Snack ideas for toddlers are as important as meal ideas. Kids love snacks a lot, and as a parent or caregiver, you must ensure that they are having the right snacks.
When packing up snacks for your kids or serving them snacks at home, you need to have two things in mind. One, you need to ensure that you are packing up snacks that they will actually love to eat. Then secondly, you need to ensure that the snacks offer essential nutrients for the child.
In this article, we have discussed all you need to know about snack ideas for toddlers and lunch snacks for kids. Let us get to it – shall we?
Snack Ideas for Toddlers – Lunch Snack for Kids
Snacks are an important part of your baby’s everyday life, and you must ensure that they have the right snacks at the right time. The most important thing is that you must ensure that the snacks you are offering the baby complement the baby’s diet.
When you give your kid a snack or pack it for them, you are offering a quick meal for your baby to munch on. Something they can eat with zero or low supervision, so you have to ensure it is something they are truly going to eat – and can eat.
Below, we have highlighted the best snack ideas for toddlers and the best lunch snacks for kids. We also discussed some snack ideas for a preschooler and what snacks to pack for kids and babies.
Snack Ideas and Lunch Snacks for Toddlers
Kids love variety, and they always want to try out new things – which they will enjoy. So, it can be a great challenge to come up with healthy snack ideas for your kids.
As we mentioned earlier, you need to offer snacks that your kid will love to eat without zero supervision. So, not only must the snacks be enticing, it has to be delicious also. Snacks also help to offer useful options that can create a great balance for your kid’s nutritional needs. It also helps to introduce them to new food suggestions and options.
Always remember that offering different varieties in your kid’s lunch box is a good option. Yes, kids love a little bit of everything, and let’s be truthful- we do too.
Below, we have compiled a comprehensive list of snack ideas that you will love to try out with your kids. Always remember that presentation is key – yes, even for kids. So, you need to be extra creative when arranging these snacks in a plate or lunch box. Check out our brilliant snack ideas for toddlers.
6 Snack Ideas for Toddlers and Kids
1. Fruit Snack Ideas
Fruits should always be a part of your child’s daily nutritional value. It would be best if you introduced your toddlers to a wide array of fruits at an early stage. Eating fruits should come naturally to your kids – and it should be something they enjoy.
You should ensure that fruits are an important part of their daily nutritional value and be an essential part of their snacks. Below, we have listed some of the best fruits for your snack ideas. Please ensure that you cut the snacks into thin little bits to make it easy for your kids to bite and chew. You can also use a cookie cutter to give the fruits exciting shapes. The fruits to consider include:
- Apples
- Bananas
- Strawberries
- Oranges
- Grapes
- Kiwi
- Watermelon
- Mango
- Avocado
2. Vegetables Snack Ideas
Offering vegetables as snacks is a good way to introduce vegetables to your kids and also make them get used to them. As you know, vegetables are very important in the growth and development of your kids. So, try to introduce them to as many healthy vegetables as you can.
Personally, I often advise parents and caregivers to offer a sauce or dip for the kids when offering vegetable snacks – especially for raw veggies. Some of the best vegetable snack ideas to consider for your kids include:
- Spinach
- Carrots
- Broccoli
- Kale
- Green peas
- Swiss chard
3. Healthy Shelf-Stable Snack Ideas
There are some healthy shelf-stable snacks that can be a part of our snack routine. However, before you include these shelf-stable snacks, ensure that they are healthy and fresh.
Also, you should ensure that you serve them in moderation because kids love them, and they could easily take the place of fruits and vegetables. We have listed some shelf-stable snack options below for you to consider. Check them out:
- Apple chips
- Dried fruit
- Freeze-dried fruit and veggies
- Canned fruit
- Raisins
4. Whole Grain Snack
You must have heard, times and again, the importance of including whole grains in your diet. Well, you heard right! Whole grains are very important in the everyday diet of your kids as they contribute healthily to their daily recommended nutritional value.
