Looking for healthy toddler meals? Here are 100 real-life toddler plates with ideas for breakfast, lunch and dinner from a Registered Dietitian to inspire you.
(Originally published October 2016)
Hi Friends!
When my oldest child was a toddler, I took SO many photos of his toddler food. So many more than I take of my third kid’s plate as a two-year-old 🙂 As I started sharing them, people constantly asked me for more healthy toddler meals so I started saving the photos and rounding them up into large posts like this.
Food for toddlers can be tricky and I’m hopeful that posts like this help inspire some parents who might be stuck in a mealtime rut!
For more ideas, check out my other roundup post of 150+ Simple Toddler Meal Ideas.
If you have kids that are a little older and you need lunch box ideas, I have a whole guide- A Month of Easy Packed Lunch Ideas For Kids to help you out!
Food For Toddlers
Plates are from Replay Recycled (aff link).
Cornbread + Spanish Rice + Mexican Chicken Skillet
Peaches + Sheet Pan Pork Chops w/ Sweet Potatoes & Apples
Sweet Potato + Tortellini +Apples + Chicken Sausage
Sweet Potatoes + Peas + Cajun Meatloaf + Hummus
Siggis 4% Vanilla Yogurt + Blueberries + Barely Banana Protein Pancakes w/ smashed berries
Apples + Avocado + Annie’s Organic mac & cheese + peas
Sweet Potato + Tortellini + Blueberries + Avocado Toast + Chicken Sausage
Dave’s Killer Bread 21 Grain Toast w/ butter + Mandarin Oranges+ Scrambled Eggs
Maple Hill Creamery Plain Full Fat Yogurt + Peaches + Aussie Bite + Turkey
Avocado + Pears + Barely Banana Protein Pancakes w/ smashed berries
Mediterranean Skillet Chicken Pasta w/ ketchup + Homemade Crockpot Cinnamon Applesauce
Cottage Cheese + Grapes + Whole Wheat Yogurt Waffles
Yogurt + Blueberries + Apple Cinnamon Breakfast Bar
Pears + Peas + Chicken & Black Bean Quesadilla
Pears + Yogurt + PB Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal
Tortellini w/ pasta sauce + Grapes + Egg Waffle
Whole Wheat Yogurt Waffle w/ peanut butter + Blueberries + Turkey
Grapes + Cottage Cheese + PB & J Toast
Sweet Potato + Pears + Tuna Quinoa Cake w/ ketchup
Strawberries + Avocado Toast + Pulled Pork with hummus
Dave’s Killer Bread 21 Grain Toast + Strawberries + Fried Egg
Baked Beans + Mac & Cheese + Pulled Pork (our fav takeout meal)
Pears + Roasted Squash w/ cottage cheese + Pork & Hummus
Mandarin oranges + plain Siggis 4% yogurt + sausage + Apple Cinnamon Breakfast Bar
Applesauce + Sweet Potato + Lasagna
Pears + GF Pumpkin Yogurt Bar + Pork
Baked Beans + Apple Sauce + Tuna Quinoa Cake
Red pepper strips + Apple + Turkey, Cheese & Hummus Roll-up
Pumpkin Energy Ball + Cucumber + French Toast Waffle (dip bread in batter & put on waffle iron)
Peaches + Steamed Mixed Veggies + Rotisserie Chicken & Tortellini w/ marinara
Polenta + Pears + Brown Sugar Roasted Squash + Grilled Chicken
Peanut Butter Toast + Prunes + Slow Cooker Creamy Pumpkin Chicken
Chicken Tortellini (Costco) + Steamed Veggies + Rotisserie Chicken
Plain yogurt + peaches + banana bread muffin
Grapes + Sweet Potatoes + Slow Cooker Honey Garlic Chicken Thighs
Strawberries + Mac and Cheese + Turkey
Peas + Edamame with hummus + Turkey and Avocado Grilled Cheese
PB & J Toast + Avocado + Turkey
Cottage Cheese + Pumpkin Muffin + Hard Boiled Egg
Pasta + Corn + Crockpot Meatballs
Peas + Applesauce +Baked Salmon + Chicken & Cheese Tortellini (from Costco)
Cheese quesadilla + Frozen peas + Beer Braised Pulled Pork
Deconstructed Meatball Sub + Maple Bacon Roasted Carrots
Apples + Leftover Pumpkin pie + Turkey + Avocado
Cottage cheese + Pears + Sweet Potato Bite + Life cereal
Blue Corn Tortilla Chips + Green Bean Casserole + Cheesy Chicken
Hummus + Strawberries + Smoked Salmon (we get it at Costco)
Cottage cheese + Clementine + Hard Boiled Egg (from Costco) + Smoked Salmon
Sweet Potato Fries + Clementine + Freezer Chicken Tenders
Sweet Potato Protein Cookie + SimplyNature Broccoli Bites (from Aldi) + Chicken Sausage
Clementine + Cucumbers with Hummus + Turkey (Plainville Organic) & Crackers
Clementine + Steamed Sweet Potato + Stuffed Shells
Clementine + Cottage Cheese + Whole Wheat Yogurt Waffle with peanut butter (I love Crazy Richard’s)
Fresh Mozzarella + Deconstructed Chicken Sausage Skillet with Zoodles
Clementine + Broccoli Bites + Paleo Turkey Sweet Potato Meatballs
Broccoli Bites + Mandarin Oranges + Instant Pot Asian Chicken
Applesauce + Cottage Cheese + Peanut Butter & Jelly Toast (on Dave’s Killer Bread)
Pears (in 100% juice) + Cottage Cheese + Waffle French Toast
