50 Healthy Snacks for Toddlers, Kids and Picky Eaters Overall
This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Please read my disclosure.Coming up with healthy and delicious snacks for your kids can be a challenge, especially when you have picky eaters! But toddlers and kids don’t have to live off of sugary snacks and junk food. There are lots of fantastic healthy toddler snacks that taste great, and are not filled with unhealthy ingredients or lots of processed sugars. Here is my list of over 50 healthy snacks for toddlers that both kids and parents will love!
Tips for Packing Healthy Snacks for Toddlers
- Make sure you have a good set of containers (I like choosing stainless steel containers or these reusable ziptop bags because they’re durable, are easy to clean, and are environmentally friendly – avoid plastic ziptop bags if you can!)
- Make sure your snacks have at least one fresh produce item (fruits or veggies), protein, and a grain – that’ll keep your child full and satisfied much longer than a refined processed snack would!
- Keep things colorful – we eat with our eyes first (and more color will mean more fruits & veggies!)
- Add crunch – there are lots of healthy snacks for kids that are crunchy, salty and delicious (without all the refined grains and processed ingredients in most packaged snacks).
- Mix and match! Below you’ll find snack ideas for toddlers and kids organized by food category (e.g. dairy, veggies, fruit) – but the ideal snack box has a little bit of everything for your kids to choose from!
- Always serve a preferred food, don’t give too many options. If you have a picky eater, always include a small amount of one food you know they’ll eat. And then make the rest of the items small portions of newer foods you want them to try. That way they can’t fill up on the one thing they like, but they also won’t have only unfamiliar foods in their snack either!
Healthy Fresh Fruit Snacks for Toddlers
Fruit is one of my ultimate favorite snack ideas for toddlers. Kids are naturally drawn towards sweet foods, and fruit is naturally sweetened, so it will be something they enjoy munching on. But while they’re eating it, they’re also getting lots of valuable and nutritious vitamins and minerals to keep their body strong and healthy.
I recommend lower glycemic fruits to help keep your kids’ blood sugar steady. Also, never use dried fruit as a snack – way too much added sugar / concentrated fruit sugars! You can use freeze dried fruit in a pinch, but I recommend sticking to fresh if you can. For a more filling snack, pair these fruits with plain Greek yogurt or nut butter!
Low glycemic fruits that are great for snacks include:
- Apples or Pears, cubed or thinly sliced
- All the Berries (blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, blackberries) – cut berries for smaller kids
- Clementines or oranges
- Stone Fruits (peaches, nectarines, plums, apricots, pluots, cherries, etc). Many of these will require being cut and pitted before serving.
- Melon (cantaloupe, green melon, watermelon) – sliced or cubed
- Avocado, cubed, sliced, or on toast (or guacamole!)
Use these fruits only once in a while or sparingly (they are higher glycemic):
- Bananas, for when you are on the go or your child needs a boost of energy (but no more than 1 banana a day)
- Mango
- Pineapple
- Papaya
- Grapes
Healthy Snacks For Toddlers: Fresh Veggies!
If you want your kids to eat their vegetables, one easy way to encourage them to do that is by giving them something to dip the vegetables in.
Figuring out how your kids best like eating veggies is important too: do they like them best raw, steamed and seasoned, sauteed with spices, roasted?
Prepare your child’s veggies in their favorite way, and that will help to get them to eat it. When it comes to dips, avoid processed salad dressings (like ranch), and stick to more natural dips like hummus, yogurt, tahini, nut butter, olive oil, pesto, etc.
Best raw veggie snack ideas for kids:
- Celery Sticks
- Carrot sticks
- Cucumbers, sliced into sticks or diced
- Snap peas
- Cherry tomatoes, cut in half
Best steamed veggie (or sauteed/roasted) healthy snacks for toddlers:
- Broccoli
- Cauliflower
- Carrots
- Zucchini
- Corn
- Sweet Potato
Healthy Toddler Snacks: Dairy
As long as your child isn’t allergic to dairy, dairy based snacks can be a great snack option as they are low in sugar, all natural, and packed with protein. When it comes to dairy, try to choose organic when you can!
