Snacks are a critical part of your toddler's diet. Eating between meals provides your toddler with the nutrients she may not have get from her meals. Amy Wilensky, Peter Ardito and Susan Byrnes note in their book, "Knack Healthy Snacks for Kids: Recipes for Nutritious Bites at Home Or On the Go," that toddlers need about 1,000 calories each day and snacks help you reach this goal. Presenting nutritious snacks in entertaining ways will encourage your little one to eat up.
Rice Cake Sandwiches
Rice cakes are a low-fat toddler-friendly food that are fun to eat because they crunch and make satisfying noises when eaten. Rice cakes can become the base for a nutritious sandwich so you can include your toddler's favorite foods in his snack, Wilensky, Ardito and Byrnes note. Spread one rice cake with creamy peanut butter and honey and top with another rice cake. Melted cheese or hummus and cucumber are additional sandwich fillings for toddlers.
Bagels with Dippers
Mini whole-wheat bagels are a good size for your toddler and will supply several grams of fiber and other nutrients. Barbara Beery and Marty Snortum note in their book, "Batter Up Kids: Sensational Snacks: Healthy Eats From the Premier Children's Cooking School," that providing your toddler with several healthy dipping options makes this snack entertaining and nutritious. Peanut butter or other nut spreads, honey, cream cheese or plain yogurt spiced with cinnamon are all healthy options for toddlers.
Fruit Faces
Fresh fruit is always a nutritious snack choice for your toddler, because fruit supplies several important nutrients. Wilensky, Ardito and Byrnes suggest fruit because there are so many different varieties that your toddler is likely willing to eat two or three. Creating a face out of fruit is a fun way to encourage your child to eat up. Use kiwi slices as eyes, a grape as a nose and a horizontally halved banana as a smile. Cut strawberries into ears and use blueberries as hair.
Frozen Yogurt Pops
Yogurt is a toddler-friendly food that your child may already enjoy. Serving yogurt as a snack increases your toddler's intake of protein and calcium. Serving yogurt as a frozen pop is an entertaining way to encourage your child to consume this nutritious food. Scoop your child's favorite yogurt into a frozen pop mold and freeze until solid. Run the mold under warm water to loosen the pop and offer your child one for her next snack.
References
- "Knack Healthy Snacks for Kids: Recipes for Nutritious Bites at Home Or On the Go"; Amy Wilensky, Peter Ardito and Susan Byrnes; 2010
- "Batter Up Kids: Sensational Snacks: Healthy Eats From the Premier Children's Cooking School"; Barbara Beery and Marty Snortum; 2005
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