How to Make a Snack Board for Toddlers + Toddler Snack Tips

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Feeding toddlers can be tricky! With three littles ages 4 & under, it’s a priority for us to not just have healthy snacks, but also foods that they enjoy and that don’t take a crazy amount of time to prepare. Making a simple snack board for my toddlers has created a super low stress way to provide them with a variety of nutritious snacks that they love. Check out these toddler snack ideas to find out how easy it is to create your own snack board!

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Why Make a Snack Board?

Healthy, nutrient-dense foods are a priority around our house, so I spend a lot of the day in the kitchen! Between cooking at least 2 meals per day (usually lunch is leftovers) and the rest of the tasks it takes to run a busy household, I usually don’t have a ton of time or mental energy when snack time rolls around.

Enter the snack board! The snack board is our go-to for afternoon snack time. Here’s why we love it:

You can make the “same thing” every day – way less mental energy!
Minimal dishes
Keeps it interesting
Provides lots of variety
Ensures everyone eats something
Small portions = less waste
Great way to introduce new foods
Easy way to clean out the fridge and pantry!

How to Make an Easy Snack Board for Toddlers

A simple snack board is easy to make. All you need is a muffin tin and some finger foods. You can really make it as complex or as simple as you like.

Some days I get really creative, and some days when I’m in a hurry, we keep it super basic with go-to favorite snacks. Thankfully, with the snack board, it’s easy to pair simple healthy foods together, so the kids can get a well-rounded snack and enjoy some different flavors with only about 5 minutes of prep time or less. On days that you have more time, you can always add in some fresh ideas. We also enjoy keeping an eye out at the grocery store for fun and easy finger foods that we can add for that week.

Here are some of our favorite foods to add to the snack board:

Cut raw veggies – bell peppers, carrots, cauliflower, broccoli, celery, cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, sugar snap peas, etc.
Fresh fruit – banana slices, apple slices, blueberries, strawberries, blackberries, raspberries, clementine slices, kiwi, cut grapes, peaches, pears, etc.
Nuts and seeds – especially walnuts, pumpkin seeds, and sunflower seeds
Dried fruit – raisins, cranberries, apples, bananas, dates, and tomatoes
Cheese cubes
Olives – green or black
Meat – pepperoni or jerky sticks
Fermented foods – like pickles and carrots
Tortilla chips
Leftover sourdough waffles

Disclaimer: The age of your child will determine whether some of these foods are a choking hazard. Be sure to cut foods appropriately to avoid the risk of choking.

snack board for toddlers 3 — Sliced apples, homemade pickles, bell peppers, green olives, sourdough waffle bites, and mixed nuts.

More Toddler Snack Ideas

Here are more ideas for healthy toddler snacks that you can incorporate into your snack boards or eat on their own!

Peanut butter or almond butter (with apples, bananas, or sourdough toast)
Cottage cheese (we love to eat it with pineapple!)
Plain yogurt
Hard-boiled eggs
Whole milk (or even better, one of our favorites, Raw Milk Milkshakes)
String cheese
Unsweetened applesauce (or homemade)
Chia Seed Pudding (chia seeds are an excellent source of fiber and can help regulate bowel movements)
Oat and Apple Muffins

snack board for toddlers 6 — Cranberries, raisins, crackers, dehydrated tomatoes, cheese cubes, and homemade roasted squash seeds.

Tips for Toddler Snacking

1. Start small

Toddlers have small stomachs, but sometimes they’ll surprise you, too! It’s not uncommon for a young child to eat almost nothing at one meal or snack and then eat as much as an adult for a later meal that day. Don’t freak out if your toddler doesn’t eat a lot at a certain meal or snack.

We’ve found it best to start with small meals and small portion sizes for snacks. Sometimes a little bit is enough for tiny tummies. Starting small means less waste, and you can always give them more if they want it. We’ve also noticed that our toddlers sometimes get overwhelmed with a large plate of food in front of them. But often, if we start with what looks like a more manageable amount, they have no trouble eating it and often even ask for more.

snack board for toddlers 5 — Raisins, cranberries, bell pepper bites, pepperoni, dehydrated apples, and pumpkin seeds.

