Top 10 Snack Ideas for Toddlers
A toddlers body needs food as fuel - in moderate
doses throughout the day so that the body is well fed.
Having four or five 'mini-meals'
daily helps children overcome
food cravings and maintain
healthy weight.
Note that the snack foods should not be high in sugar or fat so
as to avoid cavities in their teeth and un wanted
weight gain. Choose foods that appeal in taste and appearance.
If the
snack does not look good, it is likely not to be eaten. Lot of
this depends on YOU! Children will mimic you (act as you act) so be
careful with words and facial expressions.
Fruity
Dips- Cut small, bite-sized pieces of fruit and serve with a
dipping sauce. Greek yogurt is a healthy
low-fat option that can be flavored to make it more appealing.
You can add nut butter, mint and vanilla, depending upon your
child's taste. Consider adding honey and cinnamon for dipping
apples.
Kebabs
or rolls- are their favourite- thread alternate pieces of
grilled potato, cooked soya granules, lean ham, cucumber, cheese and
cherry tomatoes onto toothpicks.
Mini
pizzas- spread tomato paste or spaghetti sauce onto a toasted
brown bread, sprinkle with shredded mozzarella cheese and any other
toppings you like. Heat in the broiler for a minute or two until
cheese is bubbly.
Rice
cakes - Use leftover cooked rice to make homemade rice snacks,
if possible. Mold into shapes while cool and pan fry them. For
pan-fried rice
snacks, gently shape the rice mixture into patties about 1/2
inch thick. If the snacks are too thick, the outside will burn
before the inside heats through. Serve plain with cheese or spread
with peanut butter or Nutella (chocolate and hazelnut spread). Ready
to eat rice cakes come in many varieties and flavors.
Pasta-
is a fabulous source of complex carbohydrates. Pick some in your
child's favorite shape, and cook up a batch to keep in the
refrigerator. At snacktime, microwave a half-cup serving tossed with
veggies or cooked chicken and jarred tomato sauce. Our easy
protein and
fiber-rich penne has only four ingredients and is done in 20
minutes.
Banana
Smoothie- A deliciously healthy snack, this smoothie is
full of bananas, honey, yoghurt with just a hint of cinnamon that
makes it more-relish. It's
breakfast in a glass and a great way to have a meal on the run.
Place all ingredients in a blender making sure that the honey is the
last ingredient added. Blend until all ingredients are smooth. Serve
in a glass with a shake of cinnamon on top and a slice of banana to
garnish. Smoothies can be flavored to simulate milkshakes by adding
vanilla and sweetener to the mix.
Fancy
Sandwiches- cut bread into shapes with cookie cutters and spread
with favorite toppings (meat, cheese, peanut butter, etc.).
Skip packaged deli meats, which are high in sodium, and use leftover
chicken or turkey. Use meat or boiled egg to add protein and iron to
the sandwich with less salt. Add a slice of cheese for a good dose
of bone-building calcium. Top with fresh vegetables, such as
tomatoes, lettuce, cucumber slices and avocado, to add fiber,
vitamin A and potassium to the sandwich. Spread whole-wheat bread
with reduced-fat cream cheese and top with sliced strawberries for a
sandwich that supplies calcium, protein and vitamin C.
Roll-Up
Salad- Spread a cabbage or lettuce leaf with peanut butter.
Place a celery or carrot stick in the middle and roll up the leaf.
Dried
fruit (apricots, prunes, figs)- Dried raisins,
cranberries, plums, mangos and other tropical fruits are sweet like
candy. Due to their natural
sugar content, serve them in moderation but definitely in place
of processed sweets.
Soupy
Options- Tomato alphabet soup is an healthy option
with butter, chopped onion, carrot, celery, vegetable broth, dried
basil, black pepper tomatoes and cooked alphabet pasta with
reduced-fat milk. How to prepare: Melt the butter
in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion, carrot, and celery;
saute 4 minutes or until tender. Add broth, basil, pepper, and
tomatoes, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer 15 minutes. Stir
in 1/2 cup pasta. Remove from heat; let stand 5 minutes. Place half
of tomato mixture in a blender, and process until smooth. Pour
pureed soup into a large bowl. Return pureed soup to pan; stir in
remaining pasta and milk. Cook over medium-high heat 2 minutes or
until thoroughly heated, stirring frequently (do not boil). Serve
warm.
Plan the snacks around regular meal schedules. Snacks need not and should not interfere with or dull the appetite.
For more
Listen To Podcast
