Whether a lunchbox-toting toddler heads out the front door to preschool, the babysitter's or the play area in her own backyard, she will probably appreciate colorful, appealing foods when lunch or snack time rolls around. Little hands and mouths call for smaller portions that a one- or two-year-old can handle without requiring lots of help or wasting food. When packing lunches for toddlers, it's important to keep in mind that certain foods can be choking hazards.
Soups and Shaped Crackers
Toddler-sized thermoses help keep thick, pureed soups warm. The L.A. Times website suggests warm butternut squash and corn soup for a child's lunchbox, served with cheesy, shaped crackers that toddlers can drop one at a time into the thick, golden soup or nibble as they eat. Another soup suitable for toddlers, packed with vitamins and antioxidants, is a pureed cauliflower and potato soup, says the Families Online Magazine. Soups for toddlers should be warm, but not hot.
Wraps
Instead of a traditional sandwich, wraps or roll-ups make a good addition to any toddler's lunchbox. Spread whole-wheat or tantalizing, green spinach or red tomato wraps with hummus--if your toddler likes hummus--or thinly sliced lunchmeat and cheese and roll the wrap tightly into a cigar-shape. Cut the roll on the diagonal into small, manageable sections. Peanut butter and honey or jam spread on a wrap also makes a nice change of pace for toddlers on the go.
Bagels and Soft Pretzels
Add miniature or cut-up bagels spread with a thin layer of cream cheese to a toddler's lunchbox in lieu of a sandwich. Soft pretzels and bagels provide a lot of chewing for hungry toddlers who still might be cutting a few teeth. Both bagels and cream cheese are available in fruity or savory flavors to suit any toddler's preference.
Fruits and Vegetables
Toddlers might enjoy dipping cucumber slices, celery sticks or baby carrots in a small container of ranch, guacamole or cheese dip. Cut-up fruits and vegetables that are tolerated and enjoyed by a toddler at home keep interest levels high during lunch or snack time and provide the finger food toddlers crave. Grapes, mandarin oranges, pear chunks or apple slices are easy-to-handle fruits for toddlers. Whole apples may be too much for a toddler to manage at lunchtime in preschool.
Cookies and Bars
Healthy, hearty oatmeal-based cookies or bars are sweet and appetizing toddler lunchbox snacks, says the Preschool Learning Online website. Small granola bars, fruit bars and cereal bars satisfy a toddler's sweet tooth and are healthier alternatives to high-sugar cookies, candy or cupcakes.
Cookie-Cutter Sandwiches
A cheese sandwich in the shape of a butterfly or a howling wolf beats an ordinary square sandwich any day. The Berkeley Parents Network lists comments and ideas from parents who have successfully tried cookie-cutter sandwiches in their toddlers' lunchboxes with positive results.
Yogurt, Pudding or Applesauce
A plastic spoon is all a toddler needs with the lunchbox addition of a yogurt, pudding or applesauce cup. For a healthier dessert, pack rice or tapioca pudding cups or containers of flavored yogurts that toddlers can add blueberries, raisins or other fruit pieces to while eating.
