Quick and Healthy Toddler Snack Ideas and Recipes

In this blog post, I am sharing 10 Healthy Toddler Snack Ideas. These are colorful, easy-to-make snacks for busy weekdays.

As parents, we’re always on the lookout for snacks that are not only delicious but also nutritious to fuel our little ones’ growing bodies. In this blog post, I am sharing wholesome and quick snack ideas, accompanied by simple recipes that make snack time a breeze. From vibrant fruit bites to tasty homemade treats, these snacks are designed to satisfy both picky eaters and busy parents.

V comes home at 3.00 pm during office hours, so I prefer quick-to-make snacks with a few different bites that are easy to pull out of the fridge, like berries and fruits, with store-brought snacks like veggie puffs or cheese sticks and homemade snacks like almond butter and jelly or a cheese roll.

Below, I’ll be sharing 10 toddler snack ideas and recipes based on what my 2-year-old toddler typically enjoys for a snack. You might also like these related posts:

• Easy Lunch Box Ideas for DayCare
• A week of Vegetarian Toddler Meal Plates
• 10 Enagaging Fine Motor Skill Activities 
• How to keep Toddler Lunchbox Hot
• One-pot Broccoli Cheddar Pasta
• Asparagus and French Beans Curry Recipe

 

Quick and Healthy Toddler Snack Ideas and Recipes

1. Almond Butter and Jelly Sandwich With Nuts and Berries

• Toast the sourdough bread and spread Almond butter / Peanut butter (we get unsalted and unsweetened ones from Trader joes) and then layer it with some strawberry or fig jam (I look for the one that is made with brown sugar)
• Roasted unsalted nuts (we get a big pack from Sam’s Club. We offer V, both soaked and roasted, depending on what is available for the day.

2. Waffle With Idli Dosa Batter

• This mini waffle maker comes in handy for small servings, and I feel comfortable letting my toddler pour the batter into it). I sometimes add cumin seeds and shredded carrots to the idli dosa batter and make it like a Uthappam waffle.
• Maple syrup or honey
• Papaya and blueberries

3. Egg Muffin With Cottage Cheese (Recipe)

Ingredients 

• 2 eggs
• 1/2 red bell pepper finely chopped
• Handful of spinach finely chopped
• 3-4 florets broccoli finely chopped
• You can also add some chopped mushroom
• 1/4 cup cottage cheese
• 1/2 tbsp onion powder
• 1/4 cup cheddar or pepper jack cheese. You can sprinkle some pepper to the mixture if you are using a different cheese.

Method 

1. Preheat oven to 400F
2. Break eggs into a blender, add all the ingredients except cheese
3. Blend it once just to mix eggs and veggies together
4. Add grated cheese to the mixture
5. Grease the muffin pan and pour the mixture evenly into all of the muffin tin wells.
6. Bake for 25-28 minutes until you can insert a toothpick and no egg comes off on it.
7. To reheat, place it in a microwave for 10 seconds. For a crisper reheat, place in an air fryer at 375°F in 2-minute intervals until warm throughout.

4. Avocado Toast on a Whole Grain and Seed Bread

I cut the whole grain and seed bread into three slices and add different spreads for variation. On one slice, I spread peanut butter + jam; on the second one, I spread mashed avocado with salt and lemon; and on the last one, it’s almond butter and jam.

5. Steamed Beets with Fruits

I still use the Beaba Baby Cook that I got 2 years ago. It makes steaming vegetables convenient and quick. Steamed beets stay good in the fridge for more than a week, so I steam them as a paper of my meal prep on Sundays and add them to parathas and raitas or serve them as a snack.

6.Murmura Laddu or Jaggery Rice Crispy Recipe

Ingredients –

• 3 cups Puffed rice
• 1 cup Jaggery powder
• 1 1/2 tsp cardamom powder
• 1 tbsp Ghee

Method

• Dry roast Puffed Rice until they are crisp and set it aside.
• Add 2 tbsp of water to a pan and add jaggery powder to it. Melt the jaggery on a low flame by stirring continuously till it turns frothy.
• To check if the syrup consistency is good, add a drop of syrup into a bowl of water; it should form into a ball. If not, boil for another minute and check again.
• Once done, add ghee to the syrup and mix.
• Turn off the flame, add dry roasted murmura, and mix gently.
• Grease your hand with ghee or water and make ladoo when the mixture is still warm.
• Store them in an air-tight container to enjoy them for a month.

7. Sourdough Bread with Cottage Cheese

After learning that V enjoyed cottage cheese at school, I began incorporating it into his snacks or breakfast. Cottage cheese is rich in protein, calcium, vitamin B, and vitamin A. Sourdough bread is another favorite, as it contains beneficial bacteria that help children build a healthy gut.

 

8. Spinach Cheese Sandwich Served with Cucumber (Recipe below)

This is yet another nutritious and easy-to-put-together snack or breakfast.

Ingredients 

• Spinach finely chopped
• Cheese of your choice

Method

• In a pan, sauté spinach and sprinkle some salt and pepper. Keep it aside.
• In the same pan, place a slice of bread and shred your favorite cheese on top. Once the cheese is melted, add the sautéed spinach, fold the bread like a roll, and cut it in half.

9. Ghee roasted murmura or Makhana

Heat ghee in a pan and add the murmura or Makshana seeds. Roast them on low heat until they become crispy. I refrain from adding any salt or seasoning as my toddler prefers it this way. However, feel free to add salt and a dash of chili powder if you prefer a seasoned flavor.

I served it with Strawberry beet puffs from Lesser Evil.

10. Masla Corn with Bean Spread Toast

Masala Corn Recipe

• Add steamed corn to the bowl.
• Drizzle some melted butter over it.
• Mix in a dash of chaat masala, cayenne pepper, salt, and lemon juice.

Bean Spread Toast

• Mash some cooked beans in a bowl.
• Drizzle olive oil over them.
• Mix in salt and freshly ground pepper to taste.
• Add lemon juice.
• I sprinkle some balsamic vinaigrette when making it for myself.