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Here are some easy and healthy snack tray ideas you can put together FAST with whatever you have on hand. These are especially perfect for toddlers and kids. Serve for after school snacks or as a snack lunch or dinner!
![Ultimate Snack Tray Ideas (for Lunch or Dinner) (1) Ultimate Snack Tray Ideas (for Lunch or Dinner) (1)](https://i0.wp.com/www.mjandhungryman.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/snack-tray-ideas.jpg)
Thanks toCabot Creameryfor sponsoring this post.I only work with companies that I love and believe in. All opinions are my own.
Table of Contents
- Snack tray
- Favorite Supplies
- Healthy Snack Tray Components
- Cheese
- How to Build a Snack Tray
- Tips for Making the Perfect Snack Board
- Snack Dinner
- Themed Snack Trays
Snack tray
Snack platter, charcuterie board, muffin tin snack tray, snacky lunch, snack dinner, or whatever you want to call it, the idea is the same – it’s a clean-out-the-fridge or pantry meal that requires very minimal prep work and no cooking.
And you don’t need to try and go all out preparing these elaborate, overflowing snack boards or snack trays that you may see online (unless you want to).
They also may not be ideal for toddlers, as seeing too much food can be very overwhelming for them.
BUT simply changing the way you plate your child’s food can invite more fun and encourage your perhaps fussy or picky eater to try a greater variety of foods without much effort on your part!
Favorite Supplies
![Ultimate Snack Tray Ideas (for Lunch or Dinner) (2) Ultimate Snack Tray Ideas (for Lunch or Dinner) (2)](https://i0.wp.com/www.mjandhungryman.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/yogurt-snack-tray.jpg)
Besides all the snacks, deciding where to place them is half the fun! Here are some of my favorites!
- A large cutting board – Can cut up all the foods and serve right there. Who can say no to less dishes?
- Muffin pan – This is a perfect toddler snack tray! I’ve found 6 cups to be most ideal, but you can use 12 cups if you wish. Just add small portions. This silicone one is really great. It also comes with a lid, allowing you to easily make ahead and store in the fridge or take it to go.
- A mini muffin tray – these are really great for babies and young toddlers. It also doubles as a popsicle mold!
- A large plate – any will do!
- Ice cube tray – Similar to the muffin pan but smaller, and again, it’s a way of inviting fun to snack and mealtimes.
- Lunch box – It’s not just for school! Your child will love opening up their lunchbox at home and enjoying it with you. Here are the best lunch boxes for toddlers and kids.
In addition, if you have a picky eater, here are some eating utensils and tools that can really help spark their interest.
- Food cutters – These are what helped both of my kids to eat their raw vegetables. While you are at it, cut out a whole bunch at once and enjoy throughout the week!
- Food picks – Stick these into their foods and watch their face light up!
- Tongs – It may sound silly but they totally work!
- Spoons and forks – Try either going really small or big. My 5 year old loves it when I give him his 1 year old sister’s spoon or a big spatula.
Healthy Snack Tray Components
Choose 1-2 from each of these categories for a well-rounded snack or meal.
Protein
- Beans
- Beef
- Cheese
- Chicken
- Edamame
- Eggs – Hard-boiled, scrambled
- Peanuts and peanut butter
- Nuts
- Sardines
- Seeds
- Shrimp
- Tofu
- Yogurt
Also try any these freezer-friendly recipes:
4.98 from 44 votes
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.
View Recipe
4.97 from 28 votes
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!
View Recipe
5 from 6 votes
Omelette Pizza
Pizza eggs – your favorite pizza toppings, flavorful sauce, protein-rich eggs, and cheese all cooked to perfection in one pan. Enjoy for breakfast or any time of the day!
View Recipe
5 from 28 votes
Vegetable Omelette
Nutritious and easy to make, this baby-friendly omelette made with whatever veggies you have on hand is the perfect breakfast/snack for babies and toddlers!
View Recipe
4.97 from 59 votes
Easy baked shrimp cakes
Super juicy and tender, these baked Asian shrimp cakes are baby and kid-friendly! Of course, the adults can enjoy them too.
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4.99 from 69 votes
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.
View Recipe
4.99 from 110 votes
Spinach Pancakes
These spinach pancakes are super easy to make with just a handful of wholesome ingredients. These dye free green pancakes are the perfect finger food for babies and toddlers, especially!
View Recipe
4.99 from 85 votes
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.
View Recipe
4.99 from 84 votes
Peanut Butter Chickpea Cookies
Made without flour and sugar, these peanut butter chickpea cookies are so easy to make with just 5 ingredients.
