Snacks came come in super handy as a parent – especially if your mini human is always on the move and constantly needs refuelling. Thankfully, there are now all manner of healthy and organic snack options on the market, available to pick up in your weekly food shop or online.

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We've tested a wide range of organic baby and toddler snacks with our parent tester and their kids from wheat puffs to fruity oat bars and gut health-boosting yoghurts to bring you our top 10 picks. We've also spoken to registered dietitian, Clare Thornton-Wood, who has given us her verdict on the nutritional value of the snacks.

What to consider when choosing snacks for your baby or toddler

Age suitability – It is recommended that weaning – and introducing solid foods – begins at approximately 6 months. When you decide to introduce snacks is personal preference, but you’ll want to look out for age suitability on individual products. These are included as certain textures may not be suitable for younger babies who have just started weaning.

Ingredients – Check the packaging to see what has gone into snacks and if you recognise the key ingredients at the top of the list (they'll always be listed in order of weight). We recommend looking out for snacks that contain low salt, sugar and additives with an ingredients list that isn't too long.

Texture – If you're taking snacks on the go, ideally you don't want something too crumbly or sticky that's going to need a fair few baby wipes to clean up. Our testers have tried out the snacks in our round up in their day-to-day life, and give their verdict on how messy they really are!

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See our pick of the best organic baby and toddler snacks:

1. Mamia Organic Strawberry & Apple Soft Oaty Bars, £1.39 for 6

– Best snack bar

Aldi Mamia Strawberry and Apple Oaty Bars

Suitable for: 12 months+ | Award: Gold – Baby and toddler snack, MadeForMums Awards 2021

Suitable for infants 12 months and upwards, this fruity snack is made of soft oat flakes, raisin paste with apple and strawberry concentrate. They were a hit with our toddler testers, thanks to their sweet taste which comes from naturally-occurring sugars in the fruit. They’re similar to a flapjack, but slightly softer.

MFM tester Blaise, mum of twins, liked their convenient size that was small enough to pop in her changing bag. Plus they come in an even pack of 6, which is ideal for sharing between 2 siblings. She added, “It was a relief to have something healthy on hand to give my twins in the day and not feel guilty about not making something homemade."

Tester Lucy, mum of 2, did find the texture took some getting used to for her toddler. She said, "The texture is quite dry so it can be a little tricky to swallow. But my son is now used to the texture so he’s able to chew and swallow efficiently now. I’ve started to break them up into more bite size pieces rather than allowing him to bite chunks out of it."

Available from: Aldi

2. Little Freddie Organic Cheese & Tomato Super Seeds Tubes, £2.50 for 4x16g packs

– Best for a nutrient-packed snack

Little Freddie Organic Cheese & Tomato Super Seeds Tubes

Suitable for: 12 months+ | Award: Silver – Baby and toddler snack, MadeForMums Awards 2021

Made with linseed, haricot beans, fava beans and British quinoa, these organic crunchy tubes are packed with flavour as well as key nutrients including protein, iron, zinc and fibre that all contribute to a healthy immune system.

On top of containing a range of seeds and grains, they’re flavoured with organic cheese and organic tomato, which stops them from being too dry and gives them a more-ish tang. They have a good crunch to them, but they’re not melt-in-the-mouth, so are not suitable for children under 12 months. Unlike other similar snacks, we also found them to be not too messy. Home tester Katie, mum of a 14-month-old said, "Love the texture, mess free approach and they are perfect for on the go snacking."

Registered dietitian, Clare Thornton-Wood added, "They have really interesting and distinctive flavours and we could definitely taste the seeds. A useful snack food on its own or you could use it to dip into vegetable or meat sauces." While they’re at the top end of the price range, she also praised them for having "a good number of tubes in each pack" with no broken pieces.

Available from: Sainsbury’s and Ocado

3. Organix Gruffalo Biscuits Cocoa & Vanilla, £2.50 for 5 x 20g packs

– Best for a delicious flavour

Organix Gruffalo Biscuits Cocoa & Vanilla

Suitable for: 12 months+

Little Gruffalo fans will love these biscuits from organic children's food brand, Organix, shaped like the beloved Julia Donaldson character.

Made with flour and grape juice concentrate and flavoured with cocoa powder and vanilla extract, they’re a sweet treat for little ones, without containing alarming refined sugar levels (the only sugars they contain are naturally-occurring). Adults can even vouch for their lovely chocolate and vanilla flavour!

They are available to buy in a multipack of 5 and while the packets are not resealable, something tells us the biscuits won’t last very long once they reach your little ones’ hands.

Available from: Tesco and Sainsbury’s

4. Mamia Organic Carrot Puffs, 39p per 20g bag

– Best for value for money

Mamia Carrot Puffs

Suitable for: 7 months+ | Award: Bronze – Baby and toddler snack, MadeForMums Awards 2021

With no added sodium, artificial colours, flavours or preservatives, these crunchy orange-hued carrot puffs are just the right size for little hands to hold on to. The crunchy snacks are flavoursome and more-ish, and for parents they are affordable (just 39p for a 20g) and a healthy snack option. They even come with added vitamin B1, which helps to boost your baby's growth and development.

