin, and the immune system) and iron (essential for Xi and memory). To prevent choking, chop the pitted dried cherries before packaging and serving.
3. Freeze-dried strawberries: Freeze-dried strawberries are an excellent long-term storage snack that is sweet and crunchy. From a nutritional perspective, freeze-dried strawberries are a good source of iron and fiber, and they contain no added sugar.
4. Unsweetened applesauce: Unsweetened applesauce pouches are rich in vitamin C and are a simple no-scoop snack that will surely keep your tummy from rumbling.
What to Bring with You Toddler Snacks Must: Vegan Snacks
If you’re a picky eater and tend to avoid vegetables at mealtime, you may have better luck at snack time, as the atmosphere tends to be more relaxed at this time. Think of grab-and-go vegetable snacks as a fun opportunity for your child to try new foods in new forms, which will help increase their acceptance of beneficial vegetables.
5. Sliced cherry tomatoes and cucumbers: A small snack salad of sliced cherry tomatoes and cucumbers is sure to be satisfying. These two delicious combinations provide vitamin C, vitamin K, and water to help you hydrate. (Cutting round foods like cherry tomatoes in half can help prevent choking.)
6. Sweet Peas: This plant-based snack is packed with a variety of nutrients like vitamin A, vitamin C, choline, potassium, fiber, folate, and more. Kids over the age of 3 can stimulate their taste buds by dipping peas in ranch yogurt or red pepper hummus sauce. For younger toddlers, pop peas or cut whole pods into thin strips.
7. Seaweed snacks: This green, delicious snack bar contains iron, calcium, and folate, which can provide excellent benefits for your child’s health. And the best part: since dried seaweed has a long shelf life, you can easily store this snack in your car for a quick chew at any time.
8. Roasted Chickpeas: Fuel your child’s body with a lightly salted roasted chickpea snack. Not only are they an important source of fiber to keep bowel movements and bowel movements, but they also provide iron to help prevent anemia. Bake at 325 degrees Fahrenheit for about 15 minutes to ensure a fluffy mouthfeel.
9. Salsa and baked pita: tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, zucchini, onions! There are plenty of vegetables to stuff into a delicious salsa. Store some with fiber-rich whole-wheat pita bread in an airtight on-the-go container for a delicious vitamin-rich snack.
A Must-Have Toddler Snack to Take with You: Crunchy Snacks
10. Dry cereal: Put low-sugar cereal in a container and you’re ready to go. It doesn’t get much more convenient than that! Cheerios, Chex, and Kix are all great options that contain B vitamins for energy, iron for healthy blood flow, and calcium to support bones and teeth.
11. Crushed nuts and seeds: Supplement your child with protein and fiber with nuts and seeds. Pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds are also rich in calcium, iron, and brain-nourishing omega-3 fatty acids. Cashews, peanuts, and almonds also provide potassium and choline! The safest way to provide nuts and seeds to young children is to crush them or cut them into strips. Try sprinkling some yogurt or cottage cheese in a takeaway container.
12. Pea Chips: A crunchy version of toddler’s favorite fresh peas, these treats are their crunchy cousins! Here, your child can enjoy fiber stimulation and the crunch sounds they love.
On-the-Go Toddler Snacks: Snacks Prepared in Advance
13. Toddler Mixed Dried Fruits: The biggest advantage of this nut-free dried fruit mix is that there are no mistakes in the way it is made! Just adjust it to your child’s preferences. Some healthy, tasty, and safe toddler ingredients to consider: apple slices, dry cereal or puffs, soft-roasted chickpeas, melted yogurt, shredded coconut, dehydrated, freeze-dried, or chopped dried fruit. (Mini dark chocolate chips can be a fun addition, but since they melt, be mindful when to use them.)
14. Homemade mini muffins: Mini muffins are versatile, freezer-friendly, and delicious. If possible, use healthier ingredients like whole-wheat flour, flaxseeds, oats, Greek full-fat yogurt, and unsweetened applesauce to make bite-sized bananas, blueberries, pumpkin, zucchini, spinach, or sweet potato muffins.
15. Banana Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies: Packed with plenty of potassium and filler fiber, this quick-prep snack won’t disappoint your child’s taste buds! Simply mash three ripe bananas in a bowl and mix with 2 cups of old-fashioned oats and about 1/2 cup of chocolate chips. Use the mini ice cream scoop to make cookies. Place them on a lined baking sheet and bake at a temperature of 350 degrees Fahrenheit for about 25 minutes.
16. Portable Fruit & Vegetable Puree: Make your own squeezable fruit & vegetable puree! Place half a cup of frozen chopped pineapple, half a cup of frozen strawberries, a handful of fresh spinach, and a glass of your child’s favorite milk in a blender. Mix until smooth, add more liquid if needed, and transfer to a reusable bag. Put it in the cooler and start enjoying a snack worth munching on.
A Must-Have Toddler Snack to Take with You: Cool Snacks
Just like several of the healthy snacks mentioned above, these on-the-go foods need to be refrigerated to be safe to eat. Store these snacks in an insulated lunch bag with ice packs so you can take them with you wherever you go.
17. Tuna salad and graham crackers: Tuna is a nutritious gold mine, rich in protein and omega 3 fatty acids, making it a great mini-meal to pair with graham crackers. To further enhance nutrition and flavor, chopped onions and celery can be added to the tuna, as well as some mashed avocado.
18. Cheese sticks: Cheese sticks are a favorite among toddlers and are a great portable snack that makes eating more fun. They are rich in protein, calcium, vitamin A, and fat, which supports your child’s bone strength, vision health, and brain development.
19. Yogurt tubes: Yogurt tubes can quickly provide your child with calcium, phosphorus, potassium, protein, and vitamin D. They are also a great source of probiotics to keep your child’s digestive system in optimal health. You can easily make your own yogurt with reusable yogurt tubes and plain full-fat yogurt and enjoy it as is… Or you can also add items like applesauce, diced fruit, or mashed bananas. In this way, you get all the flavor and nutrients without the excess sugar and food coloring in store-bought tubes.
20. Hard-boiled eggs: Eggs are rich in protein, iron, vitamin D, vitamin A, and B vitamins. Plus, they’re very affordable tummy filler snacks that don’t take much time to prepare.
21. Milk or soy milk: Individual boxes of milk or soy milk can serve as a satisfying snack. Your child will drink about 8 grams of protein and plenty of calcium and vitamin D in each box to help meet their daily nutritional needs. (Skip the seasoning variety, though.) Toddlers don’t need added sugar!)