View Recipe
5 from 4 votes
Bliss Balls
These bliss balls are so easy to make and with simple ingredients and no added sugar. Loaded with protein, healthy fats, and fiber, they are the perfect make-ahead snack for toddlers, kids and adults.
View Recipe
Fruits
- Apples (and applesauce)
- Avocado
- Banana
- Blueberries
- Clementines
- Grapes
- Grapefruit
- Kiwi
- Mandarin oranges
- Mangoes
- Melons (honeydew, cantaloupe, watermelon)
- Oranges
- Peaches
- Pears
- Pineapple
- Strawberries
- Raspberries
- Watermelon
- Freeze-dried fruit and canned fruit in 100% juice
- Fruit and Veggie Yogurt Smoothie Melts – use the code MIN5 for $5 off your order
Vegetables
- Bell peppers
- Beets
- Broccoli
- Butternut Squash
- Carrots
- Cauliflower
- Corn
- Cucumber
- Peas
- Snap peas
- Sweet potato
- Tomatoes
- Zucchini
Carbohydrates
![Ultimate Snack Tray Ideas (for Lunch or Dinner) (13) Ultimate Snack Tray Ideas (for Lunch or Dinner) (13)](https://i0.wp.com/www.mjandhungryman.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/snack-plate.jpg)
- Bread – sandwich, naan, pita, dinner rolls
- Cereal
- Crackers
- Granola bars
- Muffins
- Rice cakes
- Tortilla
You may also be interested in these easy finger foods:
4.90 from 19 votes
Savory French toast
This savory vegetable French toast or eggy bread is an EASY and fun way to use up leftovers. Suitable for babies 6 months and up!
View Recipe
4.96 from 43 votes
Healthy Pumpkin Oatmeal Bars
These pumpkin oatmeal bars are high in protein and low in sugar. Moist and packed with the flavors of fall, enjoy them as a delicious no fuss breakfast or snack!
View Recipe
5 from 26 votes
Peanut Butter Cheerio Cereal Bars
These no-bake peanut butter cheerio bars are so easy to make with pantry ingredients! They are the perfect breakfast or snack for kids.
View Recipe
5 from 11 votes
Baked Veggie Nuggets
These homemade Veggie Nuggets are a simple and fun way to get more veggies into your child's diet! Made with four vegetables, they're the perfect snack or lunchbox addition that babies and kids will love.
View Recipe
5 from 57 votes
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!
View Recipe
5 from 160 votes
Healthy Blueberry Muffins for Babies
These blueberry baby muffins are sweetened with fruits only and loaded with nutrition! They're soft and moist, making them perfect for babies
View Recipe
5 from 78 votes
Healthy Carrot Banana Muffins
These banana carrot muffins are perfectly moist, healthy, and flavorful! Made with all natural ingredients, they are a great breakfast that even your baby and toddler can enjoy!
View Recipe
5 from 57 votes
Healthy Yogurt Muffins
Light, fluffy, and incredibly moist, these whole wheat greek yogurt muffins are made with just a handful of ingredients and can be flavored in so many ways!
View Recipe
4.97 from 160 votes
Moist Spinach Muffins
These healthy spinach muffins with banana are fluffy and moist in texture and packed with nutrition. They are perfect for babies and kids.
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5 from 25 votes
Strawberry banana pancakes
Made with simple, healthy ingredients, these strawberry banana pancakes are light, fluffy, and delicious! They contain no added sugar and are a delicious breakfast for the whole family!
View Recipe
5 from 26 votes
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.
View Recipe
Dips/Sauces
![Ultimate Snack Tray Ideas (for Lunch or Dinner) (25) Ultimate Snack Tray Ideas (for Lunch or Dinner) (25)](https://i0.wp.com/www.mjandhungryman.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/muffin-tin-snack-tray.jpg)
Not a must category but are great to include, especially if your child loves to dip and it encourages them to try more foods.
- Cottage cheese
- Cream cheese
- Guacamole
- Hummus
- Pesto
- Salsa
- Yogurt – plain or flavored like this vanilla yogurt, strawberry yogurt, or peanut butter yogurt
- Chickpea cookie dough
- Chocolate avocado pudding – this may sound strange but my kids love to dip their apples, waffles, pancakes, cereal…so fun!
