Top Healthy Snack Ideas For Toddlers (12 to 24 Months)

Toddlers love different colorful snacks. Try to offer them two or three healthy snack options on the table. You can also include a small portion of the meal you served for lunch. Moreover, you may try some healthy snack ideas for toddler we have listed below-

• Cooked veggies
• Thin slice of fruits
• Cheese slices
• Graham crackers
• Whole grain breakfast cereals
• Yogurt
• Apple sauce

Skip food items that may cause choking, such as raisins, grapes, pretzels, popcorn, hot dogs, meat chunks, raw veggies, hard cheese, hard fruits, etc.

Should I Ask My Toddler What They Want to Eat?

The simple answer to this question is no. Reason being, your toddler doesn’t know what snack is good for them. If their taste buds find something yummy, they munch on it. In that case, the mother must decide what, where, and when her toddler eats snacks. However, here are a few tips to build a healthy snacking habit in your toddler-

• Prepare nutrition-rich food for your toddler
• Avoid giving fast food and market bought cookies, chips etc.
• Do not give them screen time to make them eat
• It’s up to you to create a positive mindset to stop constantly gazing at meals and snacks
• Build their interest in eating the snack by talking about it and telling them its benefits. Also, since toddlers love to copy, make sure to eat the same snack yourself alongside them and watch them follow!

What Are Some Important Macronutrients to Include in Snacks?

Snacks are a great way to add extra protein, good fat, and other vital nutrients to your toddler’s diet. But many mothers are unaware of what essential nutrient sources they can add to their toddler’s snacks. We have listed here some macronutrients that you must add-

1. Carbohydrates

These are the main sources of energy for toddlers. Add starchy vegetables such as potato, pumpkin, rice, beans, dairy food, and yogurt.

2. Protein

Protein helps to repair muscles and build body tissues. But a toddler’s tiny stomach cannot digest complex protein. So, adding lean protein sources such as fish, meat (chicken), yogurt, pulses, beans, and nuts are good options. You can also add tofu and soya to toddlers’ snacks.

3. Fat

We think fat is bad, but our body needs fat to keep us energized and protect our organs. You can add some dairy products, meat, butter, and coconut oil as a good source of fat in their food.

4. Iron

Based on FDA, Iron is necessary for the synthesis of blood and cells. Besides this, iron is also helpful in improving immune function, growth and development of the body, and wound healing. Iron is also helpful in reducing anemia risk. Foods that contain high protein are eggs, whole grains, nuts and beans.

Top 4 Healthy Indian Snacks Idea For Toddlers

Deciding and coming up with healthy snack ideas for toddlers is always not an easy task. If you have confusion about what to serve your toddler as a snack, here are the four best options.

1. Boiled Egg and Steamed Carrot Sticks

Eggs and carrots are rich sources of protein and essential vitamins. If you want to give some healthy snacks to your toddler, boil an egg or steam carrot sticks, add a pinch of salt or pepper, and give it to them. This not only fulfills evening hunger but also gives some nutritional kick.

2. Avocado and Whole-Grain Bread

Avocado and whole-grain bread are good sources of fat, carbohydrates, and essential vitamins. You can create humus by mashing avocado, adding some chopped veggies with a pinch of salt, and spreading it on whole-grain bread. This would be a perfect healthy evening snack for the little one.

3. Mozzarella Sticks

Mozzarella sticks have good fat content and are low in carbohydrates. You can use home-made mozzarella and coat it with bread crumbs to deep fry. However, string cheese may not suit some toddlers, hence, serve them only in moderate quantities. If mozzarella sticks don’t suit your toddler, you can give them boiled or baked sweet potatoes as an alternative evening snack. It is not only delicious but also contains good carbs and essential nutrients.

4. Chopped Walnuts, Cashews, Hazelnuts, Pecans

Another option for healthy snacks for toddlers are chopped nuts such as walnuts, hazelnuts, cashews, and pecan. They are good sources of fat and proteins. You can chop them and serve them to your toddlers.

Healthy snacks are a great way to add nutrition to your toddler’s diet. If small hunger arises at a definite time, give your toddler some healthy snacks listed above. Additionally, you can give your toddler some crunchy steamed veggies, fruits, and mini fruit cakes to deal with their evening hunger. Key is to provide good, healthy food to your little one and not fall prey to quick and easy snacks available in the market. Hope our healthy snack ideas for toddlers work well for you! 

FAQ’s

1. How Many Snacks Should a 2-Year-Old Have?

Once your toddler turns two years of age, they can have one or two snacks in a day. These are not to be mixed or confused with regular meals, which are three times a day. Snacks are in addition to those meals and are meant for those small hunger pangs that the kid has in between.

2. What Food is Good For Toddler Brain Development?

Right nutrition plays an important role in a toddler’s brain development. It is believed that between the ages of 1 and 3, the toddler develops cognitive ability. For the brain to develop well and function better, no one food item can provide all the nutrition. Hence, they should be given a healthy mix of essential nutrients. Food items such as – eggs, seafood, green leafy vegetables, unsweetened yogurt, nuts, and beans are good for a toddler’s brain development.