These Toddler Meal Ideas are simple, healthy toddler food ideas. Use these easy toddler meals to introduce new foods, help picky eaters and make mom life easier.
*Originally published in 2016*
Hi friends!
If you’re looking for toddler dinner ideas, you’re in the right place. They also work for breakfast, lunches and snacks! I’ve been sharing easy toddler meals since my oldest was 18 months old and I have quite a collection of toddler plate photos. These easy toddler meals are geared toward kids ages 1-4.
If you’re looking for more ideas, check out:
100 Healthy Toddler Meals (another large roundup post)
50+ Toddler Meal Ideas (PDF Download)
A Month Of Easy Packed Lunches (Ebook)
Important note because someone always asks- the plates are from Re-Play Recycled. (affiliate link) They’re our favorite. I also love their cups and bowls.
Looking for toddler dinner ideas?
First, let’s cover a few points on feeding toddlers:
How much should my toddler eat?
I try to judge how my kids are eating by looking at the big picture. If they don’t eat one meal, they’ve likely either eaten well at 1 or 2 of the other meals, or had a few too many snacks that day. And if they haven’t, then they’ve usually eaten fairly well the day before or will the day after.
What should I feed my toddler?
When kids are toddlers, one of the most important things you can do is offer variety. Check out the plates below but I encourage you to sub other fruits and veggies based on what’s in season, things they have or haven’t tried yet, child preference, chewing ability, etc.
I try to offer several healthy fat sources during the day because it’s so important for brain development. That can include things like avocado, eggs, full fat dairy, nut and seed butters, fatty fish like salmon, foods cooked in oil like avocado oil and more!
What to give my toddler for lunch
This post is just meant to give ideas. All kids eat different amounts and varieties. No my kids don’t eat everything I serve them I share these roundups not because I think you should be giving your kids these exact meals…but because I hope that perhaps they’ll give you some inspiration or spark some new ideas! Maybe you’ll just see a few components of a few meals and think “hey! I’ve never tried serving that to my kid”. I consider that a win.
Toddler won’t eat veggies?
Like all kids, mine have favorite foods so there are some repeats of meals and specific brand products in these photos. Like most people, we have our favorite brands. I’ll try to mention some of them in the first picture they show up in. Similarly, if the recipes are on my blog, I’ll link to them!
If your toddler doesn’t eat the vegetables and other foods you serve, the most important thing you can do is keep offering them. Here are some kid-friendly vegetable recipes. Kids need repeated exposures, especially to things like vegetables, so get creative and keep offering them. Try different shapes and forms- raw, cooked, steamed, sauteed, roasted, hot, cold, blended and more!
What should I not feed my toddler?
Avoid choking hazards under age 4. I cover choking hazards and toddler snack ideas in this post. Also keep an eye on added sugar and sodium levels in the foods you’re giving them.
Does my toddler need a multivitamin?
My friend and fellow RD Kacie wrote a great post all about the best multivitamins for toddlers. As always, we are dietitains but not YOUR child’s dietitian. If you have concerns, speak to their doctor or consult with a Registered Dietitian.
Here are some meals my oldest ate at ages 1 & 2
Easy Toddler Meals
Avocado toast on Dave’s Killer Bread, strawberries & Honey Smoked Fish Company Salmon
Strawberries, Chocolate Pea Cookie, Plainville Organic Turkey (from Costco), Strawberry PB Oatmeal
Steamed veggies, Barilla protein+ spaghetti, Crockpot Meatballs
Simple Mills Crackers with Sabra hummus, roasted sweet potatoes, baked chicken, taste of kale, bacon and goat cheese stuffed chicken, bbq sauce
Corn, Dr. Praegers Spinach Littles, avocado toast
Cucumber and hummus, HB eggs (from Costco), leftover hot dog from dinner out (I don’t buy hot dogs but both my kids eat them at restaurants)
Barbara’s Cinnamon puffins, raspberries, waffle french toast peanut butter sandwich (just regular french toast cooked on a waffle iron with peanut butter in between)
