crunchy drops recipe for toddlers and kids (2024)

FAQs

What is the most nutritious snack for toddlers? ›

Snacks with fiber or protein help kids feel full longer. Foods with these nutrients take more time to digest. Fiber comes from fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. Protein comes from beans, cheese, milk, meats, eggs, nuts, and nut butters.

Try these healthy snack ideas.

Combine fruits and veggies with dairy or proteins: Make “ants on a log” (celery with peanut butter and raisins) Add fruit to fat-free or low-fat yogurt — use fresh fruit, or look for canned, dried, or frozen fruit with no added sugars.

Foods that squish easily between your fingers are a safe bet for babies and younger toddlers. Think cooked peas, raspberries, chunks of banana, diced avocado, and soft cheese.

Protein-rich foods such as lean meats, poultry, fish, beans, lentils, tofu, nuts, and seeds, as well as calcium-rich foods, iron-rich foods, vitamin D-rich foods, and fruits and vegetables are all important for supporting growth in children and adolescents, as well as for maintaining and repairing tissues in adults.

In addition, your child is probably having growth spurts, which will require his body to take in more calories. So don't worry too much about your little bottomless pit. Children are born with an innate sense of how much they need to eat, and you've got to respect these inborn cues.

What are 5 healthy eating habits for kids? ›

Try slices of apple, orange, melon and kiwi, with strawberries and blueberries – for a whole rainbow to choose from. Carrot and cucumber sticks with hummus are fabulous finger foods. And sandwiches look so much yummier if you use a biscuit cutter to make heart or star shapes.

Cheese can form part of a healthy, balanced diet for babies and young children, and provides calcium, protein and vitamins. Babies can eat pasteurised full-fat cheese from 6 months old. This includes hard cheeses, such as mild cheddar cheese, cottage cheese and cream cheese.

Avoid round, firm foods and large chunks (hot dogs, nuts, whole grapes, hard or sticky candy, popcorn, raw carrots). Hot dogs are not safe for babies. If your toddler likes hot dogs, be sure to cut them lengthwise. Avoid stringy foods like string beans and celery.

Milk Matters

Milks is an important part of a toddler's diet. It provides calcium and vitamin D to help build strong bones. Toddlers should have 700 milligrams of calcium and 600 IU (International Units) of vitamin D (which aids in calcium absorption) a day.

Swap: Lentil, Black Bean or Homemade Chips. It's time to leave the potato and tortilla chips at the grocery store. Give kids the crunch they want but with healthier junk food alternatives, like chips made with lentils or black beans. You can even make your own tortilla chips in a snap.

The body needs fluids to help fight infection, so it is important to keep your toddler hydrated. Bananas, rice, applesauce, and toast are the foods that make up the BRAT diet. These foods are easy to digest and have a better likelihood of staying down than many other foods when a child is sick.