TWENTY HEALTHY HOME-MADE SNACKS FOR BABIES AND TODDLERS

Snacks, from common knowledge, are regarded as small amounts of food eaten between meals. It concerns both children and adults. But it is important to note that snacks are a necessity to a child’s everyday life, and the quality and intake quantity also matter a lot because you do not want to end up giving your baby snacks that are full of chemicals, which may be harmful to your child’s health. As a rule of thumb, toddlers/children are supposed to have three main meals and two snacks daily. Did you know this? Should in case you aren’t keeping up with this requirement before now, you do not have to worry about it, but you should promise to fulfill it, going forward, if you truly care about the health and growth of your kid. It is important to note that your baby and toddler should snack in-between meals to avoid loading them with heavy meals all through the day.  

Lest I forget to mention, there are many benefits of snacking, especially for our children/kids/toddlers: (1) it allows you to introduce healthy food that your baby wouldn’t have loved to eat if you added it directly to his/her main meal like a vegetable. (2) It helps to introduce snacks with healthy nutritional values that could not easily be found in some of your baby’s regular meals. (3) It is easily consumable by your baby even without heating/boiling some of them. I can go on and on to expand the list. 

One amazing thing that I love about most of these snacks, which am going to introduce here, is that they are easier and quicker to prepare and package. If you are looking for something to package for your pre-scholars or babies whenever you are taking them out to the playground, then search no more. It was a serious issue to me until I discovered the way out. So, keep calm and follow the instructions set out below. 

Oftentimes, I usually prepare my baby’s snacks at home instead of buying them at the local stores because they are healthier and cheaper to DIY. For those of you who have been following my blog, you would attest to the fact that I do not joke with what my baby eats because I want him to get all the nutritional health benefits that he could get from his foods to grow well and meet his milestones. Note: lack of balanced diets could make a child fall ill, and poorer eating habits could also cause harm to the child. As parents, we ought to be very careful about what our children eat. So, I am convinced that every parent reading this piece would go back and correct certain food mistakes for their kids. 

Kindly read on to discover and also learn more about some yummy snacks for the sake of your child’s health. I have listed below some healthy snacks your kids might like: 

1.     Sweet potato fries 

2.     Hummus and carrot sticks  

3.     Melon and watermelon balls 

4.     Sandwich made up of apple and peanut butter 

5.     Avocado toast 

6.     Peanut butter toast 

7.     Fruit smoothies 

8.     Blueberry yogurt bites (Frozen) 

9.     Banana boats 

10.  Chocolate-covered Strawberry 

11.  Rice cake with fresh fruit using Nutella or peanut butter 

12.  Tangerine covered with chocolate 

13.   Peanut butter apple Nachos   

14.  Popcorn 

15.  A piece of fruit 

16.  Banana oat cookies 

17.  Cheese 

18.  Hard-boiled egg 

19.  Nut 

20.  Oatmeal 

This list is not exhaustive. It can go on and on. But I would take the time to explain how to prepare the ones I have listed. However, if you have specific ones which are not on this list that you would like me to help you with, kindly leave your comments below. I can even write other contents to address your concerns or address them privately with you. Meanwhile, let us look in detail at the ones I have listed and get down to addressing how to prepare them. 

Sweet potato fries 

This is a good snack for babies including toddlers and adults. Apart from the fact that it is easy to prepare, sweet potatoes are known to contain a good amount of beta-carotene that is converted by the body to vitamin A which in turn contributes to good vision and smooth skin. It is needed for your baby’s growth. 

Sweet potatoes could be prepared by either baking in ovens or direct frying with cookers. Whichever one works best for you, stick to it. Most people prefer baking it in the ovens for oil reduction. 

