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This blog post is all about toddler meals and snack ideas.
Feeding a toddler can feel like a full-time job! What they loved last week, they hate this week.
If you're a busy parent or daycare provider looking for easy and healthy toddler meals and snack ideas, you're in the right place!
I'm sharing our favorite go-to meals that are easy to prep, healthy, and hopefully, your toddlers will love them too!
TODDLER MEALS AND SNACK IDEAS
Prepping Meals And Saving Money
I prep quite a bit of food ahead of time for multiple reasons, but the main one is time-saving. This saves me so much time and money! It's a win-win; it cuts down on food cost, is healthy without the chemicals, and cuts down cooking time.
I batch-cook pancakes, biscuits, muffins, and waffles from scratch and freeze them! A pro tip: bake your pancakes on a cookie sheet, then cut them into small squares so you're not standing over the skillet flipping!
I'll batch cook scrambled and boiled eggs. Sausage patties and crumbled sausage are another easy protein to have on hand. If you have a griddle, this goes so quickly because you can cook it all at once. Well, besides the boiled eggs, those will need to go on a traditional stovetop.
My toddlers love string cheese, but I hate the cost of it! So, I buy blocks of cheese and cut them into rectangles. I can easily pull out a few for a snack or add to their lunch.
Wash, cut, and store all of the veggies and fruit for the week!
If what I'm cooking for dinner is something I know my daycare kids will eat, I'll cook double and warm it up for lunch the next day.
Honestly, I do all of this at one time, and it takes about thirty minutes. Most prep days are completed during daycare hours!
Toddler Meals Ideas
- Turkey & cheese roll-ups paired with cucumbers and fruit
- Grilled cheese sandwich sliced into rectangles, carrot chips, and a fruit
- Macaroni, peas, and canned tuna
- Bite-sized bean and cheese quesadillas
- Chicken nuggets & sweet potato fries
- Mini sandwiches, hummus with carrot chips
- Pasta, pepperonis, and pizza sauce, we call it pizza pasta
- Mini meatballs paired with a veggie and fruit
- DIY lunchables (FAN FAVE!) turkey, cheese, crackers
- Pulled chicken with cheese on a tortilla, fold in half, and quickly grill on both sides
Toddler Snack Ideas
- Frozen yogurt mixed with berries
- Mini muffins and applesauce (pro tip: mix shredded veggies in the muffins)
- Cheese cubes and crackers
- Banana slices drizzled with peanut butter
- Hard-boiled egg topped with Everything But Bagel Seasoning
- Homemade trail mix
- Homemade granola bars (oatmeal, peanut butter, honey, and chocolate chips)
- Mini pancakes with fruit
- Smoothie loaded with fruit and veggies
- Tortilla shells, peanut butter, honey, rolled and sliced
I'd love to hear if you try any of these prep or meal suggestions!
This blog post was all about toddler meals and snack ideas.
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