Snacks for Toddlers

Parents of toddlers often wonder: Is my child getting enough to eat? It’s an understandable concern, but offering healthy snacks can help ensure that the answer is yes.

Some kids at this age may seem too busy exploring the world to slow down and eat. Others may be fickle about food or refuse to eat what's served at mealtime. Toddlers need about 1,000 to 1,200 calories a day, but often don’t eat a lot at one sitting. That’s where snacks come in.

Healthy, well-timed snacks can help balance out an uneven diet, tiding toddlers over between meals and keeping them from getting so hungry that they become cranky. And you boost the intake of nutrients your toddler needs to be healthy when you serve fruits, veggies, whole grains, protein, and calcium-rich foods.

Most toddlers do well with three meals and two or three snacks a day — perhaps mid-morning, mid-afternoon, and again after dinner, if necessary. Follow these three steps to incorporate nutritious snacks into your child’s diet.

1. Decide what’s an appropriate snack.

The influence you have on your child’s eating patterns may never be stronger than it is right now. Toddlers can’t run out to the store for candy and chips. They’ll eat what’s served to them and ask for what they know is in the cabinet. Take this opportunity to set the stage right.

Stock up on healthy treats. Choose fresh foods that are high in nutrients (vitamins, minerals, protein, and fiber) and try to avoid prepackaged, processed ones, which tend to be high in sugar, salt, and fat. If your child goes to child care, ask what kinds of snacks are served there. If you don’t approve, consider suggesting a healthier snack menu. If your suggestion isn’t welcomed, send in your own snacks for your child, even if it means a bit of extra planning the night before.

Sometimes nutritious snacks are more work, but not always. There are plenty of healthy, no-hassle snacks out there. Toddlers should be feeding themselves, so think simple, finger-friendly, bite-size foods like:

• low-sugar breakfast cereals
• fresh fruit thinly sliced or cut into small pieces
• whole-grain crackers and mini-muffins
• cheese cut into thin slices or shredded

Think small portions, too. Adults tend to overestimate the amount of food children need to eat, but the recommended serving size for a toddler’s snack is actually quite small: 1/2 cup (118 ml) dry cereal and 1/2 cup (118 ml) milk (serve low-fat if your child is over 2 years old) make a fine mid-morning snack, just as a banana and 1/2 cup (118 ml) milk are great in the mid-afternoon. Not only are small portions less overwhelming for a picky eater, but they also help prevent an avid eater from overdoing it at snack time.

2. Stick to a snack schedule.

Children do better with routine, so try to serve snacks and meals at approximately the same time every day. That way your child will always know what to expect.

Feeling the sensation of being full and then hungry again a few hours later teaches your child to respond to internal hunger cues — and knowing when to eat and, more important, when to stop is vital to maintaining a healthy weight. If allowed to graze all day without a schedule, kids may lose the ability to detect their own hunger and fullness, which can make them more likely to overeat.