Cheers to the New Year! My goals for 2024 are pretty simple: to be intentional about my time and to focus on my health and my family’s health! My little guy, Paul, is getting old enough to understand that different foods do different things for our bodies, and he’s making his own food choices. So I am going to start talking to him about ingredients - especially when it comes to snacking. There is nothing wrong with a snack- in fact, most toddlers over 12 months are eating 3 meals a day PLUS 1-2 snacks. And since they expend A LOT of energy during the day, it’s important to make sure those meals and snacks are packed with ingredients that fuel their bodies and support their growth!

Try To Limit Added Sugar

The AAP recommends no added refined sugars for children under 2 years of age, and less than 25 g of added sugar for children over 2 years of age. Sugars that come from fruits (e.g., dates) or other natural sources (e.g., maple syrup) are not considered added sugar.

What about coconut sugar? Coconut sugar is an unrefined sugar that goes under little processing, so it can be considered a better alternative to refined cane sugar. So, when looking for sweet treats like cookies for your toddler, selecting a product with no added sugar or coconut sugar is my recommendation.

A great snack bar with NO added sugar is Skout Organic’s Kids Snack Bars. They use dates as the sweetener and contain organic fruits, as well!

A great kids cookie is Skout Organic’s Soft Baked Cookies. They are made with organic ingredients and use organic coconut sugar as the sweetener.

Macronutrients in Snacks

Picking snacks that have a good balance of macronutrients (carbs-protein-fat) are ideal!

DID YOU KNOW: Carbs should make up most of a toddler’s diet at about 45-65% of calories, with fat coming in next at 30-40% of calories, and protein at 5-20% of calories. (AAP, 2023)

Skout Organic Snack Bars are an example of a balanced snack food as they are higher in carbohydrates, but also contain smaller amounts of fat and protein. So, you can feel good about offering these bars, knowing that you’re not overloading your little one with an unbalanced snack.

Micronutrients in Snacks

Micronutrients (vitamins and minerals) are important for littles’ growing bodies and brains. It can be hard to pack a sweet treat with lots of nutrients, but using dates is a great way to do that! Dates contain lots of micronutrients like: Calcium, Magnesium, Potassium, Copper, Iron, Vitamin B6 as well as fiber. Looking for snacks that are sweetened using natural fruits are a great way to ensure that you are offering a micronutrient filled snack!

Skout Organic Snack Bars use dates as their main sweetener, making them a great nutrient-dense snack choice!

How to Talk about Foods

Micronutrients (vitamins and minerals) are important for littles’ growing bodies and brains. It can be hard to pack a sweet treat with lots of nutrients, but using dates is a great way to do that! Dates contain lots of micronutrients like: Calcium, Magnesium, Potassium, Copper, Iron, Vitamin B6 as well as fiber. Looking for snacks that are sweetened using natural fruits are a great way to ensure that you are offering a micronutrient filled snack!

Skout Organic Snack Bars use dates as their main sweetener, making them a great nutrient-dense snack choice!

Less is more!

Micronutrients (vitamins and minerals) are important for littles’ growing bodies and brains. It can be hard to pack a sweet treat with lots of nutrients, but using dates is a great way to do that! Dates contain lots of micronutrients like: Calcium, Magnesium, Potassium, Copper, Iron, Vitamin B6 as well as fiber. Looking for snacks that are sweetened using natural fruits are a great way to ensure that you are offering a micronutrient filled snack!

Skout Organic Snack Bars use dates as their main sweetener, making them a great nutrient-dense snack choice!

It can be so hard to make food choices for our littles, especially snack choices, so always try your best! Make snack time fun by sharing one together, setting up a snack party for stuffed animals or dolls, or making it special with a certain bowl or place where you have snack. I hope you have a healthy and prosperous 2024! Cheers to the New Year!