Healthy Toddler Finger Food Recipes (2024)

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It can be challenging to find healthy finger foods for babies and toddlers...especially ones that they'll actually eat. Notoriously picky, toddlers can snub foods that you've spent a lot of time and effort to prepare. These recipes for toddler finger foods are not only easy, but nutritious and and tasty. The best part is that even if your child only picks at any of these foods, the rest of the family can finish it up because these recipes are yummy enough to appeal to older children and adults too.

Here you'll about finger food recipes for toddlers and babies will help you give your child more vegetables, healthy proteins, whole grains and/or expose her to a wider variety of flavors and textures. They're also easy to prepare - another plus for busy families. As a health-conscious mom, I was really thankful to find some good go-to recipes that helped make life easier and yummier for my toddler daughter. Hope that they are helpful to your family!

photo credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/carbonnyc/684915184/

You're a parent, nanny, grandparent or childcare provider who's conscientious about what you feed your children, but sometimes there's not enough nutritious variety out there to tempt the picky palates of babies and toddlers.

I'm in the same boat. I definitely wanted to start my daughter on a trajectory of healthy eating for a lifetime by starting with a broad base of nutritious foods. After a few months, however, I felt like I was feeding my daughter the same few things every meal, and almost none of it was finger food....except Cheerios. Then a friend loaned me some cookbooks, and I started experimenting.

As a result, I found some big winners -- foods that were easy for my daughter to eat, that she gobbled up readily and provided extra veggies and protein that she needed. The nice part is that my husband and I liked these too. His verdict is out on the tofu 'fries,' actually, but I liked them, and our daughter did too. These home-run easy recipes are the ones I want to share with you to hopefully give you an easier time feeding your child well.

Along our path to yummier food and better nutrition, I did find some very helpful prepackaged foods that have become staples in our snack repertoire which I talk about on my Healthy Finger Foods For Babies and Toddlers website, but the page you're on now is all about the recipes, baby.

photo credit: BunnyFabulous

What type of food would you like to see your child eat more of?

Prep time: 5 min

Cook time: 15 min

Ready in: 20 min

Yields: Approx. 4 snack size servings

• Several large kale leaves or 1/4 package fresh chopped kale
• olive oil
• salt substitute or seasoned salt to taste

1. Chop up kale leaves into small pieces, removing any large stems. In a large bowl, toss with enough olive oil to lightly coat. It's better to be a little too generous with the olive oil than a little too stingy. Sprinkle a little salt, salt substitute or seasoned salt over the kale, then mix together. Then, spread kale pieces out in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 min; then take out to flip leaves over/stir. Bake for an additional 4-6 min. or until leaves are crispy, but not burned. Watch closely with the oven light on near the end of the bake time.
2. Let cool for a minute or so, then serve immediately.
3. NOTE: the curlier the kale leaves are, the better they crisp.
4. photo credit: BunnyFabulous

Cast your vote for Crispy Kale Toddler Finger Food Recipe

These are a huge hit with my entire family. They don't last very long. This recipe is slightly modified from the Applesauce Bran Muffin recipe on CD Kitchen. The original recipe calls for a glaze, but for toddlers it's not necessary and the muffins are plenty delicious without it.

photo credit: BunnyFabulous

Prep Time: 15 min

Total Time: 30-35 min

Serves: 12 - makes a dozen muffins

• 1 1/2 cup (100% bran) cereal -- I use All Bran
• 1 1/2 cup applesauce -- all natural applesauce has the least amount of sugar
• 1 egg -- slightly beaten
• 1/4 cup butter or margarine -- melted
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar -- packed
• 1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 cup finely chopped raisins or prunes -- optional

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees; grease muffin pans. In a large bowl, mix bran, applesauce, egg, margarine and brown sugar; let stand for 5 minutes. In a separate bowl, blend flour, baking powder and cinnamon; stir in bran mixture just until blended, batter will be lumpy. Stir in raisins. Spoon batter into muffin cups and bake for 15 to 18 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from muffin pan and cool on a wire rack.
2. These muffins freeze well, so there's no need to eat the whole batch at once....unless you want to. :)

Below is the my gluten-free version of Elise's Zucchini Muffins recipe on Simply Recipes. Especially when zucchini is on sale, this recipe is one that we make quite often since it's an easy snack that's full of vegetables. My husband and I enjoy them as much as our daughter does.

If you'd like the regular recipe for these muffins, just use Elise's Zucchini Muffins recipe as-is. NOTE: she says you don't need a mixer for this recipe. I beg to differ. It's much easier with a mixer.

photo credit: BunnyFabulous

Prep time: 20 min

Cook time: 30 min

Ready in: 50 min

Yields: 12 - makes approx. one dozen muffins

• 3 cups grated fresh zucchini
• 2/3 cup melted unsalted butter
• 1 1/3 cup sugar -- I use turbinado or sucanat (natural cane sugar) that are slightly healthier
• 2 eggs - beaten
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• Pinch salt
• 3 cups Pamela's All-Purpose Baking Mix
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1 cup pulverized walnuts (optional) -- I food-process them until they're a coarse powder

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). In a large bowl combine the sugar, eggs, and vanilla. Stir in the grated zucchini and then the melted butter. Sprinkle the baking soda and salt over the zucchini mixture and mix in. In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, nutmeg, and cinnamon. Stir these dry ingredients into the zucchini mixture. Stir in walnuts if using
2. Coat each muffin cup in your muffin pan with a little butter or vegetable oil spray. Use a spoon to distribute the muffin dough equally among the cups, filling the cups up completely. Bake on the middle rack until muffins are golden brown, and the top of the muffins bounce back when you press on them, about 25 to 30 minutes. Test with a long toothpick or a thin bamboo skewer to make sure the center of the muffins are done. Set on wire rack to cool for 5 minutes. Remove muffins from the tin let cool another 20 minutes.
3. Note: If you are including walnuts, you will likely have more batter than is needed for 12 muffins.