Grapes, Giovani Rana spinach and cheese tortellini, roasted cauliflower, Meijer Brand chicken sausage
Easy Toddler Lunches
Steel cut oats made with cashew milk, peanut butter, cinnamon and vanilla and blueberries, peppers with ranch, roasted potatoes, bite of a salmon burger
Sweet potato bite, blueberries, pepperoni and cheese rollup
Pasta with red sauce, avocado toast, raisins, pulled pork with bbq sauce
Blueberries, roasted sweet potato, avocado, pepperoni, farro
Blueberries, roasted carrots, hard boiled egg, peanut butter toast
HB egg, Broccoli Littles, Made in Nature Tart Cherry Figgy Pops, turkey and avocado roll-up
Sunchips, Broccoli Littles, Baked Oatmeal French Toast Sticks (added shredded carrots), blueberries
Peas, Lotus Foods ramen, shredded chicken with bbq sauce
Easy Meals For Toddlers
Figgy pop, Triscuits with hummus, turkey stuffed with pepperoni and cheese
Honey roasted peanuts, snap peas, pears, avocado toast
Almond Butter Chicken and zoodles skillet (chicken and veggies separated), pear and pasta with red sauce
Avocado toast, microwaved sweet potato, Egg Waffle
Rice, roasted green beans, Instant Pot Asian Chicken
Corn, Simple Mills crackers with hummus, french toast waffles
Grapes, Egg Wrap, buttered noodles
Pretzels with hummus, blackberries, PB & Banana Sandwich
Banana Oat Bar, roasted sweet potatoes, pizza meatball (coming soon)
Grapes, Pumpkin Yogurt Bar (made dairy free by subbing pea milk for yogurt, and I added hemp seeds), avocado, homemade chicken and noodles
Carrots with ranch, crackers and hummus, bacon, Instant Pot Chicken Marsala
Strawberries, Dr. Praeger’s Broccoli Littles, Kid Fresh Foods Chicken Meatballs
Carrots with ranch, roasted sweet potatoes, chicken and black bean quesadilla
Grapes, Pumpkin Yogurt Bar, PB Chocolate Cauliflower Oatmeal
Crackers and hummus, cottage cheese and eggs
Sweet potatoes, banana, pizza meatballs
Toddler Meals for Picky Eaters
Blackberries, sweet potatoes, chicken and hummus naan pizza
Sweet Potato Protein Cookie, Turkey, hummus and cheese rollup
Maple Bacon Roasted Carrots, apples, waffle french toast
Roasted carrots, strawberries, Bob’s Red Mill Paleo Waffle Mix, pork tenderloin
Pears, rice, chicken fried rice
Crackers and hummus, raspberries, pb&J
Grapes, Lemon Energy Ball (with blueberries added)
Hummus and pepperoni naan pizza
Roasted sweet potatoes, steamed green beans, Kid Fresh Foods Chicken Meatballs
Graham Cracker, strawberries, scrambled eggs with peas and chicken sausage
Carrots and ranch, Coconut Oil Banana Muffin, Chicken Marsala
Pineapple, Trail mix, Turkey
Clementine, Kodiak Cakes pancakes with blueberries, hotdog
Sweet potato, pears, lasagna
Crackers and hummus, potatoes, turkey and avocado rollup, Outshine Popsicle
Sweet potatoes, Love Grown Sea Stars, turkey, apple
Smoked Salmon, strawberries, tortellini, Coconut Oil Banana Muffin
Pear, Siggi’s 4% yogurt, crockpot pot roast, rigatoni
Annie’s mac and cheese, peas, Freezer Chicken Tenders
Curry roasted sweet potatoes, naan, chicken curry
Bare apple chips with peanut butter, PB Chia Crackers, oatmeal with berries
Carrots and ranch, Rice Krispie treat, meatballs
Crackers and hummus, dates with peanut butter, Kid Fresh Foods chicken nuggets
Crackers and hummus, pears, Green Smoothie Pancakes
Naan with hummus, Lemon Energy Ball, tuna cake, strawberries
Blueberries + Maple Hill Full Fat Plain Yogurt + Oatmeal w/ apples, pb & pumpkin seeds
Kiwi + Sweet potato with Annie’s Organic ketchup + pulled pork
Nectarine + Sweet Potato+ Avocado Chicken Burger with Sabra Original hummus
Blueberries + Maple Hill Full Fat Plain Yogurt + Dave’s Killer Bread (21 Grain) + Crazy Richard’s Peanut Butter
Strawberries + Cucumber with hummus + Chicken & Black Bean Quesadilla
Strawberries + Peanut Butter Toast + Meijer brand Spinach & Mozzarella Chicken Sausage
Watermelon + Roasted Potatoes with ketchup + Avocado Chicken Burger
Avocado + Hard Boiled Egg + Strawberries + Turkey
Frozen Peas + Nectarine + Turmeric Yogurt Chicken with ketchup
Grandma’s mac and cheese + Blueberries + Cabbage Roll
Hard Boiled Egg + PB Banana Chia Pudding + Avocado Toast
Avocado + Cheese + Simple Mills Crackers + Turkey + Hummus
Avocado + Blueberries + Costco Cheese Tortellini + Pesto
Plum + Chicken Parmesan with zoodles