Steps in making oven-baked sweet potato fries 

1.   Preheat your oven to 400-degree Fahrenheit. 

2. Wash and peel the skin off your sweet potato if you do not want the skin 

3. Cut them into sizes and shapes that your baby can easily pick 

4. Toss with coconut or olive oil and a pinch of salt and leave it in your server for a few minutes until the water is fully drained 

5. Grab your baking tray, spread the baking sheet, and pour your chips into the tray. 

6. Roast for about 25 to 30 minutes until they are crispy and tender 

7. Wait for it to cool down before offering them to your child 

Steps in making sweet potato fries using frying pans 

1. Wash and peel the skin off your sweet potato if you do not want the skin 

2. Put your frying pan with oil on fire (on low heat) for it to heat up 

3.  Cut them into sizes and shapes that your baby can easily grab 

4. Toss the chips with a pinch of salt and leave it in your server for a few minutes for the water to drain a bit 

5. By this time, your oil is hot enough 

6. Go ahead and put your chips in the hot oil and allow them for some seconds (maybe 30 seconds) before turning it 

7. Endeavour to allow it to get to a golden-brown colour before bringing them out and place on your dry sever or paper towel. 

8. Allow the remaining oil to drain out before serving it to your baby. 

Hummus and Carrot sticks 

This is another delicious and healthy snack for your little one, especially if he/she isn’t a fan of carrots. Combining carrots stick with hummus gives it another sweet flavour that would make your child want to have it more and more. This is also easy to make. All you need to do is to blend all your ingredients together, excluding your carrot, and your snack is ready. 

Ingredient needed (for up to 6 times serving) 

–       ¼ teaspoon ground cumin 

–       7 baby carrot 

–       1 small glove garlic 

–       400 g of chickpeas 

–       ¼ cup of coconut/olive oil 

–       ½ teaspoon of kosher salt 

–       ½ of juiced lemon 

Steps in preparing Hummus and carrot sticks 

1. Start by pouring your lemon juice, oil, chickpeas, cumin, garlic, and salt into your blender or food processor to mix and blend well until it’s smooth enough 

2. Get a bowel and transfer your hummus into it and seal it 

3. Wash, peel, and cut the carrots into shapes your baby can easily grab (if your baby is under 2years, cook the carrot to be soft for him/her to be able to chew well and for easy digestion) 

4. Pour some hummus and carrot that your baby can finish into his/her plate and serve 

5. You could store the remaining ones in your fridge for up to a week 

 Melon and watermelon balls(skewered) 

Many babies love melon and watermelon because they are naturally sweet and easy to chew. Is your baby a melon and watermelon lover? then this is going to be very easy for you because it doesn’t involve any steaming or blending. Preparation is straightforward. Making it in form of a ball is a way to attract your little ones since they fancy shapes and colours. But be mindful of the quantity that you offer to your child so that you do not blow up his/her tummy with liquid. Remember, the melon family is full of water. 

Here are a few steps of making your melon and watermelon balls 

1. Grab your melon/watermelon to wash 

2. Cut them open and use a melon/watermelon baller to scoop them out into a bowl 

3. Use toothpicks to pin on the balls and serve them to your child 

4. If your kids are below two, always supervise them while eating to avoid a preventable hazard as they may not know how to use the toothpicks 

Sandwich made up of apple and peanut butter 

Here is another amazing fruit combination that you need to try for your baby. It’s equally easy and simple to prepare and doesn’t involve any steaming. If your child is prone to peanut allergy, you could replace the peanut butter with raw tahini, sunflower with seed butter, or pumpkin seed butter. 

 How to prepare Sandwiches made up of apple and peanut butter 

1. Pick your apple, wash, and slice it into rounds using your cookie cutter 

2. Get rid of the seeds and core 

3. Spread peanut butter on each ring 

4. Place another ring on top to form a sandwich and serve your child 

Avocado toast 

If you haven’t tried this recipe for your child before, it would be a good time now because it is just so wonderful. It is filled with lots of nutritious value, and it is very quick to prepare. 

