Your busy little bee is no doubt into everything! If they’re not climbing over the sofa they’ll be rummaging through cupboards or discovering new places to play. Everything is an adventure and all this activity needs plenty of good food to help them keep up. Your toddler’s tummy is still really small, so it’s hard to give them all the goodness they need in just 3 meals a day. That’s why the Department of Health recommends giving them 2 healthy snacks as well. One mid-morning and another mid-afternoon can keep their energy levels topped up and help them get the extra nutrients they need for all that exploring!

Tea and biscuits might be your mid-morning favourite. But it’s best not to tempt your toddler with them. Sweet treats like cakes, biscuits and chocolate are full of refined sugar, which can harm their tiny little teeth. And it’s not just tooth decay that’s a worry –developing a sweet tooth now can lead to a tendency to eat too many of these things later on in life. Only have sweet treats once in a while.

When it comes to healthy snacks for your toddler, fruit and veggies are the best. Fruit is naturally sweet and packed with goodness – perfect for a playtime energy boost. And veggies are full of vital vitamins too. There are lots of different tastes and textures to try, which can help turn every snack into a taste adventure! Our favourites include:

• Fresh pineapple fingers – juicy and delicious!
  
  
• Kiwi quarters – sweet and sharp at the same time.
  
  
• Chopped strawberries and blueberries – great on their own or with natural yogurt.
  
  
• Apple slices – crisp and fresh, they look like little smiles too!
  
  
• Berry delicious smoothie – berries and natural yogurt whizzed together.
  
  
• Dried apricots or raisins – an alternative to fresh fruit.

• Carrot sticks – great for little teeth, perfect with hummus.
  
  
• Cucumber batons – cooling on the gums and tasty with hummus.
  
  
• Cherry tomato halves – fresh and juicy.
  
  
• Sweet potato wedges – softly boiled and cooled.

• Chunks of cheese – a good source of calcium.
  
  
• Mini sandwiches – make fun shapes with biscuit cutters.
  
  
• Hard-boiled egg quarters – a tasty way to top up their vitamin D levels.
  
  
• Toast fingers – great any time of the day.

Too much salt can harm your toddler’s developing kidneys. So it’s best to give salty snacks like crisps a miss. Homemade popcorn is a great alternative, as long as you don’t add salt or sugar. And watching the corn pop and puff up can be fun too. Just make sure you keep the lid on the pan!

As your toddler continues to develop and grow they’ll need a diet that can keep up! Why not take a look at our toddler nutrition article to see how you can help. For more ideas on what to feed your little one, visit our delicious range of recipes for babies.