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The 8 Best Toddler Snacks for Well-Balanced Diets

Easy, healthy and nourishing, these toddler snacks check all of the boxes on our list.
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By Emma O'Regan-Reidy, E-Commerce Editor
Updated August 2, 2023
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It’s no secret that tots love snacks—and who can blame them? Adults do too! But whether you have a picky eater on your hands or a mini foodie in the making, finding easy, healthy toddler snacks can be a challenge. That’s where top-notch toddler snack brands come in handy. To help you pick out the most nourishing bites for your kiddo, we’ve rounded up our favorite toddler snacks for all ages and stages. Check out our picks—plus, advice from a dietitian—below.

What To Look For When Picking Out Toddler Snacks

Do you get overwhelmed when you step into the snack aisle? We get it. To streamline your shop, Alex Turnbull, RDN, LD, a registered dietitian and mom of two, suggests focusing on snacks that will keep your little one fuller for longer. To do so, they should provide a variety of valuable nutrients, such as fiber, fat and protein, she continues. Pro tip: “If the toddler snacks your toddler loves don’t have any fiber, fat or protein, simply pair it with something that does, such as fruits, vegetables, cheese, yogurt or eggs,” suggests Turnbull.

When picking out the best toddler snacks for your kiddo, there are also some ingredients to keep in mind as you shop. “Many toddler snacks will contain quite a bit of added sugar, even though the Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA) recommends no added sugar for children two years and younger,” states Turnbull. However, this isn’t always a possibility for parents. Turnbull recommends reducing sodium and added sugar intake when you can—but don’t stress when you can’t avoid it completely. You also don’t have to feel limited to choosing only toddler snacks for your little one; they can eat many of the same foods marketed for adults. All in all, “the main concern is to avoid common choking hazards and minimize added sugar when selecting snacks for your toddler,” says Turnbull.

What To Do if Your Toddler Won’t Eat Anything but Snacks

Toddlers love snacks—especially those that come in fun packaging, like crackers, bars and biscuits. “One reason they love these carbohydrate-rich snacks, other than that they taste good, is because they’re consistent every time you eat them, unlike fruits and veggies that may be sweet one time, and squishy or sour the next,” explains Turnbull. While it’s totally okay for your child to have packaged snacks, Turnbull suggests transforming snack time into more of a mini meal that includes at least two food groups, or even more. “By offering mini meals instead of just a snack, you’re providing them with more exposure to a variety of foods during a time that they love and are more likely to engage in,” she explains.

Best Toddler Snacks for All Ages and Stages

From toddler snack ideas for one-year-olds to protein-packed treats for daycare (and everything in between), we’ve got you covered. Here, shop the best toddler snacks for a range of lifestyles, budgets and tastes.

Overall best toddler snack brand

What We Love
  • All snacks are USDA organic, Clean Label certified, non-GMO and gluten-free
  • Healthy options for infants and toddlers, with no added sugar
  • Convenient bundles and subscription services are available
Things To Consider
  • Snacks in pouches are not microwavable
  • Once opened, refrigerate and eat within 48 hours

When choosing the best toddler snacks, you’ll want to make sure they’re full of beneficial nutrients to keep your kiddo feeling nourished while helping them grow big and strong. That’s why Cerebelly earned the top spot on our list. The brand’s snacks are thoughtfully packed with ingredients that will contribute to brain and body development. Some tasty treats your little one is sure to love include their smart bars and their smoothie pouches both of which consist of 16 brain-supporting nutrients (like zinc, copper and vitamin E). On their website, you can even take a survey to receive personalized, healthy toddler snack ideas based on your kiddo’s age, developmental milestones and eating habits. Convenient bundles are also available, so you can save as you stock up. Best of all, each of these toddler snacks is USDA organic, Clean Label certified and non-GMO, so you can count on them to provide your little love with the very best.

Price range: $5.09 to $89.90

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Best toddler snack brand for one-year-olds

HappyBaby
Image: Target
What We Love
  • Wide range of snacks available, such as crackers, yogurt bites, grain puffs and bowls
  • Every snack is USDA organic
  • Available in convenient multipacks
Things To Consider
  • These snacks skew slightly younger, so they might not be suitable for older tots

If your little love has passed (or is approaching) the 12-month mark, they’ll need the right food to fuel their rapid development. Luckily, HappyBaby makes some of the best toddler snacks for one-year-olds. Mom-founded and parent-run, the brand takes pride in creating organic, accessible foods for infants and tots alike. Little ones are sure to love nibbles like their grain puffs, freeze-dried Greek yogurt bites and tasty food pouches. More complete meal options like their chicken, vegetable and quinoa fiesta pouches or their sweet potato and coconut curry bowls are packed with nutrients and flavor, all the while introducing your newly minted tot to new textures. What’s more, HappyBaby’s infant and toddler snacks are USDA-certified organic, so you know they’re free from GMOs and contain 95 percent or more organic content.

Price range: $1.89 to $35.97

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Best on-the-go toddler snack brand

What We Love
  • Each bar contains two whole servings of fruit and is free from added sugar
  • Prewrapped snack is easy to take on the go
Things To Consider
  • Bars may contain occasional stem, seed or pit fragments
  • The brand only offers fruit bar snacks

Some of the best toddler snacks are those that can be taken on the go. That’s where this brand will come in handy. Aptly named That’s It., they specialize in soft, chewy bars made entirely out of fruit. You’ll appreciate how these easy toddler snacks contain no added sugar and that they’re free from 12 top allergens—and your tot will appreciate the yummy flavor and texture. Oh, and did we mention that each bar contains two whole servings of fruit? Score! These prewrapped, slim bars will take up barely any space in your bag, your kiddo’s backpack or their lunch box.

