Toddler Dinner Ideas the Whole Family Can Eat
The easiest toddler dinner is the family dinner, cooked without salt and cut down to size. Each of these meals has a toddler plate and a family plate, so you cook once and season the grown-up portions at the table.
Quick answer
- Cook one meal, serve two plates. Leave out salt while cooking and add it to adult portions at the table.
- Aim for an iron-rich protein (meat, fish, beans, lentils, tofu), a vegetable and a grain on every plate.
- A toddler portion is roughly a quarter of an adult portion. Serve a little of everything and offer more if asked.
- Include one familiar 'safe' food next to new ones. It can take 10 or more tries before a toddler accepts a new food.
Quick dinners for busy nights
On the table in about 20 minutes, with protein, a grain and a vegetable.
12 mo+Cottage Cheese & Pea Pasta
Creamy pasta with no sauce to cook.
12 mo+Black Bean & Avocado Rice Bowl
Plant-based, iron-rich bowl.
12 mo+Chicken Hummus Wrap Fingers
Leftover chicken in a soft wrap.
12 mo+Shredded Chicken, Mash & Carrots
Classic chicken, mash and carrots.
6 mo+Scrambled Eggs for Baby: Soft & Fully Cooked
Eggs for dinner: serve with toast and peas.
Meatballs, patties & nuggets
Easy to hold, easy to freeze, and a good way to fold in vegetables.
9 mo+Baked Veggie Chicken Nuggets
Baked with zucchini and carrot; no added salt.
12 mo+Baked Salmon Meatballs for Toddlers
An easy way to serve fish twice a week.
12 mo+Turkey Meatballs for Baby & Toddler (Hidden Veg)
Mini meatballs with grated veg.
12 mo+Turkey Sweet Potato Patties
Soft patties that reheat well.
12 mo+Mini Meatloaf Muffins
Meatloaf baked in a muffin tin.
9 mo+Beef & Lentil Patties for Baby (Iron-Rich)
Double iron from beef and lentils.
6 mo+Salmon Patties for Baby (with Sweet Potato)
Soft fish cakes from 6 months up.
Pasta, noodles & rice
Toddler favourites that carry plenty of vegetables.
9 mo+Toddler Mac and Cheese with Butternut Squash
Squash makes the sauce creamy.
9 mo+Lentil Bolognese for Baby & Toddler (No Salt)
Plant-based bolognese with little pasta.
9 mo+Creamy Salmon & Pea Pasta
Salmon and peas in a soft sauce.
12 mo+Stuffed Spinach Jumbo Shells
The shell works as a handle.
12 mo+Veggie Egg Fried Rice
Use up leftover rice the safe way.
9 mo+Chicken & Veggie Baby Risotto
Soft, spoonable and iron-rich.
12 mo+Creamy Tahini Noodles
Sesame noodles for a weeknight.
One-pot & sheet-pan dinners
Fewer dishes for busy evenings.
12 mo+Sheet-Pan Chicken & Veggies
Everything roasts on one tray.
12 mo+Lemon Chicken Orzo for Toddlers (One Pot)
A one-pot family favourite.
12 mo+Chicken Noodle Soup
Low-salt soup with soft noodles.
12 mo+Mild Beef & Bean Chili
Mild chili with soft beans.
12 mo+Tofu Stir Fry for Toddlers (Easy Noodles)
Soft tofu and veg noodles.
12 mo+Soft Fish Tacos
Flaky white fish in soft tortillas.
Meatless dinners
Beans, lentils, eggs and cheese for protein. Pair beans with vitamin C foods to boost iron absorption.
12 mo+Lentil Sloppy Joes
Lentils in a mild tomato sauce.
7 mo+Mild Red Lentil Dal
Creamy dal for spooning or dipping.
12 mo+Toddler Pizza: Mini Pita Pizzas (15 Min)
Toddlers can top their own.
12 mo+Toddler Quesadilla: Easy Veggie & Bean Triangles
Crisp outside, soft inside.
12 mo+Salmon Rice Bowls
Swap the salmon for tofu if you like.
How to build a toddler dinner plate
One family meal, cut down to toddler size.
- set_mealAn iron-rich protein: meat, fish, eggs, beans, lentils or tofu.
- rice_bowlA grain or starch: pasta, rice, potato or bread.
- ecoA vegetable: cooked soft and cut into bite-size pieces.
- favoriteOne familiar food: something your toddler already likes, next to the new one.
- content_cutCut it safe: quarter round foods, shred meat finely, squash beans and peas for younger toddlers.
If your toddler won't eat dinner
Skipped dinners are normal: toddler appetite drops after the first birthday as growth slows. You decide what, when and where food is served; your toddler decides whether and how much to eat.
Keep portions small, avoid pressure or bribes, and offer the same foods again another day. More ideas in our refusing food guide.
Safety reminders
- Cut round foods (grapes, cherry tomatoes, blueberries) into quarters lengthwise until age 4, and skip whole nuts, popcorn, hard raw vegetables and chunks of raw apple.
- Keep your child seated and supervised whenever they eat, including snacks in the car or stroller.
- Cook poultry to 165°F (74°C), ground meat to 160°F (71°C) and fish to 145°F (63°C). Cool leftovers quickly and refrigerate within 2 hours (1 hour for cooked rice).
- These recipes are general guidance for healthy, full-term babies and children. Ask your pediatrician first if your child was born early, has a medical condition, allergies or feeding difficulties (medical disclaimer).
Toddler dinner ideas: questions parents ask
What should a 1 year old eat for dinner?expand_more
A small portion of the family meal, cooked without salt: an iron-rich protein such as meatballs, chicken, fish or lentils, a soft vegetable and a grain like pasta or rice, cut into bite-size pieces.
How much should a toddler eat at dinner?expand_more
Roughly a quarter of an adult portion, or 2–4 tablespoons of each food. Serve small amounts and let your toddler ask for more.
Can toddlers eat the same dinner as adults?expand_more
Yes, and it helps them learn. Cook without added salt, keep spice mild, cut food into safe shapes and season adult portions at the table.
What are quick toddler dinners for busy nights?expand_more
Scrambled eggs with toast and peas, pasta with cottage cheese and vegetables, or freezer meatballs and nuggets reheated with rice. Batch-cooking on the weekend makes weeknights easier.
