If you’d like to see more toddler meal ideas, be sure to check out my Top 9 Free Toddler eBook (also available in print).
Simple Ingredients: Your Ticket to Success
Keeping basics on hand is great way to make sure you can have easy breakfasts at the ready, especially on busy mornings. Here’s a non-exhaustive list of ingredients to keep in your pantry, fridge, and freezer.
- Dairy Products (whole milk, cream cheese, plain yogurt, plain greek yogurt, grass fed butter, etc.)
- Dairy Free Products for Those who Need it (dairy free milk, dairy free yogurt, dairy free cream cheese)
- Easy Carbs You Can Transform (bread, bagels, tortillas)
- Eggs (for kids without an egg allergy)
- Fresh Produce Your Toddler Enjoys (apple, bananas, strawberries, blueberries, carrots, broccoli, sweet potato, etc.)
- Frozen Produce (frozen veggies can be roasted or air fried, whilst frozen fruit is great for quick smoothies)
- Healthy Fats (avocado & guacamole, chopped nuts, chia seeds, peanut butter, etc.)
- Unrefined Sweeteners including Maple Syrup and Dates (honey shouldn’t be given to children under 1)
Putting Simple Ingredients to Good Use
By having these types of ingredients on hand, even on super busy mornings, you can whip up a nutritious breakfast for your toddler without too much effort. Here are a few examples:
- Peanut Butter or Alternative Butter Pinwheel (tortilla + spread + banana, rolled up and sliced)
- Plain Yogurt + Fresh Berries + Bagel Half + Low/No Sugar Jam
- Whole Grain Toast + Guacamole + Fresh Berries
Those are just a few ideas to get you started. If you often times find yourself short on time, make yourself a chart/spreadsheet with a few columns (carb/starch, protein, fat, and produce) and list out healthy breakfast options that are easy for you to pull from. This can make it SO much easier for you to pull together simple ingredients and get a meal on the table by simply choosing an item from each column you’ve created.
Related: 100 Toddler Snacks
Easy Toddler Breakfast Ideas
Managing a little one, or multiple little ones can be nothing short of incredibly fulfilling and totally exhausting at the same time. If you’re in a phase of life where easy is the best option, I’ve got good news. There are a lot of easy breakfasts that you can serve to keep your toddler happy, and still offer a range of nutrients. The key: ditch the idea of traditional. If you’ve got broccoli mac-n-cheese leftovers in your fridge and your toddler is a fan, serve that with a side of fruit.
Alternatively, if your child is open to exploring all things tortillas, put some beans, cheese, and diced tomatoes or guacamole on a tortilla and call it breakfast. It’s so easy to hold ourselves to these crazy wild standards, then get upset when we don’t meet them, so, go be free and serve what works for you. Also, here are the easy ideas I promised 🙂
- Chia Pudding + Oven Roasted Vegetables
- Fresh Fruit + Crackers + Dip
- Frozen Breakfast Tray (Organic Tots + Organic Veg + Breakfast Sausage)
- Granola Bars + Leftover Cooked Protein
- Overnight Oats (little ones can help pour in ingredients and shake the jar)
- Plain Yogurt + Nut or Seed Butter + Bagel Half
- Steamed Rice + Steamed Veg + Breakfast Sausage
- Toast + Cream Cheese + Fresh Fruit
A Few Notes About These Ideas
First, many of these can be made in advance, such as the chia pudding and overnight oats. If you’re managing a toddler with food allergies, some items may need to be made at. home, but most of these ideas are also freezer friendly, so you can batch cook and get ahead.
For variety, rotate through different styles of crackers. You can get nutty crackers, seeded crackers, classic crackers, and even graham crackers.
A dip can be anything including ketchup, hummus, guacamole, or mild salsa.
Steamed rice and veg for breakfast sounds a lot like dinner, but remember, we’re free. Here’s why it’s an easy toddler breakfast idea that I love to share: it’s all hands off. You pop into the kitchen, put the dry rice and water into your rice cooker, put the steaming basket insert in, and add frozen veg. Get that started, then pop frozen sausage on a tray and put it in the oven (you don’t even need to preheat the oven).
