Running out of things to feed your pickiest little eaters? These easy toddler meal ideas will last for weeks! Buckle up, buttercup!
If your toddler lives off of cheese and peanut butter, we feel you! Getting picky toddlers to eat a healthy, balanced diet is hard work. Lucky for you, we're checking meal planning off your to-do list today!
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Look….we get it. Toddlers are the world's harshest food critics. So we've rounded up more than a dozen toddler meal ideas that they'll actually love to eat! And you'll love how easy these meals are to prep. Are you ready?! Major #MomWin ahead, you guys!
EASY TODDLER MEAL IDEAS FOR BREAKFAST
If you're looking to mix things up or find breakfast meals the whole family can enjoy together, try one of these toddler-friendly options:
- Egg Muffin Cups – Your whole family will love our easy egg muffins, and they're shelf cooking gold! Use whatever produce or protein you have on hand, and slice these into bite-sized pieces for the littles.
- Easy Banana Pancakes – This super easy recipe is safe to feed babies six months and up, too. Mash one banana, and mix in one egg and two tablespoons of flour for the batter. Cook on a griddle for around 5 minutes, then slice into strips with a pizza cutter for the younger toddlers, or serve whole with fruit for bigger kids. They freeze well, too!
- Hidden Veggie DIY Frozen Waffles – Try sneaking a little shredded zucchini or sweet potato into our DIY frozen waffle recipe.
- Smoothie – Anything colorful that involves a straw feels like a treat, right? We love keeping freezer smoothie packs on hand.
- Overnight Oats – A batch of overnight oats with bananas and peanut butter will entice most toddlers to take a bite.
- Breakfast Quesadilla – We love this one, too! Scramble some eggs and add them to a quesadilla.
- Yogurt & Granola – Make your own granola (it's SO easy) and add it to some plain yogurt with fruit.
Pro Tip: Set aside an hour on Saturday or Sunday to meal prep breakfast for the whole week (or more)! Smoothie packs, waffles, pancakes, and egg muffin cups all freeze well, so double the recipe to cut your work in half. Batch cooking for the win!
TODDLER LUNCH IDEAS
Doesn't it feel like you just cleaned up breakfast, and then, bam! The kiddos are already asking for lunch. Well, you'll be ready with these ideas in your back pocket:
- DIY Lunchable – Have you tried our DIY Lunchables? You can thank us later!
- Avocado Chicken Salad – Mash an avocado, mix it with some shredded chicken, and toss in some sliced hardboiled eggs for a smooth, creamy, protein-packed main dish that will last all week. Serve with fruit or veggies on the side and call it good.
- French Bread Pizza – Turn your leftover French bread into pizza! Slice it up for the kiddos and enjoy a piece for yourself.
- Meat & Cheese Pinwheels – Place a piece of cheese inside a slice of deli meat, roll it up like a pinwheel, and serve with some crackers or fruit on the side.
- Leftovers Bento Box – You can make just about anything seem fun in the right bento box! Round up the leftovers and mix in a sweet treat like some graham crackers.
- Dressed Up Box Mac ‘N Cheese – Sneak some leftover fruit or veggie puree into the boxed mac ‘n cheese. They won't even notice!
When all else fails, PB&J or grilled cheese will work just fine, mama! And if you need to toss a few chicken nuggets in the air fryer and call it good, you won't get any shame from us. Check out these genius chicken tenders that include hidden veggies!
TODDLER DINNER IDEAS THAT WORK FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY
We know you have too much on your plate to prep three different dinners, so let keep things simple, eh? Once our kids are old enough to start eating solids, we feed them the same thing the rest of the fam is eating. It's game-changing! Here are some dinner ideas that work for the whole fam:
- Rice Bowls – Turn your leftovers into rice bowls! These sweet pork bowls are yummy enough for little kids, quick to throw together, and super easy for toddlers to eat (hello, shredded meat).
- Meatballs – Serve these homemade meatballs over pasta marinara for the big kids and over leftover mashed potatoes for the toddlers. Trust us; it's less messy that way! Oh, and these freeze well, too!
- Meatloaf – This meatloaf is so tender it falls right off the fork! You can easily slice it up for the toddlers, and the whole family will enjoy this hearty meal.
- Homemade Macaroni and Cheese – Serve some homemade macaroni and cheese on the side for the grownups and make it the main dish for the youngest family members.
- Tuxedo Soup – If your toddler hasn't mastered the spoon yet, just strain out the liquid and let them feast on the pasta, chicken, and veggies in this tuxedo soup. They'll be the perfect consistency for kids new to solid foods!
- Copycat Chick-fil-A Nuggets – Forget the fast-food drive-through. No one will complain if you make these chicken nuggets!
Double each of these recipes, and you'll have dinner covered for the next TWO WEEKS. Holla!
SHARE YOUR BEST IDEAS
There you go, mama! You can stop scrolling Pinterest. You've got breakfast, lunch, and dinner covered for the next few weeks.
Do you have any genius toddler meal ideas to add to the mix? Do tell! Leave your go-to recipes in the comments.
Looking for a few more kid-friendly foods to try?
- These Lucky Charms treats are a huge hit around here!
- Try these 3-ingredient foolproof pumpkin chocolate chip muffins.
- Whip up a batch of this BBQ chicken in no time. It's a family-friendly meal for busy nights.
Keep calm and plan on!