Here are some of my favorite dairy snack ideas for kids:
- Plain yogurt: either whole milk or lowfat, Greek or regular. Greek, lowfat yogurt is one of my favorite snacks for kids or for picky eaters – because you can mix it with some fresh fruit and homemade granola (or a healthy cereal) and just about anyone will eat it!
- Cheese, sliced, cubed, or string cheese – pair it with some whole grain crackers, raw veggies, apple slices, or enjoy on its own
- Cottage cheese – great on its own with some black pepper on top, or with berries and granola. Choose whole milk or lowfat depending on your child’s preference.
- Cream cheese – on whole grain crackers, on a sprouted wheat bagel or english muffin, on sprouted wheat bread, or as a dip for cucumbers, tomatoes, etc!
- Homemade smoothies made with lowfat milk or plain greek yogurt. Transfer to a water bottle and enjoy on the go!
Toddler Snacks That Are Packed With Protein (Legumes, Nuts, Meat)
Protein makes a great snack for kids, toddlers, picky eaters, even adults! This is because protein helps keep you fuller longer and is super satisfying.
When it comes to nuts, make sure you find nuts that have no added ingredients other than an organic oil and salt (if they are roasted and salted). Raw nuts will have nothing added but also have the least flavor. Of course, make sure there is no sugar added – candied nuts don’t count as a healthy toddler snack!
Here are some of my favorite protein rich snacks for toddlers:
- Hummus: as a dip for veggies, with whole grain crackers or sprouted wheat bread, or whole wheat pita
- Roasted Chickpeas
- Any chopped nuts (age 2+): peanuts are highest in protein, walnuts are highest in healthy fats. Cashews and pecans are a longtime kid favorite – so choose whichever ones your kids enjoy!
- Any beans as finger foods: edamame, black beans, kidney beans, white beans
- Cubed tofu – roasted or raw
- Nut butter or sunbutter – by itself, on sprouted wheat bread, on whole grain crackers, or as a dip for fruits or veggies!
- If you eat meat, cubed chicken or turkey are your best bets. I’d avoid deli meats because of the nitrites.
- Hard boiled eggs or scrambled eggs (with any mix-ins they like)
Healthy Snacks for Picky Eaters and Kids: Pre-Packaged Store-Bought Snacks
Store bought snacks aren’t necessarily a bad thing! While fresh snacks are great for ensuring no added sugar and no processed ingredients, there are actually a lot of great shelf stable snacks out there that work well for kids and picky eaters too!
Some of my favorite healthy snacks for picky eaters, or snacks for kids in general are:
- Fruit & Veggie Yogurt Smoothie Melts – no added sugar, vegan friendly (made with coconut milk), I love these bite sized smoothie melts because they’re perfectly sweet and great for on-the-go snacking!
- Apple Chips or Freeze dried fruit – look for options that just have the fruit listed on the ingredients label and no added sugar
- Whole grain crackers – look for one with some fiber, and no refined grains like Mary’s Gone Crackers, Back to Nature, or other organic whole grain cracker brands
- Snap Pea Crisps
- Healthy Cereal, which you can mix with nuts for a “healthy trail mix”
- Organic Mini Milk Boxes (shelf stable, better and more filling than a juice box! Get the plain milk, no chocolate milk!)
- Cheese Sticks (String cheese is packed with protein and super kid friendly) – serve it with whole grain crackers or pretzels
- Individually portioned hummus – serve with whole grain pretzels or crackers
- Freeze dried broccoli, kale chips, okra, or carrots (all found at Trader Joe’s)
- Individually portioned guacamole packets – serve with whole grain pretzels or crackers
- Puffs (plum organic or happy baby don’t have sugar added)
- Kid friendly energy bars that are tasty, have protein + fiber, and lower in sugar than most energy bars
- Rice Cakes
- Veggie Crisps
- Chickpea puffs
- Earth’s Best Organic Peanut Puffs
- Popcorn
- Roasted chickpeas
Toddler Snacks: Bars and Other Fun Snacks
These are great homemade healthy toddler snack ideas that also double as filling snacks! Use them as an after dinner “dessert” or as a mid-afternoon pick me up for your kids.
