Recipes Ideas For Toddlers

Coming up with healthy toddler meal ideas after a long day—whether you work, stay home, or do some mix or in between—is a challenge. It’s often the time of the day when they need our attention most, yet they also need to eat. (Did someone say hangry?) These quick toddler meal ideas are quick, easy, and nourishing so that you can get the food onto the table fast. 

I hope that these ideas provide inspiration on those busy nights when you’re scrambling to serve up something healthy. And that they give you permission to take shortcuts in the kitchen whenever you need to. Because feeding our toddlers is hard work, and it’s 100% okay to make it easy on yourself when needed!

Rotisserie chicken + thawed frozen corn + tortilla + salsa Warm all ingredients except the salsa in the microwave for 15-30 seconds. Serve with salsa for dipping. (Trade in cocktail shrimp or beans for a vegetarian option.) 

Dinner Ideas For 2 Year Olds

Star or alphabet pasta + peas + butter + Parmesan Cook pasta according to package, adding frozen peas to the pot during the last 1-2 minutes of cooking. Serve with butter and cheese. You can also do couscous, quinoa, or rice instead of the pasta.

Whole-wheat pita bread (or tortillas or English muffins) + pizza sauce + shredded cheese Cut pita into wedges and top with pizza sauce and cheese. Heat in the oven at 325 F or in a pan on the stovetop just until cheese is melted.

Tortilla + hummus + thinly sliced cucumber Spread hummus and cucumber on tortilla and roll up or fold. Slice in half to serve. (Flour or multigrain tortillas tend to be softer than corn, which can be helpful for younger eaters.) You can also serve this deconstructed for younger eaters.

Healthy Toddler Meal Ideas & Tips

Top toast with shredded cheese, thawed frozen peas, broccoli florets, cauliflower florets, or corn, and microwave for 10 seconds to melt. You could also simply serve the veggies alongside cheesy toast too!

Plain yogurt + leftover roasted squash or sweet potato + granola Layer all ingredients in a small mason jar or bowl. Serve immediately. This also works with the yogurt and squash or sweet potato blended together—or with applesauce! (Use a favorite nondairy yogurt if needed.)

Pancake mix + ½ cup grated (drained) apple + nut butter Add the apple to your favorite pancake batter (add 1 teaspoon cinnamon if it doesn’t have any) and cook as directed. Serve smeared with nut butter or a little honey. Toddlers (and big kids) love breakfast for dinner!

Best Healthy Snack Ideas For Toddlers

Mini shell pasta + jarred marinara sauce + parmesan  Use your favorite pasta (or try Banza garbanzo bean pasta for extra iron) and a jarred tomato sauce like Rao’s for a simple and satisfying meal.

Fully cooked rice + frozen peas + scrambled eggs + soy sauce Scramble an egg, stir in a ¼ cup peas and ¼ cup of rice and with a drizzle of reduced-sodium soy sauce. Add a fruit on the side like cut up cherries or melon.

Low sugar vanilla yogurt (like from Siggis) + almond butter + sliced fruit and veg + graham crackers Stir together nut butter and honey to make a dip. Serve with sliced apple or pear, squash or cucumbers, and graham crackers. We love this sort of breakfast-for-dinner as a super quick  toddler dinner!

Easy Baby And Toddler Meals

Tortillas + cheese + beans Add cheese and beans to one side of a tortilla. Warm in a skillet over medium heat for about 2 minutes, fold the empty side of the tortilla over and press slightly. Flip and cook for an additional 2 minutes to finish. You can also warm this in the microwave for about 30 seconds. Add fruit on the side.

Whole grain bread + cheese + roasted mashed sweet potato Spread the sweet potato on on side of the bread. Add cheese to the other. Prepare normally for a comforting and veggie-packed sandwich. You can also try omitting the sweet potato and adding snipped spinach or kale instead. (Or even omitting the cheese and just using mashed sweet potato!)

Whole grain crackers or snap pea crisps + sliced cheese + assortment of sliced veggies and fruit + beans Assemble a toddler-friendly snack plate that’s a simple assortment of the food groups. You can serve it on a regular plate or in a fun silicone muffin tin!

What I Fed The Twins This Week • Freutcake

Eggs + spinach + banana Blend the ingredients together and pour into small pancakes. They’re so moist and sweet—and easy to make! Full recipe here.

It took me a while to feel okay about serving cereal for dinner but now we do it regularly and the kids love it! And it’s nice for me too since it’s so easy. (Find my favorite kids cereals here.) P.S. We also love doing smoothies for dinner!

Boxed mac and cheese + broccoli or peas + side of fruit Stir in a little frozen broccoli florets or peas to the pasta for the last minute or two of cooking of a favorite boxed mac and cheese. The kids are usually so excited about the mac and cheese that they’ll go ahead and eat the veggies too!

Shortcut Toddler Meal Ideas (super Quick And Healthy!)

If you have other quick toddler meals ideas that is a favorite in your house, please add it below! I’d love to hear what your kids are loving these days!

Use this list to help you make quick work of offering nutritious toddler meals. (Nutrition will vary based on specific ingredients you use.)

Calories: 163 kcal , Carbohydrates: 21 g , Protein: 12 g , Fat: 3 g , Saturated Fat: 1 g , Polyunsaturated Fat: 1 g , Monounsaturated Fat: 1 g , Cholesterol: 24 mg , Sodium: 251 mg , Potassium: 274 mg , Fiber: 3 g , Sugar: 3 g , Vitamin A: 289 IU , Vitamin C: 15 mg , Calcium: 43 mg , Iron: 2 mg

Healthy Toddler Meals: Easy Cheesy Spinach Pasta