With all that crawling and toddling around, your little one can build up quite an appetite. At this age children should be eating every two to three hours, which works out as three meals a day and two healthy snacks in-between. A hungry toddler is a grumpy toddler, so you’ll want something quick and easy to make and pop in your bag while you’re out and about. But how do you keep tiny tummies topped up between meals without resorting to unhealthy snack foods?
Here’s a few quick, healthy and (relatively) mess-free snacking options to add to your shopping list:
- Fresh fruit: banana, sliced apple, clementine or sliced melon are all delicious dipped in plain yoghurt
- Vegetables: sliced cucumber or carrot, quartered cherry tomatoes, thawed frozen peas
- Dried fruit: raisins or dates (be sure to chop dates into tiny pieces to avoid choking). Remember: dried fruit contains a lot of sugar, so offer it sparingly
- Cupboard essentials: healthy crisp alternatives such as veggie straws or quinoa chips, mini rice cakes or crackers
TIP: if you have time, swap sugary energy bars for homemade granola bars packed with oats, seeds and peanut butter
- Meat and dairy: cubed cheese, chicken or turkey
- Dips: try savory hummus (plus veggie sticks to dip) or sweeter nut butters (plus sliced fruit dippers). Alternatively, use the spreads on whole-wheat toast and cut into fingers
Did you know? Your toddler’s stomach is only the size of their clenched fist, so snack portions can be smaller than you may think.
TIP: store fresh snacks in airtight containers or sealable bags. Small, reusable storage containers make it easy to prep the right portion size and store it in the fridge until needed.
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