Cheese
![Ultimate Snack Tray Ideas (for Lunch or Dinner) (26) Ultimate Snack Tray Ideas (for Lunch or Dinner) (26)](https://i0.wp.com/www.mjandhungryman.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Cabot-snack-tray.jpg)
Cheese is such a beloved and wonderful addition to snack trays. It’s a great source of protein and calcium and can easily elevate any meal or snack. My family loves all cheese, but cheddar cheese is what we mostly gravitate towards.
I’ve been obsessed with award-winning Cabot Creamery cheese from the very first bite, and here I am 7 years later enjoying it with my preschooler and 1 year old.
They both love all the varying degrees of sharp cheddar cheese that Cabot has to offer but if you want to err on the side of caution, start with their mild and medium cheddar cheeses.
They also have Monterrey jack, Colby jack, Swiss, and Mozzarella!
How to serve cheese to babies and toddlers
Cutting into thin slices is the safest way to offer cheese as cubed cheese is a choking hazard. For 12+ month old, you can start cutting the thin slices into bite-sized pieces.
And depending on your child’s chewing and swallowing abilities, you can start offering cubed cheese, usually around 18 months.
Check out – Best Cheese for Babies and Toddlers
How to Build a Snack Tray
It’s truly so simple and that’s the beauty of this concept!
- Open your refrigerator, freezer, pantry, and grab 1-2 items from each of the food categories.
- Choose your snack tray.
- Arrange all the foods and dig in!
Tips for Making the Perfect Snack Board
![Ultimate Snack Tray Ideas (for Lunch or Dinner) (27) Ultimate Snack Tray Ideas (for Lunch or Dinner) (27)](https://i0.wp.com/www.mjandhungryman.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Muffin-tin-snack-for-toddlers.jpg)
- Don’t overthink it. Our best ones were a random hodgepodge of snacks that surprisingly tasted really good together.
- Keep it to no more than 6-8 different items. This is such a fun and easy way to incorporate more variety into your child’s snacks or meals. But don’t go overboard. It’s not just the amount – Having too many choices can be overwhelming for your child, also.
- Consider your child’s appetite. You can always offer more food so don’t be tempted to fill up their trays too much.
Snack Dinner
Dinner times can feel so exhausting and stressful. They’re usually when the kids are overtired, whiny, and less interested in eating.
Enter Snack dinner! We do this a lot on Friday nights, and it is totally a form of self care for me.
There is no need to cook anything and you can get a well-balanced meal on the table in 5 minutes!
You can place a bunch of favorite snacks onto your child’s plate or on a big platter (like a wooden board, food tray, baking sheet pan) for the whole family to share.
Just be sure to cut up the foods according to your child’s chewing ability. It’s also a great way to use up any leftovers, thereby reducing food waste.
Related: 30+ Easy Dinner Ideas for Toddlers
Themed Snack Trays
Like I said, you don’t need to put too much thought into this. But if you want to invite a certain theme, here are some easy ideas for inspiration.
Mediterranean
![Ultimate Snack Tray Ideas (for Lunch or Dinner) (28) Ultimate Snack Tray Ideas (for Lunch or Dinner) (28)](https://i0.wp.com/www.mjandhungryman.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Mediterranean-snack-tray.jpg)
Hummus, yogurt, chickpeas, cucumber slices, diced tomatoes, quartered tomatoes, and naan.
As mentioned earlier, serving the board with fun tools, like tongs, can really spark your child’s interest and encourage them to try new/disliked foods. Give it a try!
Asian
![Ultimate Snack Tray Ideas (for Lunch or Dinner) (29) Ultimate Snack Tray Ideas (for Lunch or Dinner) (29)](https://i0.wp.com/www.mjandhungryman.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Asian-snack-tray.jpg)
Seaweed sheets, Asian pear, chicken bulgogi, zucchini, rice crackers, roasted chestnuts
Mexican
![Ultimate Snack Tray Ideas (for Lunch or Dinner) (30) Ultimate Snack Tray Ideas (for Lunch or Dinner) (30)](https://i0.wp.com/www.mjandhungryman.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Mexican-snack-board.jpg)
Pinto beans, corn, cheese and crackers, salsa, mangoes
I hope all the ideas I shared in this post inspires you to enjoy more snack trays with your family! They are sure to save you time, energy, and your sanity! Your kid(s) will love it too ;).
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Easy Croffle (Croissant Waffle)
![Ultimate Snack Tray Ideas (for Lunch or Dinner) (35) Ultimate Snack Tray Ideas (for Lunch or Dinner) (35)](https://i0.wp.com/www.mjandhungryman.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/Raquel-Davidowitz-Min-Kwon-Family-170.jpg)
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 onInstagramif interested in seeing daily menu as well as tips and tricks.