2. Offer a balanced snack

For healthy snacking, pair high protein foods and healthy fats with carbohydrates. Avoid snacks that are all fruit or other carbs (like bread or crackers), as these can spike blood sugar and leave your child feeling less than their best. Think of snacks as mini meals, and keep it well balanced. (Ease of balancing different food groups is one reason why snack boards are such a great option!)

3. Adapt your snack for different ages

We currently have a 4-year-old, 2-year-old, and 1-year-old, and not everyone can eat the same foods. But, that doesn’t mean they all have to get different snacks (that would be so much work!). Feel free to adapt your snack for different ages so that the whole family can enjoy similar foods together!

At our house, the older kids usually share the snack board while the 1-year-old gets a plate in her high chair. Her plate is made up of things that are in the snack board, but not all the things in the snack board (for example, she doesn’t get nuts or carrots, and many of her foods are cut in small pieces compared to the big kids’ foods).

snack board for toddlers 4 — Pickles, fermented carrots, bell peppers, blueberries, green olives, and tortilla chips.

4. Don’t encourage picky eating

We certainly haven’t mastered the art of overcoming picky eating, but we’re thankful that our kids love most foods! Here are some practices we’ve found helpful in discouraging picky eating habits:

Keep offering. If a child doesn’t like something right away, keep offering it. They don’t like it yet!
Talk it up. Talk about how delicious the food is while you’re at the table! Let them know they’re missing out on something great.
Make it taste good. We’ve all had bland and boring foods before. Don’t be afraid to add salt or butter to make it taste better.
Keep it positive. A child who doesn’t like certain foods does not have to be labeled a “picky eater”. Avoid negative connotations (such as “you’re so picky”, or “you might not like this”) and choose positive phrases instead (i.e. “You’re going to love this!”, or “This food is packed with important nutrients and vitamins to help you grow big and strong!”, or “Keep trying! Next time you just might love it!”).
Make sure you’re eating a well-rounded diet yourself. Lastly, encourage adventurous eating by making sure that you’re not demonstrating picky eating yourself!

snack board for toddlers 2 — Dried cranberries, cut cherry tomatoes, cheese cubes, bell pepper slices, tortilla chips, and cauliflower.

5. Hold the sweets

If you still have a young toddler, consider holding back on foods with added sugar for as long as possible. We’ve found that our kiddos don’t start noticing desserts and sweets until about age 2. Before then, if we’re at a birthday party or another event where dessert is served, they are perfectly happy with fruit, applesauce pouches, or another fun snack. This has made it so much easier for them to enjoy healthy foods like fruits and vegetables without craving sugar.

6. Have a routine

Toddler expectations can be intense! When they don’t know what to expect, it’s common for toddlers to get an idea in their heads and get upset when they can’t have it (honestly, isn’t this common for all of us?!). Having a snack time routine that allows them to have an idea of what time they’ll be eating and what they’ll be eating minimizes temper tantrums and allows everyone to enjoy snack time more.

At our house, it’s fruit and cheese at 10:30am (or oat and apple muffins or a cheese stick as a car snack if we’re out in the morning) and a snack board when they wake up from afternoon nap time. Since they always know generally what to expect and when, there’s no snack time drama to deal with!

snack board for toddlers 1 — Dates, walnuts, cut cherry tomatoes, broccoli, raisins, and green olives.

Making the Most of Snack Time

Snack time can be a lot more than getting some calories in your kids. It’s also a great opportunity to habit stack by taking advantage of something you already do. More than just a snack time routine, toddler snacks can also be a great time to invest in your kids or even get something done.

Little kids don’t spend a lot of time sitting still, so we might as well make the most of it when they do!

We’ve found that snack time is an excellent opportunity to spend time reading together. While our kids love books, it’s not always easy to get a 4, 2, and 1-year-old to all sit still at the same time to read the same book. But, we get a ton of books in during afternoon snack time! Capitalizing on those minutes of still-a-bit-sleepy, hungry children all sitting around the table enjoying a snack together is not only one of our favorite daily routines, but it’s also a great learning opportunity.

During morning snack time, we generally chat while I fold laundry at the kitchen table.

There are lots of creative ways to use snack time. Think about what goals you have for your children and household, and how you might be able to incorporate those into your daily snack time. Enjoy being together! Having a way to connect during snack time can not only help you to accomplish specific goals, but also makes it a sweet routine and just one more way to create daily memories together.