Moms, we are here for you! If you’re anything like me, grocery shopping with your toddler is a task. They will want to touch everything and get into the cart and push it all over the place. So we have compiled a grocery list that will make your life much easier next time you go shopping with your little one.
The grocery list includes snacks, fresh produce, and pantry items found at any major retailer, such as Kroger or Walmart. This post also contains pictures, so if you don’t know what something looks like, click on the image to learn more about it!
Grocery List for Kids – Must-Have Products That Kids Enjoy Eating
Do you ever feel like your toddler is eating more of the grocery budget than they contribute? I know it’s tough when you have to feed an entire family on a tight budget, but don’t give up just yet! Here are some items that will help keep costs down and make dinner time more manageable.
Rice cereal:
A tasty, healthy option for breakfast or lunch that can be mixed with fruit or served as a side dish.
Applesauce pouches:
These individual servings come in handy at snack time and provide potassium, vitamin C, fiber, and antioxidants.
Frozen veggies:
Buying these bags of pre-cut vegetables saves money over buying fresh produce that spoils quickly.
Toddler snack foods like cereal bars or small boxes of raisins:
These are easy to grab and go when you’re in a hurry. Kid’s snacks are a big hit in our house, so we have included some more popular brands, like Gerber Graduates Puffs and Cheerios. We also have fruit that your toddler can eat by themselves, such as bananas or apples, without any prep work on your part!
Fresh fruit such as apples, bananas, pineapple, grapes, and oranges:
They don’t spoil quickly. You can also buy frozen fruits for the winter months that keep longer than fresh produce.
Tips:
- Give your child an apple slicer so they can help with cutting them up into pieces.
- A great way to prepare some cut fruit is by coating it with a bit of lemon juice or flavored yogurt dip before freezing it!
Carrots, celery, oranges, strawberries, and grapes:
These items will go great with other pantry staples like peanut butter and jelly or pasta sauce.
Peanut butter:
It is also a must-have for kids. If your toddler is eating peanut butter, it’s at the very least an excellent option to buy organic because most conventional brands are chock full of chemicals and artificial ingredients.
Bread:
It makes a fantastic breakfast sandwich paired with eggs, buttered toast, and orange juice!
What is an excellent healthy grocery list?
Healthy food is an integral part of a well-balanced diet. In addition, kids are very adventurous eaters and will often try new things when introduced to them at the grocery store.
A toddler grocery list will need things like milk (whole or skim), eggs, and yogurt in either individual containers or single servings so they can eat fruit & veggie snacks without making a mess. Bread and peanut butter if your toddler is already into that sort of thing. However, once you start introducing unhealthy foods, we recommend just buying one jar at a time.
Whole wheat bread and muffins are a good choice for kids. They’re more filling than white bread.
It’s important not to give too many sweets too soon! They’ll be happier when you gradually introduce new tastes and textures this way instead of overwhelming them all at once. Also, toddlers are critical for learning about healthy eating habits.
Best Healthy Food Ideas
– Whole grain sandwich bread, wraps, or tortillas. Try whole-wheat bread or a classic PB&J!
– Yogurt (nothing flavored with sugar) and fresh fruit for dipping: bananas are perfect for this!
– Cheese cubes
– Plain popcorn
How do I know if there are any allergens?
The best way to determine this is by looking for the allergen symbols you consider safe enough for your children, such as wheat or soy, in the ingredient list on food items. If it includes something you don’t want them eating, then put it back and find an alternative until they can read themselves.
What should I feed my 2-year-old son?
It’s not all about fruit snacks and goldfish. I get a lot of questions from parents asking how to feed their little ones when they go grocery shopping at the store.
- Toddlers should be eating lots of fruits and vegetables; this is where you want to start with your list. Toddlers eat more produce than adults do by weight (even though we may think toddlers are just snacking on junk food).
- This also means that toddler snack time will include fresh grapes or blueberries rather than packaged crackers.
- Brown rice is a more substantial protein for toddlers than white rice.
- Kids should also eat whole grains but in smaller portions, which is why it’s important not to buy too many of these at the store and instead add a few things like oatmeal or quinoa as needed each week.
- Canned soups such as chicken noodles or corn chowder. These can be good on a cold day when your little one is feeling under the weather. They also pack well if you’re going to have food out at an event outside of the home, so they’ll stay warm longer and won’t spoil quickly because it’s canned soup.
What food should I buy for my toddler?
It is always best to buy fresh food in season. This will help you save money and reduce your environmental impact as well!
When kids need a snack, they often want sweets like cookies or crackers. These can be high sugar content foods that give them an energy boost but then leave them feeling tired and cranky when the crash happens later on. Instead of snacks with refined sugars such as these, it is best to look for healthier options that are also more filling. Toddler-friendly snacks tend to include yogurt, cheese sticks, bananas, and applesauce cups of whole fruit cut into pieces if they’re not used to eating raw fruits yet.
Tips
A good rule for grocery shopping with your toddler is to purchase items that won’t go stale or get squished if dropped on the floor.
Toddlers also need nutritious snacks like fruits and vegetables as they proliferate through this age group.
Fruit should always remain available but make sure you put away any produce before bedtime, so there’s nothing left lying around!
What shall I allow my kids to buy from the grocery store?
As parents know, reading labels can be cumbersome when finding healthy options for your children. Toddlers are no exception!
Not any drinks other than water. Children tend to overindulge when drinking juice, milk, soda, etc. So it’s best to keep those off-limits unless you’re offering them a tiny portion as a treat.
Avoid
No candy or cookies! Toddlers will usually eat one bite and then move on to something else. These items are best reserved for children who can be trusted with an entire package of sweets.
The same goes for chips and other salty snacks. It’s not worth the risk of your kid munching down more than they should in one sitting, which could result in stomach aches later on. In general, any flavor is delicate if you want to give them a taste; make sure that you’re only buying small bags at first until your toddler learns appropriate portions (an ounce here or there!).
If your kiddo has allergies like a peanut allergy, don’t forget to read the labels carefully.
If kids are old enough to use scissors safely, they can be assigned tasks such as opening packages of fruits like oranges and apples and cutting up carrots.
What are the most popular grocery items?
The most popular item by far is orange juice, and the second most popular items are apples and bananas. So whenever you are shopping for a toddler, always include these.
Organic is always best, but it’s worth noting that organic vegetables are often more expensive than non-organic ones. The difference may not be significant enough to justify the cost if you’re on a budget or don’t shop around for deals.
Things aren’t always going to go smoothly when you have young children. But hopefully, these tips for your grocery list will help you have a happy and healthy toddler!