20 Healthy Snack Ideas That'll Tickle Your Tot's Tastebuds
Got toddlers? Then you know busy, you know messy, and we know that you know picky. While a piece of fruit or a string cheese are options, and packaged snacks like cookies and chips make toddlers smile, we all know that parents are constantly trying to get as much valuable nutrition into those tiny tummies as possible.
That’s why we’re diving in—tastebuds first—to favorite toddler food types to give you a bunch of creative snack ideas to satisfy those little humans at any time of day. If you’re on the hunt for creative snack ideas for toddlers, check out our snacking guide with the best healthy snacks for little kids. Yum, yum!
Dipping Toddler Snacks
Toddlers love to dip. The act of upgrading their food with a condiment gives them a sense of control and is just plain fun. Hey, it’s also good for their pincer grasp and fine motor control, so everybody wins when the dips come out. Here are some good snack ideas for toddlers that go beyond nuggets and fries.
Quinoa Pizza Bites with a Pizza Dipping Sauce
This easy toddler snack recipe combines the plant-based goodness of quinoa with tasty, gooey cheese for a kid-friendly snack idea that’s both yummy and healthy.
Cheesy Zucchini Tots & Savory Dip
Another sneaky vegetable idea, these tasty tots can be dipped in tzatziki, plain Greek yogurt, or of course ketchup.
Gingerbread Cookies & Milk
Try out this healthy and delicious toddler cookie recipe and serve them with your favorite milk variety whether cow’s, almond, oat, or otherwise.
Apple Slices in Sweet Dip
Try a plate of apple slices with peanut butter, Nutella, or something more creative like this to-die-for chocolate chip dip that will have you craving your toddler’s favorite snack yourself!
Taco Hummus
This savory, salty, easy-to-prepare dip is kid-friendly and perfect for Taco Tuesday…or any other day of the week. Serve with tortilla chips, toasted pita points, or vegetable sticks.
Sweet Toddler Snacks
Who doesn’t like the sweet stuff? Most kids sure do! But indulging your little one’s sweet tooth doesn’t have to be detrimental to their health. While ice cream and candy are fine treats on special occasions, here are some of our favorite healthy snack ideas for toddlers, that just so happen to taste sweet, too.
Watermelon Stars
The easiest toddler snack idea there ever was: sliced watermelon, star-shaped cookie cutter, plate, the end.
Banana Pops
This refreshing snack is great in summer (but we think it’ll be a hit with most kiddos any time of year)! Your toddler will love the sprinkles for a pretty, crunchy treat, but essentially? They’re eating a banana and yogurt. #WINNING
Fruit Skewers
Bite-size fruit on a stick is the perfect answer to “what’s for snack?” Try arranging your fruit selection in rainbow order or using cute skewers to make them even more fun for toddlers.
Peach Summer Salad
Think your toddler won’t eat salad? Think again. Try this kid-friendly summer salad recipe stat! (And make extra because you’re going to want some…)
Berry & Spinach Gummies
Gummies are basically the best part about being a kid, but the packaged ones contain little to no nutritional value and are packed with sugar. How about trying out these homemade berry-spinach gummies instead?
Crunchy Toddler Snacks
That satisfying crunch isn’t something just adults look for in a snack. It’s always a good time for sensory exploration with littles, even at the kitchen counter. Make snack time special with our favorite crunchy bites for little kids.
Animal Toast
Whip up this absolute cuteness and watch it disappear right away! A balance of crunchy and smooth elements makes these sweet animal faces on toast an excellent idea for your little one.
Celery Butterflies
That satisfying, juicy crunch of celery is something everyone deserves in their lives. But if it’s been a challenge getting over the hump to have your toddler actually try it, give these pretty butterfly snacks a whirl.
Homemade Cheese Crackers
All of the salty, crunchy goodness of their favorite cheese cracker snack, but without the preservatives, extra ingredients, and unnecessary cost? Yes, please. Recipe here.
Roasted Carrot Strips
Nom, nom! Who says potatoes have all the fun? If your little one is a fan of chips, consider this healthy homemade alternative with a pretty color pop.
Apple Boats
The sweet crunch of apples with a few little upgrades and a cute shape! What toddler wouldn’t want to try this snack idea?
“Let Me Help!” Toddler Snack Ideas
Toddler fingers are into everything! Sometimes it feels like a battle to get your little one to not “help,” because it can add to cleanup time and make life run a little less smoothly. But when it comes to these easy and cute snack ideas for toddlers, embrace their desire to help you and make it a fun activity for you both.
Fruit & Pita Pizzas
Let your littles get creative helping you make “pizzas” of pita bread topped with a layer of their favorite sweet sauce or jelly and an arrangement of fruit. This recipe for berry pitas is a great place to start, but you can also go rogue—anything goes!
Veggie Faces
These irresistible veggie faces are a brilliant solution to the vegetable crisis many toddler-parents face. Not only is your little one in control of which vegetables they’re eating here, they’ll also be much likelier to try (and maybe finish!) what’s on their plate when it looks this cute...and they helped!
Three-Ingredient Banana Cookies
The fewer the ingredients, the better the recipe tends to be for busy parents. Not to mention that cookies like these, that get the bulk of their sweetness from bananas rather than white sugar, are always a healthier option. But don’t worry, your toddler will love them, and will love helping you to throw the ingredients in the bowl to make them, too.
Fairy Toast
It only looks complicated. This utterly delicious, mostly just fun snack for little kids involves a piece of toast, food coloring in soft butter, and dried fruit, nuts, and sprinkles for a tasty crunch—and a pop of pretty. Spread on the good stuff and leave to the sprinkling!
Cereal Necklace
Using yarn, ribbon, or string you have lying around the house, show your toddler how to string up an edible necklace of Cheeri-O’s, Froot Loops, and their other favorite cereals with “holes.” This on-the-go snack is an oldie but a very goodie. (Just make sure you're supervising when your tot wears their necklace—and make them take it off at naptime and bedtime.)
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