Recipes for Toddlers
I’m always looking for fun, easy to make, healthy snack recipes for toddlers. Sure, there are aisles in the supermarket are full of snack food—but it’s not what I want to give my little one, at least not on a regular basis! When I make snack food at home I know what I’ve put in it, and I know that it is healthy and just what my toddler needs.
Here are some of my favorite healthy snack recipes for kids. You may be surprised by how easy they are to make—and your toddler will love them! You can include him in the making, and he’ll be filled with a whole new pride at being able to cook real, edible food—just like mommy!
Fun and Healthy Snack Recipes for Toddlers
Stovetop Popcorn
Microwave popcorn is certainly convenient, but there’s nothing so good as home-popped stovetop popcorn, with just the right amount of fresh butter and salt and no preservatives! Your toddler will love it, and he’ll love hearing the pop-pop-pop coming from the pan as you shake it over the stove.
Ingredients:
• 1 tablespoon unpopped popcorn kernels
• Butter and salt to taste
Put the butter, salt, and popcorn kernels in a pan over the stove, and turn the stove on moderate heat. Make sure you have a well-fitting lid on your pan. Shake the pan as it heats. Soon you will hear the pop-pop-pop of corn popping. Keep shaking over heat till the pops have slowed down. Pour into a bowl and share with your toddler!
Cheese Cutouts
Ingredients:
• Low fat cheese
Cut a cube of low-fat cheese into ¼ inch slabs, then use cookie cutters to cut the slabs into star, heart, or animal shapes. Pair it with popcorn or crackers to add some protein to a special snack! The scraps can be saved in the fridge and used when you’re making pizza, lasagna, or macaroni and cheese.
Toddler Nachos
Ingredients:
• Plain tortilla chips, or homemade baked tortilla ‘chips’
• Grated cheese
Place the tortilla chips on a microwavable chips, sprinkle the grated cheese over them, and put the plate in the microwave for thirty seconds or till the cheese melts. Let cool briefly before serving to your toddler for a special treat!
Vegetable Chips
Ingredients:
• Parsnips
• Sweet Potatoes
• Beets
• Salt
• 1 teaspoon oil
Cut your vegetables into slices 1/16 of an inch thick. Sprinkle them with a little salt and toss in a bowl. Wait fifteen minutes, then dry with paper towel. Arrange them flat on oiled baking sheets. Bake at 375 for twenty minutes, or until your vegetable chips are crisp. You can add a little salt afterwards, but don’t put too much on, as salt is not very good for your toddler!
Variations on this recipe include using seasonings on the vegetables before baking—experiment to your heart’s content.
Have fun making toddler snacks—you’ll find it’s not much more work than browsing through the grocery store! These recipes should get you started, and as you get into making your toddler’s meals from scratch you’ll accumulate your own personal recipe file. Then let us know—what are your favorite recipes for toddlers? Write them for us in the comments below, and share them with the world!
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