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Toddlers are naturally fussy eaters, and this tendency sometimes spills over into childhood too. The world is so interesting – it’s common for children to want to spend their time exploring rather than eating. Ensuring your child is getting the nutrients they need on a daily basis can be stressful, but it doesn’t have to be!
In fact, snack time can become one of your most popular activity times. These healthy snack recipes for children are designed for children that are constantly on the move. They’re packed with the nutrients that growing bodies and developing brains need. They’re also fun to assemble and easy for small hands to help create.
It’s easy for little hands to help prepare, making it the perfect activity for little ones!
What you will need:
One apple (Granny Smith is the tastiest variety for this recipe, but any apple will do)
About two tablespoons of peanut butter
Anything you may wish to decorate the peanut butter with – cornflakes (as pictured) raisins, a drizzle of honey or chopped nuts
How to make it:
Core and then slice the apples length-ways a few millimetres thick. Invite your little helper to smear the peanut butter onto the apple slices using the back of a spoon. Show them slowly, and remember you’ll have to use a fair amount of peanut butter in order for it to stick.It’s likely to get very messy with young ones – just embrace it! Place your toppings (the raisins, dry cereal, nuts or seeds) in a bowl and show your little one how to sprinkle and decorate the peanut buttered apple. Serve and enjoy!
Nutritional information:
This snack is nutrient-dense, meaning there are plenty of nourishing calories packed into this small snack. Peanut butter is rich in essential fatty acids while the apple is rich in fiber, vitamin C, and various antioxidants.
Source: Marshfield clinic
It feels indulgent thanks to the chocolate flavor and natural but healthy sweetness of this recipe. Plus, it’s great finger food for busy toddlers on the move.
What you will need:
1 cup almonds
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1/2 cup unsweetened coconut flakes, divided
1 cup pitted dates, soaked and drained
1.5 tbsp coconut oil, melted
1 tbsp raw honey
How to make it:
Place each ingredient, measured out correctly, into separate bowls. Invite your little kitchen helper to add the almonds, cocoa powder and 1/4 cup of the shredded coconut to a food processor. Turn the powdered ingredients into a thick paste by adding the soaked dates, coconut oil and honey to the mix into the processor again. Take the dough-like substance and show the children how to pinch off a little and roll it into balls between the hands. Coat each ball in dried coconut and voila! Delicious.
Nutritional information:
Dates contain more than 10 minerals, the most significant being selenium, copper, potassium, and magnesium. Honey has antibacterial qualities while almonds contain vitamin E, selenium, zinc, calcium, magnesium and B vitamins.
Source: That clean life
This recipe will serve 2-4 adults but it’s so creamy and delicious, you and your little one might find yourselves overindulging and eating it all yourselves! It’s packed with nutrients so you could get away with it, and safely.
What you will need:
2 avocados, ripe
2 ripe bananas (medium)
6-8 Tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon cinnamon
How to make it:
Invite your handy helper to chop up the bananas using a butter knife and place the chopped pieces into a food processor. The chopping isn’t necessary but involving the children makes it so much more enjoyable. Combine all of the ingredients and blend until smooth. Once you’ve scooped out the mixture, your handy helper can help to scrape the food processor (provided the blades are removed). This is an important “cleaning job”!
Nutritional information:
Rich in magnesium, essential fatty acids, protein, B vitamins and potassium.
Source: Edible perspective
This healthy take on pizza serves as a healthy snack, as well as a child-friendly activity. Serves 4-6 people.
What you will need:
4 to 6 pita rounds (white or whole wheat)
1 cup of pizza sauce
2 cups mozzarella cheese
Garnish: toppings of your choice
How to make it:
Preheat the oven to 180 degrees celsius and prepare a space that you don’t mind getting a bit messy. Invite the children to assist you by spooning pizza sauce onto the pita rounds. Next, sprinkle mozzarella cheese over the sauce (expect a fair amount of tasting to be part of this process, if you have young helpers) and finally, add your toppings. Encourage older children to build pictures or make smiley faces using vegetables you have sliced into shapes.
Nutritional information:
The pita rounds can serve as a healthy source of carbohydrates if you use wholewheat pita rounds. Adding a variety of vegetables to go with the cheese will give you a balance of vitamins alongside the protein of the cheese.
Source: The Spruce Eats
What you will need:
1/2 cup unsalted butter (softened)
1 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 cup bananas (ripe, mashed, about 2 to 3 medium bananas)
1/4 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup mini chocolate chips (optional)
How to make it:
In a bowl, cream the butter and sugar together until the mixture is light and fluffy. Next, add the eggs, mashed bananas, milk, and vanilla extract. Sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt separately before adding it to the banana mixture. Pour the combined mixture into a baking pan and sprinkle the top with chocolate chips (optional). Bake for roughly 60 to 65 minutes before leaving to cool.
Nutritional information:
While this snack does contain sugar, it’s a far healthier alternative to regular chocolate cake since much of the sweetness comes from the bananas. Combined with eggs, you have a lower glycemic index and healthy protein.
Source: The Spruce Eats
Bananas, packed with potassium and protein, are some of the most diverse foods. Use peppermint extract to create a pepperminty mint-chocolate-chip snack.
