Looking for some nutritious, filling bedtime snacks for toddlers?

We all want our little ones to sleep well at night (for our sake as much as for theirs!). A bedtime routine that includes a nutritious snack can make a big difference in helping toddlers (and you) have a restful night’s sleep.

So what are the best evening snacks for toddlers? Let’s take a look.

To offer a bedtime snack or to not offer a bedtime snack….

Often there are a couple of hours between dinner and bedtime, so toddlers may be a little hungry before bed and without a snack may end up hungry through the night, which can affect their sleep.

If your little one has a space of 90 minutes or more between dinner time and bedtime, then a bedtime snack might be a good idea.

Just make sure there’s a decent gap between dinner and snack time so that your child doesn’t refuse dinner knowing that something better is on it’s way soon.

Are they hungry or just stalling bedtime?

Make sure you’re toddler isn’t using a bedtime snack as a way of stalling bedtime - toddlers are notorious for this! (in fact, it’s said that bedtime is the leading cause of hunger and thirst in toddlers! ;)).

To avoid this, offer a bedtime snack at least 30 minutes before bed at a set time each night and make it part of your bedtime routine (e.g. bath, PJs, snack, teeth, bed, story, sleep…).

In our house, if my kids say they’re hungry right before bed, we offer them a banana.

That way, it’s not something they’re really going to be too bothered about unless they’re actually hungry (although it never ceases to amaze me the extent they’ll go to just to stay up another 5 minutes!).

Do bedtime snacks help kids to sleep better?

The answer is maybe, maybe not!

While a bedtime snack is often a good idea, many parents worry unnecessarily about the effects of hunger on their child’s sleep. For a lot of kids, being a little hungry through the night actually has little to no effect on their sleep, and doesn’t do them any harm, they will simply just eat more the next day to make up for it.

What makes a nutritious bedtime snack?

Snacks often get a bad rap, but they can be a great opportunity to get extra nutrients into your child’s diet that they might otherwise miss out on. So try to make the most of these opportunities by offering a nutrient-dense snack.

Ideally, a bedtime snack will include a balance of low GI carbohydrates, protein and healthy fats.

This helps to keep little tummies satisfied and blood sugar levels as steady as possible through the night to maximise the chance of a good night’s sleep.

Low GI carbohydrates may come from foods such as:

Wholegrain bread and crackers
Fruit and starchy vegetables
Wholegrain, low sugar cereals

Protein can come from:

Nut butters
Eggs
Dairy foods
Meat, poultry and fish
There is also a decent amount of protein in wholegrain bread

Healthy fats can be found in:

Nuts
Seeds
Avocado

When to offer a bedtime snack

Offering a bedtime snack at least 30 minutes before bedtime means there is plenty of time to eat slowly and start to digest the snack before your toddler gets into bed.

What about milk?

Milk can be offered at bedtime along with a snack, or instead of a snack if your child isn’t particularly hungry or has recently eaten dinner.

Just make sure that your toddler doesn’t drink more than 500ml of milk across the whole day, as having too much milk can fill up little tummies and displace other nutritious foods, increasing the risk of nutrient deficiencies (such as iron).

If you are offering milk, offer it before your toddler goes to bed (before brushing their teeth), rather than giving them a bottle to take to bed.

Having a bottle in bed can increase the risk of dental caries as the natural sugar in the milk can sit on the teeth for long periods of time.

Foods to avoid at bedtime

Some foods may actually have a negative effect on your toddler’s sleep and are best avoided. These include:

Foods with a lot of added sugar
Such as high-sugar breakfast cereals, biscuits, cakes, ice cream and confectionery. These may cause significant blood sugar fluctuations through the night which can impact sleep
Highly refined carbohydrate foods with little protein or fat added
Such as white bread with jam or honey, plain crackers and cakes and biscuits - once again, these foods can cause blood sugar fluctuations through the night, which may impact on sleep
Large meals or snacks
these can cause discomfort which can have a negative impact on sleep

Bedtime snack ideas for toddlers

Peanut butter on toast
Nothing could be easier than good old peanut butter on toast - and it offers a great balance of low GI carbs, protein and healthy fats too. Go for a wholegrain bread if you can.

Sliced apple with almond butter
Fruit + nut butter = the perfect bedtime snack. You can make it a little fancier if you like by slicing the apples widthwise into rounds, topping slices with peanut butter and then sprinkling with a little coconut or a few sprinkles to make ‘apple donuts’
A small bowl of wholegrain, low-sugar cereal
Breakfast as a bedtime snack is an easy, nutritious win
Veggie sticks with hummus
A great way to get in some extra veggies, and hummus is an excellent source of protein and fibre
Wholegrain crackers with cheese
Low GI carbs, protein and calcium
Cottage cheese with pineapple
An odd but surprisingly delicious combination!
A small bowl of oats (raw or made into porridge) with milk and berries
My kids are much more likely to eat nutritious breakfast foods at nightime than they are at breakfast time so I try to make the most of the opportunity!
Banana and peanut butter sandwich
A match made in heaven - go for wholemeal bread if you’re toddler will eat it!
Greek yoghurt with fruit
Great if you want a lighter snack - and provides a good source of calcium for strong bones and teeth
Cheese stick with sliced grapes
You can even thread these onto a stick for a bit of fun, just make sure grapes are cut to a size and shape appropriate for your child
Celery sticks with peanut butter
Nothing wrong with veggies at bedtime and this good old-fashioned combo is hard to beat
Oatcakes with ricotta and honey
Oatcakes are full of low GI carbs and fibre, and paired with ricotta and honey you’ve got a great balanced but delicious snack (Mum and Dad might like to try one of these too!)
Trail mix made with seeds, chopped nuts and a small amount of dried fruit
Nuts and seeds are incredibly nutritious and full of protein, healthy fats, vitamins and minerals. A little dried fruit adds some nice bursts of sweetness - just make sure teeth are well brushed afterwards!
Avocado wholegrain toast
Who doesn’t love avocado on toast?! OK, my son definitely does not, but it’s a great option if you’ve got an avocado lover - healthy fats, carbs, protein
Strawberries with ricotta and drizzle of honey
Sweet, creamy and delicious with a good mix of carbohydrates and protein
Wholegrain crackers with almond butter
Easy peasy and full of low GI carbs, protein and healthy fats
Hard boiled egg + chopped fruit
A fantastic source of protein and choline, important for healthy brain development, and a source of iron too
Mini pancake with fruit and yoghurt
I’m not suggested you whip up a batch of pancakes just before bedtime, but if you’ve got some leftover or in the freezer they make a great bedtime snack with some fruit and yoghurt
Brown rice crackers with cream cheese and low sugar jam
Easy but fun, these are a good option if you want to offer something light
Mini wholegrain fruit muffin
If you can get your hands on some of these or have time to make them, keep a stash in the freezer for quick and easy bedtime snacks. Grab my recipe for banana blender muffins
Slice of no-added sugar raisin toast with butter
Raisin toast is an easy win with kids - add some cream cheese for added protein
Small fruit smoothie
Fruit, milk, yoghurt - done! Keep some bananas and/or berries in the freezer so you’ve always got fruit available for quick and easy smoothies
Fruit ‘parfaits’
My kids love these - I layer Greek yoghurt, fruit and muesli into a clear cup and they think its a super fancy dessert!
A platter or ‘tasting plate’
Another favourite with my kids, I just pop a few different things on a plate such as fruit, cheese, veggie sticks, wholegrain crackers, some chopped nuts or seeds or squares of toast with peanut butter