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A Few Notes Before We Get to the Healthy Toddler Meals 

Day 1 of Healthy Toddler Meals: Fresh fruit focus

Did you know fruit has the same vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, fiber, and general benefits as vegetables? If they’re not crazy about veggies, you can always sub in fruits. Berries are lower in sugar content compared to other fruits so they are a great staple in your toddler’s diet.

BREAKFAST: Whole grain waffle with a thin layer of peanut butter and blueberries. A cup of whole milk on the side.

AM SNACK: A few clementines (or Cuties, or mandarins, whatever you call them! I like to make sure to get the seedless kind.)

LUNCH: Almond butter and 1 tsp of Crofter’s fruit spread on whole wheat bread, with cucumbers, carrot, strawberries and blueberries.

PM SNACK: Once Upon a Farm apple cinnamon bar. We LOVE these bars! They are oat based and have a fun drizzle on top. Best part, they have no added sugar! (use this link if you’re interested in an OFARM subscription box!)

DINNER: Spaghetti squash “lasagna” and apples.

Full disclosure – my son ate none of this dinner. He ate a piece of bread and drank some milk. My 18-month-old loved it all though!

Day 2: Super easy toddler meals

Each of these meals took less than 5 minutes to come together!

BREAKFAST: Oatmeal made with milk, topped with crushed walnuts and banana slices. I stirred in some hemp seeds as well.

AM SNACK: Smoothie pouch while on the go

LUNCH: Tortilla with mashed avocado and mashed white beans (from a can)

PM SNACK: Simple Mills almond flour crackers

DINNER: Pita pizzas with thinly sliced celery and apple

Notes: I try my best to serve both kids the same meals to make my life easier. But that doesn’t always work out! My son isn’t a big fan of pizza, so I typically serve mashed avocado and hemp seeds on his instead of sauce and cheese. He calls it “salad pizza” and loves it!

Day 3: Healthy fats are important for toddlers

Has your little one tried cottage cheese? Both my kids LOVE cottage cheese, and I love it as a protein-packed food for them. It also has some fat, which is majorly important for toddlers’ developing central nervous systems! Seeds are one of my favorite ways to get in some extra healthy fats. I love sprinkling chia seeds and ground flax seeds into foods.

BREAKFAST: Scrambled eggs in butter, blackberries and mango, plus a cup of milk on the side. (Questions about eggs, or how many toddlers can eat? Read this post.)

AM SNACK: Chopped apple microwaved with a splash of water until soft, with cinnamon and ground flaxseed mixed in. We call this “apple pie apples.”

LUNCH: Cottage cheese mixed with a fruit/veggie pouch. My kids really like this combo! They also like cottage cheese with applesauce. (And this banana cottage cheese pudding is BOMB.) The sweet and salty mix is good! Served with a slice of toast topped with peanut butter, banana, and chia seeds.

PM SNACK: Homemade banana bread muffins

DINNER: Simple! Rice, black beans, and avocado. My husband and I also had some Crockpot pork carnitas.

Day 4: Simple balanced meals

Reminder: The amount I show is just an example. Totally okay if your little one eats less or more than this! I typically serve milk with breakfast and just water the rest of the day, and then milk again with dinner.

BREAKFAST: Oatmeal with a whisked egg stirred in while cooking (you can’t tell it’s there) with strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, and raspberries.

AM SNACK: Green apple (sliced thin so its a finger food that’s more baby led weaning friendly) with a thin peanut butter spread

LUNCH: My kids love a “snack lunch” like this! Cheddar cheese, cornbread muffins I had made another time and stored in the freezer, watermelon, and black beans.

PM SNACK: Plain Cheerios and raisins

DINNER: Roasted chicken, whole wheat spaghetti with butter, and raspberries.

Day 5: Extra veggies and vegetarian

On days that we don’t have meat, my kids usually eat more dairy. Sometimes excess dairy can be constipating so keep an eye on that! If I’m serving a meal that’s dairy-heavy, I usually don’t serve milk at the same time.

BREAKFAST: Avocado toast (I add hemp seeds underneath the avocado).