Whilst that’s all humming along in the kitchen, you’re getting your little one up, changing diapers if needed, and going through the morning routine. Then, the two of you walk back into the kitchen and poof, breakfast is ready. What’s not to love? If you’re feeding a whole family, rotate through vegetables they all enjoy, and if needed, have their favorite fruits on the breakfast table as well. Talk about easy.
Cute Breakfast Ideas for Toddlers (and Even Older Kids)
I don’t know about you, but I’m a total sucker for cute food. Now, I’ll be the first to admit that when my kids were little, we didn’t have a tonne of cute food because I was simply stretched too thin. Once they were older, that’s when I really started to have fun with cute food. So, if you don’t have time for it right now, don’t even worry. Just tuck these ideas away for calm Sunday mornings, or for when your kids are in grade school (or even middle school).
Happy Toast or Animal Face Toast
Start with untoasted or toasted bread, and spread cream cheese all over. This also works well with an organic low/no sugar chocolate spread. Use banana slices for the nose and blueberries for the eyes. You can also use sliced strawberries or bananas for ears. It’s really cute for little kids, like in the photo below. Note: should you opt for something like this, make sure the eyes aren’t a choking hazard.
Rainbow Fruit
One of my personal favorite toddler breakfast ideas is a rainbow fruit platter served alongside a protein your kiddo loves. It’s great for a weekend morning since there is some prep involved, but, depending on how old your child is, they can help prep (wash, dry, arrange, slice/chop with a child-safe knife). The reason I love it is because it’s SO visual, and we eat with our eyes first and foremost. Plus, it’s a great conversation starter for your your family. You can talk about the colours on display, compare and contrast different fruits, and so on.
Cute Pancakes
Using a range of pancake recipes, you can make a lot of different cute creations including:
- Apple Ring Pancakes
- Mini Pancakes (these are a big hit even with my teenagers)
- Owl Pancakes
Related: How to Freeze Pancake Batter (this can help save you a lot of time in the future)
Healthy Breakfast Ideas for Toddlers
Most will agree that a minimal amount of added sugar and a balance of protein, carbs, and healthy fats is the foundation for nutritious meals. Honestly, if you can provide your little one with the opportunity to eat from all of the different food groups, enjoy whole grains, and offer exposures to a rainbow of produce, I’d say you’re knocking it out of the park.
Be sure to remember a few things when the word “healthy” comes to mind. First, it’s an unregulated term and has a different meaning to everyone. Sure, there are a lot of foods we can all agree on that aren’t healthy, but then there are a lot of gray zone foods that could go one way or the other depending on the person. Secondly, not every meal needs to be nutritionally perfect to be healthy. If you have a healthy fat, a little protein and a fruit/veg, you’re doing just fine in my book.
Related: Toddler Lunches
Next, everyone has different nutritional needs, so what may be a healthy recipe for one person won’t be a healthy recipe for the next. In fact, two of my kids are a perfect example. Due to medical reasons, they need diets that are literally the opposite from one another (yes, I do a LOT of cooking and baking because of it). However, each child thrives because they’re eating meals that are healthy for their individual needs.
I say all of that to be a reminder where we live in a time like none before. Everyone has easy access to a lot of expert advice online and on social media. However, just because someone with a degree said it doesn’t mean it’s the best advice for you.
What you’ll really want to focus on is providing balanced breakfasts and tapping into whole foods that are minimally processed where possible. Additionally, make sure you don’t stretch yourself too thin or damage your mental health by obsessing over every healthy bite, because that’s not healthy either.
Now, I’ll put my soapbox away and share some of my favorite healthy toddler breakfast ideas and recipes with you.
- Baked Oat Bars with Fruit
- Banana Spinach Pancakes (made in the blender)
- Chia Pudding + Shredded Chicken + Fat Containing Dip
- Jazzed Up Sheet Pan Pancakes (swap some of the flour for protein powder, sprinkle chia seeds on top before baking, and serve with a side of fruit or veg)
- Lemon Blueberry Pancakes
- Meat & Veggie Wrap + Yogurt
- Salmon & Potato Stuffed Pita
Easy Breakfast Ideas & Simple Recipes
Not all breakfast recipes and breakfast ideas need to be picture perfect, Instagram ready, and hitting every food group. With that in mind, here are some “I can’t even” easy ideas and recipes.
