EASY & Appropriate Snacks For Toddlers
Whether you’re looking for healthy toddler snacks on the go, toddler snacks for daycare, or just an easy stash of toddler snacks to have at home – we all run out of ideas! You probably have a few go-tos but, if your toddler is anything like mine, those go-tos are only loved by them for so long! Let’s face it – toddlers are hard to please when it comes to their eating habits. Sometimes switching it up is just what it takes to make snack time a much more joy-filled experience for both mom and toddler.
If you’re stuck in a snack rut with your little one and looking for some new ideas, I’ve compiled a list of some of the go-to toddler snack ideas for my girls (ages 1 and 3). I’ve also added in some ideas that they don’t currently love – but maybe your child will! (Or at least for a day or two, right?)
Now, this list is not a list full of vegetable hiding cookies or healthy muffin recipes for kids. If you’re looking for Pinterest-worthy homemade ideas like that then this list is not for you! I often wish that I could be that kind of mom, but around here I’m doing well if I remember to give my kiddos a snack. So this list is for anyone else, like me, looking for EASY new ideas of things to buy or quickly throw together to keep some variety in your kid’s snack routine.
(If you DO want a homemade snack that is still easy and healthy, you can check out my toddler snack recipe for No-Bake Toddler Oatmeal Bites. They require just 4 simple ingredients and can be made in batches and frozen to have on hand as a quick go-to. They do require some effort to make though, so if you’re after even easier ideas keep reading!)
I’ve broken up the list below into several different categories to help you find some ideas that might work for your family. This 1 year old to preschool snack menu would be impossible to make exhaustive so feel free to comment and help other mommas out if your family loves an easy option that’s not listed!
Healthy Toddler Snacks
Sometimes healthy toddler snacks are some of the easiest ones too! A lot of the fruit options below require almost no prep and you can find a lot of healthy pouches for toddlers to easily grab-and-go (many of them even include hidden veggies). The downside of some of the healthier options is that they typically have a shorter shelf life, but the upside is all of the nutrition that they provide for your little one!
Here are some easy healthy toddler snack ideas:
- Bananas
- Apple chunks
- Apple chunks with peanut butter
- Grapes (cut in half)
- Blueberries
- Strawberry chunks
- Diced pears (you can buy them already diced!)
- Diced peaches (you can also buy these already diced!)
- Applesauce pouches
- Pouches with veggies blended in (look in the baby isle)
- Diced carrots (yep, you can buy these already diced in the canned isle!)
- Yogurt pouches
- Cheese chunks
- Deli Meat chunks (ie. sweet bologna, etc.)
Grab-And-Go Toddler Snacks
Grab-and-go toddler snacks are the perfect option if you need to send a snack to daycare or preschool or need to take something on the road! I like to throw grab-and-go snacks like these into the diaper bag to have with us when we’re out and about. Some of the below options are definitely not the healthiest ones, but many toddlers love them and they keep their bellies full! (In my book that’s a win.)
Here’s a list of easy grab-and-go toddler snack ideas:
- Granola bars (you probably need to chunk them for the younger toddlers)
- Pouches (applesauce, veggie blends, or yogurt)
- Go-Gurts
- Animal cracker bags (individual size)
- Goldfish bags (individual size)
- Ritz Bits bags (individual size)
- Fruit Gummy Snacks
- Popcorn bags (individual size)
- Pretzel bags (individual size – these may not work for the younger toddlers)
- Cheese sticks
- Lance Crackers (cheese or peanut butter packs)
At Home Toddler Snacks
If you’re having snack at home, these options are great for bringing some variety to your toddler’s menu. Most of them still require little to no prep except maybe to dump them into a bowl or container for your child. For the few that do require a bit of prep, it’s very minimal! Our girls’ favorite is without question the popcorn. They love it when I pop a bag and give them each some for an special afternoon treat.
Here’s a list of easy toddler snacks to have at home:
- Popcorn
- Goldfish
- Ritz crackers with peanut butter
- Ritz Bitz crackers
- Fruit gummy snacks
- Teddy Grahams – multiple flavors
- Pretzels
- Bananas
- Apple chunks with peanut butter
- Diced pears
- Diced peaches
- Cheese chunks
- Cheese sticks
- Yogurt (with spoon, pouches, or Go-Gurt tubes)
Of course along with all of these snack options our girls also love to have juice boxes, Capri Sun pouches, or – (did you know?) – they now have “juice boxes” that are just water! We get them in the grocery isle where the juice boxes are. They are fantastic for when we need to take meals or snack on the go since my girls do not do well with disposable water bottles yet.
If your toddler is turning up their nose at the same snacks over and over again (like mine do!) then I hope that this list helped to inspire you with some new – and easy – ideas. In my experience a fed toddler is often a happy toddler, so I’m never opposed to mixing up our snack menu to get our toddler to put something in her belly!
If your toddler is also turning up their nose at dinner, you can find a list of relatively easy new dinner ideas here. The article has a lot of great ideas for the elements of each meal and you can mix and match them (or drop some!) to come up with your own combos.
Does your toddler have any favorite snacks that are easy to take on the go or have quick prep? Add them in the comments below!
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