It can be really hard to get your toddler to sit through and finish a whole meal. That’s probably why so many mothers like to offer small snacks throughout the day. It’s an easy and quick way to give your child some energy and nutrition.
I received some product samples from The First Years to provide inspiration for today’s post. These toddler-friendly meal helpers are all available for purchase at your local Walmart or Walmart.com: the Double Duty Plate, Stackable Sippy Cup, and Inside Scoop Dip Plate.
Double Duty plates have two sections for food and a middle section for flatware. You can turn a second plate upside-down and it serves as a sealable lid. So you get two products in one!
While I was writing up this blog post, 4-year-old Erik saw the food pictures and said “When are you going to make me those snacks again?” Hahaha!
Here are the snacks he was talking about…
Waffle Bites: Cut prepared whole wheat waffles into four equal pieces and serve with Greek yogurt for dipping. You can use homemade or frozen waffles. The BPA-free Inside Scoop Dip Plate is ideal for a snack like this. It’s about 7.5 inches in diameter, has a suction base for stability, and a removable rim for thorough cleaning.
Most toddlers love dipping their food into something; this clever little plate from The First Years make it easy to serve up.
Banana Mini Muffins: This snack happened by accident, when I completely forgot to put sugar in a recipe. Surprisingly, the muffins turned out fine, with three very ripe bananas adding just enough natural sweetness. I immediately thought “This is a perfect low-sugar snack for children!” Make these muffins in a mini pan so they are just right for little hands. Here’s a printable 4×6 card of the recipe.
String Cheese Wraps: Roll up your child’s favorite variety of string cheese in a slice of deli turkey, chicken or ham for a tasty, high-protein snack.
Pretzel Pops: Cut a variety of soft fruits (or cheese) into pieces and spear on pretzel sticks.
Most everyone gets thirsty after a good snack, and that’s where sippy cups come in. The First Years Stackable Hard Spout Cups are BPA-free and have a built-in valve so clean up is a breeze. I like not having to worry about sanitizing and keeping up with a lot of small parts. Ingrid likes the cute dinosaurs on the outside!
I’d love to hear your toddler snack ideas, too, so please share in a comment. And don’t forget to follow The First Years on social media for news, updates and promotions.