- Homemade Lara Bars
- Vegan Breakfast Cookies
- Sandwich cubes or peanut butter “stackers”
- Peanut Butter Bliss Balls or Vegan Protein Balls
- Smoothies
- Oatmeal Bars (use this baked oatmeal recipe and cut into bars!)
Whole Grain Toddler Snacks
- Whole grain bread or toast
- Whole grain low sugar cereals: Chex, Rice Puffs, Shredded Wheat
- Whole grain crackers: Triscuits, Mary’s Gone Crackers, Crunch Master Multigrain Crackers
- Muffins made with whole wheat flour and low in sugar
- Homemade Granola Bars
- Whole grain pretzels
Combination Snack Ideas for Kids
There are lots of ways to mix and match the kid and toddler snacks above so that your child enjoys their snack every day of the week!
Here are some of our favorite combinations:
- Whole-milk plain yogurt (Greek or regular) with berries (or your child’s favorite fruit) and a few crushed nuts or homemade granola on top
- Cheese and whole-grain crackers
- Chickpea / legume based pastas + a low sugar organic pasta sauce and parmesan cheese (this makes a great mini meal too!)
- Sprouted wheat bread with mashed avocado or nut butter
- Raw veggies with hummus or your child’s favorite dip
- Hard-boiled egg and carrot sticks
- Cottage cheese with fresh fruit
- Plain rice cakes with nut butter + your child’s favorite fruit or veggie
- Half a whole-wheat English muffin or mini bagel topped with tomato sauce and mozzarella—a snack-size pizza!
And so many more!
Basically, any veggie or fruit + protein + high fiber whole grain makes the perfect toddler snack! Protein helps with growth & development, fiber helps with digestive and heart health, and both will keep your child full and satisfied much longer than a sugary snack would. You might not be able to do a fruit / veggie for every snack, but I recommend doing it for at least once snack during the day.
Toddler Snack FAQs
How Many Snacks Should My Toddler Eat Every Day?
Honestly, it really depends on your child! Typically I recommend no more than 2-3 snacks per day. If your child doesn’t have a big appetite, 1 snack or no snacks some days may be ok too. You should follow your child’s lead, but any more than 2-3 snacks per day will run into the “grazing” problem — your child will constantly be snacking and then won’t be hungry for mealtime!
Is Snacking Healthy for Kids?
In general, eating snacks is healthy for kids as long as the snacks themselves are balanced, low in sugar and incorporate whole grains, veggies/fruits, and protein! The benefit of snacks is that it helps you sneak in some extra nutrients into your toddler or young child, since kids tend to have smaller stomachs so they can’t eat as much in one sitting – so they need more mini meals throughout the day.
How Long After a Meal Should My Toddler Eat a Snack?
Typically, it’s good to have a schedule for snacks so that your kids know what to expect and aren’t asking for snacks all day long. I recommend spacing snacks out to be about 2-3 hours after a meal (and in between big meals). For example, you could have one snack after breakfast, lunch, and maybe a tiny snack after dinner (like a healthy dessert) before bed.
I follow this schedule for my kids on a typical day:
– 8am breakfast
– 10/1030am snack
– 1230pm lunch
– 3pm snack
– 530/6pm dinner
– 730pm bedtime snack
All of the snacks don’t happen every day. Some days my kids are less hungry and if that’s the case, I just skip snack time!
I hope this guide to healthy snacks for toddlers helped you find the best snacks for your kids and your family!
Looking For More Meal Ideas? Check Out These Posts:
- 25 Toddler Lunch Ideas
- 25 Easy Vegetarian Meals
- Breakfast Ideas For Picky Eaters
- Air Fryer Vegetarian Recipes
- Baby Food Recipes
- Healthy Recipes For Picky Eaters
- 30 Family Friendly Dinner Ideas
- The Best Probiotics for Kids
- Best Organic Baby Formula
- Best Multivitamin for Kids (Hiya Vitamins is best for picky eaters!)
If you have tried these snacks for kids or any other recipe on my blog, then please rate it and let me know how it turned out in the comments below! You can also FOLLOW ME on FACEBOOK, TWITTER, INSTAGRAM, and PINTEREST to see more delicious, healthy, family friendly food!
Hello Anjali!
