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Are you confused about bedtime snacks for kids? Should you be offering them or not? As a trusted Registered Dietitian and mom, I’m putting your mind at ease about snacks before bed, what to consider, and even some healthy options to offer.

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The option of whether or not to offer bedtime snacks to kids is not a simple “yes” or “no.” As a Registered Dietitian who works with families on feeding kids, it’s often a situation that varies from family to family.

Many people ask me if bedtime snacks for kids are recommended or needed. And honestly, as with most things with nutrition, the answer is rarely black and white.

It depends!

There are situations and scenarios where a bedtime snack may be needed for growing kids, such as extreme picky eaters falling short on nutrition needs. Whereas, other situations may have bedtime snacks as a stalling tactic or a chronic cycle.

You know the one – kids barely eat dinner because they “aren’t hungry,” and then 30 minutes later, before bed, they’re asking you for a bedtime snack.

Should Kids Have Bedtime Snacks?

As a dietitian who promotes the intuitive eating philosophy, I do believe there are scenarios in which kids should be offered bedtime snacks.

Albeit, I prefer bedtime snacks that offer some nutrition, are not very high in added sugars, and have no caffeine.

Here are some situations when kids may need a bedtime snack:

• When your child barely ate dinner and you know they are physically very hungry
• If your child has increased nutrient needs, due to metabolic disorders, periods of growth, certain medications that blunt appetite, being underweight, etc.
• If your child has been very active lately, which may look like spending more time outside, competing in sports or activities, etc. We often give Skout bars for these situations!
• If your child is an extreme picky eater and did not get enough nutrition during the day
• After or during travel, if your child is out of routine
• If your pediatrician has advised it

When offering bedtime snacks to kids, I’ll usually offer plain and “boring” options. I rely on offering options that the kids have had before and I know they’ll eat, but they aren’t the most exciting.

By that I mean I’m not offering ice cream with sprinkles, a chocolate muffin or anything like that. It’s usually a cheese stick, toast with peanut butter or something else.

Scroll down to see what I usually offer for bedtime snacks.

Scenarios Where Kids May Not Need to Eat Before Bed

As I list some examples of when kids may not need a bedtime snack, I urge you to not think in black and white. Consider your child because YOU are the expert of your child. Not me.

You have more context of where your child has been all day, what he/she has already eaten (or not eaten), how active he/she was, etc.

These are just some general guidelines that you can apply as you see necessary.

Examples of kids not needing to eat before bed:

• When you know your kids are not physically hungry and are asking for a bedtime snack out of routine. See below on forming your bedtime routine for kids.
• If you’re trying to break the cycle of skipping dinner and relying on bedtime snacks, it may be best to say no. Form a boundary around bedtime snacking rules.
• If you followed the Division of Responsibility, but your kids are still asking for only snacks. You can say, “The kitchen is closed now, but it will be open again for breakfast. “

Some other options for boundaries are: “After dinner, we go up for baths, books and bed. Let’s pick something out for breakfast in the morning.”

Or, “You can have some cheese now, or wait until the morning.”

Forming a Bedtime Routine

There may be instances where kids ask for bedtime snacks out of routine, rather than due to true hunger. Maybe a bedtime snack is part of your routine, and if so, that’s okay and expected!

But if it’s not part of your routine, consider forming a new one that you can be consistent with. Our bedtime routine looks like:

• clean up dinner and the downstairs playroom
• In the summer or sometimes if we eat early enough, we may go outside for a walk/bike ride, etc.
• bedtime snack, if offered
• upstairs for bath/showers
• brush teeth and pajamas
• books and lights off

We don’t always offer bedtime snacks or even need them, especially if we’ve had a later dinner, and I know I did my job by offering at least one safe food that the kids will eat.

15 Ideas for Healthy Evening Snacks For Kids

1. Cheese Stick

One of my favorites for quick and easy! Plus, string cheese offers protein and calcium.

Another reason I always recommend cheese is that I recall learning about its benefits for teeth during my graduate school nutrition program. This isn’t just due to its calcium content, but also saliva production (to help clean teeth), pH regulation and oral bacteria, according to the World of Dentistry.

2. Beef Stick

My three kiddos love beef sticks, I always have some in my purse for on the go. They’re great for a bedtime snack, too! Pair it with a serving of fruit, like sliced bananas, mandarin oranges or some berries.