Here is how to get it done 

1. Get some multi-grain bread of your choice into the toaster to toast 

2. While waiting for your bread to be ready, quickly get your ripe avocado and wash 

3. Cut your avocado, remove the seed, and scoop the butter into a bowl and mash properly 

4. By this time, your bread should be ready. Get them out and cut them into strips that your baby can easily pick up 

5. Put your mashed avocado on it and top it with cherry tomatoes to serve your baby if he/she also like tomatoes 

Peanut butter toast 

Before offering anything nut to your child, always put into consideration if your child is allergic to it or not. If he/she is, then you would have to substitute it with something else. This could be served to babies that are up to eight months as finger food and even older children 

 Steps to preparing the peanut butter toast 

1. Get some multi-grain bread of your choice into the toaster to toast 

2. When your bread is ready, get them out and cut them into strips that your little one could easily pick up 

3. Spread your peanut butter on the toasted bread and serve your child 

Fruit smoothies 

This is my son’s favourite, so I usually prepare it at least twice weekly. I have also tried this out with a few other babies around me and the results are also lovely. This recipe is exceptionally good, especially during the summer period. You could combine a variety of fruits that your baby likes with yogurt to make any smoothie of your choice. This is recommended for children that are up to seven months and beyond 

How to prepare blueberry and strawberry smoothie 

1. Pick up your blender and scoop some amount of yogurt into it 

2. Wash your blueberries, strawberries and add them to your blender alongside with banana 

3. You may add a small amount of watermelon to blend if you wish 

4. Pour your smoothie into your baby’s cup and serve 

Blueberry yogurt bites (Frozen) 

Many toddlers enjoy taking this because it’s unique and fun. They equally enjoy the melting process in their mouth 

Steps to preparing it 

1.  Grab your blueberries, wash and dry them up 

2. Get your parched-lined baking sheet ready 

3. Coat your blueberries in yogurt and transfer them to your baking sheet 

4. Put the baking sheet into your oven and freeze for about an hour before serving your child 

Banana boats 

Here is another fascinating snack that many toddlers love. As we all know, banana is sweet and healthy on its own, so adding almond butter and honey to it makes it so unusual but still wonderful to taste. This is preferably for toddlers but you could still slice it smaller to give the ordinary ripe banana without honey to babies that are eight months old and beyond as finger food. 

 To prepare this recipe do the following   

1.  Pick your ripe banana, peel it, and slice in half lengthwise 

2. Spread your almond butter, honey, and shredded coconut on it and serve your child 

 Chocolate-covered Strawberry 

Some children do not like eating strawberries because of their sour taste. If your child belongs to this category, then this recipe might be a good option to see if he/she would accept it. In other ways, this recipe is like a trick for children that do not like strawberry but chocolate. So, here you use the chocolate to lure them into eating the strawberry. Apart from that, chocolate and strawberry are good combinations for children as it has a whole lot of nutritional values to benefit from. 

 Steps in making Chocolate-covered Strawberry 

1. Pick the number of strawberries that you want to use, run them through the tap, and remove the leaf from them 

2. Dry them up 

3. Melt your bittersweet chocolate in the microwave step by step 

4. Scoop some amount of chocolate and pop it for about 60 seconds, and take it out 

5. Mix the chocolate and add it back to the microwave for another 20-25 seconds until it is smooth enough 

6. Dip each strawberry in the melted chocolate 

7. Place all of them in parchment paper and refrigerate them for about 10 mins for the melted chocolate to turn solid and serve your child 

 Rice cake with fresh fruit using Nutella or peanut butter 

Rice cakes are equally good for children. I usually love to go for the brown rice crackers  

Easy steps 

1. Pick your strawberries, wash them over the tap and slice them 

2. Open your brown rice crackers and spread your Nutella on it and top it with your strawberries and serve your child 

 Tangerine covered with chocolate 

Tangerine is a sweet fruit that is rich in vitamin C and other minerals that are good for your baby’s health. Combining it with chocolate is what makes it fun for children.  

