15 toddler meal ideas your kid will actually eat

1. Banana oat pancakes

Two ingredients if you are in a hurry: one ripe banana mashed with one egg, cooked in small rounds in a lightly oiled pan. Add a spoonful of full-fat Greek yoghurt on the side. Both boys have eaten these since they were twelve months old and neither has ever turned them down. The banana sweetness means no added sugar is needed.

2. Veggie egg muffins

Whisk four eggs with a splash of milk, stir through whatever vegetables are in the fridge: grated zucchini, frozen peas, finely chopped capsicum. Pour into a greased mini muffin tin. Bake at 180 degrees for 12 minutes. They keep in the fridge for three days and freeze beautifully. Theo eats them cold straight from the fridge, which is not how I imagined toddler breakfast going but here we are.

3. Porridge with hidden fruit

Rolled oats cooked with full-fat milk and a mashed ripe banana stirred through. The banana sweetens it naturally and disappears into the texture, which is useful if your toddler is in a phase of refusing fruit on principle. Add a sprinkle of cinnamon. Luca ate this most winter mornings from age one to about three, at which point he switched his allegiance entirely to Weet-Bix and has not looked back.

4. Wholegrain toast with avocado and egg

Soft scrambled egg on wholegrain toast with smashed avocado on the side. The egg provides protein and iron, the avocado provides healthy fats, and the toast provides something to throw on the floor if the mood strikes. Quick enough to make on a school morning. Luca still requests this as his Saturday breakfast at six and a half.

5. Yoghurt, fruit and oat bowl

Full-fat plain yoghurt with soft chopped fruit and a sprinkle of rolled oats or crushed Weet-Bix. No cooking, no washing up beyond a bowl and a spoon, and genuinely nutritious. This is the breakfast I make when I have run out of any other plan. It has never once been refused.

6. Mini quesadillas

A small flour tortilla folded over grated cheese and any combination of mild fillings: black beans, finely chopped capsicum, corn, leftover shredded chicken. Cook in a dry pan for two minutes per side. Cut into triangles. Theo calls these pizza triangles, which is incorrect but also not worth correcting because he eats them without any discussion.

7. Pasta with hidden vegetable sauce

Cook small pasta shapes and toss through a sauce made by blending tinned tomatoes with a handful of spinach, a piece of carrot, and a splash of olive oil. The spinach and carrot disappear completely into the colour of the tomatoes. Neither boy has ever noticed. This sauce makes enough for four meals and freezes well.

For more on making vegetables disappear into toddler meals, see our guide to hiding vegetables in toddler food.

8. Picky plate

Not strictly a recipe, but the most reliable lunch format we have found. A plate or sectioned container with four or five small portions: some protein (leftover chicken, a boiled egg cut in half, cubes of cheese), some carbohydrate (crackers, a piece of toast, cooked pasta), some fruit (berries, banana, mango), and a vegetable in whatever format your toddler will currently tolerate. The variety means something on the plate is usually acceptable even on the most uncooperative days. The PureePops Tray works particularly well for this format because the nine compartments naturally portion everything out, and the lid means you can take the whole thing to the park or to a friend's place without dismantling it.

9. Egg and cheese scrolls

Mix one egg into a simple scone dough or use puff pastry if time is tight. Spread with a little cream cheese, scatter over grated cheese and finely chopped spinach, roll up and slice into rounds. Bake at 200 degrees for 15 minutes. These keep for two days and reheat well. I make a batch on Sunday afternoon and it covers lunches for most of the week.

10. Rice paper rolls

Soften rice paper sheets in warm water, fill with rice noodles, cucumber, avocado, and shredded cooked chicken or prawns. Serve with a mild dipping sauce. Luca has loved these since he was about two, mostly because he gets to do the rolling himself, which takes approximately three times as long as it should and results in one roll that looks presentable and several that resemble small disasters. Worth it for the engagement.

11. Beef and veggie bolognaise

Our most-cooked dinner by a significant margin. Brown beef mince, add finely grated carrot and zucchini, tinned tomatoes, and a splash of beef stock. Simmer for 20 minutes. The grated vegetables melt into the sauce entirely. Serve over pasta or with soft polenta. I make a triple batch using the KiddoKook Pro on Sunday. It steams and blends in one bowl so the whole session takes around 20 minutes with almost no washing up. The portions go straight into the PureePops Tray to freeze, and we pull them out across the week as needed. Three weeknight dinners sorted from one cooking session.

12. Salmon and sweet potato fishcakes

Mix a tin of salmon with mashed sweet potato, a beaten egg, and a handful of frozen peas. Shape into small patties and pan-fry in a little olive oil for three to four minutes per side. Salmon is one of the best sources of omega-3 fatty acids and zinc, and sweet potato adds natural sweetness that makes these extremely toddler-friendly. Luca ate his first one at fourteen months and still requests them.

13. Chicken and vegetable fried rice

Day-old rice works best here. Stir-fry diced chicken with whatever vegetables are available: corn, peas, carrot, broccoli cut small. Push to one side of the pan, scramble two eggs in the space, and mix everything together with a small splash of low-sodium soy sauce. Both boys consider this a treat meal, which it is not, but I have chosen not to correct that either.

14. Mini chicken and zucchini meatballs

Combine chicken mince with finely grated zucchini, a beaten egg, breadcrumbs, and a pinch of mild dried herbs. Roll into small balls and bake at 200 degrees for 15 minutes. Serve with pasta and a simple tomato sauce or offer them on their own as finger food alongside vegetables. These freeze well and reheat from frozen in the oven in 10 minutes, which on a Thursday night when everyone is exhausted feels like an actual gift.

15. Pumpkin and lentil soup

Theo went through his orange-refusing phase just as I had made a large batch of this soup and frozen it in portions. It sat in our freezer for six weeks while he declared war on the entire colour spectrum at one end of the vegetable world. Then one evening, without explanation, he ate a full bowl and asked for more. The soup had not changed. Neither had the pumpkin. Toddlers contain multitudes.

Simmer diced pumpkin and rinsed red lentils in low-sodium vegetable stock until completely soft. Blend smooth or leave chunky depending on your toddler's current texture preferences. A pinch of mild cumin adds depth without heat. Serve with soft bread for dipping. According to Raising Children Network, toddlers aged 1 to 2 years need one serve of lean meats, eggs, or legumes per day. Lentils count, and they are significantly easier to get into a toddler than a piece of meat on a difficult Tuesday.