WE EAT | Healthy Toddler Snacks

My kids snack all day.  We don't eat a lot at one meal sitting, and sometimes hardly at all - therefore snacking is our favorite hobby.  Parker is always (and I mean always) hungry.  If the girl moves to a 'hungry' state, we are all in for it.  The struggle is real, folks.

I've been meaning to write this post forever and a day - its probably been sitting as a draft for months, and I kept adding to it as the days went by and as we came up with something else that we enjoyed as a snack.  We started snacks when Parker and Jolie were around 8 months old.  We offered things like puffs, and the yogurt melts to start, and then moved to more 'real' foods as they approached the 1-year mark.  Goldfish, crackers, whole milk Greek yogurt, diced up soft fruits (strawberries, grapes, banana), and applesauce.

I've had a plethora of requests for gluten-free/dairy-free (surprisingly a lot of dairy free) options as meals and snacks, and I came to realize how much dairy we actually consume (Not only Parker and Jolie, but as a family).  I've done my best to include dairy-free options, so hopefully this will be found helpful to my momma's with babies that have a lactose intolerance or allergy.  

   

Healthy Toddler Snacks

• wheat thins crackers with string cheese
• sprouted toast bites with peanut butter
• Snap Pea Crisps (we eat these by the gallon) 
• kettle corn (older babies are best for this one- use close supervision)
• popcorn  (older babies are best for this one- use close supervision)
• rice cakes with diced avocado
• goldfish & raisins (mixed together in snack cup)
• hard boiled egg
• fresh berries tossed in Greek yogurt
• 100% fruit pops (frozen)
• Greek yogurt tube (frozen) - such as Chobani Champions
• apple slices with cheddar cubes
• banana slices with & peanut butter - 'sandwiches'
• whole milk cottage cheese with mandarin oranges
• Chex cereal with dried cranberries (mixed together in snack cup)
• 'ants on a log' : celery sticks spread with peanut butter and topped with raisins
• graham cracker (sticks) and cinnamon applesauce
• corn tortilla chips and home made bean dip (HERE - without the chipotle for the babes)
• carrot, bell pepper, & celery sticks with sweet potato hummus (HERE)
• corn tortilla chips with guacamole (HERE)
• whole grain tortilla spread with cream cheese and fruit preserves, sliced thin
• cucumber slices - cut thick - and ranch dressing for dipping
• honey wheat pretzel sticks with sliced swiss cheese
• sliced grapes & strawberries 
• whole grain goldfish & honey nut Cheerios (mixed together in a snack cup)
• diced dried apricots tossed with popcorn
• whole grain tortilla, spread thin with peanut butter, sprinkled with low fat granola - rolled tight and sliced
• Snack Kabobs: cheese cubes and grape halves on skinny pretzel sticks
• Oatmeal Raisin Bars (HERE)
• corn tortilla chips & plain hummus
• corn tortilla sprinkled with mozzarella and melted for 15 seconds in the microwave
• Baked Veggie Chips (HERE) with Roasted Beet Hummus (HERE)
• whole wheat pita bread triangles with hummus or spinach dip
• edamame (shelled) 
• fresh whole green beans with light ranch for dipping
• peanut butter mixed with yogurt & rice cakes for dipping
• Garlic Parmesan Baked Chickpeas (HERE) 
• yogurt covered raisins
• diced cantaloupe with cottage cheese
• apple slices & almond butter
• frozen purple grapes (our FAV for summer)
• strawberries dipped in greek yogurt
• mini toasted waffles and applesauce for dipping
• Almond Milk Mini Smoothies (1/2 c plain almond milk, 1/2 banana, 4 strawberries)
• cherry tomatoes with low fat ranch dressing
• No Bake Energy Balls (HERE)
• Yogurt Covered Blueberries (HERE)
• whole grain goldfish & sliced green grapes