Here’s just another random hodgepodge of some more snack ideas for your toddler. For my original list, check out Toddler Snack Ideas. My son is now 2 1/2 and his palate is ever-changing. I am a huge snacker and usually don’t eat very big meals, so of course I’ve inadvertently taught my son (who I’ll call O) my snacking habit. I guess this is another reason why I don’t make big meals too often (poor husband), because my son and I snack so much that it’s hard to justify a big meal!
- Rotisserie Chicken- I like to buy mine from Costco- it’s cheap, bit, moist and always has an excellent flavor (I don’t eat the skin so couldn’t tell you about that). But when Whole Foods has them on sale, I do feel better about buying them there! Right when I get home I just rip it all up into small bite-sized chunks and put it into a bowl. O thinks it’s cool to get an adult sized fork out and go to town on the BIG bowl. I always serve this with fruit on the side and lots to drink- since unfortunately, rotisserie is so salty. On the other hand, it makes me feel good to finally get some protein in my son since he generally avoids meat
- Pistachios - I used to have a candy bowl at home at all times, but when O got bigger, it just wasn’t worth having that temptation for him. Depending on the candy, I could ignore it forever, but not my little guy! So I switched to a healthier habit and put pistachios in the jar instead. He loves sitting down, trying to open the pistachios and eating them - again, I like to serve it with fruit to counter balance the saltiness. Pistachios are a softer nut so they are the first kind I felt comfortable with him eating. Plus, opening them is a fun thing to do for little kids. (Just make sure your kid is old enough not to eat the shells!) Cashews are another good soft nut for smaller kids to be able to chew, though not as fun as pistachios and I get sick of them much quicker.
- Sugar Snap Peas- Edamame was on my last toddler snack post, so these are a similar fun snack for him to eat something green. Plus, they have a natural sweetness that is more appetizing to kids. The stringier dry ones are no good- look for the plumper kind in-season in the summer. Sometimes, he has me open them and picks out the peas and sometimes he gnaws on the whole thing.
- Pomegranate Seeds- This is something he asks for all the time and unfortunately, they are not in season so I can’t find any right now. He gets up on the coutertop and helps me de-seed them in water. This is a fun activity for him, and then when we’re all done I give him a spoon and he eats the seeds by the spoonful -usually finishing one pom within a day or two! Again, something I don’t know if a younger toddler is ready for yet.
- Yogurt, berries and chia/salba seeds. I also use my Chia Goodness. This snack works best when I make it for myself and he steals it from me. It’s also a great breakfast of course.
- Nutella out of the jar. Yeah, not healthy but I justify it by limiting the amount he eats and the fact that it’s made of healthy hazelnuts and antioxidant chocolate -but of course…it’s not dark chocolate and there are added-ingredients. Shhh, ignore that last part! Hey, I understand this snack since half of my family is Italian.
- Orange slices with the peel. O doesn’t like to eat orange slices unless I do my best to get rid of the insdie and outside skin - which is pretty tough but I do it out of love anyway for him sometimes- otherwise, he ends up spitting it out anyway. Well, duh, I can just cut up the orange into 8-12 sections with the peel on and there’s a new fun way to eat an orange!
- So Delicious coconut milk mini fudge bars. 70 calories, dairy free, 3 g fiber, 6g sugars and 1 g protein - a great occasional snack and he thinks he’s getting ice cream! (He loves these but does prefer ice cream anyway, I love eating these as well!)
- Greens + Energy Bar - I’ve tried other brands and he wont’ eat them and I prefer this kind as well. You’ve gotta love the ingredients! You can check it out here.
- Bolthouse Farms Chocolate Soy Protein Drink- from my previous post actually! It’s been a great snack for both of us.
- Cascadian Farm Fruitful O’s - okay, this is the natural answer to Apple Jacks or Fruit Loops, which I won’t let him try -due to all the artificial ingredients, added colorings, high fructose corn syrup, preservatives and hydrogenated fats. I do remember eating them out of the box in high school on road trips with girlfriends so the flavor and the thought of them makes me happy. Now I can take a trip down memory lane myself and enjoy this cereal right along with him! It has none of the bad artificial crap and it actually tastes really good rather than the slightly sweetened cardboard that some other brands have tried to fool us with! I actually cannot stop eating them. I feel like a big kid. For breakfast, I usually eat an egg and some sort of whole grain toast for some protein and fiber, but I reserve these for an afternoon not-so-guilty pleasure. These are new, so if you see them, buy them! We don’t want Cascadian Farm to stop making these!
- Ian’s French Toast Sticks - Cinnamon and Honey - I think they did a darn good job of making the nutrition facts on these far better than your average restaurant french toast stick - and they are made with whole wheat flour. Not really considered a “health food” in my opinion, but if you are in a hurry, they make a fun snack. Five pieces have 250 calories, 9g fat, 6g fiber, 6g protein and 5g sugar. I give him small bowl of real maple syrup - Grade B of course - and he usually eats 2-3 and then he’s finished. I usually eat what he doesn’t. Wait a second…as a mom you’re not supposed to do that. Darn! Ian’s also makes gluten free french toast sticks, but I have not tried that version yet.
As usual, if you have any more ideas, please comment below, and I’d be interested in hearing what you have to say! I will also continue on as O gets older with new snack/mini-meal ideas!