What you will need:
2 overripe frozen bananas
1/8 tsp pure peppermint extract
2-3 tbsp chocolate chips
Pinch of spirulina or natural food coloring (optional)
1/2 cup coconut cream or raw cashews for a richer taste (optional)
How to make it:
Dice the bananas a day ahead and freeze them. This activity is safe for young children to help with provided they use a butter knife for the task of cutting. Remove the frozen bananas from the freezer the following day and pop them in a food processor with all of the other ingredients. Blend until smooth, then transfer to an ice cream container and freeze. Serve as you would normal ice cream.
Nutritional information:
Bananas are rich in protein and the sugars are slow releasing, giving you sustained energy. Banas also contain Manganese which is good for skin and hair. If you opt for the nuts, your nice cream will also provide essential fatty acids and amino acids.
Source: Chocolate covered Katie
Nature’s skittles (fruit!) placed on a delicious base for a super colourful, delicious, wholesome snack. It’s so easy to assemble that children can practically do it themselves.
What you will need:
Ingredients
4 medium tortilla, whole wheat
1/2 cup Greek yogurt, plain
1 teaspoon honey
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 tablespoon orange juice
Toppings
1/4 cup strawberries
1/4 cup kiwi
1/4 cup mandarin oranges, canned in juice
1/4 cup blackberries
1/4 cup grapes, green
How to make it:
Use a cookie cutter to cut pieces of the tortilla into shapes – you can do stars, hearts, or circles. Next, blend together the yogurt, honey, vanilla and orange juice. Spread it onto the tortilla cutouts. Now for the fun part – decorating with toppings! Let the children get creative (and taste as they go) by choosing their fruit toppings. It’s a great idea to cut the fruit ahead of time and place in separate bowls for easier selection.
Nutritional information:
Packed with protein, a high concentration of vitamins and minerals, as well as healthy carbohydrates, this recipe is also low in fat and bursting with flavor.
Source: Super healthy kids
A fun take on sandwiches, this treat is a sure way to keep children happy on playdates, and as a casual snack to enjoy at home.
What you will need:
2 loaves white bread, sliced vertically (you will need 12 slices)
Butter
6 slices of ham
6 slices of chicken
6 slices of cheese
1 small tomato
1 green onion stalk (or you can also use celery)
How to make it:
Start by making the sandwiches, make a ham sandwich, a chicken sandwich, and a cheese sandwich. If you are vegetarian or vegan, swap out the ingredients and make a sandwich that suits your preferences. Using a round cookie cutter, cut the sandwiches into shapes and place sideways on a plate to form the body of a caterpillar. Add the tomato at the front as the head and finish it off with feelers and eyes – butter is great “glue” to keep them in place.
Nutritional information:
A filling snack rich in protein, omegas and healthy fats.
Source: Kidspot
The most delicious way to sneak vegetables into your family’s diet – they’ll never know that veggies are hiding in there!
What you will need:
300 g self-raising flour
6 eggs
5 cups mixed vegetables (finely chopped or pulsed in a food processor)
1 cup cheese (grated)
Milk
Olive oil
How to make it:
This recipe is pretty simple, so you can definitely get the children involved.Start by combining the flour, eggs, veggies and cheese together in a large bowl, and ask the children to do the stirring. Next, add the seasoning and the milk and mix until you have a runny mixture. Heat a pan and add some oil before you slowly pour some mixture into the pan. Cook until browned before you flip the pikelet over and repeat.
Nutritional information:
You have a high protein snack that can contain as many nutrients as you choose, based on the vegetables you include.
Source: Kidspot
This platter is perfect for children that prefer to graze, or who might not normally finish a full meal. This is fairly normal behaviour for little ones, but a platter like this will ensure they can enjoy a range of foods on the go – just the way they like it.
What you will need:
A range of vegetables and fruit as well as cheese based on your child’s preferences. In this recipe, we have used:
Cheese
Carrots
Cherry tomatoes
Cucumber
Red bell peppers
Sugar snap peas
Cauliflower
Dip (Cottage cheese/chickpeas and avocado)
How to make it:
It’s important to ensure that your choice of foods meet the developmental stage of the child. If your child is not able to chew carrots as yet, try cooking them. Remember to check there are no choking hazards on the plate. Slice vegetables small enough to be safe for toddlers. Arrange the fruits and veggies in a rainbow colour. For the dip, add cottage cheese and avocado to a food processor and just blend it up, or replace the cottage cheese with chickpeas for a vegan version.
Nutritional information:
Eat the rainbow! This nutritious rainbow contains a full range of vitamins, it’s low in carbohydrates, high in protein, and packed with calcium and iron. The dip contains healthy fats that support brain development, too!
Source: Taste of home
Guidance from the Danish Health Ministry, translated in full to English.
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The full recommendations from a working group of over 70 nursery chains in the UK.
Please note: here at Famly we love sharing creative activities for you to try with the children at your setting, but you know them best. Take the time to consider adaptions you might need to make so these activities are accessible and developmentally appropriate for the children you work with. Just as you ordinarily would, conduct risk assessments for your children and your setting before undertaking new activities, and ensure you and your staff are following your own health and safety guidelines.
