If your life is anything like mine, you’re busy. And likely tired of cooking and cleaning up every single day. Which is why this easy meal is such a winner. Sure, I try to cook most nights, but sometimes I need a break. And I want something that’s fun. Which is where the concept of a Snack Dinner comes in. Think of the snack dinner as a kid-friendly charcuterie plate or deluxe cheese and crackers. It’s great for warm weather when you don’t want to heat up the kitchen, or any night when you just want a shortcut toddler meal. We often do this sort of easy dinner for kids on Friday or Saturday nights and it’s super fun. It’s also a really great way to use up leftovers that you might have in the fridge. Sometimes we even pair it up with movie night! (You may also like One-Pan Dinners for Family, dinner ideas with hamburger meat, and easy Toddler Dinners.)
Ingredients You Need
To make a Snack Dinner, you need:
Proteins such as cheese, beans, shredded cooked chicken, cooked shrimp, hard-cooked eggs Veggies such as thinly sliced bell peppers, cucumbers, or snap peas; halved cherry tomatoes Fruit such as halved or quartered grapes, raisins, berries, sliced melon, clementine segments Carbohydrates like crackers, sliced bread, Snap Pea Crisps, diced toddler muffin Dips or sauces like hummus, guacamole, Ranch, salsa, and the like Any fun foods or desserts you want to add
TIP: You can review info on How to Cut Food for Toddlers, including specifics on how to safely serve raw veggies.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Here are the basics of making a snack dinner that includes a balanced mix of food groups. And that is both nutritious and fun! TIP: In our house, the rule is you can have more of anything on the table as long as we’ve all had some and we’re sharing.
Best Tips for Snack Dinners
Use whatever you have on hand, or think kid-friendly cheese or charcuterie plate. If doing it for the whole family, have a pair of kitchen scissors on hand to cut up anything that needs to be made smaller for the kids. Try not to push or comment on what specifically they’re eating—this is supposed to be a fun meal! This sort of snack based meal also works really well to pack in a lunch—or you can pack up the leftovers into kids lunch boxes. Check out my Master List of Finger Foods for more easy ideas for what to include, and my favorite Shortcut Toddler Meals.
What do your kids like in their snack dinners? Chime in below to share! This post was originally published August 2019.
