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    MJ & Hungryman » Baby/Kid-Friendly Recipes

    Healthy Baby Snacks (Easy and Balanced)

    By Min On October 19, 2022

    This post may contain affiliate links. Please see our disclosure policy for more details.

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    A six image collage showing specific examples of baby snacks.

    Here are some healthy baby snacks that are easy to prepare and are perfect for babies 9 months and up. Rotate through these finger foods for fun and delicious snacks that your baby will love.

    A six image collage showing specific baby snack examples.

    Healthy Snacks for Babies

    It's great that we have so many wonderful options to choose from when it comes to baby foods, but it can also leave us feeling overwhelmed and exhausted from decision fatigue.

    The good news is babies don't need a lot of snacks, if any at all! More on this in the FAQ section below.

    What I encourage you to do is consider snacks as mini-meals and aim to include at least two food groups.

    If unable, make sure the one food that you do offer is an iron-rich food. Their iron needs are so high that we want to seize every opportunity to get this essential nutrient into their tummies.

    Next in priority is healthy fats, which are so crucial for optimal brain development

    Finally, start with just a small amount and offer more if your baby seems interested. This will help reduce overwhelm and minimize food waste.

    Safety tip: ALWAYS make sure your baby is sitting upright at a 90 degree angle to minimize choking. That means no eating in the carseat or while walking around.

    Healthy Snack Ideas for Babies (9 months and up)

    I specifically mention that these snacks are for babies 9 months and older. You do not want to offer your baby snacks earlier than this age because there's no need for them. 1-2 meals along with breastmilk and or formula is plenty.

    May be interested in: How to start baby led weaning

    But if your baby does start showing interest in more food on top of their milk and meals, then here are some easy and balanced ideas! These also make for a great addition to meals.

    At this age, your baby is working towards picking up small pieces of food using their pincer grasp. You can start cutting food up into bite-size pieces or keep them large so they can practice taking bites. Here are 50+ finger food ideas.

    Easy Baby Snacks - with iron

    A banana pancake with smashed edamame.
    • Cooked salmon or sardines (fresh or canned) - you can serve on its own or mash and combine with yogurt or avocado. You can also spread onto toast.
    • Edamame - Flatten with your fingers to split in half.
    • Ground beef, chicken, or turkey crumbles
    • Teether crackers with pumpkin seed butter
    • Lentil balls
    • Tofu
    • Pureed or mashed beans - can be as easy as flattening canned beans with your fingers. You can also spread onto toast.
    • Scrambled eggs
    • Hard-boiled eggs, chopped into smaller pieces

    Baby Snacks - with iron and fruit

    Cookie with raspberries on the left and mango rolled in hemp seeds with mashed avocado on the right.
    • Unsweetened applesauce stirred into yogurt or oatmeal
    • Unsweetened applesauce with peanut puffs
    • Avocado spears rolled in hemp seeds
    • Chia pudding
    • Banana Pancakes
    • Banana French Toast
    • Soft cooked apple with thinned out peanut butter
    • Ripe mango spear rolled in flax seeds
    • Yogurt Smoothie Melts (use code MIN5 for $5 discount) with shredded chicken
    • Flatted blueberries with ricotta cheese (add flax or hemp seeds)
    • Combine baby food pouch with fortified infant cereal
    • Pear hummus
    • Mango chia jam toast

    Healthy Snacks for Babies - with iron and vegetable

    Sweet potato rounds with toppings on the left and meatball and squash on the right.
    • Sweet Potato Rounds with various toppings
    • Pureed or mashed green peas
    • Tofu with broccoli
    • Edamame with tomatoes
    • Cauliflower with pumpkin seed spinach hummus
    • Vegetable oatmeal balls or fingers
    • Iron-fortified dry cereals or baby puffs with zucchini
    • Savory French toast
    • Pizza eggs
    • Vegetable omelette
    • Cooked pasta with iron-rich pasta sauce
    • Butternut squash strip or diced with a drizzle of tahini
    • Beet chickpea dip with soft cooked broccoli floret
    • Carrot spear with thinned out peanut butter
    • Finely grated carrots mixed into iron-fortified cereal or oatmeal
    • Red cabbage strip or shreds with tofu

    Baked Snack ideas for babies

    Salmon quiche and broccoli on the left and avocado with chickpea cookie on the right.

    Remember that your baby doesn't need a whole lot for their snack. Start with just several bite-size pieces (or if offering as a big piece, a half of a muffin or patty).

    A close-up of muffins on a wire rack

    Moist Muffins (both sweet and savory options included)

