Eating healthy snacks makes a big difference in my child's health. The snack foods I bring home from the grocery store are the kinds of foods my child will eat. When I choose between a variety of tasty, nutritious meals, like apple slices, cheese, vegetable sticks, and some crackers, my child has the chance to learn to enjoy them.
The amount of food a child needs can vary. For children who are one old, a good rule of thumb is to use one tablespoon as a serving for every year of age. For example, a serving of vegetable for a 1-year-old would be one tablespoon of squash; a serving of grain would be one tablespoon of rice.
Toddlers have really small tummies. They fill up quickly at meals. Snacks help my child get the foods he needs to grow. Up to 1/4 of all the calories and a toddler needs can come from snacks.
One-Year-Old stomachs are small. They often cannot eat enough food in three meals a day to meet their nutritional needs.
Snacks help provide the nutrients and energy needed for good health and growth.
Snacks help keep my one year old from becoming too hungry between meals.
Snacks that I use are based on healthy foods, just like meals.
Snacks provide that additional lovely time to spend with my One-year-old Son.
Below are some of the snacks which I offer my one-year-old kid.
Vegetable Ham and Vegetable Muffins
As a Dad who loves making snacks; I'm a big fan of muffins. These Ham and Vegetable Muffins are so handy they are good for toddlers. Plus I like the fact these muffins can be frozen. My one-year-old loves ham, and that is all he thinks about when he eats these muffins which are useful for me because I've hidden veggies in there!
Sweet Apple Chips
These are delicious and so crispy, and such an easy way to get my one-year-old to eat his daily fruit allowance sneakily. Pop the apple chips in the oven for one hour then flip the slices and dry for another hour. Don't serve them hot as they only get chip-like once they cool down. If there are leftovers it can be stored in an airtight container.
Fruits
Fruits can be an excellent choice for snacks. I always offer my one-year-old with bananas, peaches, pears, melon, apples, and more. My son initially did not have a liking for fruits, but likes to play with them. Therefore I take time to play with the fruits myself along with my son, and while doing so I eat the fruits as part of the game, my son eats when he gets his turn as he believes its part of the game.
Vegetables
Vegetables such as cucumber slices and small carrot strips are great snacks. Other veggies such as cooked broccoli and cauliflower are also good.
Dairy foods
My one-year-old son loves dairy foods like drinks of milk, slices of string cheese, yoghurt and cottage cheese. These foods area great source of calcium and protein, and most importantly they are fun to drink and eat.
Water
I give my kid plain water often during the day. Snack time is an excellent time to offer water. Fruits, cheese, and water represent a good snack. Remember, water does not meet a component requirement, but it does satisfy my son's thirst. Water should be made available for all snacks and meals.
