I’m pretty sure most toddlers and kids are the same in that they love ALL.THE.SNACKS. Cooper and Reese sure do and can go a little overboard especially when we are home a lot. I’m always trying to think of new options for snacks because they are both the type that get tired of the same things. I try to offer a decent amount of healthy options but also let them enjoy some of the fun stuff too. Everything in moderation is key for us.
I was actually just having this chat with a few of my girlfriends and we started sharing snack ideas with each other and it got me thinking that I bet many of you would love to have some new ideas too. In this post I’ve listed all of our go-to snacks plus a few items that I want to try soon. I hope you’ll find this list helpful and find a few new ideas that your kids will love.
Fruit:
I try to do a wide variety of fruits and thankfully both kids love most of them. If you find that your child doesn’t like certain fruits then try serving them a different way. For example – Reese doesn’t like apple slices but will eat a whole apple that is peeled for her. She just prefers to eat it whole.
I also frequently add peanut or almond butter with many of these to increase the calories and protein.
- Apple slices (can add peanut or almond butter)
- Strawberries
- Blackberries
- Blueberries
- Melon (Cantaloupe, Honeydew, Watermelon)
- Pineapple
- Kiwi
- Mango
- Grapes
- Sliced Pears
- Banana (can add peanut or almond butter)
- Sliced Avocado
- Oranges or Clementine’s
- Canned fruit in 100% juice
- Cherries
Kids Bars:
Kids Bars are such a convenient snack to have anytime and especially on the go. However, they can get a little out of the control with the sugar so I always take a look at the ingredients before buying. I try to stick to under 10 grams and/or avoid added sugar but most importantly make sure there is protein so the bar will actually help fill them up and keep them full. These are our favorites:
- Cliff Kids Z Bars
- Kind Kids Bars
- Organic Jammy Sammy Sandwiches (peanut butter and jelly bars)
- Nature’s Bakery Fig Bars
- Kids Larabar Bars
- Fiber One Soft Baked Bars
- Happy Tot Fiber and Protein Bars
- Plum Organics Might Snack Bars
Dairy:
- Stick Cheese (my kids love Colby Jack)
- String cheese
- Yogurt (we love the Stonyfield Organic or Chobani Greek Yogurt)
- Cream Cheese Toast
- Cottage Cheese by itself or on toast
Packaged:
Trader Joes has lots of different and healthy packaged snacks. When I’m in a rut I almost always find something there that we haven’t had in a while.
- Veggie Sticks
- Pirate Booty
- Popcorn (my kids love Skinny Pop)
- Dry Cereal (cheerios, Chex, etc.)
- Graham Crackers (can add peanut or almond butter and even jelly to make it a little sandwich)
- Mini Peanut Butter Crackers
- Raisins
- Dried Fruit
- Plantain Chips from Trader Joes
- Annie’s Cheddar Squares
- Bamba Peanut Butter Puffs
- Triscuits or other crackers (can dip in hummus or add cheese)
- Saltines and cheese
- Apple Sauce (I buy with no sugar added)
- Baked Pea Crisps
- Goldfish
- Mini Bagels with cream cheese
- Mini Pretzels (my kids especially love “butter pretzels”)
- Animal Crackers
Other Favorites:
- Easy Banana Muffins
- Hard Boiled Eggs
- Rolled sandwich meats
- Cucumber slices (dipped in dressing or hummus)
- Carrot sticks (dipped in dressing or hummus)
- Avocado Toast
- Hummus with Pita
- Smoothie (use mostly fruit for taste but then throw in some spinach or other veggies that they won’t taste)
- Homemade Popsicles (Click here for my simple recipe)
I hope you’ll find this list helpful! Did I miss any of your kids favorite snacks? If so, leave them in the comments.