I don’t really have a frame of reference, but apparently, my kids weren’t as picky as they could be as toddlers. They all eat, and more than one thing. Apparently, that’s good. Idk. But I still wish they ate more and a greater variety of foods, which I think is how most parents feel? I try my best, but frankly, while balancing work, building a business, three kids, Dakota and everything else, I find it hard to cook let alone get creative with my cooking. If I’m being totally transparent, most of our meals are pre-prepared foods I just need to heat up — we’ve been doing a lot of meals from Fresh Direct as well as from our local grocery store that has a great selection of everything from salmon and turkey ricotta meatballs to flank steak along with a variety of sides. It doesn’t really bug me. Honestly, they do a better job of cooking than I probably could and it saves me time and frustration. Plus, we all like it, so my family is nourished and I don’t have to come home from a long day and worry about what to make and clean up. However, I still struggle to come up with easy toddler dinner ideas.
We sort of eat the same things over and over, and I struggle with variety, since most of our go-to pre-made offerings are the same types of things. and sometimes the kids just won’t eat them, especially James who’s getting increasingly picky.I want to try to prepare more meals in advance so that I can freeze them or stick them in the fridge so we can just heat them up and know the kids are having a nutritious meal. While I do really believe in having the kids eat the same foods as us, mostly because French people do that and they seem to have a much better relationship with food, and because I’ve noticed that the kids are most interested in eating what we’re eating and not so much something different we serve them. So to finish my three part series for toddler meals (check out toddler breakfast ideas and toddler lunch ideas), here are some easy, totally doable easy toddler dinner ideas.
Pasta with Chicken
Most kids love pasta anything I think, so this is an easy one. Sometimes I order it, but other times, I’ll just make some whole wheat or lentil or vegetable pasta, toss on either a meat or veggie sauce, or just add some butter. I like to include some sliced chicken or meatballs of some variety to give it some protein. Sliced carrots also seem to go down well with this. I’ve tried really thinly diced broccoli but the kids still always find them and picks them out.
Veggie Quesadillas
I’ll make quesadillas with low-fat organic cheese and diced veggies on multigrain tortillas. I make guac the side even though James doesn’t like and it takes like ten minutes tops to make.
Turkey Meatloaf with Spaghetti Squash
I got this idea from another one of our pre-made Fresh Direct meals, but sometimes although confession I pretty much always get the meatloaf already made from our grocery store because I have no idea how to make meatloaf (and no interest at this point in my life). Then I’ll cook some spaghetti squash in olive oil and toss them together for a healthier version of ‘spaghetti and meatballs’. This is a bigger hit with the kids than Andrew but he likes the meatballs for the most part, and I love the squash so together, it’s a win.
Rotisserie Chicken
This is such an easy meal that we can all eat and one of my favorite easy toddler dinner ideas. I basically just pick up a rotisserie chicken at the grocery store, pull it apart for the kids and then I usually pick up a premade side like a barley or rice dish or potatoes and veggies (our local grocery store is really good). This is hit with everyone and couldn’t be easier or faster.
Cauliflower Pizza
Andrew is a huge fan of these frozen pizzas and recently, the kids have been sneaking bites when Andy is eating them, so I’ve been experimenting with healthier pizza options. Sometimes we’ll order a veggie pizza with whole wheat crust from our fave local pizza place, but I’ve als been looking for a feel good version we can try to make at home, and I’ve heard Trader Joe’s cauliflower pizza crust is delicious so I’m going to try a version with a pureed veggie-filled spread, low fat cheese and some veggie toppings.
Mini Burgers with Sweet Potato Fries
Sometimes if we’re grilling or I’m in the mood for a turkey burger (my current obsession), we’ll make a mini one for each of the kids. Usually we’ll go bunless for Brooks and cut it up with ketchup, but recently, he really wants to eat like mom and dad and his bigger siblings, so we’ve been trying to make him a thin patty with a bun so he can have himself. I love these bake-able fries — they’re easy to make and taste good but note they always take like 10 minutes more in the oven than the bake time in the directions.
Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese
This is one of those heat and eat kids meals from Fresh Direct that I order for when we’re in a pinch and is top of my list for easy toddler dinner ideas. There’s squash mixed into the sauce, so it’s better than just standard mac and cheese and James gobbles it up. Win-win.
Salmon with Apple Sauce and Mashed Sweet Potatoes
James isn’t that into salmon on its own, but I find if I mash it into something like apple sauce or sweet potatoes, he’ll eat it. This is an easy toddler meal we can eat too.
Chicken with Broccoli Tots
Sometimes I’ll pick up a chicken breast and slice it up and then make some broccoli tots to go with it (tater tots but made from broccoli). Tbh, all my kids hate broccoli but I won’t stop trying to get them to eat it. If I’m lazy, I might just serve up these chicken nuggets that they like and are hormone-free, organic, all that good stuff.
Cauliflower Fried Rice
I’m really into cauliflower rice right now. Sometimes I’ll make it in a pan, stir-fry style with peas, carrots, onions and some grilled chicken, and the kiddos love it.
Cauliflower Risotto
I just tried this recently and it’s really good. It’s an easy way to get in a veggie and James liked the savory, soft, oatmeal-like consistency.
Chicken Tacos
I’ll put shredded chicken in a soft corn tortilla with some black beans and rice and the kids love to eat it/ unravel it and make a mess, but I like to think some gets in their mouths. I try to add corn or tomato sometimes too (my kids are not into salsa really). James doesn’t like avocado or I would try lining the tortillas with some mild guac.
Rice Crusted Fish Sticks
When you’re looking for super easy toddler dinner ideas, Dr. Praeger’s frozen options are my go-to. I buy these Dr. Praeger’s fish sticks and James likes them. They’re an easy dinner to whip up on nights when I just don’t have time and frankly, I like them too. I usually combine with a veggie and sweet potato or broccoli fries or a mashed sweet potato.
Salmon Cakes
Honestly, I buy these at a specialty grocery store near us, but there are also some easy recipes you can follow like this one and this one. James isn’t the hugest fan of salmon on its own or some of the veggies we’ll meld it together with but he’ll eat the ones they have that have spinach and kale, especially if it’s dipped in ketchup (of course).
Ok, I need more help clearly. Send me some of your fave toddler-friendly dinner recipes that even a novice can make.
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