You get a well-filled bag, which means they make a great snack if your baby or toddler is out-and-about in the pram. Unfortunately, the pack isn’t resealable, but our little tester found them so yummy he polished them off straight away.

Home tester Sarah, mum of a 14-month-old, agreed, "I think they’re really good value for money, and a lot cheaper than similar products. They’re crunchy but easy to eat (my tester only has six teeth!)."

Available from: Aldi

5. Organix Melty Veggie Sticks, 70p for 15g

Best for minimal ingredients

Organix Melty Veggie Sticks

Suitable for: 7 months+

Made from corn and dried green beans and flavoured with tomatoes, these veggie sticks have a small ingredients list with the main being organic corn with green peas, tomato and sweetcorn added for flavour.

They won’t get too messy with little fingers thanks to not being covered in flavourings like some snacks, although for that reason little testers may find them less boldly flavoured than other options on the market. They also may still be prone to getting a little soggy, depending on how little your eater is.

Home tester Raegan said, “They would be good for a baby who is just starting weaning or starting with finger foods! They will learn the skills for eating and have something tasty to munch on in the process!”

We like that they're gluten-free and a great option for on-the-go snacking, but our testers did comment a resealable bag would come in handy.

Available from: Boots, Ocado and Sainsbury's

6. Organix Mini Organic Raisin Fruit Snack Boxes multipack, £2.25 for 12 packs

– Best for a sweet treat

Organix Mini Organic Raisin Fruit Snack Boxes

Suitable for: 12 months+

If you’re looking for a sweet treat that’s just the right size for little fingers to grab, raisins are a great compromise between healthy veg and tasty but so nutritious sweets. Although they are naturally high in sugars, they have a greater nutritional value than sweeter treats, and are also a source of fibre for your mini humans.

These little boxes are ideal for popping into changing bags, and little eaters will enjoy picking out the raisins from their boxes.

Available from: Sainsbury’s, Ocado and Amazon

7. Ella’s Kitchen Organic Carrot & Sweet Potato Rice Cakes, £1 for 40g

– Best for adding toppings

Ella’s Kitchen Organic Carrot & Sweet Potato Rice Cakes

Suitable for: 7 months +

Not too messy and great for young gums to suck on, rice cakes are a great snacking option, particularly if you’re out and about. They are also a great base for adding nutritious toppings to – from peanut butter to hummus, or cream cheese and raisins – to boost your little one’s nutrient intake at snack time.

Ella’s Kitchen Organic Carrot & Sweet Potato Rice Cakes are made from organic rice, millet and quinoa, and dried sweet potatoes and carrots. The ingredients list is simple and straightforward, and they taste lovely and sweet despite containing minimal sugar content.

They are also great finger food for little ones learning to use the pincer movement, but are tasty enough to please more grown-up toddlers too. Plus, they can take a while to eat, so if you have errands to run or need to keep your child occupied, these are a brilliant option.

A word of warning, these can get slightly messy due to being covered in a layer of orange, so do keep your wet wipes handy to clean your little one’s mouth afterwards!

Available from: Ocado, Morrisons and Amazon

8. Kiddylicious Veggie Straws, £6 for 10 x 12g packs

– Best for a generous size

Kiddylicious Veggie Straws

Suitable for: 9 months +

Kiddylicious offers a wide range of sweet and savoury snacks for little eaters, but these mess-free Veggie Straws come highly recommended.

With a crunchy texture, these hollow snacks are not the most powerfully flavoured – which handily means they are not too messy either – but they are tasty and something I find my toddler returning to time and time again.

Containing tomato powder, kale powder, spinach powder and beetroot powder, the ingredients list is simple and minimal. Because of the veg content, the straws are also different colours, which makes it fun for little eaters.

At 60p per packet, they’re not as pricey as some snacks, and we found them to be great value for money with a well-stocked packet that took our little tester a while to get through.

Available from: Asda and Ocado

9. Piccolo Mighty Oaty Bar Carrot & Orange bars, £2.95 for 6 bars

– Best free-from snack

Piccolo Mighty Oaty Bar Carrot & Orange

Suitable for: 1 year+

Made from gluten-free oats, these snack bars are also dairy-free and vegan so suit a range of different diets. They have a delicious combination of ingredients including apple, carrot, cinnamon and orange plus they're perfect size to take on the go.

The bars are high in fibre, so are nutritious as well as tasty. However keep in mind that their texture is better suited to toddlers over the age of 1.

Available from: Ocado and Amazon

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About the author

Kayleigh Rattle is a freelance writer specialising in food, travel and parenting. She's a member of the Guild of Food Writers and former deputy editor of Great British Food magazine. She’s also a regular reviews writer with bylines in the Evening Standard, Independent, BBC Good Food and more.

When not writing, Kayleigh can be found looking after her snack-loving toddler, or spending time by the sea.

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Kayleigh RattleFood writer
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