As a mom, there is no worse feeling than your kids not getting the right nutrition. Well, maybe there are worse feelings, like when the baby takes off their diaper and finger paints it all over the wall. That’s DEFINITELY worse.
Still, it is really hard to feed toddlers while giving their bodies what they need to grow. After many fights and fails over feeding my kids, I have been able to develop a Simple Healthy Snack List For Picky Toddlers I hope it is helpful for you!
I created a printable Healthy Snack Grocery List for you because the grocery shopping struggle is real! You can print it out or even take a screen shot and save it to your phone! I got you, mama <3
Easy, peasy, lemon squeezy!
First, I’d like to say that I do not put a huge emphasis on veggies. I’ve read so many great articles about not forcing toddlers to eat veggies like this one. I offer them often but don’t force it or make a big deal about it.
There are still so many foods that are healthy and good for them to eat that aren’t veggies. I like to focus on those.
Since they really don’t eat a ton of veggies, I do make them a little health cocktail every morning. They typically only drink water but in the morning I give them this…
My Morning Health Cocktail For Toddlers
- Half water half 100% juice (just to cover the flavor because juice does not contain many nutrients at all)
- Half scoop of greens. I cuttently use this but want to try this next time.
- Liquid fish oil
- Vitamin C gummies
- Thieve oil in a roller
Side Note: Since adding these things to our daily routine, we have cut down their sick visits to less than half which has been pretty amazing.
Now on to my Simple Healthy Snack List For Picky Toddlers. And don’t forget to opt in to my email list and receive a free grocery list. You can even screenshot it and view it on your phone! It makes grocery shopping so much easier.
I’ve kept this list cost efficient because groceries are expensive in a family of five. The only items I splurge on are my 4 Ingredient Dairy-Free Whip Cream Recipe, almond cashew chocolate milk, and Kodiak cakes because they really are amazing.
Without further ado, I give you…..
Simple Healthy Snack List For Picky Toddlers
Apple Sauce (no sugar added)
Cheap, easy and versatile. All of my kids love and will almost always eat it.
Crisp Apple Power Bowl
This power bowl is mine and my kids favorite and packed full of nutrients! You can add tons of different things for taste and texture. You can see the recipe here. Healthy Crisp Apple Power Bowl (with only 5 ingredients)
Hebrew National Hot Dogs (no bun or one piece of honey wheat bread)
I love using All Natural Hebrew National Hot Dogs for lunch or dinner because they are Kosher. I typically cut them up and feed them with ketchup and without a bun. When I put them in a bun they eat the bun and no hot dog. We’re working on that.
Veggies Straws
I always have something crunchy on hand because everyone needs a little crunch in their meal. Swap out and potato chips or Cheetos for veggie straws. They’re not great but definitely better.
Green Pea Crisps
I like to simplify and not have a ton of chipy things on hand so I typically rotate these or veggies straws. I personally prefer these.
Apples
We ONLY do honey crisp because they’re the best but you can swap them out for any apple.
Bananas
The only things my kids are allowed to eat outside meal time are banana, string cheese, or apple. We don’t do any crackers or granola bars.
String Cheese
Great for a snack or to add to any meal.
Kodiak Cakes
We LOVE these and use them for crepes, muffins, and pancakes. THE BEST. We actually prefer them over regular pancakes. On the weekend I make crepes and a homemade blueberry sauce. My kids love it. We get them in bulk.
Oat Meal
We do this a few days per week for breakfast because we rotate Kodiak cakes, scrambled eggs, oatmeal, and cereal. But we also do this for lunch or dinner. I love oatmeal because it contains so many health benefits, is filling, is cheap, and even my picky eaters love it. I sweeten it with honey and add frozen fruit or apple sauce to cool it down and sweeten it naturally.
Honey Or 100% Maple Syrup
We substitute all sweeteners for honey or 100% maple syrup. In recipes and for things like peanut butter and jelly. We do peanut butter and honey.
Whole Wheat 100% chicken breast chicken nuggets
These can be hard to find but they do exist. We use these for dinner.
Peanut Butter
We use this for peanut butter and honey, delicious banans dip or add it to oatmeal. So delicious and versatile. You can use it for so many things.
Fig Nutan Bars (in place of cookies)
We replace cookies with fig Nutan bars. They aren’t great but they are better. If we are having a busy morning I’ll give them a fig bar in place of a pop tart. Maybe once a week or every other.
Almond Cashew Chocolate Milk (occasionally)
We do this occasionally for holidays or birthday’s but it makes a good substitute for chocolate milk.
Sweet Potatoes
I just started incorporating roasted sweet potatoes into mealtime for my kids and all but one of them love them. My middle child is super picky about mushy texture and didn’t like them.
Homemade Whip Cream
This is delicious and a great substitute to whip cream. I make a big container and it lasts about two weeks. Since it’s actually healthy, I use it as something special on their pancake or oatmeal and they love it. You can see the full recipe here! 4 Ingredient Dairy-Free Whip Cream Recipe
Scrambled Eggs And Cheese (hit and miss with my picky eaters)
My picky eater prefers to eat this with a piece of toast with honey on it which I totally get because I like something sweet with my eggs. We have a deal where she will take one bite of her toast then a bite of her eggs until she’s finished.
Frozen Blueberries
These work for a great substitute for popsicles. My kids LOVE them.
Quinoa
I started adding this to their oatmeal and then by itself. I use it in their apple crisp power bowl and they love it.
Whole Wheat Cheerios
We keep these on hand for busy mornings as well. I started with honey nut cheerios, then transitioned to whole wheat but drizzled honey on top, then moved to just whole wheat 🙂
Broccoli, Asparagus, bacon and Brussel sprouts, and peas
These are the only veggies my kids will eat. They like carrots but find them hard to eat. They usually chew them up and spit them out so I kind of avoid them. Even when I make the veggies they like, it’s still hit and miss. It can be really frustrating but we really don’t force them to eat. Just encourage them to take at least one bite.
I also love this list because you can make so many different foods with these ingredients.
Don’t forget to sign up for my Healthy Snack Grocery List! It’s a life saver! Click HERE to sign up!
If some of these items are things that your toddler would never eat. Start introducing it to them with just one bite but not force it. Another technique that has helped transition my kids to healthier foods is the whole wheat cheerio technique I mentioned above. I did the same thing when I was weaning my kids of a bottle.
I started with just adding a bit of coconut milk to their milk, then half, then three quarters, until they were ok with just coconut milk. Same thing with sweetening with honey versus sugar.
I hope these tips are helpful for you and would love to hear your feedback in the comments.
Don’t forget to check out my other popluar posts!
- 4 Ingredient Dairy-Free Whip Cream Recipe
- Healthy Crisp Apple Power Bowl (with only 5 ingredients)
- Beginners Guide To Meal Planning
- Bedtime Routine Ideas For Toddlers That Won’t Take Hours
- The Ultimate Spring Cleaning Checklist for 2019
Xoxo
Colleen
May your coffee be stronger than your toddler <3