I love this article, it has given me lots of ideas and I was wondering if I could quote some of your tips for a feature I am writing at university about SUPER SNACKS!
Your input would be amazing. I hope you are interested in helping me.
Thank you,
Sincerely,
Chloe – Student Journalist
Hi Chloe! Thank you so much for reaching out to me! I’m so glad you found this post helpful 🙂 And yes! You can absolutely quote me for a feature you’re writing. I’ll send you an email so we can work out the details. Thanks again!
Hi Anjali!
I really enjoyed reading your blog post on 10 top healthy snacks, especially because I’m always hungry and I never know what to eat and now I do! I have explored healthy eating blogs before but usually they aren’t very detailed in giving ideas about healthy foods so I appreciate your tips for eating veggies and hummus. I love hummus and eat it all the time with bread but now thanks to you I will swap to Celery sticks and carrot. I found your site easy to use and I enjoy the photos with each tip however it was a little confusing with the photos on each side of the page.
Hi Isabella! Thanks so much for your kind words and also for the feedback! I’m glad that this post has helped you to eat healthier — I love hummus as well! Keep me posted on how things go and let me know if you have any other questions!
We snack quite similarly! The goal in my mind is healthy mind, body & spirit.
I’ll list a few of my recent faves:
-fat free cottage cheese with almond butter with flax seeds
-greek yogurt with TJ’s taco seasoning + hot pepper for a dip to veggies
-little apples (I hate committing to an entire huge apple, lol)
-dr. praeger’s veggie burger cooked on non-stick skillet (130 cals) with hot sauce
-spelt crackers with hummus
-if i want something carby, i’m digging the pizzas from TJ’s — it’s a middle eastern type of spinacy pizza. 130 cals or so and 3 grams of fiber
These are all really awesome snacks! I’ll have to try the greek yogurt with taco seasoning + hot pepper – that sounds absolutely delicious as a healthy dip alternative. Thanks so much for sharing!
Is it healthy to replace a meal with a lara bar? I eat like half of a lara bar for breakfast, the other half for lunch, and dinner. It’s more than I usually eat in calories though, I usually eat no breakfast and a 90 calorie granola bar for lunch and then dinner. I don’t eat much, I admit, and I am underweight at the moment. Any tips on what I should do? Can I still eat more than I do and maintain my weight ( I’m about 98 or 99 pounds and five foot four ) thanks (:
Hi Cassidy. Thank you so much for reaching out. To answer your question – it’s not healthy to replace a meal with a lara bar or a granola bar. That’s just too few calories for a meal – and doesn’t give you all the nutrients you need. I usually eat lara bars/granola bars for a snack or for dessert. I generally try to aim to eat about 1600 calories a day to maintain a healthy weight. To get a sense of what I eat in an entire day – check out this post: https://74.220.215.66/~pickyeat/2011/11/09/a-day-in-the-life/. Hope this helps, and I’ll email you separately so we can chat a bit more. Thanks again for your comment, hope to connect with you soon!
Thanx for that list! I love it! I think snacks has been my biggest trap….it is so easy to fail here….but with those great health choices at hand…even I should be able to make it!
No problem! I’m so glad it’s helpful for you 🙂 Feel free to email me if you have any other questions about healthy snack or food options – and good luck!
Yum! This is a handy list to think about whenever I am in the mood for a snack. Another great one is unbuttered natural popcorn, only 20 calories a cup and 50 calories for an entire bag! Thats hard to beat!
Unbuttered natural popcorn is a great addition to this list! Thank you! 🙂
Good list, i especially like the idea of the dark chocolate covered almonds… I must admit im a snack addict…. Any advice on a “healthy” or “healthier” alternative to choccy biscuits with a much needed cup of tea in the evenings ?!
I’d try a 100 calorie pack of cookies – it’s not super healthy, but at least you’ll control the portion of the amount of cookies you eat, and it’s a great sweet treat!
Nice selection of snacks! I like your blog too..
mmmm… This article makes me want to go food shopping right now. Going to have to bookmark this page for later!
