Here we are at our final day of toddler approved meals! Today isn’t about actual “meals” but rather healthy, toddler approved snacks. Since we’re always on the go, snacks are a critical part of our day. Little toddler bellies don’t always hold very much and the several hours between meals is just too long for them. As such, we always have snacks on hand for him while we’re out and about.

Snacks aren’t just important for him. Since we’re trying to eat healthier, stopping for snacks or fast food is just not a good option. In addition to the health factor, it’s much more costly to stop for snacks. So I like to always try to make sure I have some with me. That way if Zach’s little belly needs something, or our big bellies need something, it’s there. It’s healthy, convenient and free. It’s much better to have something on hand than to have a crabby toddler or crabby Mom and Dad.

Mix and Match

Zach likes lots of options, so when we’re out, I’ll bring a few different things with in baggies or containers. The ideas below are good enough by themselves, but if you have a little one that also likes to nibble on a bit of this and a bit of that, have multiple things available so they can mix and match. It’s great for the adults too. Although Zachary can’t have nuts or really chewy foods yet, like dried fruits, I’ll sometimes have those around for the adults to mix and match with. Gotta keep it interesting, right?

Without further ado, here is my top 10 toddler approved meals: snacks! I hope these ideas will make your life a little easier when you’re out-and-about with the family.

By the way, Zach always gets milk with his meals and snacks. He gets water the rest of the day. Only very rarely do we let him have juice or anything besides milk and water. It’s just empty sugar and calories. But it’s a tasty little treat and he enjoys it when he gets it!

My Top 10 Toddler Approved Snacks

Zachary absolutely loves these snacks and so do we. Below is a list of our top 10 healthy, toddler approved snacks that we have on a regular basis.  Each snack is relatively choke-resistant and contains mostly healthy ingredients. They are also all great for a young child who doesn’t yet have the capacity to chew harder, tougher foods.

(Full disclosure: we don’t each necessarily eat everything with each meal. I can’t get Andy to eat a piece of fruit to save my life. However, in most cases the entire meal is consumed by the entire family. Including the dogs who get everything Zach drops on the floor or feeds directly to them when he’s done.)

1. Cheese cubes and crackers
2. Fruit and cottage cheese
3. Yogurt w/fruit and granola oats
4. PB toast w/banana
5. Apple w/peanut butter
6. Fruit and cheese cubes
7. Raw veggies w/dip: We use soft veggies, like peeled cucumbers so he can chew them easier. Ranch and hummus are both good dips.
8. Crackers w/cream cheese
9. Graham crackers w/peanut butter: We steer clear of any product made with honey since Zach is under 1, so we opt for the non-honey graham crackers.
10. Cheese or PB crackers and fruit

Note: we try to use minimal condiments and sweeteners unless they’re 100% natural and unprocessed. We also bake our own bread which we use sparingly, rarely add table sugar to anything, and utilize spices to jazz things up. If you have any questions on cooking times or methods, substitutions, or brands we use please let me know!

There you have it. A full day of meal ideas at your fingertips.

I really hope these past few posts have been useful to you and your family. I really loved writing them and sharing some of what we do around here to make life healthier and easier. Try some out and see how they work for your family.

Here are the first three posts in the series:

Part One: Toddler Approved Dinner!
Part Two: Toddler Approved Lunch!
Part Three: Toddler Approved Breakfast!

Click here to download a handy PDF list of foods that you can mix and match in all of these recipes!

Do you have any particular go-to snacks in your family that cater to your unique family situation? What snacks have you found work well for your toddlers?

-To a Better Life-

Kira