- Air Fryer Sweet Potato Fries + Smoothie
- Cereal + Milk + Fruit (there are loads of allergy friendly options for this, you can also add the fruit on top of the cereal, like sliced bananas)
- Cream of Wheat or Cream of Buckwheat (gluten free) + Breakfast Sausage
- Instant Oatmeal (add your favorite toppings or a side of fruit, there are gluten free versions from GF Harvest for those who need it)
- Muffin From Your Freezer + Leftover Meat From Dinner
- Scrambled Eggs + Raw Fruit and/or Raw Vegetables
- Toast + Yogurt + Fruit
- Tortilla + Cream Cheese Spread + Fruit
Good Ideas for Toast & Bread
For some toddlers, carbohydrates are life, and don’t worry, that’s perfectly normal. The brain needs carbs to function well. Plus, little ones are growing, developing, and need easy access to energy which carbs can provide. Bread can also be a nutritious part of your morning meals, and I personally like to purchase organic whole grain seeded bread to make sure I’m giving my kids a better range of nutrients when compared to white bread.
You can also rotate through a range of breads including sourdough, focaccia, rye, and more. Plus! There are a lot of great gluten free breads available these days for those who need it. Be sure to check the freezer section of your grocery store, as that’s where some of the best GF bread is hiding.
Here’s a few ideas of how you can have fun with your bread or toast (remember, all of this can be made with gluten or gluten free bread):
- Avocado Toast (perhaps my California is showing, but this is a hit in my house. I do toast + cheese + avocado or guacamole + bacon)
- Cinnamon Toast (toast, smear of butter, cinnamon + nutmeg dusting or pumpkin pie spice dusting + a little chopped dates)
- French Toast Sticks (make your regular french toast, then cut into sticks and serve with a tasty dip)
- Pizza Toast (toast + smear of tomato paste + sprinkle of Italian seasoning + shredded cheese + organic pepperoni, for ease, make this in your oven on a tray covered in parchment paper)
- Sweet & Salty Whole Grain Toast (toast + peanut butter, bananas, a few mini chocolate chips, and a pinch of finishing salt)
When making bread the focal point, have a good rotation of easy sides as well. Jazzed up applesauce was something I’d serve my kids (applesauce + random topping like pumpkin seeds or raisins). I also had chia pudding on hand and I could serve a spoon or two of that. Plain yogurt also makes for an excellent side, and can also be the base of a tasty breakfast dip.
Toddler Smoothies to Keep Your Little One Fueled
Smoothies can be an amazing way to add more nutrients to your child’s diet. Plus, they’re easy to make, and little kids can help add ingredients to the blender and push buttons as well. Here are just a few flavor combos for your toddler smoothies (there are elevendybajillion recipes online you can browse thru).
- Organic Vanilla Yogurt + Organic Peanut Butter (or alternative) + Banana + Hemp Seeds + Organic Maple Syrup to Taste
- Plain Greek Yogurt + Blueberries + Strawberries + Frozen Zucchini (works like ice and is epic) + Splash Organic Vanilla Extract + Organic Maple Syrup to Taste
- Whole Milk (or dairy free milk) + Organic Frozen Strawberries + Fresh Organic Orange (seeds removed) + Organic Vanilla Extract + Organic Maple Syrup to Taste
- Whole Milk (or dairy free milk) + Organic Frozen Pineapple + Fresh Organic Baby Spinach + Organic Frozen Strawberries + Organic Vanilla Extract + Organic Maple Syrup to Taste
For extra fun, you can serve super thick smoothies in an ice cream cone or homemade waffle bowl. I did that when my kids were little and they thought they hit the JACK POT. It was a smoothie with only a little bit of sweetener 🙂
Breakfast Ideas for Toddlers with Food Allergies
Putting together a menu for children with food allergies can feel difficult, especially if your child has had an allergic reaction to something you’ve served (food fear in parents is real). First, be liberated. You can serve simple leftovers for breakfast, or oven roasted sweet potatoes with a side of fruit. Meals don’t need to be complicated. They need to be safe first and foremost, and then rotate through as many food groups as possible whilst meeting your child’s nutritional needs.
