Medically reviewed by Jamie Johnson, Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN)
Healthy Toddler Meal Ideas
Feeling stressed 😰 about what to serve your toddler? Are you short on time ⏰ and not sure what your toddler might actually eat? Do you need some fresh ideas 💡 for new recipes?
Then this is the right place for you!
I’ve compiled over 75 meals that are completely toddler-approved!
That’s right – I’ve tested them for you, so you won’t have to! Over the years, I’ve tested out hundreds of recipes on my daughters when they were toddlers and preschoolers, and these 75 recipes were clearly the winners 🥇 because they still love eating them to this day!
I’m not sure it’s okay to call your kids 👭 your test subjects… but we are just going to go with it! 👍
Feeding toddlers can be tricky! But, don’t worry, I’ve got you covered! Here you will find real-life toddler meal ideas, over 100 toddler snack ideas, great hidden-veggie recipes, 50 cooking with toddler recipes and so much more!
In this post, you will find:
- Tips for Making Easy Toddler Recipes
- Helpful Feeding Tools
- Toddler Daily Nutrition Guidelines
- Sample Toddler Meal Plan
- How to Build a Toddler Meal
- Toddler Breakfast
- Toddler Lunch
- Toddler Snacks
- Toddler Dinners
- Toddler Desserts
Tips for Making Easy Toddler Recipes
- Freezer-Friendly: a great way to make feeding your toddler super easy is always to have a stash of toddler-approved meals in the freezer. If there are any leftovers, I will place them in the freezer for a later meal. This works great for muffins, waffles, meatballs, chicken nuggets, etc. Basically, anything you can find in the grocery store’s frozen section can be frozen with your own homemade recipes. You can also make a double batch of your kiddo’s favorite recipes so you can have a backup plan when life gets crazy (or toddler gets demanding;).
- Make Once – Serve Again: if you are making a bigger or more time-consuming meal (anything over 30 minutes for dinner), it’s a great idea to save the leftovers and use those in another toddler meal. You can serve the same meal or use parts of the meal in another meal altogether – chicken can be added into cheese quesadillas, pasta can be served with a different sauce, soup can be served with different sides like grilled cheese or turkey sandwich or used as a sauce for pasta or rice.
- Quick Toddler Meals: a key way to not lose your mind is to always have a list (and the ingredients) for a quick meal for toddlers. Print out or make a list of these easy breakfast, lunch, and dinner ideas and keep them on hand for when life is super crazy and your toddler needed to eat 10 minutes ago.
Helpful Toddler Feeding Tools
TODDLER DAILY NUTRITION GUIDELINES
According to the 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, nutrients of concern for underconsumption in a child’s second year are vitamin D, calcium, fiber, and potassium, so make sure your toddler gets a variety of foods with these nutrients daily.
Below are recommended daily intakes for toddlers of different ages. Still, it’s important to look at what your child eats throughout the whole week instead of focusing on each day since toddlers’ eating habits can be erratic and unpredictable. As long as you keep offering a variety of foods from all of the food groups, your child’s nutrition should balance out each week.
Daily Recommended Intake for Toddlers 12-23 months
- 700-1,000 calories a day split between 3 meals and 2 snacks
- Half of the daily calories should be from healthy fats
- 2/3 – 1 cup of vegetables daily
- ½ – 1 cup of fruit daily
- 1 ¾ – 3 ounces of grains daily
- 1 2/3 – 2 cups of dairy daily
- 2 ounces of protein daily
Daily Recommended Intake for Toddlers 2-4 years
- 1,000-1,400 calories a day for girls and 1,000-1,600 calories for boys split between 3 meals and 1-2 snacks
- Healthy fats should be reduced to about 30% of total daily calories
- 1-2 cups of vegetables daily
- 1- 1 ½ cups of fruit daily
- 3 – 5 ounces of grains daily
- 2 – 2 ½ cups of dairy daily
- 2 – 5 ounces of protein daily
HOW TO BUILD A TODDLER MEAL
A good method for building a well-balanced meal for 1-3-year-old toddlers is to include foods from a variety of food groups each day. You don’t have to have all food groups represented at every meal but make sure you offer a protein at all meals and snacks to help keep little bellies full.
