Toddler snack ideas

The little engine of a toddler is constantly burning fuel, and your toddler will benefit from small meals spaced out during the day. Healthy, fun snacks will provide toddlers with energy to burn.

One year olds 
So many different tastes, textures and colours of foods to discover! A one year old is often more willing to try out new tastes than a two year old, so offer him or her a wide selection of snack foods.

Here are some ideas:
Chopped banana
Avocado on toast fingers
Hummus on small pieces of Lebanese bread
Small cubes of watermelon and cheese - a striking combination!
Mango and yoghurt smoothie
Warm brown rice mixed with grated cheese
Sweet potato made into chips
Apple and celery puree - mushy but yummy
Steamed peas and broccoli - yes as a snack on their own!

Two to three year olds
For some frustrated parents, their two year old will seem to exist on nothing but cheese sandwiches and arrowroot biscuits. Two year olds may want lots of different foods one day, and refuse those same foods the next day. Three year olds will often have firm food preferences, and may protest indignantly if a 'yukky' food is placed before them.

It's important to allow your toddler to decide how much they eat over the space of a day. Offer a selection of nutritious foods: if the foods are rejected try presenting them in different and more interesting ways. Try these suggestions:

Mini-pizzas: halved English muffins topped with tomato, grated carrot and cheese, and grilled
Honeydew melon, mint and ice blended together - a summer sensation!
Crackers with cheese and vegemite
Berries and orange juice in a high-speed blender make a fun sorbet
Fruit & yoghurt pops (mix bananas or strawberries together with yoghurt & freeze)
Frozen seedless grapes are a cool treat (cut in half first as whole grapes could be a choking hazard)
Baked beans on 'boats' (the boats are halved boiled eggs with the yolk taken out.)
Fruit skewer: pineapple pieces, strawberries, orange slices and all kinds of fruit on a skewer (let them do it themselves - supervise carefully!)
Cooked chickpeas and sweet potato
blended together makes a yummy dip
 for crackers
Bubble and squeak: leftover mashed potato, eggs and whatever else is handy cooked into patties. Just don't tell your toddler it's called 'bubble and squeak' or he or she may be expecting it to be a whole lot more exciting!

Chat with other parents of 12-24 month olds in the EB forums!  Continued...