AM SNACK: Homemade blueberry muffins. I didn’t get a good picture so this is a stock photo!

LUNCH: Broccoli, blueberries, apple chips, and yogurt. This was a low appetite kind of day.

PM SNACK: Cottage cheese with raspberries.

DINNER: We had taco bowls (taco Tuesday!), but Emilia just wanted the rice, cheese, beans, and broccoli.

Day 6: Dairy free day of eats

You can still serve balanced meals even when your child’s diet is limited. Whether they’re a picky eater or have a food allergy, they can still get in a variety of nutrients!

Note: On a vegan diet, your child may need supplements. Nutrients that are harder to get include vitamin B12, iron, and calcium.

BREAKFAST: Oatmeal with some sunflower seed butter stirred in, topped with hemp seeds and banana.

AM SNACK: Happy Wolf bar (use affiliate code KACIE20 for 20% off)

LUNCH: Raw veggies (unpictured hummus for dipping), orange slices, cashew pieces, and Made Good granola minis. This was a day I didn’t have a ton of food on hand and needed to pack lunch quickly!

PM SNACK: Homemade blueberry muffin.

DINNER: Spaghetti with veggie packed tomato sauce and hemp seeds, sautéed mushrooms, and sautéed mixed veggies.

Day 7: Feeding the whole family

I am one tired and busy mom, so a lot of meals consist of one food that takes a little effort, and then sides that are easy as can be. Fresh fruit, dried fruit, and raw veggies are staples for that reason!

BREAKFAST: French toast on whole wheat bread with sliced apple and a cup of milk. You can do pea milk or soy milk instead of cow milk.

AM SNACK: Hippeas and raisins.

LUNCH: Canned salmon salad (my kids LOVE this) and Triscuits. I should have offered a fruit or veg but I forgot.

PM SNACK: Carrots and ranch, and some unpictured pretzels.

DINNER: Pot roast and mashed potatoes, with bread and spinach leaves (from my salad). The bread was because I didn’t know if anyone would try the mashed potatoes!

BEDTIME SNACK: Not pictured, but my youngest has been staying up late (she never adjusted from daylight savings) so I’ve been offering a pre-bed snack of yogurt or peanut butter on a banana.

Day 8: Introducing sweet potatoes

What stands out to you about this day of eats?? If you look at this and immediately think, “my little one eats WAY more” or you think, “mine eats way less!!” — know that both can be very normal.

My kids are weird about sweet potatoes so I served sweet potato chips as an intro to the taste without the mushy texture!

BREAKFAST: Whole milk yogurt topped with granola

AM SNACK: Avocado boat. (It’s just avocado, my kids just call it a boat when I serve it like this.)

LUNCH: Leftovers: rice, green beans, chicken with shredded carrot, peach, and fresh mozzarella.

PM SNACK: Kefir pouch

DINNER: Chicken nuggets, avocado, cucumber, strawberries, and sweet potato chips.

My son ate one chicken nugget and one bite of avocado at dinner and decided he was done. Very normal for their appetite to be low at dinner time and be fine until morning! They often front-load their calories earlier in the day.

He usually skips about half the things I serve. And that’s okay! We can only what control what we put on the plate, not what they actually put in their mouth.

Day 9: Quick meals

Sometimes when I can’t even stomach spending 30 minutes prepping and cooking dinner, I press the easy button. I used my instant pot for dinner this night…I truly love that thing! I actually prefer it to a slow cooker.

BREAKFAST: Greek whole milk plain yogurt, bananas, and grapes. I like serving bananas with the peel on so they can practice peeling. I just make one slice down the length of the banana so there’s a spot for them to peel from.

AM SNACK: Zucchini bread smoothie

LUNCH: Barilla Protein Plus pasta with a little bit of pasta sauce, broccoli, watermelon

PM SNACK: Pea crisps

DINNER: Instant pot white chicken chili – I separated out some chicken and plain beans because they prefer it plain. Plus shredded cheddar, cucumbers, and spinach.

