10 dinner ideas for fussy toddlers
Last Updated on November 6, 2024
Feeding toddlers can be challenging, and if you have a fussy toddler, mealtimes can be quite stressful. However, having some dinner ideas for fussy toddlers on hand can help make feeding toddlers a little easier.
If you’re looking for some tips to help with toddlers who are fussy eaters, or would like to make meal planning for toddlers simpler in your home, here are some dinner ideas for toddlers that I hope your toddler will love to eat over and over again.
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Dinner ideas for fussy toddlers
Here are some easy toddler meals for picky eaters that I hope your toddler will love.
Spaghetti and meatballs
Dinners that can be eaten by the whole family save a lot of time, and one that fulfils this need is this spaghetti and meatballs recipe, which only takes 20 minutes to prep and cook, perfect for nights when you’re short on time.
Mac and cheese bites
These mac and cheese bites are a great toddler dinner as well as an easy toddler snack to take on the go.
Homemade pizza
This homemade pizza recipe is perfect for fussy toddlers, because you can add toppings to it that you know your toddler will eat.
Plus making pizza is just one of the many fun indoor activities to do with toddlers that will pass some time on a long home day.
Two ingredient pancakes
Pancakes are perfect for breakfast, lunch, or dinner, and just like homemade pizzas, they can have toppings on them that your toddler will eat.
If pancakes is something you’d like to make for your toddler’s dinner, here’s a pancake recipe for toddlers that’s super simple, and can also form part of any Pancake Day activities for kids that you plan to do on Pancake Day.
Chicken fried rice
Another easy toddler meal for fussy eaters that also sneaks some veggies into your toddler’s dinner is this chicken fried rice for kids recipe that’s ready to eat within 30 minutes.
Fish cakes
It can be difficult to get toddlers to eat fish, but if you’d like to add fish to your toddler’s diet, these toddler fish cakes are easy for your toddler to hold, and don’t smell overpowering.
Mini shepherds pie
An easy toddler meal for picky eaters, that’s also packed with lamb, lentils, carrots, courgette and pepper, is this toddler friendly shepherds pie recipe.
Italian pasta salad
Pasta is a great dinner idea for fussy toddlers, because it can be made with any type of pasta your toddler loves, and can have a variety of vegetables added to it.
A toddler friendly pasta recipe that you may like to try is this Italian pasta salad for toddlers, which can be eaten hot or cold.
Grilled cheese sandwich
This grilled cheese sandwich recipe is perfect for when you’re looking for something simple to eat, that both you and your toddler can eat together.
Picky plate
My boys love a picky plate, which is perfect for lunch or dinner, and consists of giving your toddler a variety of different foods on a plate that they can choose from, for example meat, cheese, fruit, crackers, and vegetables.
Picky plates are quick and easy to make, and also allows your toddler to pick and choose what they want, giving them a sense of independence over their food choices.
You can use any type of plate to make a picky plate for your toddler.
I use this Bluey toddler plate for my youngest son, as the combination of seeing his favourite character Bluey, with the different sections I can fill with different types of food, makes his food time fun.
If you have a toddler that likes to move their plate around, this toddler plate with suction cups means they can’t tip their plate over, and you can use the sections to help you feed them a picky plate meal.
Feeding fussy toddlers is hard, but it can be made a little easier by finding some dinner ideas for fussy toddlers that they will actually enjoy eating.
Sometimes with toddlers it can take many, many tries of something new for them to actually start to eat it, so some persistence may be needed.
What dinners does your toddler love?