Raspberries + Daisy Cottage Cheese + Balsamic Chicken Caprese Pasta with marinara
Watermelon + Pesto Tortellini + Turmeric Chicken + Hummus and crackers
Hard boiled egg + Blueberries + Sweet Potato Bite + PB Banana Chia Pudding
Sweet Potato + Raspberries + Roasted Chicken + Holy Guacamole Guac + Garden of Eatin’ Chips
Grapes + Frozen Peas + BBQ Ribs
Watermelon + Corn + King Crab + Steak
Watermelon + pasta + cheese + ketchup + chicken
Raspberries + Simple Mills Cheddar crackers with hummus + steak with ketchup + string cheese
Green Beans with hummus and Italian dressing + peaches + turkey + guac & chips
Sweet Potato + blueberries + chicken sausage + baked beans
Blueberries + frozen peas + grilled chicken with ketchup + crackers
Watermelon + Squash yogurt dip + meatloaf
Butternut squash + grapes +avocado toast + turkey
Pumpkin Yogurt Bar + cottage cheese + avocado + cheeseburger
Here are some meals my oldest ate as a 3 year old
Peas, buttered noodles and smoked salmon
Mashed squash, cinnamon applesauce, oatmeal with Crazy Richard’s peanut butter
Siggi’s yogurt, cucumbers with Sabra hummus & baked oatmeal french toast sticks
Roasted sweet potatoes, confetti cauliflower rice, hamburger with Annie’s ketchup
Apple slices, carrots with ranch, naan pizza with mushrooms and meatballs
Cherry tomatoes, Garden of Eatin chips with hummus, peanut butter & banana sandwich (Dave’s Killer Bread)
Maple bacon roasted carrots, avocado, Cajun meatloaf and pears
Simple Mills crackers with hummus, carrots with ranch, Lasagna soup
Steamed peas, Triscuits with guac, chicken sausage and an apple
Carrots & ranch, pears, crackers and smoked salmon
Steamed sweet potatoes, yogurt, Kodiak cakes
Broccoli tots, strawberries, turkey, hummus & cheese roll-up
Spaghetti, Chocolate Butternut Squash Muffin, pulled pork with bbq sauce
Yogurt, noodles, Instant Pot Hummus Chicken, pears
Roasted sweet potato, Annie’s Cheddar Bunnies, Plainville Organic Turkey, pears
Pears, Carrots & Hummus, Quesadilla with hummus, chicken and cheese
Spinach and cheese tortellini, roasted broccoli, crockpot meatball
Cottage cheese, carrots, blackberries, sweet & spicy bacon wrapped chicken
Pears, chicken pad thai, roasted sweet potatoes, egg wrap
Cheese + ground beef quesadilla, steamed mixed veggies, pulled chicken and avocado
Clementine, Alexia Sweet Potato Puffs, meatloaf
Peanut Butter & Jelly, cold mixed veggies, smoked salmon
Date with peanut butter, paprika roasted carrots, turkey and hummus sandwich
Strawberries, yogurt, Bisquick + cottage cheese pancakes
No Bake Chocolate Peppermint Bite, steamed green beans, Kodiak cakes with peanut butter
Steamed sweet potatoes, Chickpea buckeye, peanut butter toast, chicken sausage
Sweet potatoes, pears and turkey sandwich
Pears, carrots with ranch, chicken & sweet potato chili
Peas, mac and cheese, bbq pulled pork
Chickpea buckeye, yogurt, cold green beans, hard boiled egg, pears
Grapes, chips, hummus, pulled pork
Graham crackers, banana, roasted squash and turkey
Strawberries, Triscuits with hummus, chicken and sweet potato chili
Applesauce (plus probiotic), hb egg, ham sandwich
Fried egg, pears, pb&j toast
Chocolate squash muffin, pears, Asian chicken and carrots
Kiwi, cottage cheese, chocolate chip pancake, fried egg
Pears, mac and cheese with sausage and peas, pb toast, tuna quinoa cake
Strawberries, beans, pork and mac and cheese
Pears, yogurt, egg wrap
Fried egg, mandarin oranges, waffled french toast
Cottage cheese, chips and hummus, bbq pulled pork
Cottage cheese, carrots and hummus, beer braised pulled pork, crackers
Strawberries, curry roasted sweet potatoes, pb&J and lemon broccoli
Shells with marinara, green beans, tuna quinoa cake
Roasted broccoli, blueberries, pulled pork, brown rice
Corn, carrots and hummus, black bean quesadilla
Pickle, roasted green beans, baked chicken
Peas, sweet potato banana bite, hummus, hard boiled egg, strawberries
Sweet potato fries, noodles with marinara, guacamole, crackers, chicken sausage
Strawberries, girl scout cookie, mac and cheese with sausage and peas
Strawberries, cucumbers with hummus, turkey club wrap
Yogurt, clementine, egg wrap
Clementine, deconstructed chicken philly sandwich
And that’s it for toddler meal ideas! I hope this post gave you some new ideas.
Enjoy!
–Lindsay–
