Many of you have been asking me for healthy toddler snack ideas and general tips for feeding children (to keep them healthy!) so this is my inspiration for today’s blog!
I honestly consider myself more of an “adult” nutrition expert, and only an apprentice when it comes to most things baby/children related, but I’ve realized that for the overall picture, it’s not that different! I’ve been happily surprised to realize that little kids can eat much of what we eat, and its often the best choice, too. The main difference to keep in mind is that children are GROWING at a rapid rate and need more carbs (vs. adults especially those trying to lose weight!). Also, kids benefit from eating all food groups and as much variety as possible (excluding allergies if present). Otherwise, my philosophy with adults applies mostly to children too, which is as follows:
MY HOLISTIC NUTRITION GUIDELINES FOR KIDS (AND ADULTS):
Eat mostly real, unprocessed. homemade meals based on WHOLE foods (limit most processed packaged foods as much as possible, and when buying packed foods, READ INGREDIENTS)
Be careful with added sugars (again, read ingredients to avoid added sugars)
Focus on BALANCED meals, including some of each food group (protein, healthy fats and heatlhy carbs with fiber) in every meal
Eat the rainbow! Focus on NUTRIENT-dense foods, including a variety of colorful vegetables and fruits (always together with some protein, health carbs and healthy fats) *usually, the more varied our diet (especially the more variety of plants we eat) he better for our gut health (as long as we don’t have food sensitivities)
Prioritize vegetables and FIBER– for healthy digestion and blood sugar balance
Remember the law of BIO-INDIVIDUALITY; each person is different! Pay attention to what your child tends to enjoy, what makes him feel good, what makes him be in a good mood and sleep well (vs what gives them tummy aches, constipation or loose stools, or what makes them irritable or hyper ….)
Avoid extremes and be careful not to foster eating disorders or negative relationship to food. Food is great and helps us grow, gives us energy, gives us vitality…and we should enjoy eating our food. This is key for both children and adults. Focus on INCLUDING more vegetables instead of EXCLUSING food groups (except in the case of allergies or food sensitivities when it is important to avoid or minimize depending on degree of sensitivity)
Include vegetables daily. For picky eaters I know its hard, but find
And lets not forget added holistic nutrition recommendations, equally as important:
Drink lots of water all day long (prioritize water over juices or anything else)
Spend time outdoors (get your kids to do exercise and play outside a lot)
Prioritize sleep, with a proper consistent night routine and getting age-adequate hours of sleep as regularly as possible
Plus, a couple tips for feeding your kids:
I personally believe in observing and honoring each baby’s own hunger cues. Generally a toddler eats 3 meals plus 2 snacks, but if its “snack time” and your child isn’t hungry, don’t force it
If your baby is under 1.5, get informed on choking hazards and ways to feed new foods to your child in a safe way (without freaking out; try to experiment and observe). I highly recommend that IG account Solid Starts
In general, try to minimize foods that are very salty (like most potato chips) or too sweet (like most candy bars or cookies etc. with added sugars) but experiment different flavors with different herbs/spices etc. since they are young; you never know what they’ll love. I was surprised to learn that while my daughter (since she’s 1 year old) hates pepper, but enjoys curry and moderate-spicy chili!
Now, with that all being said, here are a list of HEALTHY snacks for your babies, toddlers and kids:
15 HEALTHY SNACKS FOR TODDLERS AND KIDS
NOTES
I’m FIRST sharing my favorite homemade (un-packaged) snack options as these should be your first option - as they’re made from real, whole foods, contain generally less ingredients, no added sugars nor sodium, additives nor preservatives, and will expose your kids to a wide variety of tastes and textures from nature. Plus they’re generally cost effective, and most require very little preparation.
These first 15 options are things I make at home, which are all naturally FREE of soy, refined sugar and gluten, BUT some of them do contain dairy, nuts and eggs; however it’s easy to modify swapping dairy for non-dairy options (there are tons, ex. coconut yogurt instead of Greek yogurt, or almond milk instead of cows milk, but be careful to read ingredients, you generally want MINIMAL ingredients and no additives if possible, using “vegan flax eggs” instead of normal eggs, and using seeds instead of nuts – in the case of allergies.
Banana bread. See my RECIPE here. Notes: option to switch eggs for ”flax eggs” if vegan or allergic), option to omit honey or replace with organic maple syrup or coconut sugar (important for babies under 1 to avoid honey)
Energy balls See my RECIPE here. I usually make them with oats, dates, peanut or almond butter, and then optional add-ins such as chia seeds, other nut butters, and maybe dark chocolate chips – you can opt for allergy friendly like enjoy life).
Hummus (or cashew vegan cheese spread) with celery and carrot sticks
Yogurt with almond butter (and optional, blueberries and/or raisins) *I use my vegan coconut milk yogurt or unflavored plain Greek yogurt
String cheese and turkey slices (look for organic if possible!) and a bit of berries or sliced apple
Sliced fruit (apple, pear, guayaba or banana) with peanut butter or almond butter
Small portion of a green smoothie (I make these a lot! Basic recipe includes: a handful of spinach, banana, peanut or almond butter, almond milk, chia and/or flax seeds, and I’ll sometimes add a little bit of vanilla protein powder – preferably one with few ingredients like Truvani or ALOHA).
Healthy popsicles (I use yogurt (vegan or Greek, plain), banana, berries, almond milk – optional add ins like chia, nut butters, vanilla protein,..)
Chia pudding (small portion). See my RECIPE here.
Overnight oats (small portion). See my RECIPE here.
Small slice of bread with nut butter and sliced strawberries or banana (preferably organic whole wheat bread, ezekiel, or I my homemade seed bread)
Small slice of bread (or seed crackers) with mashed avocado (option to add sliced tomato and sea salt)
Homemade banana oat pancakes – I usually make these with organic rolled oats, 1 banana, 1 egg or a flax egg, splash of almond milk and a pinch of cinnamon. I don’t add any sweetener, but you can add a pinch of honey if you feel you need it.
Tortilla (or bread, or seed crackers) with melted cheese or spreadable cheese (i also use my cashew vegan cheese!). Option to add turkey or ham, too.
Leftovers from lunch or dinner! This is often of the best snacks, just a small portion of leftover meal (and a great way to get rid of leftovers!)
PLUS, 8 HEALTHY PACKAGED ON-THE-GO SNACKS FOR TODDLERS & KIDS:
Happy Tot fiber and protein bars and Happy Tot Super Foods bars
Serenity Kids organic food pouches (from my research these are the highest quality ingredients of all baby pouches, and super nutritious!)
Happy baby super food puffs and Happy baby organic teether crackers
Qunno bars (in Nicaragua, well sell them in Balance Market!)
RXBar (high protein bar – for adults and kids!)
There you have it… TONS of healthy snacks to add to your go-to list for your children (and for you, too!).
Remember to focus on my general health tips (print them out and keep them handy; just keeping them in mind will help when making decisions), and when possible, go for the homemade snacks made from real, whole foods (buy organic ingredients when possible) as these unpackaged snacks will generally be healthier and cheaper!