My son didn’t want any of this dinner. He ate a banana and milk. I offered the banana because none of these foods are safe/accepted foods for him.

Day 10: We love food picks

The CUTEST food picks we own are from a small business called Nutridashe. They are durable, too! It’s always helpful to add a little bit of fun at meal times.

BREAKFAST: An over easy egg, sautéed shredded potatoes (Simply Potatoes brand), and raisins.

AM SNACK: Simple Mills soft baked bar

LUNCH: Plain whole milk Greek yogurt with a drizzle of honey, cucumber, RW Garcia sweet potato crackers, and unsweetened applesauce.

PM SNACK: Banana with unpictured peanut butter

DINNER: Avocado rolls, carrots, cashew pieces, and pineapple. For younger toddlers who are not ready for pieces of nuts, I would have just added hemp seeds to the avocado roll instead!

My husband and I were having enchiladas he made for dinner and I knew the kids wouldn’t eat that. So when that’s the case I just make the kids something simple like this!

Day 11: 5-minute meals

BREAKFAST: Sliced cinnamon apples with plain yogurt for dipping

AM SNACK: Avocado on crackers – for younger toddlers I like the Triscuit thin crisps! I used these to make the cute shapes.

LUNCH: Almond butter on whole wheat with Crofters super fruit spread, raspberries, and a chocolate muffin.

PM SNACK: Blueberry yogurt (& kale) smoothies

DINNER: Meatloaf, steamed frozen veggies, air fried potatoes, and shredded cheese (requested by Emilia).

Full disclosure – Teddy ate none of this dinner. He ate a piece of bread and drank some milk. Emilia (18 months) loved it all though!

Day 12: Deli meat

I love the in-house roasted turkey breast at Central Market (a Texas grocery store)! Whole Foods has a similar one, but theirs is usually a little more dry. Deli meat is fine for toddlers, you just want to limit it to no more than a few times a week.

BREAKFAST: Sourdough toast with butter, scrambled eggs, and pear slices

AM SNACK: Kiwi and milk

LUNCH: Apparently I was feeling creative! A tortilla with turkey and cheddar cheese, plus a little snack plate with pretzel sticks, prunes, avocado, and clementines.

PM SNACK: Homemade banana bread muffins

DINNER: Rice and beans, cucumber sticks, and freeze dried raspberries

Teddy is not a fan of beans so he just had plain rice!

Day 13: Introducing new foods

When I introduce a new food, I always serve a small tasting portion so it’s less overwhelming. That’s why there’s one piece of pasta at dinner and 3 edamame beans. (I was trying to make a face!)

Learn how to introduce a new food to a picky eater here!

BREAKFAST: Hard boiled eggs (in the air fryer!) plus apples with peanut butter.

AM SNACK: Smoothie with whole milk, frozen mango, frozen cauliflower rice, one date, and a spoonful of cashew butter.

LUNCH: White beans, snap peas, watermelon, and shredded cheese (a frequent request by the kids)!

PM SNACK: Just some crackers while on the go

DINNER: I had to make dinner in like 3 seconds so no one had a giant meltdown! Toasted rolls with cream cheese, peas, and a taste of edamame and pasta. Emilia ate more pasta than this!

Day 14: Pizza day

Quick check in: I do my best to get healthy, balanced meals on the table, but I’m also a real human. It doesn’t happen all the time. I’m not going to put a picture of Chick-Fil-A on here, but know that it happens sometimes!

BREAKFAST: Kodiak Cakes waffle, a no bake nut butter bar (SO GOOD), and a few sips of the smoothie I made for myself.

AM SNACK: Orange and milk

LUNCH: Cream cheese and jelly on whole wheat, raspberries, and broccoli.

PM SNACK: Rice cake with coconut butter and hemp seeds.

DINNER: Pizza on Simple Mills crust, with peas.

Day 15: Yogurt cupcakes!

Sprinkles are one of my favorite picky eater hacks. My kids always are more excited when sprinkles are at the meal!

BREAKFAST: Simple Mills Banana Bread Muffins (with some mini chocolate chips), banana, blueberries.