A typical toddler plate should be made up of:
- half fruits and veggies
- a quarter of grains
- a quarter protein
- serving of dairy
When serving dairy products, give whole milk products until age 2. Focus on whole fruits instead of fruit juice and aim to make half of grains whole grains for more fiber and other nutrients.
Offer foods multiple times, even if your toddler acts like he does not like it, because it can take up to 15 times of being presented with a food for a child to develop a taste for it. Try offering foods cooked in a variety of ways so your toddler can explore different tastes and textures. Even better, serve your child what you are eating (in age-appropriate sizes, of course) and eat meals together so you can model healthy eating behaviors for them.
SAMPLE TODDLER MEAL PLAN
Below is a sample 5-day meal plan for toddlers. Feel free to use leftovers if you have them to add to the next meal. You can also add in sides of cut veggies and fruit that you have on-hand.
Monday
Breakfast: Blueberry Oatmeal with a cup of milk
Morning Snack: Whole Grain Cheese Crackers
Lunch: Turkey + Carrot Roll-Ups with a side of sliced strawberries and milk
Afternoon Snack: Healthy Spiced Apple Dip
Dinner: Chicken Parmesan Meatballs served with whole-wheat penne, side of asparagus, and a cup of milk
Tuesday
Breakfast: Avocado Egg Toast for Baby + Toddler with a cup of milk
Morning Snack: Healthy On-The-Go Granola Bars
Lunch: Mini Bagel Pizzas with Pepper “Sprinkles” with a side of cut cucumbers and pineapple, and a cup of milk
Afternoon Snack: Funfetti Energy Balls
Dinner: Taco Tuesday for Baby + Toddler with a side of oranges and milk
Wednesday
Breakfast: 3-Ingredient Banana Pancakes with milk
Morning Snack: Strawberry Applesauce with a cheese stick
Lunch: leftover Taco Tuesday for Baby + Toddler with a side of peaches and milk
Afternoon Snack: Chewy Mint Chocolate Granola Bars
Dinner: Crispy Salmon Bites with a side of green beans and milk
Thursday
Breakfast: Peanut Butter Banana Yogurt Bark
Morning Snack: Applesauce Mini Muffins
Lunch: Easy Tomato Soup with Cheesy Bread Dippers, side of blueberries and a cup of milk
Afternoon Snack: Funfetti Energy Balls
Dinner: Pulled Pork Sandwiches with Apple Slaw with a side of baked sweet potatoes and milk
Friday
Breakfast: Cottage Cheese + Fruit Bowl with a side of whole-wheat toast
Morning Snack: Healthy On-The-Go Granola Bars
Lunch: Kale + Spinach with Apple Quesadilla and milk
Afternoon Snack: Chewy Mint Chocolate Granola Bars
Dinner: Crispy Seasoned Fish with Pineapple & Avocado Chunks with a side of rice and milk
Toddler Breakfast
Made in 10-minutes or less
Blueberry Oatmeal (10-Minutes)
Almond Butter + Banana Toast with Hemp Sprinkles for Toddler
Avocado Egg Toast for Baby + Toddler
Cottage Cheese + Fruit Bowl for Baby + Toddler
My Toddler’s Favorite Pink Smoothie
Peach Pie Smoothie for Toddler + Kids (2 hidden veggies!)
Freezer-Friendly
Freezer-Friendly Spinach Waffles for Baby + Toddler
Broccoli Egg Cups for Baby + Toddler
Wholesome Blueberry Sheet Pan Pancakes (allergy-friendly)
Whole Grain Pumpkin Waffle Dippers
Healthy Yogurt Parfait Popsicles
Banana Peanut Butter Oatmeal Bake
Toddler Breakfast Oat Cups – 4 Tasty Ways
Spiced Blender Pancakes for Baby + Toddler
Blueberry + Lemon Toddler Muffins
Bumkins Silicone Grip Plate
The perfect-sized toddler plate with a suction base. It comes in a selection of fun colors to make your toddler happy. Plus, it is dishwasher, freezer, microwave-safe!
