2 year old meal ideas for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. A list of 36 meal ideas that are simple, easy, and family-friendly.
Looking for meal ideas for 2 year old toddlers? 2 year old food ideas? What are easy 2 year old meal ideas? This post can help!
I’m a mom of two sharing what my two year old has been eating. Below is a list of 36 easy and simple meals that your 2-year-old is bound to love!
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What Foods to Choose?
Our meals consist of a wide variety of foods, but there are a few general rules I try to stick to when choosing foods for my toddler:
- Stick to Mostly Whole Foods. Prioritize whole food options when possible. Fruits, veggies, and full-fat dairy are great options for sides and snacks and they are also quick and easy to put together.
- Buy Organic When Possible. This may be a personal preference and you are able to do whatever you prefer for your family. Food isn’t grown or made the same way as it was when we were kids and some kids may have reactions to pesticides and artificial ingredients and flavors in non-organic foods.
- Choose Full-Fat Options When Possible. Fats can be a healthy part of a toddler diet and are especially necessary for brain development in young children. Most toddlers could also use the added calories from full-fat dairy and foods with a lot of healthy fats, since they are normally high in calories.
- Avoid Sweeteners, Especially Artificial Sweeteners. A ton of sugar isn’t recommended for young kids because it can replace other necessary and more nutritious calories in their diets. Try to avoid added sweeteners, but honey or pure maple syrup can be a good option from time-to-time.
- Be On The Look Out For Places To Add Extra Veggies. Veggies don’t have to be a boring side dish! A great way to add veggies into a meal is to throw them into your toddler’s favorite foods like mac ‘n cheese, grilled cheese, scrambled eggs, or quesadillas.
- Make It Fun. Almost any food can be toddler food if you make it fun! Easy ways include using Food Cutters in fun shapes or by serving food in new and exciting ways like French toast cut into strips, smoothie bowls, crepes, or a rolled-up tortilla instead of a quesadilla.
Toddler Feeding Supplies
Sometimes having the right gear can make all the difference in feeding your toddler! Although none of these feeding supplies are necessary to feed your child, they can make the process a little easier. Here are some of my favorites:
Bibado Full Coverage Bib (pictured above): perfect for baby led weaning and toddlers too! My toddlers use this for messy foods like yogurt and also arts and crafts. Use PINECONES20 for 20% off
Annova Kids Stainless Steel Silverware: a great way to make your 2-year-old feel a little more grown up, but also comfortable with their silverware. A great set from transitioning from plastic silverware to adult silverware.
Pillowfort Plates: the plates pictured below are all the brand Pillowfort from Target. They are great durable plates that have held up for more than a year and are super budget friendly!
Nuby Freestyle Water Bottle: These have been our go-to water bottles recently! They are so easy to clean and come in cute colors and patterns.
Toddler Friendly Foods
Toddlers can eat almost any and all foods and for most meals my toddlers eat the same that that we do. Some foods to avoid are ones that are choking hazards like raw veggies and whole nuts (unless you are very confident in your toddler’s chewing abilities). Here are some foods that we buy regularly to make our toddler-friendly meals:
Fruits
- Raspberries
- Strawberries
- Grapes
- Pears
- Mandarin oranges
- Blueberries
- Bananas
- Peaches
Veggies
- Broccoli
- Peas
- Carrots (cooked or cut into strips)
- Cauliflower
- Bell Peppers
- Tomatoes
- Corn
Grains/Carbs
- Whole grain bread
- Oats
- Whole grain cereal
- Sweet potato
- Tortillas
- Pasta
Protein/Healthy Fats
- Avocado
- Whole milk yogurt
- Eggs
- Whole milk
- Lunch meat turkey
- Full-fat cream cheese
- Peanut butter
- Whole milk string cheese
- Grass-fed butter (for cooking)
- Canned chicken
- Full-fat sour cream (or greek yogurt)
Pre-made Food
- Veggies Made Great Fritattas
- Green Giant Cauliflower Tots
- Green Giant Sweet Potato Tots
- Dr. Praeger’s Veggie Nuggets
- Annie’s Homegrown Four Cheese Penne
- Dr. Praeger’s Broccoli Littles
Breakfast Meal Ideas for 2 year old Toddlers
- Strawberry French Toast: french toast made with strawberries in the egg batter. A great way to naturally sweeten french toast! I served with a little whipped cream, but that or syrup are not necessary. Similar to this recipe: Banana French Toast for Babies & Toddlers
- Avocado toast: whole wheat bread with smushed avocado, side of raspberries. If your toddler is bored with toast, try using different toppings or cutting it into different shapes.
- Full Fat Yogurt: for toddlers I always like to choose whole milk yogurt for extra healthy fat. Side of thinly sliced pears and grapes makes a simple and quick breafast.
- Broccoli and Cheese eggs: scrambled eggs cooked in butter for extra healthy fat with broccoli and cheese stirred in. Side of avocado and grapes.
- Carrot Cake Oatmeal: oatmeal that tastes like carrot cake. To make this I cook 1/4 cup of quick oats with enough water to cover. Microwave for 1 minute. Stir in 1-2 Tbsp of whole milk, 1 Tbsp maple syrup, 1 small grated carrot, cinnamon, and raisins.