    Healthy Beef Meatballs
    These healthy beef meatballs are made with just 5 simple ingredients and are egg free and dairy free. Tender and flavorful, these are perfect for babies and kids of all ages!
    Get the recipe
    Six meatballs on a wooden board with toddler grabbing one.
    Mini crustless quiche
    Packed with protein and vegetables, this mini crustless quiche is so easy to make! Enjoy as a make-ahead breakfast, snack, or pack for lunch boxes.
    Get the recipe
    cooked salmon quiche in a white oval plate with a toddler hand
    Mini Baked Canned Salmon Patties
    These mini baked salmon patties with canned salmon are packed with vegetables and full of flavor! Perfect for baby led weaning!
    Get the recipe
    baked salmon patties on parchment paper with mango yogurt sauce in a white bowl.
    Healthy Sweet Potato Patties
    Slightly crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, these sweet potato patties are easy to make, flavorful, and nutritious!
    Get the recipe
    A close up overhead shot of baked sweet potato patty.
    Chickpea Patties (gluten free)
    These flavorful chickpea patties with quinoa are easy to make with simple pantry staples. Shape them into patties or even nuggets
    Get the recipe
    a toddler's hand dunking the chickpea cakes in pizza hummus
    3 Ingredient Baby Cookies
    3 ingredients are all you need to make these soft and delicious vegan banana oatmeal cookies. They are the perfect breakfast or snack for babies!
    Get the recipe
    four carrot oatmeal cookies stacked
    Savory Baked Oatmeal with Vegetables
    This savory baked oatmeal is so easy to make and a great way to enjoy vegetables for breakfast! Perfect for baby led weaning and lunchboxes.
    Get the recipe
    three sliced baked oatmeal stacked on top of each other
    Healthy Baked Strawberry Oatmeal
    Super easy to make, this healthy baked oatmeal recipe with juicy strawberries and bananas is the perfect make ahead breakfast or snack for the whole family!
    Get the recipe
    Baked oatmeal served in a white bowl with milk, sliced almonds, and peanut butter.
    Baked Sweet Potato Tots
    These oven-baked sweet potato tots are made with just 4 ingredients and are a healthy snack or side dish for the entire family!
    Get the recipe
    tots plated on a white plate with toddler's hand dipping one into green hummus.
    Healthy Pumpkin Banana Bread
    Made with healthy ingredients, this moist pumpkin banana bread has all the warm pumpkin flavor with just the right amount of sweetness.
    Get the recipe
    A close up shot of sliced bread.
    Vegetable Waffles with Peanut Butter
    EASY to make, healthy peanut butter vegetable waffles for babies and kids! A great way to enjoy more protein, fat, and veggies for breakfast.
    Get the recipe
    three stacked peanut butter waffles topped with banana and raspberries
    Banana Date Bread
    Soft and moist, this healthy banana bread is perfect for babies, toddlers, and adults! It's super EASY to make with minimal, nutritious ingredients.
    Get the recipe
    three slices of banana date bread stacked on a wooden board
    Peanut Butter Chickpea Cookies
    Made without flour and sugar, these peanut butter chickpea cookies are so easy to make with just 5 ingredients.
    Get the recipe
    Baked cookie with a bite taken out of it.
    Healthy Sweet Potato Cookies
    These super moist sweet potato cakes made with just 5 simple ingredients, including chickpeas, oats, and chia seeds, are perfect for babies and toddlers.
    Get the recipe
    three sweet potato cookies for babies stacked on a wooden board
    Healthy Banana Walnut Cake
    Super moist and fluffy, this banana walnut cake is ridiculously easy to make! Enjoy it as an everyday breakfast or snack or for special occasions.
    Get the recipe
    A close up shot of sliced cake.
    Baked Veggie Nuggets
    These baked veggie nuggets are an easy and fun way to get more vegetables into your child's diet! Made with four vegetables, they are perfect for lunch or snack!
    Get the recipe
    A toddler's hand dipping one of the nuggets in beet hummus.

    Snacks for One Year Olds

    At this age, solid food takes priority over breast milk and formula. Most older babies need to eat every 2-3 hours, as their stomachs are small and they need a lot of nutrition. This equates to 3 meals + 2-3 snacks.

    Here are some healthy food ideas for 1 year olds as well as a sample meal plan.

    However, if your toddler eats big meals, just one snack may be enough. I wanted to share this because I felt pressured to give my son at least 2 snacks a day, as many health organizations recommend. However, I noticed that his interest during mealtimes diminished drastically.

    Again, ALWAYS follow your child's lead.

    Master List of Toddler Snacks

    Store-Bought Baby Snacks

    Here are some great convenient options. Always look at the ingredient list. The shorter the better with real ingredients, and the first 3 ingredients should be whole fruit, vegetable, or whole grains.

    They should also contain no added sugars, which the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends avoiding until 2 years of age.

    • Yogurt (without added sugars)
    • Sprouted bread (this brand has one with no added salt)
    • Dry cereals
    • Baby puffs
    • Peanut puffs
    • Fruit or Vegetable Pouches - Regardless of the brand, look at the ingredient list and make sure all you see are whole foods. Try several and see which ones your baby enjoys and rotate through.
    • Freeze-dried fruit - dissolves easily in your mouth

    Frequently Asked Questions

    Do babies need snacks?


    I want to start off by saying that if you were told that your baby MUST  have snacks along with their meals, this pediatric registered dietitian is here to make your life so much easier.

    Prioritize milk and meals.

    The current recommendation is to start with just ONE meal a day at 6 months or when your baby is showing all the developmental signs of readiness (grab this FREE handout if you are unsure).

    Then progress to three meals at around 9 months. You don't want to start weaning from breastmilk/formula at this point. Rather, you're ADDING solid foods to your feeding schedule and GRADUALLY replacing breastfeeding and/or formula with these foods.

    How much snacks should babies have, IF needed?

    While snacks are not a must for babies, we also have to consider the uniqueness of each child and their appetite.

    If between 9-12 months and your child IS showing interest in more food in addition to their 3 meals and milk, then you can try incorporating no more than 1 snack per day to help tide them over until the next eating opportunity.

    Remember, Ii your baby is growing, following their unique growth curve, and happy, they are eating the amount of food that’s RIGHT for them, even if it’s less or more than the recommendations or what you think they need to be eating.

    More Baby/Kid-Friendly Recipes

    • Fluffy Vegetable Rice
    • How to Freeze Yogurt
    • Creamy Chicken Orzo
    • Custard Yogurt Toast (Sweet and Savory)

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    About Min

    Thank you so much for stopping by! I am Min, a Registered Dietitian, a Christ follower, a wife, and a mom to our two miracle babies! Currently, I’m having a ton of fun feeding their tummies and sharing our baby led weaning journey! Follow me on Instagram if interested in seeing daily menu as well as tips and tricks.

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    I am MJ, a registered dietitian and a mom of 2. I truly hope you’ll enjoy all the recipes and tips that I share on what and how to feed your child!

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