Also came across another page with a TON of healthy snacks. Its great for ideas before shopping: https://knowledge-nuggets.com/nutritious-and-delicious-snacks-the-huge-list/
that is a great grocery list for healthy snacks! thanks for sharing 🙂
I always have the 100 calorie packs in my house for my girls. And I just bought my first bag of PopChips, omg delicious!!! Chips are my weakness so I am thrilled to have found these healthy ones!!! Yum!! Thanks for sharing all your finds!!
I was lovin’ your list until I hit #10 – the protein bars. I am a fan of Lara Bars – they generally contain only 3 ingredients (maybe 4, depending on the flavor) and are made from real, whole food. I despise Clif Bars, because they have about 20 grams of added sugar (that’s 5 teaspoons & half your recommended amount of added sugar for the day) and trademarked ingredients that are made from various tortured soy products. A perfect example of total junk masquerading as healthy food. Comparing Lara Bars and Clif Bars is like comparing apples and candy apples. As a nutritionist, I once called Clif Bars “Snickers with a Flinstone Vitamin Stuck In It”.
I think your top 5 Snacks are perfect – protein combined with a complex carb and a healthy fat…that’s great snacking!
You make a great point! The reason I included Clif Bars is because Lara Bars (while they are the healthiest and my favorite) are not available in a lot of supermarkets or convenience stores. You are totally right – Clif Bars have a lot of sugar and are definitely NOT a whole food! But they are lower in calories than most protein bars, are pretty filling and have a decent serving of fiber and protein. So that’s why they made the cut for me 🙂 What are your other favorite protein bars besides Lara Bars? I’m always looking for great healthy finds so definitely let me know if you have any additional suggestions! And thank you so much for the comment and feedback! Looking forward to more food discussions in the future 🙂
To be honest, I’m not a big fan of any type of “protein bar” – Lara Bars are the only ones I know of that are made from real food. I just don’t like the idea of them in general. They’re often too many calories to be considered a snack, but they’re not satisfying enough to be a meal…which can easily lead to overeating and weight gain. I think that eating on the run is a big problem in our food culture. Snacks should be simple and wholesome – like apple slices & almond butter or hummus & carrot sticks. Meals should be well thought out, relaxing and enjoyable.
I understand that Life often gets in the way of making the best choices for our health, but with forethought and advance planning we can (hopefully) not find ourselves starving with no other options. One of the best things I did for my body was to stop eating in the car. Once your car is a “no food zone” it really cuts down on the poor choices and mindless munching.
I can understand that. And I totally agree with you about not eating on the run – I also make it a rule not to eat in the car – it definitely cuts down on mindless munching! One thing I recently learned was that Clif Bars and Luna Bars actually have a compound in them that’s not necessarily good for you – it’s called soy protein isolate. Most protein bars have that ingredient in them – and it’s not the best thing to eat because it is rich in estrogenic compounds! Since I learned that I actually cut out Clif and Luna Bars from my diet – I’m only eating Lara bars now. Thanks for raising these issues – I love learning new tips from fellow foodies!
Snacks are wonderful and I eat a lot of what you have on your list. I’ll add roasted, unsalted almonds with drops of honey to your list. It’s quick, easy and very tasty.
I made a cup of tea. While waiting for it to cool, I ate a girl scout cookie. This is a problematic.
haha! that is somewhat problematic 🙂 although one girl scout cookie is probably only 30-50 calories max – so not toooo bad 🙂
10 o’clock strikes every day and I need a snack- eating every three hours like an infant. I can always use more ideas for healthy snacks. I had most but not all of these in my repertoire!
Everyone who follows my blog knows man I need some healthy food…lol thank you very much for this
Having good snacks around is key!
Hummus is my favorite snack. I’m always happy to have some in the fridge. I also make popcorn when I want a quick snack.
Popcorn is a great snack! And if you make it without butter – it’s super healthy and low in calories. Good suggestion!
great list!
Useful information and good reminders
Great list! I am a big snacker. I love all of the things on your list but most of the time I am guilty of reaching for the bad stuff instead. I should get into the habit of snacking like you more often! Very good suggestions and very good post.
Thank you! You make a great point actually (it’s hard to reach for the good stuff). You’ve inspired me to do a follow up to this post – how to avoid reaching for the bad stuff and going for the good stuff! Stay tuned 🙂