Toddler Dinner Ideas
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Are you tired of the same old dinner routine for your toddler? It's time to spice things up with some fresh, healthy, and easy-to-prepare dinner ideas. Ensuring your toddler gets a balanced diet can be a challenge for busy parents, but with a bit of creativity and some new ideas, you can make mealtime fun and nutritious. For those nights when you just can’t seem to think of any new toddler meal ideas—keep reading.
As a mom of 4 little ones, I’ve spent literally years coming up with new toddler dinner ideas and trying out different foods. I always try to expose my toddlers to lots new textures and flavors in their early years. These dinner ideas are perfect for little hands and mouths, and they have been tried and tested by my own four toddlers over the years (with #5 on the way!).
In this article, I share 25 toddler dinner ideas that prioritize a healthy and balanced diet, are easy to prepare, and that minimize choking hazards. At the end, I will also share how I prepare a few key ingredients at the start of each week that are used in many of these different meals and make preparing healthy dinners throughout the week quick and easy!
Note—if you’re also looking for toddler breakfast ideas or toddler lunch ideas, be sure to check out my other articles I’ve written on these topics.
Toddler Dinner Ideas
Mini Chicken Meatballs
Mini chicken meatballs are a hit with toddlers. Mix ground chicken with finely grated carrots, breadcrumbs, and a pinch of salt. (I’ve also used zucchini, mashed bell peppers, or mashed tomatoes instead of grated carrots for this). Form into small balls and bake until fully cooked. Cut or mash up the meatballs into small pieces and with a side of mashed sweet potatoes. Baked sweet potatoes are delicious, but in a time crunch, the microwave works great too!
2. Soft Veggie Quesadillas
Veggie quesadillas are easy and nutritious. Use whole wheat tortillas and fill with shredded cheese and finely chopped, cooked vegetables like bell peppers and spinach. For some veggies like bell peppers, you may want to pre-cook them to ensure they are soft and won’t be choking hazards—otherwise, just ensure you finely dice them. Cook in a skillet until the cheese is melted and the tortilla is golden. I often use my favorite electric griddle for quesadillas, which makes preparing these (and many other toddler meals) fast and easy. Cut into small wedges or strips that your toddler will be able to pick up.
3. Turkey and Vegetable Mini Muffins
Turkey and vegetable mini muffins are packed with protein and veggies. Mix ground turkey with finely chopped spinach, carrots, and a bit of cheese. Pour into a muffin pan and bake until fully cooked. You can then cut or mash the cooked muffins to ensure they are small for younger toddlers. I swear by my favorite silicon muffin pan that has over 22,000 5-star reviews that makes preparing this dish easy and makes clean up scrub-free.
4. Fish Sticks with Steamed Broccoli
Fish sticks are a great way to get some omega-3s into your toddler’s diet. Coat small strips of fish (I usually use a whitefish like tilapia) in breadcrumbs and bake until golden and fully cooked. Serve with steamed broccoli. I usually prepare a big batch of steamed broccoli in my Instant Pot at the beginning of the week to have it as a ready toddler-friendly side for multiple meals throughout the week to make lunch and dinners even easier. My Instant Pot is one of the kitchen gadgets I use weekly and swear by!
5. Cheesy Cauliflower Rice
Cheesy cauliflower rice is nutritious and delicious. Cook riced cauliflower and mix with a bit of shredded cheese until melted. To add some protein to this dish, I recommend either adding in some cooked ground beef or ground turkey directly into the cheesy rice. Alternatively, you could serve with a side of cooked chicken or turkey that is cut into small pieces.
6. Beef and VEggie Stir-Fry
Use thinly sliced beef or ground beef and cook with finely chopped, soft-cooked vegetables like bell peppers, peas, zucchini, and carrots. You can pretty much add any vegetable you have in your fridge, so this is a great meal to introduce new vegetables to your little one. Serve over well-cooked rice or quinoa.
7. Creamy Avocado Pasta
Mash a ripe avocado and mix with a bit of olive oil and lemon juice. Toss with small, well-cooked pasta shapes (I like using orzo or ditalini for toddlers as those shapes are easy for them to chew and swallow). Add finely chopped, soft-cooked vegetables for extra nutrients. You could also consider adding a protein such as cooked chicken or sausage that is finely cut or shredded.
8. Chicken and Carrot Patties
Chicken and carrot patties are easy to eat and full of flavor. Mix ground chicken with grated carrots and a bit of breadcrumbs. Form into small patties and bake until fully cooked. Ensure the patties are very soft and cut or mashed into small pieces.
9. Stuffed Bell Peppers
Stuffed bell peppers have been a longtime favorite for my kids from toddler through elementary age!
Vegetable and cheese stuffed peppers are colorful and nutritious. Use small bell peppers and fill with a mixture of cooked rice, finely chopped vegetables, and shredded cheese. I also typically add a protein to the filling, either ground turkey or ground beef. Bake until the peppers are tender and the cheese on top is melted.
10. Lentil and Sweet Potato Curry
Cook lentils with soft-cooked sweet potatoes and mild curry spices. Serve with well-cooked rice or quinoa. They key with this dish is to ensure the curry flavor is mild and the dish isn’t too spicy; that said, it’s a great dish for introducing new flavors into your toddler’s diet.
11. Turkey and Spinach Meatloaf
Meatloaf has been a longtime toddler dinner MVP in my house! Turkey and spinach meatloaf is a great way to sneak in some greens. Mix ground turkey in with chopped spinach, breadcrumbs, and a bit of cheese. Bake in a loaf pan (this is my favorite silicone loaf pan that results in zero scrubbing—can you tell yet that I’m a fan of easy clean up!?). Then slice or mash into small pieces for your toddler.