Also, kids love these grains in many cases, especially because they are easy to pick up and chew on. Below, I have listed some of my favourite whole grains which my kids love to have in their snack boxes.
- Cereal
- Cinnamon raisin bread
- Cheesy Oat Crackers
- Honey Bites
- Muffins
- Soft-Baked Granola Bars
- Whole grain pretzels
- Whole grain crackers
5. Crunchy Snacks Ideas
Kids love crunchy snacks mostly because they love how it sounds when they chew it. They also enjoy the crunchy feel because it seems fun to them. However, when offering crunchy snacks to your kids, you should ensure that you do not include chips.
It is not advisable to allow your kids to eat chips unsupervised. This is because it could be hard and sharp, which could cause injuries to their gums. Also, chips can cause choking hazards in toddlers.
Below, I have highlighted some crunchy snack ideas for you to consider for your kids. Check them out!
- Veggie Straws
- Cheese crackers
- Snap pea crisps
- Quinoa Chips
- Mini rice cakes
- Chickpea Puffs
6. Dairy Snack Ideas
Many parents and caregivers love dairy snacks because they are healthy and delicious. They can also keep kids full for long periods until meal time. When choosing a dairy milk snack, ensure that the snack is made from whole milk and they are fresh. Check out our list of healthy dairy snack ideas for your kids.
- Cottage cheese
- Yogurt
- Milk
- Smoothies
Snack Ideas for Preschoolers
Packing snacks for a preschooler is a totally different experience than that of a kid who is already in school. This is because kids in school are often motivated to eat when they see other kids eat during lunch break.
Well, the case is somewhat different when it comes to preschoolers because they are more attached to the home and their mothers. When you are packing snacks for a baby in preschool, you should center your snack idea around the home. In essence, you are packing snacks that give the baby a feeling of home.
Another point of note is to ensure that there is a good balance of protein, vitamins, and carbohydrates in the box! Also, ensure that the snacks are not hard and are cut into beautiful small pieces. The small pieces will come in handy for their tiny fingers and allow them to easily munch on while engaging in other fun activities or watching cartoons.
Below, we have highlighted some snack ideas for preschoolers based on their specific preferences. Check them out!
4 Snack Ideas for Preschoolers to Consider Based on Unique Preferences
- If your preschooler needs more protein in their diet, you can include chopped turkey pieces or diced boiled egg as part of their snacks
- In a situation where you are blessed with a kid that loves to snack, then you should use the opportunity to give them a lot of vegetables and fruits.
- If your kid is someone who doesn’t like crusts, always ensure to remove the crust from bread and always spice it up before placing it in their lunch box.
- When you notice that your kid loves to dip, offer them vegetables and delicious dips or sauces to help build their vitamins. A kid that loves dips and sauces will eat anything – if there is a dip alongside – so take advantage!
Lunch Snack Ideas for Kids & Babies
I have been packing lunch snacks for kids for five years now, and from research and experience, I have mastered the craft. The first thing I learned was that lunch snacks are different from breakfast or dinner time snacks.
And yes, you guessed right, lunch snacks are the most important snacks in a baby’s life. So, it would be best if you took your time to make it right. On many occasions, this is actually more of a pre-lunch snack and should be able to hold your kids before lunch.
Just like adults, kids and babies experience hunger more in the afternoons and around lunch periods. So, it would be best if you were prepared for their lunch snack. However, in preparing or packing a kid’s lunch, you should remember that the idea is never to replace lunch. Instead, you are trying to hold them until lunchtime.
Below, we have listed some of our favourite snacks that we rely on for our lunch snack ideas for kids and babies. If you can get a lunchbox with five or more of the items listed below, then you have a perfect lunch snack for your kid. Check them out!
- Cheese sticks
- Veggies
- Rainbow Pops
- Turkey Cheese roll-ups
- Fruit kebobs
- Nuts
- Dried fruits
- Popcorn
- Toast
- Squeeze Pouches
- Greek yogurt
- Banana Bites
