Healthy Baby Snacks: Nutritious Options for 9- to 12-Month-Olds

When it comes to feeding 9- to 12-month-old babies, it’s easier in some ways because they usually have several teeth at this point and can eat a lot of different foods. That being said, they shouldn’t eat just anything because in the end, they need to be eating only healthy foods.

If you’re looking for the most nutritious baby snack ideas, keep in mind that a lot of them are the same foods that many adults eat. You just have to make sure that they are cut into small pieces and they are soft enough so the baby doesn’t choke. Below are several healthy snacks to give to older babies that are also fun to eat.

1. Shaped Foods

Buy yourself some cookie cutters in many different shapes and use them instead to cut soft melons, including watermelon, cantaloupe, and honeydew melons. The softer the food, the better, and they can be cut into lots of different shapes, including flowers, circles, triangles, crescent moons, and even numerous animals.

2. Colorful Fruits

Fruit is always a good thing to give older babies because it is nutritious and usually soft enough to eat immediately as long as it’s cut into small pieces. Try mixing lots of fruits together and use different colored fruits, including strawberries, blueberries, pineapple, bananas, and kiwi fruit. Just make sure that they are small and easy to grab, and mixing them all together makes them fun to eat.

3. Crackers and Nut Butter

When it comes to healthy baby snacks, few things are better for them than nut butters. You can try almond, cashew, hazelnut, or sunflower butter, and kids will love them. Even better, spread them on crackers that are fun and easy to chew, such as graham crackers or Town House crackers. Try not to use products such as Nutella too often because of their high sugar content.

4. Eggs

Eggs are filled with protein and healthy for growing babies, and you can serve them many different ways. Try some egg salad or boiled eggs that have been cut into small pieces for the best results. Eggs have a lot of flavor and are nutritious as well, and kids will consider them fun to eat. Again, try not to add salt to the eggs because that ingredient is simply not needed.

5. Fruit and Yogurt

When it comes to snack options for infants, this combination is one of the best. Always use plain yogurt, preferably the Greek kind because it’s more nutritious, and add your own fresh fruit to give it some flavor. It’s a messy snack when kids are allowed to eat it on their own, but they’ll love the taste and the fact that it’s easy and fun to eat.

6. Whole-Fat Cottage Cheese

When children are under the age of two -- some doctors will say five -- you should never give them any type of low-fat foods. Their brains need the fat to grow properly, and whole-fat cottage cheese is a healthy snack that many babies love. You can even put a layer of all-natural applesauce on top of it to make it tastier and even more nutritious.

7. Avocados

Everyone knows that avocados are filled with healthy fats, and even if you eat one every day, it won’t hurt you. You can either cut it into small pieces or mash it up and feed it to your child, and that one piece of fruit will give them plenty of nutrients to grow and thrive.

8. Carrot Sticks

For children under the age of one, it’s best to chop the carrots into matchstick pieces so they aren’t difficult to swallow. Carrots are filled with many different vitamins and their bright orange color will make kids want to eat them even more. Just make sure that they are cut into very thin, small pieces to keep your baby as safe as possible.

9. Canned Peaches

Canned peaches are nice and soft and can be cut into small pieces very easily. Try to find peaches in their natural juice so that no sugar is added. When it comes to nutritious baby finger foods, canned peaches are some of the best. It is super easy for babies to pick them up and put them in their mouths, and they love the flavor!

10. Muffins

Muffins are both soft and healthy, and you can cut them into small pieces and make them finger food easily. For the best results, find healthy muffins such as blueberry, banana, apple, pumpkin, or oatmeal muffins.

Conclusion

There are tons of snacks that babies 9 to 12 months old can eat with ease. The main tips to remember are to make sure the snacks are healthy and have no added sugar, and are cut into small pieces so they can pick them up easily to eat them. If they’re colorful, that’s even better!