Price range: $1.99 to $44.99

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Best toddler snack brand for older tots

What We Love
  • Some snacks are USDA organic, non-GMO and gluten-free
  • Wide variety of options, including fruit snacks, bars, graham crackers and mac and cheeses
  • Available in convenient multipacks
Things To Consider
  • Most of their snacks contain added sugar

On the hunt for toddler snack ideas for two-year olds or older tots? You can’t go wrong with a tasty treat from Annie’s. The brand is probably most well-known for their organic mac and cheese shells, but they also have a wide variety of toddler snacks to choose from. Some delicious options your tot is sure to devour include their bunny-shaped graham crackers, their crispy snack bars, their chewy granola bars or their chewy fruit snacks. No matter which you add to your shopping cart, they’ll be perfect to keep your kiddo feeling full and energized during daycare, school or summer camp.

Price range: $1.44 to $86.99

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Best organic toddler snack brand

What We Love
  • Each snack is USDA organic, and most are non-GMO
  • Wide variety of snacks, like breakfast biscuits, smoothies and veggie puffs
  • Available in convenient multipacks
Things To Consider
  • Some snacks contain added sugar

Are you a big fan of organic foods? Then this next toddler snack brand is sure to check all of the boxes on your list. When scrolling through Earth’s Best’s offerings, you’ll find plenty of easy toddler snacks to choose from. Early morning munchers will appreciate the blueberry breakfast bars and the fruit yogurt smoothies. Throughout the day, your tot can also chomp on yummy peanut butter puffs, cheese veggie puffs, fruit snack bars and honey graham crackers. For added peace of mind, know that all of these healthy toddler snacks are USDA organic, meaning they passed strict guidelines and contain at least 95 percent organic ingredients.

Price range: $1.49 to $44.15

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Best vegan toddler snack brand

What We Love
  • Soft-baked snack bars made with whole grains and real fruit
  • Certified vegan, Kosher and non-GMO
  • Available in convenient multipacks
  • Prewrapped snacks are perfect for taking on the go
Things To Consider
  • Some bars have added sugar
  • The brand only offers snack bars

If you’re searching for tasty, plant-based bites for your kiddo, look no further than Nature’s Bakery. The brand specializes in yummy vegan toddler snack bars, baked with real fruit like raspberries, apples and blueberries. They even have delicious, nutrient-packed double-chocolate brownies made from dates, whole grains and cocoa—yum! These kid-approved treats are non-GMO project verified, certified Kosher and certified vegan—plus, they’re free from high-fructose corn syrup.

Price range: $3.69 to $116.16

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Best toddler snack brand for daycare

What We Love
  • Wide range of sweet and savory snacks to choose from
  • Made with nourishing ingredients, like real fruit and veggies and whole grains
  • Available in convenient multipacks
Things To Consider
  • Some snacks contain added sugar

When choosing the best toddler snacks for daycare, you’ll want to ensure they’re packed with nourishing ingredients that will keep your child feeling great throughout the school day. Enter: Gerber’s toddler snacks. The small sizes are perfect for taking on the go or carrying in a lunch box—plus, there are a ton of delicious options to choose from. If your little one is obsessed with everything sweet, opt for the soft-baked grain bars, the banana cookies or the cinnamon animal crackers. Prefer savory treats? No problem—baked bean crunchies and multigrain puffs are also available. Made with your child’s developmental needs in mind, each snack contains an array of nutritious ingredients, like whole grains and real fruit. If you pack these toddler snacks, don’t expect to find any leftovers in your tot’s lunch bag when they get home from school!

Price range: $1.89 to $51.90

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Best toddler protein snack brand

What We Love
  • Wide range of snacks, like oat bars and fruit pouches
  • Offers several protein- and fiber-packed options to nourish your kiddo
  • Available in convenient multipacks
Things To Consider
  • Some options are intended for children two years or older
  • Do not microwave or boil pouch snacks

Toddler protein snacks can contribute to a well-balanced diet by providing key nutrients to your growing little one. Luckily, HappyTot has a range of foods packed with protein and fiber to nourish and satiate your child, such as their banana and carrot oat bars and their protein pouches. Other easy toddler snacks offered by this brand include their super food bars, their morning grains and their fruit and veggie pouches, to foster healthy development from breakfast to dinnertime.

Price range: $0.98 to $24.64

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How We Chose the Best Toddler Snacks

Parenting comes with a lot of decision-making, especially when it comes to what to feed your kiddo. To help you pick out the best toddler snacks for your family, we did the bulk of the research for you, so you don’t have to spend hours scrolling through online retailers. When choosing which brands to include in our roundup, we considered several factors, like ingredient lists, nutritional labels, packaging and value, to name a few. We also read user reviews to get the low-down on how real families have enjoyed these snacks, and didn’t consider anything with less than an average four-star rating.

To ensure we’re highlighting healthy toddler snacks that contribute to a well-balanced diet, we chatted with a dietitian. This way, you’ll know what ingredients to look for (and what to avoid) as you shop. We also followed the recommendations of the DGA for further guidance.

Interested in learning more about our editorial process? Read about how our team develops and reviews all articles here.

Sources

Alex Turnbull, RDN, LD, is a registered dietitian, a mom of two and founder of The Family Nutritionist, based out of Minnesota. She holds a bachelor’s degree from St. Catherine University and completed her dietetic internship at Iowa State University. Turnbull is also the author of The Baby Food Cookbook for First-Time Parents.

DGA, Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2020-2025, December 2020

Learn how we keep our content accurate and up-to-date by reading our medical review and editorial process.

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