These delicious little cakes are a good introduction to salmon and are an appealing texture for older babies and toddlers. For everyone else in the family you can double or quadruple the recipe to make enough for everyone.

photo credit: BunnyFabulous

Prep Time: 15 min

Total Time: 25-30 min

Serves: 6-8, depending on the size you make

• 1 lb red potatoes - mashed
• 2 Tbsp ketchup
• 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1 egg - lightly beaten
• 2 Tbsp chopped green onion
• 3/4 lb cooked salmon fillets - flaked. For best nutrition use wild-caught salmon
• 3 tbsp panko (Japanese bread crumbs) - plus extra for coating
• a little melted butter
• olive oil (optional)

1. Mix the mashed potatoes together with the ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, egg, and green onion. Mix in the salmon and 3 Tbsp of the panko. Shape the mixture into flat cakes. Use a cookie cutter or your hands to form into fun shapes, if desired. Coat each fish cake with bread crumbs, and brush lightly with melted butter.
2. For baking: set fish cakes on a lightly greased baking sheet. Transfer to a preheated 350-degree oven and cook for 4 min. on each side.
3. For sauteing: Heat several tablespoons of olive oil in a medium frying pan. Add salmon cakes and saute several minutes on each side, until golden brown.
4. Personally, I prefer making these sauteed, especially since olive oil has good fats in it. However, the baking method does have less fat.

Prep time: 10 min

Cook time: 10 min

Ready in: 20 min

Yields: 1 pkg tofu makes 6-10 servings

• 1 package extra-firm tofu
• 1 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
• low-sodium soy sauce to taste

1. Drain extra firm tofu then cut into thin, small french-fry (or smaller) size pieces. Heat the olive oil in a wok or large skillet. Add the tofu and soy sauce and stir fry until golden brown and the outside has a bit of a crust.

Prep Time: 5-10 min.

Total Time: 10-15 min.

Serves: varies on size of popsicle molds

• 1/2 cup spinach leaves - washed
• 1 'adult' size 100% juice grape flavor juice box. Approx. 3/4 cup juice.
• 1 cup red grapes -- the sweeter the better
• small handful of blueberries or blackberries if desired for color
• little bit of honey or other natural sweetener - to taste

1. In a high-powered blender, add all ingredients. Blend thoroughly to make the mixture as smooth as possible, adding additional sweetener if necessary, for taste. If you have really sweet grapes, you probably won't need the sweetener. Pour into popsicle molds; freeze.

Chunks of scrambled egg are easy for little fingers to pick up and eat, and both eggs and cheese provide protein. This recipe is an example of how minor tweaks to taste and/or texture can make or break a food. My li'l girlie won't eat plain cooked eggs, but add some cheese and she loves it. This is also a great way to get her to eat spinach -- mixed with one of her breakfast favorites

photo credit: BunnyFabulous

Prep time: 5 min

Cook time: 5 min

Ready in: 10 min

Yields: 1 or 2 servings, depending on how much your child eats

• 1 Tablespoon olive oil
• 1 egg or 1/4 cup eggbeaters
• 3 -4 spinach leaves - finely chopped
• 1 -2 Tablespoons cheddar cheese

1. Heat olive oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Add eggs or eggbeaters and spinach, stirring often to scramble. When the eggs are close to being fully cooked, add cheddar cheese and keep scrambling until cheese is melted and eggs are cooked through. Cool slightly before serving. This recipe easily doubles, triples, etc. depending on how much your child will eat.

I'm not an overacheiver. I don't make up all of my own recipes, or tweak them all for that matter. Here are some other goodies I found on the web.

Another favorite of mine is Pumpkin Spice Hippiecakes. Pumpkin, fiber and protein in a little cake-like thingy with no added sugar? Yes, please! For toddlers, you may need to omit the walnuts unless they are finely chopped.

Or, for more of my culinary picks for adults and toddlers, please

Which one of these recipes are you most likely to make for your child?

Here are some tips and suggestions from experts and from my own experience.

* If at first you don't succeed, try, try again. Your toddler may hate his first, third, and ninth exposure to cauliflower, but the tenth time may be the charm.

* Try new food when you and your toddler are at your best - when you're both well rested, in good spirits, and healthy.

* Your child will be more open to a new food if he's hungry (but not overly hungry), so give him his new food first.

* Don't stop feeding your child if she makes a funny face - it doesn't necessarily mean that she doesn't like what she's tasting. She may just be reacting to the distinctly different taste. Even now, my daughter will sometimes grimace and then say that she likes a food.

* Try to keep your facial expressions positive, even if you're serving a food you detest. Likewise, keep your comments about the food positive as well. Don't preface introducing a new food by saying 'Here's some avocado, you may not like it.'

* On the other hand, some children may get their guard up if you make a big deal over a new food. Keeping things normal and low key tends to work better.

* Let your toddler see you eating the same food he's eating. He loves copying you.

* If your child gives you the thumbs-down on a particular food (closing his mouth, turning his head, throwing it), don't force it. Try again in a few days and he may surprise you by eagerly eating it. Forcing food or showing your frustration may turn mealtime into a negative experience full of power struggles.

* Switch things up. Your toddler may tire of eating bananas at every meal and give up on them entirely. Plus, a varied diet is more nutritious for your growing child.

* Try the food in a different form. My daughter never liked carrots in their pureed or mashed form, but as an older toddler, she loves crunching on the thin 'twigs' of matchstick-sliced carrots.

photo credit: BunnyFabulous