Feeding Toddlers 1–2 Years: Easy Meal Ideas

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Feeding a toddler sometimes feels like you’re running a restaurant for the world’s pickiest customer. One day they love something, the next day it’s “nope.” But healthy meals don’t have to be a battle or boring. With a little creativity and a few toddler-approved tricks, you can serve nutritious foods that your little one will actually want to eat.

Meal time with toddlers can be discouraging, even defeating sometimes when you feel like they refuse to eat what you've made. Don’t give up! According to research from Pediatricians, it can take up to 15 times before a toddler accepts a certain food. You have to set the tone for what healthy eating looks like in your family. It also helps if your toddler sees you eating the same foods they are eating.

Here’s how to make mealtimes easier, happier, and a whole lot healthier for everyone.

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Toddler Meal Time Must Haves!

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These are our tried and true favorites, introduced at different stages from 6 months through 2+ years, with many (if not most) of them still going strong in our home today.

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Silicone plates with lid - I love these plates because they are easy to clean and store. The divided areas are perfect for portioning out different foods.

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Alcohol-free hand sanitizer - We use this daily! It is a great way to get toddlers in the habit of washing their hands. After meals, we wipe their hands with a paper towel and then do a pump of “bubbles” on their hands. They love it and it is gentle on their hands.

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Munchkin 360 cup - This cup is great to teach toddlers 12 months and older how to start drinking out of “grown up” cups. We use these cups primarily for milk, and they stay at the table. They are spill proof, however they will spill if your toddler throws it on the floor.

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Spill proof cup - Finally!! After buying a few different water cups and struggling with leaks and spills, I discovered these cups. They are seriously toddler proof. Our toddlers have turned their cups upside down, dropped them, thrown them and they do not spill! (Pro tip: don’t overfill the cup or it will leak if dropped!)

Spill proof cup with straw - It sounds silly, but our twins have gotten used to certain cups having a specific liquid in them: munchkin cup for milk, tommee tippee cup for water. I wanted a cup that was see-through so they know this cup is for different liquids like juice or sparkling water.

Toddler friendly forks - These forks have a silicone sleeve which make them easy to hold for little hands. The metal part helps older toddlers (18mo +) get them used to using “grown up” forks.

Toddler spoons - We used these spoons in their first days of eating solids! These are great spoons as they are soft on the mouth, and not too big. They are also easy to hold and great for toddlers to practice self-feeding.

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Travel booster seat - We didn’t really use these for travel much, we used them daily, instead of having to get high chairs. I loved that our babies could sit at the table with us. These seats are machine washable, the trays are easy to clean and it has a lifetime warranty.

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Booster seat - Once our twins were 17 months old, and were bigger/taller, we transitioned them to these booster seats so they could still sit at the table with us. Very easy to clean, just a simple disinfectant wipe or wet towel will do the job!

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Waterproof, and mess-proof bibs - These bibs come in multiple colors and patterns. I love that they have snaps on them so you can fold them up and take them on the go. Meal time means messes so these bibs will catch dropped food and help keep their clothes clean.

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Stainless steel snack containers with lids - I love these mini containers for holding nuts and raisins for our twins. They have lids which are perfect for taking small snacks on the go.

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Silicone placemat - Again, meal time is messy so this will help keep your table and/or table cloth clean. They are silicone so easy to clean - either throw them in the dishwasher or give them a good wipe with a disinfectant wipe.

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Stackable bowls - These have suction cups on the bottom, so they don't slip off the baby tray as easily. Each bowl has a different size. When our twins first started eating solids, we used the purple bowl (the smallest) for oatmeal, and as they grew, we kept sizing up. They are handy bowls to use for multiple types of meals!

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Breakfast

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Option 1: Strawberries, greek yogurt with cinnamon and rains, whole grain toast, and scrambled eggs with cheese.

Option 2: Overnight oats topped with blueberries and apples and cinnamon.
Option 3: Dairy free pancakes, a touch of maple syrup, bananas and walnuts.

Option 4: Egg bites, raspberries, chocolate chip banana muffin.
Option 5: Whole grain toast with strawberry chia jam, cottage cheese, and turkey sausage.

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