Toddler Lunch
Made in 15-minutes or less
Mini Bagel Pizzas with Pepper “Sprinkles”
Beet Hummus for Baby, Toddler + Kids (Hidden Veggie)
Kale Pesto Chicken Quesadilla for Baby + Toddler
Avocado Tuna Salad in Mini Pita Pockets for Kids + Toddler
Turkey + Carrot Roll-Ups (easy kid + toddler lunch)
Veggie-Loaded Toddler Rainbow Pizza
Easy-Peasy 5 Veggie Pasta for Baby + Toddler
Make Once – Serve for Multiple Meals
Easy Veggie “Fried” Rice for Baby + Toddler
Taco Tuesday for Baby + Toddler
Baked Seasoned Chicken Tenders for Baby + Toddler
Cheesy Broccoli Quinoa Bites for Toddler
Tortellini-on-a-Stick with Marinara Dipping Sauce for Toddlers
Easy Tomato Soup with Cheesy Bread Dippers for Kids + Toddlers
Summer Pesto Finger Salad for Baby + Toddler
Curry Pasta Salad for Baby + Toddler (great for Baby-Led Weaning)
Toddler Snacks
Great for On-The-Go Snacking
Healthy Spiced Apple Dip for Toddlers + Kids
Carrot Hummus with Toasted Paprika Pita Chips
Healthy On-The-Go Granola Bars for Toddlers + Kids
14 On-The-Go Healthy Snacks for Kids + Toddlers
Chewy Mint Chocolate Granola Bars
Loaded with Fruits or Veggies (or both:)
Hidden-Veggie Carrot & Orange Popsicles
Peach Summer Fruit Salad with Mint + Honey Dressing
3 No-Cook Toddler Squeeze Pouch Recipes
Warm Peach Chunks with Nutmeg (for Baby & Toddler)
Peanut Butter Banana Baby + Toddler Melts
Blackberry + Cucumber + Melon Toddler Finger Salad
8 5-Minute Applesauce Combos for Toddlers + Kids
Toddler Dinners
Made in 30-Minutes or less
Easy Cheesy Garlic Broccoli Pasta (family favorite!)
Mild Curry Chicken & Veggies for Toddler + Kids
Easy Instant Pot Mac and Cheese (5 Fun Variations!)
Easy Pizza Pinwheels (with hidden veggies)
Family-Favorite Sheet Pan Shrimp Tacos
Chicken Parmesan Meatballs (family-favorite)
Hidden Veggie Pasta Sauce (Great for Picky Eaters!)
Healthy Chicken Nuggets with Green Bean “Fries”
Crispy Seasoned Fish with Pineapple & Avocado Chunks for Toddler + Kids
Crispy Salmon Bites for Baby + Toddler
Kid-Approved Summer Veggie Pizza
Mini Chicken + Carrot Meatballs for Baby
Carrot Pasta for Baby + Toddler
Black Bean Tostadas with Strawberry Salsa
Make Once – Serve for Mulitple Meals
Easy Salsa Chicken Tacos (family favorite!)
Instant Pot BBQ Chicken (toddler, kid + adult approved)
Mexican Sweet Potato Boats for Baby + Toddler
Veggie-Loaded Tomato Sauce for Toddlers + Kids (Great for Picky Eaters!)
Butternut Squash ‘Mac and Cheese’ for Toddler
Toddler Tofu Sticks + Peanut Dipping Sauce
Pulled Pork Sandwiches with Apple Slaw
Toddler Desserts
Easy Chocolate Fondue for Toddlers + Kids (Dairy-Free)
Peanut Butter Banana Yogurt Bark (toddler + kid fav!)
Healthy Yogurt Parfait Popsicles for Toddler + Kids
Rainbow Popsicles for Toddler + Kids
Toddler’s Favorite Banana Pudding – Gluten and Corn Starch Free
Kids Chocolate Stirring Spoons (Allergy-Friendly)
Strawberry Lemonade Slushies for Toddlers + Kids
Green Tropical Smoothie Popsicles
Hidden-Veggie Carrot & Orange Popsicles (Baby + Toddler)
Healthy Funfetti Popsicles for Kids + Toddlers
75 Toddler Meal Ideas: Broccoli Egg Cups
Ingredients
- 6 large eggs
- 1/4 cup milk – regular, almond, coconut, hemp, etc
- 1/2 cup broccoli chopped
- 1/2 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
- salt and pepper to taste optional
Instructions
- Heat oven to 375 degrees. Line 8 muffin tins with silicone muffin molds or generously spray to prevent sticking.
- In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs and milk together.
- Add in the broccoli, cheese, salt and pepper and stir until combined.
- Pour the egg mixture into the muffin tins until 3/4 the way full.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes or until eggs have set and the cheese is golden brown
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