QUICK AND HEALTHY SNACKS FOR YOUR TODDLER

Toddler development is the stage where children start to learn more about their surroundings and themselves through exploration. Coupled with this is a seemingly bottomless well of energy represented by a big appetite. It’s because of this, we parents often find ourselves stocking up on random snacks in order to provide for our hungry little tykes.

Sadly, more often than not we tend to buy these snacks at the grocery on a whim, not exactly checking the nutritional content, more focused on convenience. It’s true that preparing nutritional food is time-consuming and with toddlers, it becomes tedious to come up with a new menu all the time. Since snack time is almost all the time, give yourself a break because there’s no need to put too much effort in preparing healthy toddler snacks at all, if you just know the right food to give.

Here are 5 of the healthiest toddler snacks you can easily get your hands on that require no preparation whatsoever. You won’t sacrifice your child’s health in any way either.

Fresh Fruits

It’s often overlooked but fresh fruit is, in fact, succulent with vitamins and minerals. You can serve sliced and seeded fruit in a bowl to give your toddler a colorful mix to enjoy. Finger foods are a delicacy for toddlers and fruit bits are highly attractive.

Strawberries, Papaya, Mangoes and citrus fruits are rich in Vitamin C. Fruits are also low in calories and is best to give in the afternoon or evening. It will provide your little one energy for his playtime, leaving enough space in his tummy for dinner.

Cheese Bits
A good alternative to the bottle would be occasionally letting your toddler snack on cheese. You can chop or slice them into whatever shape your little ones might enjoy and the consumption is sure to take place.

As we all know, cheese primarily contains milk and that is the source of calcium to promote healthy bones and teeth. For an even healthier take, do invest in cheese that has lower fat content if your child is above 2 years old. At that age, they no longer need the extra fat.

Vegetable Sticks
It is obvious how vegetables can play a big role in helping develop your child’s brain development. They are also great in keeping sickness in children at bay. Potatoes, for example, are high in alkaline sugars.

This helps reduce the acidity in the body which often causes toddlers to lose appetite. Mashed vegetables are the easiest to make and the easiest to digest for your little one. Potatoes and Squash are the most popular among toddler but you can also mash other vegetables such as Cauliflower, Sweet Potato, and Yam.

These vegetables are rich in Vitamin A that promote good eyesight. You can add salt or sugar for seasoning and baby biscuits at the side for texture.

Cereals and Baby Biscuits
Sometimes your toddler will just want to munch on something to work their growing teeth. Cereals and baby biscuits are the healthiest quick and convenient snacks you can get off the shelf. While it’s not as fresh as the other foods on this list, these food are equipped with nutrients designed for the development of small children.

Pick out baby biscuits that are rich in Protein, Carbohydrate, Folate, Vitamin A, and C which are the most essential to a toddler’s growth. It is also best to choose whole grain cereals which are richer in Folate; a B-Vitamin that is essential in the growth of young children’s cells. Lack of this particular nutrient can cause anemia so it is best to provide food high in folate which brings the next snack.

You may combine biscuits with cheese or butter. Putting whole grain cereals in a bowl with fruits would also make for a new combination to prevent your little one from getting bored or picky with the food.

Beans and Egg
Kidney beans, lentils, chickpeas and black beans are excellent sources of protein and are high in fiber, which makes them healthy substitutes for meat. There are many ways to serve beans as snacks. You can mash, cook or puree them into a sandwich bread. Most commonly, beans are handy finger foods.
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It takes 2-4 minutes to boil an egg and much like beans it is rich in folate and protein. It also contains Vitamin B-12, which supports the health of the nervous system. Boiled eggs can be enjoyable for your toddler, especially since there are two textures to explore. The chewy, almost gummy white exterior and the crumbling yellow interior. Be sure to add a small amount of salt when needed.