Our toddler dinner ideas are not only big favourites, they come with options to hide veggies and fruit too.
Feeding toddlers can be a challenge, especially when you’re dealing with picky eaters who have aversions to new flavours or textures. Dinnertime should be a stress-free moment where young children enjoy balanced meals packed with nutrition. But how do you make tasty nutritious food that your toddler will actually eat?
Our toddler meals will ensure your little one is meeting their developmental milestones while enjoying their food. The seven recipes below can be prepared in 30 minutes or less, with helpful ways to introduce new flavours and textures, making it easier for toddlers to explore and enjoy new foods.
Introducing new flavours and foods
Before we share our seven easy toddler dinner ideas, here are some strategies to help make mealtimes more successful and less stressful. Remember to be patient as it can take several exposures before their tastebuds get accustomed to the taste.
1. Make meals fun and engaging
- Creative presentation: Use cookie cutters to shape fruits, vegetables and sandwiches into fun shapes.
- Colourful plates: Serve food on colourful, child-friendly plates and bowls to make the meal more visually appealing.
- Food art: Arrange food into fun designs or faces on the plate to pique your toddler’s interest.
2. Involve your toddler in meal prep
- Shop together: Take your toddler grocery shopping and let them pick out fruits and veggies.
- Cook together: Involve your toddler in simple cooking tasks, such as washing vegetables or stirring ingredients.
Our 12 Before 12 series, a collab with Sanitarium Health Food Company, shares 12 cooking skills that every child should master before the age of 12. Watch the first episode now.
3. Offer a variety of foods
- Small portions: Serve small portions of several different foods to give your toddler a range of options without overwhelming them.
- New foods with favourites: Pair new foods with familiar favourites to make the new items less intimidating.
- Frequent exposure: Regularly introduce new foods, even if they were previously rejected. It can take multiple exposures before a child accepts a new food.
4. Create a positive eating environment
- Family meals: Eat together as a family to model healthy eating habits and make mealtime a social, enjoyable experience.
- No pressure: Avoid pressuring your toddler to eat or finish everything on their plate. Encourage tasting without forcing.
- Praise and encouragement: Offer praise and positive reinforcement when your toddler tries new foods or eats well.
5. Establish a routine
- Consistent mealtimes: Have regular mealtimes to establish a routine. Toddlers thrive on consistency.
- Limited snacks: Avoid giving too many snacks between meals to ensure your toddler is hungry at mealtimes.
6. Be creative with veggies and fruits
- Hidden veggies: Incorporate vegetables into favourite dishes, such as blending them into sauces or adding finely grated veggies to meatballs or pasta.
- Smoothies: Make smoothies with a mix of fruits and vegetables. Toddlers often enjoy drinking their fruits and veggies.
- Dips and spreads: Serve veggies with dips like hummus or nut butter dips to make them more appealing.
7. Offer choices and control
- Two options: Offer two choices for meals or snacks to give your toddler a sense of control without overwhelming them.
- Self-feeding: Encourage self-feeding with finger foods to foster independence and make mealtime more interactive.
8. Model healthy eating habits
- Eat together: Let your toddler see you eating a variety of healthy foods.
- Positive attitude: Maintain a positive attitude about foods. Avoid expressing dislike for certain foods in front of your toddler.
9. Be patient and persistent
- Stay calm: Keep a calm demeanour during meals, even if your toddler refuses to eat.
- Regular exposure: Consistently offer a variety of foods without forcing them. Patience is key as preferences can change over time.
10. Use rewards wisely
- Non-food rewards: Use non-food rewards, such as stickers or extra playtime, to encourage trying new foods instead of using dessert or sweets as a bribe.
Easy dinner time with toddlers: 7 recipes to try
Navigating dinner time with toddlers can be a challenge, but it doesn’t have to be. Here are seven easy toddler dinner ideas that are both nutritious and appealing to little ones. From egg salads to pastas, these recipes will make mealtime enjoyable and stress-free for the whole family.
1. Creamy Egg Salad
This simple egg salad is super fast to make and can be served on toast or with a side of roasted veggies. To make it a toddler favourite, cut out the mustard and pepper.
2. Spring goddess vegetable risotto
A quick and easy risotto for toddlers to get a couple of new flavours in. Keep the veggies chopped finely and if you want to go milder on the flavours, decrease the cheese and omit the mustard. This one has green peas bursting with flavour and is a great recipe if you’re needing some new ideas.
3. Zucchini muffins with streusel topping
These mild zucchini muffins have a touch of sweetness which means your kids probably won’t even realise they’re eating vegetables. The streusel topping is optional, but highly recommended: It’s a little detail with a lot of impact. Great for a simple meal served with some sliced tomato and avocado.
4. Chard, cheese and potato pie
Most kids love a good veggie pie. This chard, cheese and potato pie is a cross between a galette and a potato bake, with some greens thrown in for good measure. If you’re in a hurry, use two sheets of store-bought shortcrust or puff pastry to make this potato pie. You can also add in some frozen peas if you’re wanting to clean up the freezer.
5. Vegan sweet potato toast: 4 ways
Swap out the traditional bread slices for sweet potato toast. Sweet potato is naturally gluten-free, high in fibre and a great source of vitamin A. It’s a bonus that it also tastes great.
6. Pasta fagioli
This protein-rich pasta recipe takes under 10 minutes of prep. Simply blend the ingredients and be done with it. It’s one of the quickest dinner meals you’ll find with great flavour, and the kids won’t even notice the veggies.
7. Finger food platter
Food platters can make for easy toddler meals. The finger foods make eating time more interactive and fun, and can also encourage them to try new things. You can include things such as a hard-boiled egg, carrot and celery sticks with a nut butter, bits of avocado toast and slices of fresh fruit. Make it colourful and fun, and they’ll do the rest.
Stress-free toddler dinner ideas for balanced and flavourful meals
By incorporating these easy toddler dinner ideas, you can create balanced meals that cater to picky eaters and introduce a variety of new flavours and textures. These meal ideas are quick to prepare, making dinnertime less stressful and a more enjoyable experience for the whole family.
Read next
- 4 afternoon tea ideas for kids
- 9 healthy snacks for kids that they will love
- 8 meat-free dinner ideas