- Fried Egg: egg fried in grass-fed butter for extra healthy fats. I fry until firm until my toddler got a little more used to a runny yolk. Side of turkey lunch meat and mandarin oranges.
- Silver Dollar Pancakes: small silver dollar pancakes topped with butter and smushed strawberries instead of sweetener.
- Crepes: crepes are actually incredibly easy to make (about as easy as pancakes!). Here we had crepes stuffed with strawberries and whipped cream, side of broccoli and cheese scrambled eggs and blueberries.
- Cinnamon Raisin toast: cinnamon raisin bread toasted and topped with cream cheese, side of full-fat yogurt and grapes.
- Raspberry French toast: french toast made with raspberries baked into the egg batter. This is super easy to make and is a great alternative to added sweeteners! Similar to this recipe: Banana French Toast for Babies & Toddlers
- Yogurt Bowl: whole milk yogurt with bananas, peaches and blueberries on top along with a peanut butter drizzle. Yogurt bowls and smoothie bowls are a fun way to spice up a normal breakfast of yogurt with fruit.
- Cereal and Milk: make this easy breakfast a little more fun and nourishing by adding fruit like bananas and blueberries. I also let my two-year-old pour in his own milk!
2 Year Old Food Ideas – Lunch
- Egg & Veggie Frittata: we got these in the frozen section from Veggies Made Great, but its also very easy to make your own egg muffin cups. Side of bananas with peanut butter and string cheese.
- Grilled Cheese: grilled cheese made on whole wheat bread with grass-fed butter. I also like to add in broccoli on occasion for some extra veggies. Side of grapes and avocado.
- Peanut Butter & Jelly: a classic, but goodie! I like to cut into different shapes or use food cutters to make it more fun. Side of red pear and veggies with cheese.
- Cauliflower tots: we love these veggie tots from Green Giant brand. Side of organic ketchup for dipping and whole milk string cheese and grapes.
- Avocado Chicken Salad: shredded chicken (I use can or rotisserie) mixed together with avocado, peas, and carrots. Side of blueberries.
- Cheesy Roll Up: spread a tortilla with cheese, heat it up on a pan or in the microwave, then tightly roll up. Side of mac ‘n cheese and grapes.
- Sweet Potato Tots: sweet potato and cauliflower tots from Green Giant. Side of peas, grapes, and thinly sliced applies.
- Veggie Nuggets: nuggets made with veggies from Dr. Praeger’s. Topped with organic ketchup, side of babybell cheese, blueberries, and grapes.
- Penne Mac ‘n Cheese: Annie’s Homegrown Four Cheese Penne mac ‘n cheese with a side of hot dogs and peas and carrots.
- Dr. Praeger’s Broccoli littles: Broccoli littles potato cakes from Dr. Praeger’s brand. These are especially great for Baby-Led Weaning of one of your baby’s first solid foods. Side of whole milk string cheese and strawberries.
- Fruit & Veggie Snack Tray: snack tray with turkey deli meat, string cheese, pears, chopped pecans, avocado, shredded cheddar cheese, raspberries, peas and carrots, and pretzel sticks.
- Meat & Cheese snack tray: a snack tray with turkey deli meat, dates, laughing cow cheese, pepitas, avocado, red pear, string cheese, and peas. For more ideas for snack trays check out this related post: 50 Toddler Snack Tray Ideas: 50 Toddler Snack Tray Ideas
Easy 2 Year Old Dinner Ideas
- Meatballs: most toddler’s don’t like tough meat, so ground meat or meatballs can be a great way to add more meat into their diet! Here we had meatballs, sweet potato fries, broccoli, carrots, and red peppers.
- Pesto Linguini: Linguini pasta with pesto sauce and veggies. Side of whole milk string cheese and mandarin orange.
- Breakfast Taco: corn tortilla with scrambled eggs and sour cream. Side of avocado and tomatoes.
- Broccoli & Cheese Quesadilla: I always like to add extra veggies to quesadillas and the boys don’t seem to mind! Here we had broccoli and cheese quesadilla with a side of sour cream. Side of avocado and grapes.
- Pizza: everything in moderation! Pizza is one of my toddler’s favorite foods so we do have it once in a while! Here we had pizza with a side of ranch for dipping and salad.
- Beans & Rice: dinner doesn’t have to be difficult! One of our favorites is black beans & jasmine rice with cheese. Side of tomato and sour cream.
- Korean Bulgogi Beef: Ground beef cooked with sweet Korean bulgogi sauce. Served as a deconstructed bowl with jasmine rice, carrots, and broccoli.
- Carnitas Tacos: carnitas beef made in the crock pot, served deconstructed with avocado tortillas and shredded cheese.
- Ravioli: spinach and ricotta raviolis with a side of baked chicken, broccoli, and corn.
- Baked Chicken & Gravy: chicken baked in the oven until tender topped with gravy, cauliflower rice, and mixed veggies (cauliflower, broccoli, and carrots).
- Sheet Pan Chicken Sausage: an easy one pan meal with chicken sausage, sweet potato, and broccoli.
- Grilled Cheese & Tomato Soup: a family favorite can be great for toddlers too! Tomato sauce and grilled cheese for dipping.
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