Quick & easy snack ideas for toddlers & preschoolers

Toddlers and preschoolers are always in so much of a hurry!

So when it comes to snacks, you want things that are easy to prepare and ready to eat before they get restless. Food that’s convenient yet still nutritious and fun.

Check out these quick and easy snack ideas your toddler or preschooler will love.
 

Quick & easy snack ideas for toddlers & preschoolers

 

Bananas

 

• Bananas are a great snack when you’re pushed for time. They’re healthy, super easy to prepare and kids love them.

 

• Plus they’re plentiful and relatively cheap all year round.

 

• In summer you can make banana ice blocks by simply putting a peeled banana on a stick and freezing it in an airtight container.

 

• Why not add them to a sandwich with peanut butter too?

 

Banana muffins

 

• When bananas start to go brown, put them straight into the freezer. That way they won’t go to waste and you’ll have some on-hand when you have time to cook.

 

• Mash a couple of bananas up and mix them into a basic muffin mix with a handful of choc chips.

 

• Banana muffins freeze well so make a big batch in advance.

 

Cheese

 

• Pre-packaged cheese snacks can contain a lot more saturated fat than you’re looking for. So why not buy a block of low-fat cheese and cut it into slices yourself?

 

• For added fun you can use biscuit cutters to trim the slices into different shapes for your toddler or preschooler.

 

• Serve them cheese snacks with vegie sticks and a few whole grain crackers.

 

• Or why not try vegemite on toast topped with grated cheese?

 

Fresh fruit

 

• When buying fresh fruit, keep an eye on what’s in season. Not only will it be cheaper, but buying different types of fruit will also encourage your toddler or preschooler to try new things.

 

• Look out for oranges, apples, kiwifruit, strawberries, mandarins, melons and pineapple. Grapes are a good choice too and easy for little fingers to pick up.

 

Healthy sundaes

 

• Serve natural yoghurt in a cup or glass and top it with a crushed digestive biscuit and a drizzle of honey.

 

• This healthy sundae is a real treat for your toddler or preschooler, and you can jazz it up with some frozen berries, chopped banana, even passionfruit or pomegranate seeds.

 

Peanut butter & celery sticks

 

• Spread a little peanut butter (or nut-free alternative) onto a stick of celery. It makes for a tasty combination for your toddler or preschooler .

 

• If you don’t have celery to hand, try using carrot sticks, capsicum sticks or cucumber sticks instead.

 

Popcorn

 

• Dried corn kernels are cheap and keep for ages in the cupboard. Toddlers and preschoolers love listening to the kernels pop in the microwave or in a saucepan on the stove. Done right, popcorn is a really healthy option.

 

• Instead of butter to coat the popcorn try stirring through some parmesan cheese or ground cinnamon for a different flavour.

 

Vegetables

 

• Love them or hate them, toddlers and preschoolers still need to eat vegetables. Try cutting up a few different  ones (cucumber, carrot, capsicum, tomato) and serve them on a platter.

 

• Hunger is a great way to combat fussiness. Knowing they’ve already got some green and healthy things inside them will put less pressure on everyone when it comes to meal times.

 

Whole grain crackers

 

• Whole grain crackers are a good choice for toddlers and preschoolers and the perfect base for cheese, peanut butter, vegemite and other healthy options.

Yoghurt

 

• Try buying Greek, plain or natural yoghurt for your kids and add some frozen berries to it.  As the berries start to defrost they will sweeten the yoghurt enough that they’ll love it.

 

• Try to avoid giving your little one kids yoghurts which are full of sugars and thickeners. Check the label to make sure the yoghurt's not doing more harm than good.

 
More kids food articles to enjoy:

• Healthy snack ideas for kids on the go
• Are kids yoghurts doing more harm than good?
• Birthday party food ideas

^{Image source: anjomaneayat.mihanblog.com}