Steps in making Chocolate-covered tangerine 

1.  Pick the number of tangerines that you want to use, run them through the tap and peel the back. Separate them afterwards 

2. Melt your bittersweet chocolate in the microwave step by step 

3. Scoop some amount of chocolate and pop it for about 60 seconds, and take it out 

4. Mix the chocolate and add it back to the microwave for another 20-25 seconds until it is smooth enough 

5. Dip each tangerine in the melted chocolate 

6. Place all of them in parchment paper and refrigerate them for about 10mins for the melted chocolate to turn solid and serve your child 

 Peanut butter apple Nachos   

Steps involve 

1. Grab your apple, wash and slice into wedges 

2. Drizzle warm peanut butter 

3.  Top with dried cranberries, granola, and serve 

 Popcorn 

Popcorns are also healthy snacks and easy to prepare. Most popcorn seeds usually come with their instructions. So, follow the instructions on the menu to achieve the best result. However, you have to be careful and supervise when giving popcorn to younger children as it could lead to choking hazards. 

 Fruit 

It doesn’t necessarily have to do with the combination of peanut butter, Nutella, almond butter, and the rest for your baby to be able to snack with fruit. You could offer your child a ripe fruit or combination of fruits of your choice for him/her to snack with. This also includes babies that are up to eight months and older children.

 

Banana oat cookies 

Is your child a lover of cookies? Oh yea, so many children equally love cookies, especially the sweet ones. The good thing about these particular cookies is that there is no added refined sugar, rather, it derives its sweetness from the ripe mashed banana. Banana is a healthy fruit while oat is equally healthy for both adults and children too. The combination of both is mind-blowing and very fulfilling in terms of satisfaction. To achieve this, you need about five ingredients. 

Ingredients for making Banana oat cookies 

1. 2 cups of rolled oats 

2. 1/3 cup of coconut or olive oil 

3. 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract 

4. ½ cup of dried fruit or mini chocolate chips 

5. 3 ripe mashed bananas 

Here are quick steps to preparing your banana oat cookies 

1. Preheat your oven at 350-degree Fahrenheit which is equivalent to 175 degrees Celsius 

2. Choose a bowel and combined all measured ingredients 

3. Mix them to combine well 

4. Grab your baking sheet 

5. Scoop your cookies mixture to the sheet 

6. Place them in the oven to bake for 15-20 min 

 Cheese 

Cheese!!! Cheese!! Cheese! Yea, it’s a good source of calcium, protein, and fat which your kids need a dozen of it for their growth. The process of making cheese at home from the scratch is really so tasking, time-consuming and would need other equipment to process it. So, it’s okay to grab a good one from the store 

 Hard-boiled egg 

Eggs shouldn’t be missing in your child’s meal plan. It’s a great snack idea that you might not have even thought about. Eggs are high in protein and they contain some amount of vitamin B12, selenium, riboflavin, omega-3 fatty, and other vitamins, which are healthy for your child’s proper growth.   

Also, eggs contain a good amount of choline that helps in brain development. This vitamin is only found in few food sources, and good enough, egg happens to be one of them, which is why you need to maximize it. Always remember to cook your hard boil egg properly. Always watch out for food allergies since egg causes allergy in some kids. 

 Nut 

Nuts are exceptionally rich in antioxidants, healthy fats, and fibre, which are necessary for your baby’s growth. Most importantly, always supervise whenever you are offering nuts to your children due to choking hazards. Don’t forget to watch out for allergies because some children do react to nut allergies. 

 Oatmeal 

 Oatmeal is a great idea for breakfast and snacks. Oatmeal is rich in fibre. calcium and protein are added advantages if you use milk in place of water. You may also chop your apple or any other sweet fruit for natural sweetness, additional nutrient and different taste.   

To this end, I am excited that you read through the content. Try the ones you would like to, and leave your experiences in the comment section. Endeavor to constantly visit our blog for other fresh editions of baby recipes. Also, you should let us know if you have other specific requests that you would like us to address.