3. Oatmeal

Plain hot oatmeal or cottage cheese overnight oats can be a simple snack before bed. Our newest obsession is kefir overnight oats.

The portion size doesn’t have to be huge. Depending on the size and age of your child, 1/3 cup may be sufficient.

4. Rice Cakes with Peanut Butter

Rice cakes with peanut butter can be a simple, no-thrill option that gets the job done. They’re not exceptionally full of flavor, but provide some carbs, protein and healthy fats to help your child fill up before bed.

5. Plain Yogurt or Cottage Cheese with Fruit

We’re going for protein for satiety, but also getting probiotics, calcium and Vitamin D. Fruit can be a healthy way to flavor the yogurt while offering additional fiber and wind-down nutrients, like magnesium.

6. Smoothie

We make smoothies so quickly with this single serving blender. Minimal ingredients can help, or even leftover smoothies from earlier in the day.

Try a kiwi mango smoothie (with greek yogurt), a high-fiber pear and banana smoothie, or any of these toddler smoothie recipes. Serve in a covered toddler cup with a straw to reduce mess!

7. Greek Yogurt Banana Bread

If you omit the chocolate chips, there is no added sugar in greek yogurt banana bread, so I love it for being filling with fiber and protein.

8. Mini Bagel with Cream Cheese

You can find these at most grocery stores! Serve it plain, with cream cheese, hummus, peanut butter or butter. A simple way to offer carbs and some protein/fat before bed.

9. Avocado Toast

Another no-cook option. Mash an avocado and offer it on triangles for little hands.

10. A Hard Boiled Egg

I like to make a bunch of hard boiled eggs for snack meal prep, so I always have some on hand. I’ll usually pair it with some blueberries, orange or mango.

11. Banana with Peanut Butter

Bananas offer magnesium, which can help with sleep and many other functions. It’s easy, ready instantly, and pairs well with nut butter.

12. Nuts or Seeds

Nuts and seeds can be a very nutritious (and boring) option for kids that can get the job done. You can even make a no-sugar-added trail mix with your favorite nuts or seeds, cheerios, and raisins or other dried fruit.

I usually keep some of these trail mix bars in the freezer and take them out for bedtime snacks. Or, I’ll offer a skout bar.

13. Egg Muffins

If you want to get a little extra protein in before bed, try egg muffins! You can omit or replace any of the veggies.

We love butternut squash egg muffins (naturally sweeter) and quinoa egg muffins.

14. Bowl of Cereal

A bowl of cereal is a staple for my kids any time of day. If serving before bed, I would advise to offer a lower-sugar option, like Cheerios, Crispex, or Kix (All of these have less than 5 grams of added sugar/serving).

15. Healthy Cookies or No Bake Snacks

We often make these simple 3 ingredient vegan peanut butter cookies, which are made with bananas, oats and peanut butter. They do requrie baking, though, so would ideally have to be made earlier in the day. But, no added sugars.

You could also offer no bake pumpkin cookies or carrot cake bites (both sound “fun” but offer ample nutrition), or a skout bar.

16. Frozen Greek Yogurt Bark

Frozen greek yogurt bark is a great, balanced snack that can be fun with nutrient-dense add-in’s. We like to add fresh or frozen fruit, nuts/seeds, or peanut butter.

The greek yogurt bark base is full of protein, and also offers probiotics and calcium.

Dietitian Tips for Toddler Bedtime Snacks

• Make sure you’re offering something nutritious – we don’t want to just offer a “filler” snack devoid of nutrients. Aim for something with carbohydrates/fiber + protein or fat to satisfy their little bellies.
• If toddler bedtime snacks are becoming habitual, consider switching up your dinner time, bedtime routine, or snacks throughout the day. Kids who graze throughout the day and don’t eat full meals will often be hungry at bedtime.
• For toddlers, I keep bedtime snacks simple – fruit, mini bagel, glass of milk, etc. It’s also predictable. If it is a bed-stalling tactic, it will not be an exciting snack they are hoping for.
• For older kids, I find that it is more likely they actually do need a bedtime snack, especially if they are active and growing.
• Don’t provide shameful comments about bedtime snacks. It can just be a neutral thing. Your toddler or child is hungry before bed and needs to eat a snack. It’s not good or bad, it just is and we can leave it at that without putting too much thought and emotion into it. If you’re hungry, you should feel empowered to have a snack, too, without second-guessing yourself.