12 Toddler Snack Ideas (Diaper Bag Friendly)
The baby snack aisle can feel overwhelming so here are 12 healthy toddler snack ideas that you can find in other aisles of the grocery store that are perfect for diaper bags, day cares, and traveling.
As a dietitian mom, finding healthy snacks for my son to have throughout the day has been nothing short of an adventure. While there are plenty of snack options in the baby aisle, there are also tons of healthy options in the rest of the grocery store!
At home, I try my best to reach for simple vegetables, unsweetened dairy products, and fresh cut fruit as my go to snacks but these aren’t the easiest to toss in a diaper bag when you’re in a hurry. For diaper bags, day cares, and travel
3 things to look at for diaper bag snacks:
While you will often find my diaper bag stuffed with yogurt melts, a squeeze packet, or other typical baby snacks, I also carry a few other healthy options made from whole foods. When choosing a toddler snack, I consider many things including added sugar, sodium, and developmental readiness:
Added sugar: this tends to be the first line item that I look at when selecting a toddler snack. Even snacks that you think can be a healthy option (like fruit snacks or most yogurt pouches) are often sneaky sources of added sugar. While I do not stick to a 0 added sugar policy in my home, I do my best to limit added sugar by minimizing the number of snacks that have added sugar in general and keeping it to under 6 grams of added sugar for snacks that do.
Sodium: Sodium is an important electrolyte for our body but is often added to packaged foods as a preservative and to add flavor. While it’s beneficial for our health in appropriate amounts, most Americans over consume sodium so we want to be mindful to minimize sodium intake for our children. For children 1-3 years old, you want to keep sodium intake well below 1,200 mg per day… which may seems like alot but can be reached very quickly with packaged snacks and fast food meals!
Developmental Readiness: I have presented this list in a progressive list with the snacks I introduced when my son was 4-6 months listed first and then progressing to the snacks my son ate as he got older and more confident with foods. If you choose any of the ideas from this list, please be sure to offer them in safe ways way that your child is developmentally ready for. One resource that I highly recommend you visit before starting solids is solid starts which offers a wide variety of information including best first foods, allergen awareness, and training or visuals on how to decide developmental appropriateness to reduce choking risk.
12 toddler snack ideas for your diaper bag:
1) Unsweetened apple sauce cups or pouches
Starting with this one because apple sauce cups are a great snack for babies just starting purees or solids as well as toddlers and young children! Additionally, unsweetened apple sauce pouches are another easy fruit serving that was more airplane friendly when I was traveling with my toddler. I found the individual cups to be a bit more affordable and it also gave my son the opportunity to keep practicing with a spoon.
One note here is to make sure you check the label and choose an unsweetened or cinnamon option with 0 grams of added sugar. Other options may have been sweetened with syrup and can contain over 13 grams of added sugar per cup!
Following the apple sauce immediately with another fruit cup idea. When my son started purees, I always carted around applesauce for him but I love these fruit cup ideas as the kids start to get more advanced with new textures and feel confident with solids. Fruit cups can be an affordable and transportable way to introduce different fruit options. If you want less of a mess, simply open the fruit cup and drain out any of the fruit juice to avoid a spill risk!
Make sure you choose fruit cups that are in 100% of their own fruit juice and limit anything that has been sweetened or contains a syrup as these will be much higher in added sugar.
I started using Harvest Snaps as an alternative to the traditional teething crackers or veggie straws as my son got a little bit older. Harvest snacks are baked pea pods and have protein, fiber, and other vitamins and minerals making them a more nutritious option to reach for. Instead of storing these in the bag in my diaper bag, I would fill a snack cup or a diaper bag snack container section with these so that they stay fresh and crispy! Opt for the lightly salted flavor to keep sodium content lower.
4) Justins peanut butter to go bags
I constantly travel with these to go peanut butter bags and a banana in my diaper bag. These are convenient to spread on crackers, fruit, mix into yogurt or oatmeal, and are an easy way to introduce a common allergen to your child. If my son doesn’t eat it, this is a perfect mom friendly snack to have on hand as well!
One thing to note here before you pack it in your childs lunchbox is to ensure that your daycare allows for peanut butter in the room as other children who attend the school may be allergic!
That’s it bars are basically a dried fruit licorice that is not too sticky so it’s easy to swallow. When my son was younger I would tear this into smaller, developmentally appropriate sizes so that would not be a choking hazard. As he got older, now he holds the bar by himself and munches on it for a healthy toddler snack that is made from 100% fruit. These were one of my favorite toddler snacks ideas for the pool, plane, and parks!
6) Dried prunes, chopped (must be chopped to limit choking hazard or can opt for raisins instead)
Lets just say that we do not have any digestive issues in this household because my son literally LOVES prunes. Because prunes are dried, they are a perfect snack option to bring with you in your diaper bag or while you travel with kids.
One thing to note here is that dried/freeze dried fruit can be a choking hazard for kids and absolutely must be prepped according to your childs developmental readiness. I introduced prunes around 12 months of age and I quarter them so that they are a much smaller size and safe to eat for my son. If prunes are too large for your child or your own personal comfort level, boxes of raisins are another travel friendly toddler snack idea that count as a fruit serving.
Sierra trail bites are perfect for mom and toddler snacks with a naturally sweet bite and minimal added sugar. These bags are perfect to toss in a diaper bag and feature 3 grams of fiber, 3 grams of protein, and are a great option for a little one who struggles with constipation.
Hippeas Chickpea Puffs are a higher fiber and higher protein chickpea based puff that can be used as a more nutrient dense alternative to Cheetos or chips. My son loves to add these puffs to his snack cup or you can easily toss them into a lunchbox as well.
9) Aussie bites (Has honey- wait till your child is 1 year old)
The aussie bites from Costco are a great option that my son has always loved. They can be a bit messy and do have honey in them so wait until your child is one, but I liked to serve Aussie bites as a heartier snack or breakfast on the go.
Along with using these as travel snacks, I would often break these bites up and stir them into full fat yogurt to add nutritious seeds, healthy fats, and a boost of fiber to my toddlers breakfast.
When traveling with fresh berries feels impossible, freeze dried fruits like strawberries and blueberries are an easy and diaper bag friendly way to get in a fruit serving without the mess.
Always make sure you present these in a size that is appropriate for your child.
11) Baked fruit options
Baked fruits, like these apples or these bananas, are another nutritious toddler snack idea that is perfect for diaper bags or airplane travel. Made of 100% fruit, baked fruits are crunchy like a chip and can be used as a healthy chip alternative or as a crunchy addition to an after school snack board!
As you can see from this toddler snack idea list, there are alot of creative ways to safely offer fruit for your child that are easy to travel with including apple sauce, fruit cups, freeze dried fruit, baked fruit, and dried fruit.
12) Natural Delights Mini Medjools
Finally, these mini medjools from Natural delights are a recent favorite snack for my toddler. Similar to the trail bites, mini medjool bites are a nice sweet treat option that are naturally sweetened with dates and have no added sugar. They come in 3 different flavors and can be torn in half to limit choke hazard risk!
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Disclaimer: please note that I am a registered dietitian but I am not YOUR registered dietitian. This information is meant to be educational and should not be used as personalized medical or nutrition advice. This blog may contain affiliate links and any purchase made through my links gives me a small commission and supports Lauren Twigge Nutrition. 
Hey! I’m Lauren
I’m a registered dietitian and my goal is to give you tips and tricks to make healthy eating fun, easy, and even delicious!