Blueberries + Mini Bell Peppers + Instant Pot Pulled Chicken (just chicken breasts + broth) + Hummus
Roasted Sweet Potatoes + Blueberries + Smoked Salmon
Cinnamon Roasted Sweet Potatoes + Grapes + Green Beans + Instant Pot Asian Chicken
Cottage Cheese + Clementines + Egg Wrap
Sweet Potatoes + Blueberries + Smoked Salmon
Sweet Potato Bite + Raspberries + HB Egg + Shrimp with Sweet Thai Chili Sauce
Raspberries + Polenta + Cheesy Pesto Chicken
PB Toast + Avocado + Turkey + Hummus
Meatball Sub + Green Beans
Raspberries + Cottage Cheese + Shredded Chicken + Marinara + Sweet Potatoes
Sweet Potatoes + Broccoli Bites + Lemon Garlic Chicken
PB Banana Oat Muffin + Siggi’s 4% Blueberry Yogurt + Egg Wrap
Blueberries + Blueberry Yogurt + HB Egg + Bite of donut
Applesauce + Blueberries + HB Egg + Sweet Potato Bite
Cottage Cheese + Donut + Clementine + French Toast Waffle
Strawberries + Peas + Sweet Potato Protein Cookie + Slow Cooker Honey Garlic Chicken Thighs
Apples + Squash Yogurt Dip + Avocado Chicken Burger
Strawberries + Sweet Potato + Cheeseburger
Pasta + Steamed Carrots + Shrimp
Mashed Sweet Potatoes + Pears + Turmeric Yogurt Chicken
Mandarin Oranges + Yogurt + Egg + Sweet Potato Bite
Sweet Potato Protein Cookie + Grapes + Pesto Pasta + leftover chicken something or other
Mac & Cheese + Roasted Green Beans + Turkey & Hummus Roll-ups
Sweet Potato + Clementine + Egg Wrap + Hummus
Strawberries + Cottage Cheese + PB & J Roll-up
Cottage Cheese + Mixed Veggies +BBQ Chicken + Broccoli Bites
Paprika Roasted Sweet Potatoes + Blueberries + Garlic Chicken + Hummus
Mixed Veggies + Apples + Turkey + Triscuits
Clementine + Siggi’s Plain Whole Milk Yogurt + Life Cereal + Coconut Oil Banana Muffin
Strawberries + Baked Beans + Sheet Pan Italian Salmon and Green Beans
Hope this helps give you some new ideas!
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Enjoy!
–Lindsay–
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Honestly it’s like you read my mind! haha I was looking on Pinterest last night for exactly this!
I know nothing about feeding children so I will pass this along! #dogmom
You’ve mentioned that your child doesn’t always clean up his plate. If he doesn’t, do you give him something else to eat? To me, it looks like you’re portioning doesn’t look like you are giving him enough. Or is that really how much a toddler eats? I like the fact that you’re giving him variety of foods though.
My kids are so picky. Most of the time they only eat one kind of food at mealtime. It’s either mac n’ cheese only, fries only, or rice n’ beans only. Fruits would be later on for snack. Meats are very rare in their meals. ( I am not vegetarian. They just don’t like it). I’d like to try how you prepare your kid’s meals.
no, if he doesn’t clean his plate he just waits for the next meal or snack
I think your portions are perfect! They say when children first become toddlers their appetite will decrease and this seems like such a reasonable amount of food. You can’t force your children to eat more than they want.
Are you making your own baked beans or do you have brand that you recommend? I’m going through this post for some inspiration 🙂 Thank you!
I’m working on a homemade recipe but not having much luck. We always get them from the takeout bbq place ad he loves them but i haven’t been able to get him to eat the ones i make at home yet. Gonna keep trying!
Hi Lindsay,
My little man is a very picky eater. Or maybe it’s me? We eat slot of chicken. One because it’s cheap and two because I don’t like a lot of beef, but we will eat it… Anyways I feel like my child just keeps playing with his food and isn’t eating it. Could be I’m not making it interesting enough for him… I feel like I have ran out of ideas.
Hi Lindsay! I really like this post! I was wondering where did you buy those plates? Thanks!
i buy them on amazon. They’re made by re-play
Thank you so much for these toddler plate ideas! My little one is 13 months with 4 teeth (2 top and 2 bottom). She’s refusing to eat pureed foods now, but is super picky with solids. She won’t eat meat or vegetables. She just wants fruit and cheese. I’ve decided that I’m going to make these toddler plates for her from now on. If she doesn’t eat them right away, I’ll try again an hour later. Ideally, when she’s hungry and she knows there are no other options, I’m praying she will be willing to try new foods and (hopefully) like them!
good luck! mine would eat just fruit and cheese too if i let him!
