This is my grandson, Easton.  He won the lottery by being the first-born grandchild on both sides of our families.  We won the lottery when he entered our lives!  Putting it mildly, he has an abundance of love in his life.  In my eyes, he hung the moon!

At one of my recent visits, my daughter-in-law, Leslie-Ann, was trying out a snack suggestion she came across on one of her mom tribe Instagram sites.  I was intrigued!  Not only is this snack suggestion very clever and easy, it also follows the recommended Authoritative Feeding Style for Children ("Choices not Ultimatums") discussed HERE in one of our previous posts. 

In general, the Authoritative Feeding Style advises offering children a few choices of fresh, wholesome, nutrient dense foods at each feeding.  Then leave it to the child to determine which foods and how much to eat at any given meal or snack.  In other words, it’s the parent’s responsibility to provide nutritious food and it’s the child’s responsibility to decide what and how much he or she eats.

Make snack time fun with this interactive, nutritious and delicious snack hack for toddlers! #saslife Click To Tweet

This snack suggestion meets all these criteria AND it’s super fun and appealing. So, here’s what you do:

The Toddler Snack Hack

So, Leslie-Ann created this muffin tin snack tray and placed it on an ottoman near Easton’s play area.  She announced to Easton his snack was ready.

Then This Happened:

The End Result

He had a glorious time helping himself to all of the cheese and cherries as he went about his play.  Of note, he left the asparagus behind.  Apparently, the love of asparagus from last month was temporary.  No worries, though, he’ll enjoy asparagus again one day.  The important thing is to keep offering it.

Mini Muffin Pan Snacks for Toddlers

Since this mini smorgasbord was such a hit, I came up with a few more options for toddlers, grand toddlers, nieces and nephews.  It’s a great idea for kids of all ages.  Simply adjust the portion size for the age of the child.

So, what healthy mini muffin pan snacks could you put together for your children or grandchildren?

 

Want to Learn More About the Latest Recommendations for Feeding Children?

• For more tips on Positive Food Parenting, click HERE and HERE.
  
• To learn the Top 5 Infant and Toddler Feeding Mistakes, click HERE.

 

Here’s Easton with my husband, “BaBa”.