7 Simple Snacks Your Toddler Will Love (And Yes, They're Healthy!)
If you have a toddler on your hands, you’re probably thinking hard about what to feed your little one. After all, milk alone probably won’t cut it these days!
With all the snack options out there, you may be feeling overwhelmed by the sheer volume of choices. That’s why we enlisted our go-to pediatrician, Dr. Payal Adhikari, to suggest a few kid-friendly snacks your toddler will gobble right up — the best part? They’re healthy enough to earn the doctor’s stamp of approval. And since we know you're a busy mama, we've kept these as simple as possible.
With that mind, we'd have to say these picks represent the trifecta of toddler snack perfection. Easy to make? Check. Nutritious? Check. Fussy-kid-friendly? Check. What more could you want?
Cut-up fruit
Tastes just as good as candy...but with a nutritional punch. Serve up colorful combinations, thread chunks onto kid-friendly skewers, or let your littles create their own fruit salad to keep things interesting.
Baked beet chips
Interested in an easy kitchen project? You can make your own version of these addictive chips (play with different spices and seasonings!). Or, opt for the time-saving version and simply buy a few bags for your house. Either way, your babe will love the crunch (and the fun color!).
Dips of any kind
It's a simple fact: Kids love to dip. That's why we're into this option: Littles will have so much fun with some cut crudité served up with a heap of hummus.
Cheese and whole wheat crackers:
You probably snacked on this classic combo a lot when you were a kid, but with all the new options out there, it can be easy to forget about this old-school staple. Up the health factor by choosing high-quality cheese and fiber-rich whole wheat crackers.
No-sugar-added dried fruit
Think of them as all-natural Fruit Roll-Ups — the texture is remarkably similar!
Cottage cheese and fruit:
Want to make your littles giggle? Spread cottage cheese in a circular shape and add pieces of fruit to create a smiley face — blueberry eyes, a pineapple chunk nose, and a smile made out of raspberries make this snack as fun as it is delicious.
Homemade bread or muffins
Arguably not the simplest thing to whip up, but why not turn a day of baking into a fun family activity? Whip up zucchini bread, %20unable%20to%20get%20a%20license.%20He%20needed%20to%20be%20able%20to%20get%20around%20on%20his%20own%20so%20we%20needed%20to%20live%20somewhere%20walkable%20and%C2%A0with%20access%20to%20public%20transportation.%22%20The%20couple%20has%20been%20car-free%20since%20before%20they%20had%20kids.%20%22We%20did%20not%20really%20rethink%20this%20decision%20when%20we%20were%20expecting%20kids%20because%20we%20were%20already%20used%20to%20living%20car-free,%22%20Elizabeth%20said.%20%22Instead,%20we%20planned%20ahead%20to%20address%20common%20parental%20concerns.%20For%20example,%20after%20nearly%20not%20making%20it%20to%20the%20hospital%20to%20give%20birth%20to%20my%20second%20child%20(my%20aunt%20drove%20us),%20we%20decided%20to%20have%20homebirths.%20The%20youngest%20four%20children%20were%20born%20at%20home.%20I%20traveled%20into%20Boston%20for%20my%20midwife%20appointments%20but%20she%20came%20to%20our%20house%20for%20the%20births%20and%20follow-up%20appointments.%22%20The%20other%20city%20mama%20Elizabeth%20and%20her%20family%20are%20making%20it%20work%20(despite%20their%20non-urban%20setting),%20but%20the%20fact%20of%20the%20matter%20is,%20being%20car-free%20is%20more%20common%20%E2%80%94%20and%20more%20do-able%20%E2%80%94%20for%20big%20city%20families.%20Take%20Aurora%20Satler,%20another%20New%20York%20City%20mom%20of%20two,%20who%20also%20admitted%20she'd%20find%20it%20difficult%20to%20get%20around%20sans%20car%20if%20she%20lived%20in%20another%20part%20of%20the%20country.%20But%20there%20are%20some%20tips%20that%20apply%20to%20urban%20and%20non-urban%20families%20alike%20%E2%80%94%20and%20if%20you're%20considering%20going%20car-free%20(or%20even%20just%20traveling%20with%20your%20family%20and%20leaving%20the%20car%20at%20home),%20you%20may%20want%20to%20consider%20these%20pieces%20of%20advice%20from%20the%20three%20car-free%20mamas%20who%20spoke%20to%20us:'>banana muffins, or a pumpkin loaf — get creative with this...And don't forget to make extra for yourself.
About the expert: Dr. Payal Adhikari is a board-certified pediatrician at Child and Adolescent Health Associates and expectant parents teacher at Prentice Women’s Hospital in Chicago.