Thanks so much for this list!!
Very useful guide. I can see I’ve been expecting my toddler to eat too much maybe that’s why he isn’t eating well.
Love your posts on Healthy Toddler Meals. Gives me lots of ideas since I struggle with my 18 month oldʻs menu. Can I ask, what kind of sausage do you have in your meals?
most of them are just the Meijer brand chicken sausage. I try to find the lowest sodium versions i can.
Hello, Lindsay. My son is 2 and I am trying to feed him healthy meals and snacks. What bothers me is that everything is packaged and canned. In your opinion is there much difference healthwise between unsweetened fruit cups and whole fruit or home-baked bread and store-bought bread? Frozen vegetables vs fresh ones? Lunch meat? I can go on and on. Thank you!
for things like canned or packaged fruit i look for varieties canned in juice only with no added sugar. For bread I look for minimal ingredients, lower sodium and higher in fiber and protein. for lunch meat I look for minimal ingredients and lower sodium. I think frozen veggies are a great option and can often be more nutritious than fresh ones that have been sitting for a while!
Great ideas! I have seven toddlers in my daycare home and struggle to have variety-I tend to find something they all like and use it to death! Also, I LOVE, LOVE ,LOVE the Re-Play site!!! I got right on Amazon and ordered 8 plates & bowls in 8 different colors, and as soon as they arrived and I saw how awesome they are, I ordered 8 tumblers to match them! My kids are so excited about them, too!
This article taught me the importance of exposing my firstborn to a variety of foods. She is a great eater and requests whatever I have. Thank you for the encouragement and guidance when meal prepping for my first child. You were really helpful as she transistioned from breast milk to solids. She’s now a healthy, adventurous, 2-year-old eater.
This is a great list of ideas. However, do you have a link to go with the ones that have a recipe?
the ones that have recipes are hyperlinked in green! if i link it earlier in the post and then repeat it, sometimes i don’t like it a second time!
Very useful guide. I can see I’ve been expecting my toddler to eat too much maybe that’s why he isn’t eating well.
I’m sorry but these meals look and seem utterly unappetising! For one thing they are mostly beige, when it is well known that eating the rainbow is not only nutritionally superior but more stimulating to the senses and salivary glands. There are lots of processed foods in these descriptions including sausages which aren’t considered healthy by anyone. I’m confused that as a nutritionist you would endorse this approach. I have so many questions: Why are the sweet portions served up with the savoury? And why in these compartment plates? Is that how your adult family members eat as well?
My toddler is two and a half and eats everything we eat – from fresh pasta with homemade spinach sauce and asparagus to spaghetti with homemade meatballs, baked salmon and potatoes to mushroom risotto and Lo Mein.
Why are you preparing two separate meals for the adults and children in the home?
Thanks for your concern. This is just a sampling of meals. My kids eat plenty of rainbow colored foods throughout the day. I believe sausages are fine for an occasional food. I also don’t believe there’s any reason to separate sweet and savory foods. They can be served at the same time at the same meal. Compartment plates are a choice. You don’t have to use them for your family. Glad to hear your toddler is eating so well! As far as separate meals, i’ve written several posts about how I used food prep to make it easy to throw together quick meals during the week and in our house, we don’t all eat the same thing at each meal. It works for us, but I never said anyone else needed to do it the same way.
Ugh, why are you so negative? I was having a good time looking at these samples and reading the comments until yours popped it. I can feel your evil through the text. Please leave this nice lady alone, who put her time into sharing easy meals a toddler can try. Some kids are more picky than others. I make homemade pasta for my baby and she will eat risotto, but she’ll squirm at strawberries and some others foods. It’s different for every kid, take what works, leave we what doesn’t.
Lindsay, excellent work here – so many helpful ideas in one post! Hadn’t even considered pulled pork, and it is easy to make in the background overnight.
Tara – it’s a great big world out there with all sorts of people – single parents working multiple jobs, parents with disabilities, etc. Not everyone can avoid “processed” foods all the time. Take that negative energy and convert it into something helpful, you’re adding nothing to the conversation as is.
I have to agree with the other person. I was enjoying reading through the post and comments until I read your comment. You wouldn’t say that to her face. Why be so mean to someone who is trying to be so helpful? If you don’t agree, move on and keep searching for something that meets your needs. I found this post very helpful. I appreciate the time and effort it took put this post together. Just imagine all the pictures she had to remember to take.
Very useful guide. I can see I’ve been expecting my toddler to eat too much maybe that’s why he isn’t eating well.
I found this post very helpful. Thank you so much for giving me ideas. My twins just started eating table foods very recently and I was really struggling to figure out ideas. They are 15 months old and are already exhibiting some pickiness so for me just trying different foods to see what they like and what they don’t is a plus. So far my boys love fruit so much they’d probably eat only fruit at every meal. This gives me some options.