Healthy Snack Ideas for Babies and Toddlers

Snack Time.

I swear. Most days in my house I hear that it is snack time at least once an hour. While it typically drives me nuts that my toddler is snacking all day, the fact that provides me solace is that when reaching for a bite to eat, my children generally reach for a healthy snack!

Yep! When my babies go to reach for a snack, rather than grabbing candy or sugary sweets, my kiddos choose healthy options.

Even better yet, the healthy snack choices that my children reach for are also convenient, and generally easily transportable. This makes them great for picnics, on-the-go lunches, and outdoor snacks when we are busy and on the go in the summertime.

So what are the foods that I generally keep on hand for my babies to snack on all day? And better yet, how do I get them to choose these foods over sugary alternatives?

Yogurts

Another snack option that is always on hand for all of my kids is yogurt.

I will warn you though, that not all yogurts are created equal and I am picky about the brands I allow into my home because of this!

With the amount of sugar and preservatives found in many yogurt brands now a days, you may as well just give your baby ice cream.

HappyFamily has produced a line of yogurt suitable for all of my children that has left me feeling super happy about giving my kids yogurt as a snack.

While my 1-year-old enjoys the HappyBaby Baby’s First Whole Milk Yogurt cups, both my 4-year-old and 9-year-old love the HappyTot Whole Milk Yogurt pouches. I love that both products contain NO added sweeteners, contain healthy probiotics, are non-GMO and USDA Organic!

Plus, they taste great and my babies love them straight from the refrigerator, or frozen for an ice cream-like treat! (They absolutely cannot wait to put fruit in the yogurt and try making popsicles with it this summer! I cannot wait for them to discover a new way to love eating this healthy snack option!)

Fruits

Strawberries, blueberries, mandarin oranges, grapes, apples and bananas. All of these fruits, and generally at least one more alternative that is in season, can usually be easily located in my kitchen!

But how do I get my kids to eat these healthy snacks?

First off, I do my best to keep fruit prepped in my house so that it is already in convenient size for the little fingers in my home. It is always easier to feed my babies fruit when it is already ready when they are hungry for it!

The other secret to getting my kids to eat fruit on a regular basis? I keep it everywhere! I have apples and oranges in a basket on my counter that is well within the reach of my 9-year-old and 4-year-old. Also, the fruits in the refrigerator are kept in easy reach and view for both children making it a quick and easy option.

Cheeses

If there is one snack my 4 year old could not live without, it would be cheese!

Mini cheese wheels, cheese sticks, string cheese. He would collect them all!

And if it came down to cheese or chips, I would take cheese as the healthy snack choice for my kids any day.

Leaving cheese options in the kid’s snack drawer, makes it super simple for them to grab one and go! Plus, my 1-year-old loves snacking on her little bites of cheese, especially when she can use the cold cheese pieces to soothe her sore gums when cutting teeth!

Veggies

I honestly am not sure how this one started (as I am NOT a huge veggie eater).

I have found though, that much like the fruit options that I leave for my kids, if I leave veggies prepped, they will eat them!

Leave out healthy snack choices, and they will come.

Baby carrots and celery tends to be a favorite of my two older children, while bell pepper strips and avocados are preferred by my little Ellie.

All in all, I love that my kids will reach for veggies over junk any day of the week!

Crackers

Whole grain crackers are generally another healthy snack that you will find my kids reaching for on a regular basis.

Whether my kids are enjoying their crackers with peanut butter, or simply eating them alone, I feel great knowing that they are consuming whole grains in place of empty carbs and simple sugars. The best part is, with all the crunchy goodness in their crackers, my kids do not even seem to miss the chips these snacks have replaced!

Plus, you will not find a happier baby than Ellie when she is eating crackers dipped in yogurt. Do not ask me why it has become her favorite, (or how it all ends up in her hair) but the smiles you get when she is eating this snack are enough to melt your heart!

What healthy snacks do your kids enjoy on a regular basis?

Are you struggling with getting your kids to snack healthy? Let me know in the comments below!