Easy toddler meal and snack ideas
*Note: I am not a pediatrician or dietician. The information contained in this post is based upon my training and experience as a pediatric occupational therapist with feeding therapy experience as well as my own personal research and experience feeding my own children. Please seek out help from a qualified pediatric professional if you have specific questions about your child’s nutritional needs.
The majority of babies will naturally begin to eat higher volumes of food as they near 12 months and beyond, as they begin to get more and more of their required calories from food and less from breast milk and/or formula. Feeding a young toddler can be tricky, as you want to ensure your child is getting the nutrients they need to grow and develop, while also not spending all of your precious time, energy, and money in the kitchen.
Before I share my top food ideas, let’s rewind a bit and talk about eating and mealtimes as a whole. Mealtimes are rooted in culture, tradition, and community. In all cultures, mealtimes have traditionally been a time of day to come together, connect, and enjoy each other's company. This is important to remember because we often get hyper-focused on consumption - What is/isn’t my child eating? How much are they eating at each meal? Why aren’t they eating this food that they ate yesterday? - but we need to truly take a step back and remember that the process and experience of mealtimes is the most important piece in setting up a lifelong positive relationship with food.
How WE show up at the table at mealtimes matters. We get to consciously choose what to include and what not to include in our child’s mealtime routine. We want to help promote the likelihood that eating continues to be a positive, enjoyable experience for your child, which helps them grow into an adult who enjoys food, eats variety, and trusts their body to know when they are hungry or full - and aren't these the greatest goals of them all?
Okay, let’s get back to the nitty-gritty. Children 12 months old and older should be offered 3 meals plus 1-2 snacks per day. It is totally okay to limit snacks if you find that your child is not eating their meals. It may take some trial and error to figure out the right amounts, types of foods and timing of snacks in order to ensure your child is willing to eat their meals, too.
It can certainly be overwhelming trying to figure out WHAT to serve your child. The answer is really pretty simple: feed them what you eat and what foods you tend to have in your home! Offer lots of different types, flavors, and textures of foods. If they act like they don’t like something at first, keep offering it. The more often they see a food on their plate, the more likely they are to eventually try it.
Three things to prioritize when deciding what foods to serve your toddler:
High fat foods. Babies and toddlers need a high amount of fat in their diets. This can be found in foods like beans, nut butters, full-fat dairy, avocado and oils.
Various colors of foods. It is important for young toddlers to see a variety of colors in their foods. Make a goal of serving them at least two different-colored foods at every meal. For example, you can serve toast (brown) with jelly (purple), yogurt (white) with strawberries (red), or pasta (beige) with pesto sauce (green).
Spices and seasonings. It is a myth that babies and toddlers can only eat bland food. In fact, they generally love flavor! Make it a point to add cinnamon to sweet things or seasonings to more savory foods. Our favorite savory seasonings are cumin, paprika, garlic powder, turmeric, and the “everything bagel seasoning” from Trader Joe’s.
If you don’t want to have to reinvent the wheel for each meal (who has time for that?!), try serving a “base food” with a rotating topping or addition. For example, make toast and rotate what you spread on it - butter, jelly, nut butter, pesto sauce, or mashed beans. Serve eggs in various ways (scrambled, over-medium, hard-boiled) and pair them with a different fruit or vegetable. Make oatmeal and utilize different combinations of mix-ins each time (berries, cinnamon, banana, nut butters, chia seeds, ground flaxseed, or dried fruits).
Another easy way to add variety and pique your toddler’s interest is to serve foods with various condiments. Kids LOVE to dip their food, so hummus, mustard, ketchup, and ranch all tend to be big hits! Just be mindful about how much you offer as they can be high in sodium or sugar.
When you are preparing food, make enough for multiple meals, and use leftovers for daycare meals or the next day’s lunch. Consider doubling the recipe for more homemade, freezer-friendly meals and freeze half for a later date.
Feeding a toddler can feel like a never-ending task on your to-do list, but I hope this post has sparked some new ideas to make it feel easier. Tell me - what are some of your kids’ favorite meals and snacks? Add a comment!
If food has become a battle with your toddler, you’re not alone! Check out this blog post about the number one food rule I suggest everyone follows, or grab your 2-3 Year Comprehensive Routine Guide and read through the Mealtime section to make sure you’re doing the right things to keep it from going too far.