12. Rainbow Tacos
Rainbow tacos are a great picky toddler dinner idea because they love the colors!
Tacos are a fun and healthy dinner option. Older toddlers (ages 3-4) can handle a taco in a tortilla. For younger toddlers, I typically serve it as a “deconstructed” taco as they may have a hard time eating it in a shell or tortilla. Use soft mini tortillas and fill with finely chopped, cooked vegetables like bell peppers, zucchini, and beans. You can get creative with the toppings to introduce new colors and flavors. Letting my (older) toddlers choose their own toppings and trying to get all the colors of the rainbow makes this dinner extra fun! Add in cooked ground beef or turkey. Add a bit of shredded cheese and fold in half. I typically keep the taco seasoning pretty light for my toddlers and avoid too much spice. Ensure the veggies are well-cooked and finely chopped to avoid choking risks.
13. CHeesy Spinach Potato Bake
Layer thinly sliced, cooked potatoes with finely chopped spinach and shredded cheese. Bake until golden and bubbly. I would add some protein to this meal by serving cooked chicken that is cut or shredded on the side. Make sure the potatoes are well-cooked and soft for your toddler.
14. Beef and veggie meatballs
Mix ground beef with finely grated carrots or zucchinis and breadcrumbs. Form into small balls and bake until fully cooked. Once cooked, mash or cut up the meatballs into smaller pieces that are safe for toddlers. Serve with a side of cooked peas for a complete meal.
15. Chicken and rice Soup
Cook shredded chicken with finely chopped vegetables such as carrots and peas in a mild broth. Add well-cooked rice. I typically drain out most of the broth for my toddlers to make it easier for them to eat. This is a great chance for toddlers to practice their motor skills using a spoon.
16. Cheesy Broccoli and CHicken pasta
Cook small pasta shapes and mix with finely chopped, cooked chicken and soft-cooked or steamed broccoli. Add a bit of shredded cheese to make it creamy. I like to use orzo or elbow pasta for this dish to ensure the pasta is small and easy for toddlers to eat.
17. CHicken and zucchini noodles
This is a great alternative to pasta and a great way to sneak more vegetables into your toddler’s diet. Use a spiralizer to make zucchini noodles and cook until soft. Toss with finely shredded, cooked chicken and a bit of olive oil. This spiralizer is simple, easy to use and clean, and inexpensive.
18. Beef and carrot stew
This meal is hearty and full of flavor. Cook small pieces of beef with finely chopped carrots and potatoes in a mild broth until very tender. You can also add other vegetables such as peas to the stew. Like with other soups or stews on this list, I typically drain out a lot of the broth before serving to my toddlers to make it easier for them to eat.
19. Make Your Own PIzza
Use a soft whole wheat pizza crust or pita and top with tomato sauce, finely chopped and cooked vegetables, and shredded cheese. Meat toppings can also be optionally added. Bake until the cheese is melted and bubbly. Cut into small slices or thin strips that your toddler will be able to pick up easily.
20. ChickeN salad with Avocado
This is a toddler-friendly take on traditional chicken salad that is packed with great nutrition. Mix finely shredded, cooked chicken with mashed avocado and a bit of Greek yogurt to make simple chicken salad. I like to serve this with whole wheat crackers.
Final Tips For Toddler Dinner IDeas
To make creating healthy, easy meals for my toddlers even easier, I like to prep ingredients at the start of each week. I focus on a few key ingredients that are very versatile and can be used in multiple recipes. These become my go-to ingredients to throw in to make meals quicker and more nutritious for my family. I always store these in my favorite clear glass storage containers that are microwave and dishwasher safe so that I can easily see them in the fridge. Here are some of my favorite ingredients to prep ahead of time:
Steamed Broccoli: I steam a big batch of broccoli (usually 3 crowns for the week) in my Instant Pot to use in meals throughout the week. This makes a great quick side for any toddler meal or can be added in to many different dishes.
Chicken Breast: I always like to have cooked chicken breast on hand so I don’t have to worry about cooking a new protein every single day. I cook 4-5 chicken breasts in my Instant Pot to use throughout the week. I typically shred it ahead of time to make adding it to many of the above meal ideas extra easy.
Cooked Ground Turkey or Beef: This is another ingredient I like to prepare at the start of the week so that it can be used for many meals throughout the week. I typically choose either turkey or beef and alternate which one I prepare.
Cooked Soft Vegetable Mix: I also like to have soft-cooked, diced vegetables ready to go at the start of the week. This can be quickly added to a variety of different meals on this list or can be served as a side. For this, I typically cook diced onions, zucchini, and a bell pepper in a pan. I will often add whatever other vegetables I happen to have available in my fridge or pantry (grated carrots, peas, broccoli, yellow squash, etc).
Preparing these four key versatile ingredients at the start of each week makes preparing healthy meals for your toddler and family even easier. I much prefer preparing ingredients to “meal prepping”. While a great strategy that works well for many, I personally don’t enjoy the monotony of eating the same meal multiple days in a row. This way, the same core ingredients can be used in many different recipes each day.
conclusion
Feeding your toddler a healthy, balanced dinner doesn't have to be repetitive or stressful. These 25 dinner ideas are designed to be nutritious, easy to prepare, and safe for little ones. With these creative meals, you can keep dinner time exciting and ensure your toddler is getting the nutrients they need. Enjoy experimenting with these ideas and watching your toddler discover new favorite foods!
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