Think: Fat + Protein + Carbs.

Offering little ones a balanced snack is important for blood sugar stability, and also to satiate their hunger. (Otherwise they will just keep coming back for more and more!)

There are lots of real, unprocessed foods that make great snacks for at home or for packing in the Bento box on-the-go! Plus, almost all of these are great options for babies starting solids, too.

Check out what our registered dietitian recommends for babies and toddlers, and our feeding specialists give insight on how to serve!

Hard boiled egg + fruit

This is a great combination of iron with Vitamin C to boost the absorption! Offer the egg whole or mix the egg yolk with breastmilk/formula for baby or water/milk for toddler and serve on a spoon. Mash down fruit or serve in slices for littles to hold and bite off.

Cheese + fruit

Cheese has a great combination of fat and protein and fruit brings the carbs. A calcium-rich food with a vitamin and mineral-packed food is always a great combination. Some “softer” cheeses that are easy to chew are Mozzerella, Feta, thin-sliced Parmesan, and thin-sliced Cheddar! Mash down the fruit or serve in slices.

Hummus + veggie slices

Thin-slice raw veggies with a peeler (if needed) or just thinly slice and dip in hummus. Make your own hummus with chickpeas, olive oil and some water in a blender (add spices as you want- garlic is a great one!) Or buy a store bought one. Hummus is a great iron-rich plant-based food and the vitamin C from veggies like peppers will increase absorption, too!

Plain or crunchy chickpeas + dried apricots

Mash canned chickpeas into a paste or pulse in a blender. Or oven roast them with oil until they are super crunchy and crumbly. Dice up dried fruits and offer if chewing well. This snack is best for 12 months +. It’s another great iron + vitamin C combination!

Smoked salmon + cucumbers + cream cheese

Yes, smoked salmon is COOKED! It’s a great thin and soft texture for babies and toddlers that’s packed with iron and protein, too. Offer salmon in slices or mash down with some water or olive oil. Skin cucumbers and offer in thin slices. Coat salmon with a little cream cheese or water down the cream cheese, mix, and offer on a spoon.

Nut butter + banana

The fat and protein in a nut butter balances great with the higher carb load of the banana. Slice a banana and coat with nut butter of choice or mash banana and mix in nut butter. I also like to cut up the banana in little circles and coat with nut butter in between them to make little “peanut butter sandies” as we call them. The kids get a kick out of making a sandwich and always eat a little more!

Greek yogurt + berries

Plain whole milk Greek yogurt has so much protein! I know the taste can be a little off putting alone, so mash down the fruit and mix with plain yogurt if you want to give it a little more taste! If your little one is allergic to cow’s milk, coconut milk yogurt is a good alternative!

Cottage cheese + fruit

This is another protein-packed combination that brings a little texture to the table! Mash down the fruit and mix with cottage cheese or offer separately.

Avocado + hard boiled egg + fruit

The trifecta! Great source of fat, protein, and vitamins and minerals! Offer avocado in slices or mashed down. Offer egg whole or mix yolk with breastmilk/formula for baby and water/milk for toddler. Offer the fruit in slices or mashed. If you like to make Sourdough bread, avocado toast is another great treat!

Nut butter + apple/applesauce

This is another sweet and savory combination! Thin slice an apple and coat with nut butter of choice or mix nut butter into applesauce. You can also skin and dice apples and place them in the microwave for 30 seconds or so to warm them up, sprinkle some cinnamon overtop or lightly drizzle nut butter and it’s a nutrient-dense sweet treat!

Remember that babies don’t really need snacks, and toddlers typically snack 1-2 times a day. We know that on average, 42% of a toddler’s added sugar comes from processed snacks. So, trying to offer real foods during snacktime helps limit that!