I recently had a friend ask me what her snack options were when she feeds her toddler. As with many parents, she thought products that said, “Organic” and/or “Natural” meant it was healthy. It wasn’t until I showed her the ingredients lists and food labels that she realized there had to be better snack options out there for her son. (Click here for help on reading food labels.) The next question she asked was, “Well, what are the healthier options?” I suddenly paused, because I have all kinds of ideas for adults, adolescents, and teenagers, but I had to step back and think. What do you feed children who don’t have all their teeth and can have choking issues? Well, after some thinking, research, and experimenting, here are some suggestions with finger foods in mind:
Frozen Cut Fruit: Cut grapes (cut in half for young children), strawberries, and/or blueberries, spread them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, and freeze. Once frozen, loosen from paper, put into containers or small plastic bags, and put them back in the freezer until needed. Grab one when leaving and place in an insulated bag. Non-frozen cut fruit works as a great snack option, too. Have older children help make these frozen fruit kabobs.
Sweet potato fries: Cut sweet potatoes into strips, spread on a baking sheet, sprinkle with paprika, and bake or try the Food Network’s recipe. Cool and place into containers. These can be refrigerated or frozen. This is a great way to use produce that you buy during the summer or through a farm share. See my previous post on farm shares here.
Yogurt: No added sugar is important with this one. Dip cut fruit into plain Greek yogurt, and place on a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place in the freezer until frozen. Just like the frozen cut fruit section, place in containers within the freezer for an easy grab-n’-go concept. Another option is to mix/puree fruit with plain Greek yogurt, and place dots on a baking sheet that are frozen, too. Once frozen, loosen, and place into bags. You can also try this yogurt dip recipe, mixing vanilla and 100% fruit preserves into plain yogurt.
Dehydrate or Roast: Place banana slices on a baking sheet and bake until crispy. Quarter cherry tomatoes, and dehydrate or bake until crispy. Cool and place in containers. For older children (due to choking risk) roast chickpeas by placing them on a baking sheet. Sprinkle with spices or eat plain.
Make Your Own: Make your own crackers, banana breads, kale chips and energy bars, so you can control the amount of sugar, artificial ingredients, and fat in the food. See my Momtastic Zucchini Bread recipe at the end of this posting.
For the babies in the family, The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics recently posted a great article on making your own baby food.
For more great ideas, try looking up “Healthy Toddler Snacks” on Pinterest and look for recipes with whole food ingredients.
Momtastic Zucchini Bread
(I’ve had this recipe for years, it is a little different from this recipe currently on the Momtastic website.)
Ingredients:
3 C Whole wheat flour (or gluten free flour*)
1 tsp. Baking powder
1 tsp. Baking soda
1 Tbsp. Cinnamon
3 Eggs
1 cup Applesauce (no added sugar kind)
2 Bananas, mashed
¾ C Brown sugar (I always half the sugar in any recipe)
3 tsp. Vanilla
2 C Zucchini, grated
* If you are making this recipe gluten free, make sure to add 1 tsp. of guar gum or xanthan gum.
Instructions:
- Mix flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon.
- Add eggs, applesauce, banana, vanilla, and sugar.
- Add zucchini.
- Bake 40-60 minutes at 350 in a bread dish or as muffins
For tips on how to prevent choking in children, check out this great resource from Kids Health and the USDA.
Enjoy,
Megan Carrier, MS
Eat Fit Health Intern