When Jackson turned one and we began to shift his eating schedule towards less milk and even more solids, I felt so overwhelmed by all of the options. How often were we supposed to feed him? All of the recommendations said three meals and two snacks a day… what would we feed him for a snack? I spent a good two weeks researching everything I possibly could and totally freaking out before I just dove in and started to figure it out. We’re a good two and-a-half months in to the new feeding schedule and I definitely feel like we’ve got the hang of it now. Here’s what a typical day of food looks like for Jackson:
6:15 – Breakfast, glass of milk
10:30 – Snack
12:00 – Lunch
3:00 – Snack
4:45 – Glass of milk, small snack
5:30 – Dinner
So, what do we feed him for snack? It took us a while to come up with a good assortment of healthy snacks that were easy to put together, but I think we’re finally there. Here are eight of our favorite snacks that are easy to grab-and-go for Jackson on weekdays:
1: Fruit! This is a no-brainer, but Jackson absolutely loves fruit and I try to make sure that one of his snacks every day is some sort of fruit. Right now he’s on a huge berry kick (blackberries and blueberries are his favorite) and he’ll almost never turn down a clementine orange.
3: Pouches – Jackson stopped eating pouches for meals a while ago, but we still grab them at the grocery store to send for a quick and easy snack. I tend to buy the applesauce pouches that are in the canned fruit aisle (rather than the baby food pouches), but have bought either depending on what’s on sale. He’s still a big fan of the pouch as a quick snack, and I love it as a way to get some extra fruits and veggies in his diet!
4: Jack & Emma yogurt bites – We were a little freaked out by these snacks the first time we bought them, and to this day we joke that they look like hamster food, but we can’t deny that they’re tasty! Jackson loves these as a special treat (I typically pack a few of them as a snack with something else that’s a bit more filling) and I have to agree that they’re surprisingly delicious!
5: Puffs – Of course, the old standby, we can’t resist the puffs! These are one of Jackson’s favorite snacks still at 14 months old and I don’t see him getting sick of them anytime soon. We tried to switch him over to Cheerios a few months ago but he was not fooled – apparently the cereal is no substitute for the real thing! I’ve bought almost every different brand at our grocery store, and he doesn’t seem to be particular, so I’ll usually buy whatever is on sale. These are really easy to toss in a container and go, and they’re always a hit with him. They have almost zero nutritional value, but they’re perfect for days where I’ve packed him a bigger lunch and I know he won’t be hungry for a snack but will still want one as a part of the routine. Plus, they’re great for fine motor practice!
6: Gerber Graduates Lil’ Twists – My dad stole one of these recently when we were out with Jackson and couldn’t get over how how good they are! He joked with my mom that she’ll have to start buying them for him… I don’t blame him -they’re tasty! These aren’t one of the healthiest snacks we get for J, but it’s a super easy snack to toss in a container on a day where we’re running late!
7: Granola – I grabbed some granola clusters from Target one day on a whim thinking it would be good to try with Jackson and he absolutely loves it. It feels a bit more healthy than a lot of the toddler snack options (though we buy those too!) and Mr. Garland and I snack on it sometimes too! Jackson is a big fan of grain-y snacks, so this is a good way for him to get that fix in a healthier way.
8: Ella’s Kitchen Nibbly Fingers – These are by far my favorite snack bars. They’re on the expensive side so sometimes we’ll grab the store brand instead, but these are worth the extra money if you’ve got it. They’re not crumbly at all and leave little to no mess behind (a huge plus with a messy toddler!) and I love how easy they are to grab on the way out the door!
What are your favorite snacks for your toddler? I’m always looking for ideas!
guest
I can totally relate to feeling overwhelmed when it comes to food for your little one. We’re working with several food allergies and figuring out what to feed our little guy has been all I’ve been thinking about for the past few weeks!
pomegranate / 3113 posts
My DD LOVES the Ella’s Kitchen Nibbly Fingers (the strawberry ones)! We keep a box in the car for when emergency hungries hit, but I’ve also started making my own because they’re super easy and the real deal is pricey. She usually has one for a pre-breakfast snack and/or an afternoon snack. I grind 1.5 cups of rolled oats in the food processor and dump into a bowl. Plump about 1/4 cup of raisins in some boiling water and then pour off the water. Purée the raisins and 6-8 strawberries in the food processor, then add enough applesauce to equal 3/4 cup of purée. Mix it into the oats with an egg, 1 tablespoon of chia seeds, and 1 tablespoon of oil (I use coconut oil). Press into a small pan (I use this one without the rack because it’s the perfect size: http://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/1/1/235761-nordic-ware-2-piece-toaster-oven-broiler-set.html) and use a pizza cutter or oiled butter knife to score into bars. You could also shape small pieces of dough by hand and put them on a sheet pan. Bake until firm, remove from the pan, and separate the bars. I usually flip them over and put them back in the oven for a couple minutes after I’ve turned it off to dry the bottoms a bit, but it’s not really necessary. Keeps for a week in a ziplock in the fridge.
String cheese and bananas are the other big favorites in our house.
coconut / 8483 posts
Thanks for posting! My son is 13 months and transitioning into this type of schedule too. Does Jackson still have milk before bed? I’m not sure how to cut that one!
pear / 1693 posts
My go to snacks are lara bars (I found mini ones on amazon, perfect toddler size), veggie muffins (I make a batch once a month and freeze them. This is a recent fav: http://www.allthingsgd.com/2011/10/veggie-muffins/), pouches, fruit (fresh and freeze dried), cheese and crackers, whole greek yogurt, and smoothies. I love anything I can sneak some veggies in with
honeydew / 7504 posts
BIG fans of the Nibbly Fingers in this house! And D is 27 months and still eats puffs. His other favorite is the Plum Organics veggie shreds – they’re like shredded fruit roll-ups.
blogger / nectarine / 2010 posts
We rarely have snacks, but M loves it when I include a pouch in his lunch box. M has always just been a big meal eater. Like HUGE meals. Although we could call the Greek yogurt he eats every morning his pre-breakfast snack. Sometimes when I’m cooking dinner he’ll ask for something so I’ll give him the veggies off his plate. But if he’s hungry between meals I usually give him cherry tomatoes, a piece of fruit or carrot sticks. One exception to not snacking is that I put cereal in a snack cup when I’m running. Lately though I’ve packed him a “picnic” and he just eats his lunch in the BOB now that he’s not so messy an eater
grapefruit / 4455 posts
Is 2.5 too old for the nibbly fingers? Less mess sounds like a huge perk!
apricot / 343 posts
We do a lot of cottage cheese, yogurt with fruit, crackers a couple of times a week. Usually I offer two items for snack-so cottage cheese & fruit (separate) or yogurt w/ fruit…my guys LOVE plain yogurt mixed with applesauce and cinnamon the best!