AM SNACK: Leftover smoothie popsicle (in these popsicle molds)

LUNCH: Plain whole milk Greek yogurt in a silicone cupcake liner, mini bell peppers, shredded wheat cereal, and dried cherries.

PM SNACK: Pretzel thins and cashew pieces.

DINNER: I made a pasta dish with white beans and kale, and served the components separately, along with carrot slices.

Day 16: Freezer friendly

I use my freezer so much! Frozen fruit for smoothies, frozen waffles, and leftover baked goods freeze really well. This cornbread was from the freezer, and my muffins often are, too!

BREAKFAST: Mixed berry smoothie and Kashi 7-grain waffle

AM SNACK: Clementines and cashew pieces

LUNCH: Leftover cornbread, turkey slices, broccoli and strawberries

PM SNACK: Pear and some Simple Mills cookies (We LOVE these cookies!)

DINNER: Ben made chicken tetrazzini, and I served it with some spinach (from my salad) and unsweetened applesauce.

I made Teddy some chicken nuggets because he doesn’t like pasta.

Day 17: Super low effort day

BREAKFAST: Plain whole milk Greek yogurt, mashed mango, hemp seeds

AM SNACK: Rice cake with cashew butter and Crofter’s fruit spread

LUNCH: Low mercury tuna with some Sir Kensington’s mayo and dijon, Triscuits, and freeze dried mango

PM SNACK: Dino bar (use affiliate code MAMAKNOWS10 for 10% off)

DINNER: Picky dinner! I made chicken and wild rice soup. They had veggies with lots of hummus, buttered corn, and rolls

Day 18: Typical staples

I absolutely love shrimp (this is my favorite quick way to make it!). My 4 year old does not. But, I still serve him foods I know he’s probably not going to try. Here’s why:

If I don’t serve it, he doesn’t even get a chance to try it, let alone get more comfortable with it. I make it a rule to serve foods every day that I want him to eventually eat at family meals (even if that’s realistically a few years down the road).

To balance that, I also always serve foods I know he does like. You’ll have the most success if you always include a liked food at a meal.

The plates pictured are my toddler daughter’s, but for my hesitant 4 year old, he just gets a bite size portion of a new food on his plate.

BREAKFAST: French toast on whole wheat with ground flax mixed into the batter, and strawberries.

AM SNACK: More strawberries were requested! Plus cottage cheese.

LUNCH: A simple granola butter sandwich with leftover roasted sweet potato cubes.

PM SNACK: Banana with almond butter. (Yes I usually have like 5 open jars of various nut butters in my fridge.)

DINNER: Broiled shrimp, pasta with this sauce, broccoli, and some sautéed veggie slaw mix from a bag.

Day 19: FAST Prep Meal Ideas

BREAKFAST: Kashi 7-grain waffle (with Kerrygold butter for my 17-month-old, plain for the 4 year old), orange slices, and whole milk.

AM SNACK: Raisins and Simple Mills butternut squash pop ems crackers

LUNCH: Frozen peas (my kids like them still frozen, there’s a smalllllll risk of illness in serving them without cooking them first; I do it anyway). Rice with butter and some cheddar cheese.

PM SNACK: Once Upon a Farm no added sugar oat bar

DINNER: Shredded chicken and avocado tortilla, with sides of broccoli, clementines, and only two pieces of corn because there were complaints

Did you get some ideas?

My kids do NOT like casseroles, soups, or foods mixed together in general. So when I see “toddler meal idea” posts and it’s filled with dinner ideas like veggie loaded mac and cheese, chickpea curry, and eggplant shakshuka, I just feel bummed out. There’s zero chance of my kids eating that kind of stuff. And it’s not because I haven’t tried!

When they were babies they ate absolutely everything. But once that picky phase hits, it’s like they become a different person!

But I also don’t like when I see ideas that are just things like hot dogs, raviolis, and cheese quesadillas. I’m not saying you can’t ever serve those things, but I want other ideas that are just as easy- I’m talkin’ 20 minutes or less- but add more nutrition.