28+ Simple Toddler Meal Ideas

One of my top blog posts to date is Food Ideas: Feeding a One Year Old. I have been in the process of collecting pictures to create a meal ideas blog post to go with it for a while now. Unfortunately my computer crashed a while back and I lost all the food pictures I had taken but lucky for you, since my kids eat three meals a day plus snacks,  I was able to take better ones! 

Every family has a different routine but my kids food routine looks something like this:

Wake up & Eat breakfast while watching TV

11:30/12 - Lunch followed by snack

6:00 - Dinner followed by snack

Of coarse there are naps, playtime and milk in there somewhere and snack time was moved to after lunch and dinner because my kids always "say" they are still hungry even though they eat more then me half the time.

My three and four year old recently started going to preschool half a day so they now get lunch at school Monday - Thursday. It saves us money but I am disappointed because the teacher usually gives them pizza two of the four days and I have no idea if they are eating their vegetables - probably not. 

Before we get started,

• Theses meals were given to my three toddlers (1, 3 & 4) for either lunch or dinner. 
• I try to change it up so they aren't eating the same thing all the time. I also make sure they get some sort of fruit and vegetable at least once a day. 
• The best and healthiest meals are plates full of color! No that does NOT mean candy.
• The colorful square plates used are by Re-Play Recycled (affiliate) and they are my favorite! I loved them so much I bought more. They also have silverware to match. The other plates pictured are just okay.
• If you have a picky eater check out this link - 10 Tips to get a Picky Eater to Eat
• If your little one just started eating solids check out this link - Food Ideas: Feeding a One Year Old

Here are some meals I've fed my children. Keep in mind, you can easily substitute out different fruits or sides with the main dishes.

28 Toddler Meal Ideas

1. Pulled Pork, Buttered Whole Wheat Bread, Cheese Cubes, an Orange

2. Dinosaur Chicken Nuggets, Mixed Vegetables, Mixed Berries & Grapes

3. Beef Taco Roll Ups with sour cream & salsa for dipping, Strawberries, Veggie Straws

4. Pot Roast, Potatoes, Carrots, Vanilla Yogurt with Dried Cranberries

5. Pepperoni, Ritz Crackers, Cheese Cubes, Fruit Melody

6. Pizza Roll Ups, Cantaloupe, Salad

7. Meatball Sub, Jello, Pickles

8. Vienna Sausages, Cheese Cubes, Ritz Crackers, Fruit Melody, Potato Salad

9. Scrambled Eggs, Toast with Strawberry Jelly, Strawberry Banana Yogurt & Dried Cranberries

10. Peanut butter Banana Rollup, Cottage Cheese, Banana & Oranges

11. Ham & Cheese Rollup, Grapes & Blueberries, Veggie Chips

12. Oatmeal, Strawberries, Yogurt

13. Ham & Cheese Sandwich, Banana, Pretzels with Fiesta Dip (dip leftover from a birthday party)

14. Chicken Salad, Ritz Crackers, Apple Sauce, Fig Neutons

15. Tuna & Mayo mixed, Ritz Crackers, Cubed Cheese, Apple Slices, Pickles

16. Turkey Sub, Banana, Veggie Straws

17. Macaroni & Beef Noodles, Cheese Cubes, Mixed Fruit, Buttered Bread

18. Ravioli, Grapes & Banana, Buttered Bread

19. Spagettios & Meatballs, Orange, Cheese Cubes, Buttered Bread

20. Chicken Parmesion/Spagetti, Peaches, Cottage Cheese 

If you can't tell, I like paring Buttered Bread with pasta.

21. Homemade Pizza Bagel, Apple Slices, Carrots with Ranch

22. Chicken Alfredo, Salad, Yogurt with Granola & Dried Cranberries

23. Taco Salad (Chips, Beef, Lettuce, Cheese), Grapes & Blueberries, Carrots with Ranch

24. Meatballs with Pasta Sauce onto, Cubed Cheese, Mixed Vegetables, Buttered Bread

25. Beef Soup, Blackberries, Cubed Cheese, Buttered Bread

26. Broccoli Cheese Potato Soup, Grilled Cheese, Mixed Fruit Cup

27. Beans, Chicken Flavored Noodles, Mixed Vegetables, Banana

28. Beef/Bean Soup, Strawberries & Grapes, Cubed Cheese, Saltine Crackers

I try to stick to foods I know my kids will eat. I sometimes introduce new items and make them try it. We have started letting the kids eat more of our meals now that they are getting older depending on what it is.  A few more of our go to main dishes are:

• PB&J Sandwich
• Grilled Cheese
• Mac & Cheese
• Hot Dog
• Pigs in a Blanket
• Pizza
• Burger
• Chicken Patty
• Baked/Grilled Chicken
• Hot Pockets
• Chicken Noodle Soup
• Chicken & Dumplins
• Chicken Pot Pie
• Stir Fry (Rice, Chicken, Vegetables & Eggs)
• Steak Bites on special occasions
• Several different types of casseroles

I didn't take pictures of all the meals because it slipped my mind (fussy kids = time to eat) but you can easily pair these main dishes with a fruit and vegetable. Hopefully these meal ideas help provide you with a variety of options for your toddler. Happy Eating!

You may also like:

• 10 Tips to get a Picky Eater to Eat
• Food Ideas: Feeding a One Year Old

Let me know what your go to meal is in the comments below & Pin this picture for later so you can test out these meals with your toddler!