A lot of convenient breakfast foods sold in grocery stores aren’t allergy friendly, and those that are can be rather expensive. If you have the time and bandwidth, I suggest making freezer friendly pancakes, waffles, and muffins, since those are super easy to make at home. Then, spend your dollars wisely on the free-from products you don’t have the time or equipment to make.
When it comes to making an allergy friendly breakfast for a toddler with food allergies, the BEST tip I can give you: purchase divided plates and use each section for a food group. In other words: Starch + Protein + Produce + Fat. Now, let’s look at that formula in action.
- Gluten Free Bagel Half + Leftover Shredded Chicken + Quartered Grapes + Spoon of Seed Butter
- Gluten Free Tortilla + Taco Seasoned Meat + Quartered Tomatoes + Avocado Slices
- Leftover Cooked Quinoa + Roasted Chickpeas + Steamed Broccoli + Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil Drizzle
- Homemade Muffin + Bacon + Steamed Carrots + Dairy Free Cheese Cubes
OK, so maybe you don’t *need* a divided plate, however, in the early days of food allergy management, that can make it easier on you mentally since the compartments are there. Either way, what you’ll want to do is print a chart and fill in the columns with foods safe for your child. That chart can then help you build safe and delicious meals.
Breakfast Recipes for a Toddler with an Egg Allergy
- Egg Free Waffles (cook up a big batch or two when you can and have these in your freezer)
- Creamy Mango Rice (oatmeal alternative for kids who can’t have oats)
- Carrot & Banana Muffins
- Spinach Banana Pancakes
- Spinach Muffins (this is a huge it in my house, and with my neighbors who don’t have food allergies)
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Need more great recipes? I’ve got you covered. You can check out my Free-From Toddler Cookbook here (it’s also available in print), as well as the Advanced Recipe Search on RAISE. The ARS allows you to mix and match over 100 filters for foods, food groups, and more, to find meals that meet the needs of your whole family.
More Resources for Toddlers with Food Allergies
- Top 9 Free Toddler Breakfasts
- Food Allergy Help 101: Toddlers
- Free-From Toddler Food for a Day
- Top 9 Free Toddler Meal Ideas
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Have a Selective or Picky Eater? Here are Some Tips
Creating breakfast items that a selective or picky eater will be happy to eat can feel like a real struggle, especially if you’re in the “introducing new foods” phase of toddler life. You could also be in the phase where what your child ate last week is no longer acceptable this week (been there more times than I can count). Below are some of my best tips to help you serve said toddler, and help them develop good eating habits over time.
Good Reminder
Not all kids are big breakfast eaters, so keep that in mind as well. It could be that your child has a pattern of eating small amounts in the morning and large amounts in the evening. Just keep offering a variety of foods and do your best to meet your little one where they are.
If you find that your toddler is falling off their growth charts, that’s when it’s really time to seek additional help. You should also consider food allergy testing to make sure there isn’t an underlying reason your child is averse to eating specific foods that are regularly offered (that’s how I found out on of my kids was allergic to beef).
Now, let’s look at my Five G’s:
Get Kids Involved
Plainly put: when kids help make the food and are touching it, they are WAY more likely to try the food. There are a range of ways to get a toddler helping in the kitchen, and it can start with helping pick produce (such as grapes from the vine) wash and dry produce, peel produce (mainly bananas), and then chop/slice/cut produce with a child-safe knife. Make sure your child’s time in the kitchen is FUN, as we want to help develop a positive association with food the cooking process in general. This article has more great ideas on getting kids involved.
Give Grace
As adults, we’re given so much grace when it comes to accepting and declining food. Selective and picky toddlers need to have that same option. Be sure to give your child the appropriate language such as “no thank you” rather than words like “yuck”. At the same time, make sure you’re modeling the behaviour with your words, but also by trying new foods on the table and talking about them. Over time, this does pay off.
Go On the Week, Not the Meal
It can be really easy to look at one meal that your child has rejected and think about the lost nutrients they didn’t eat. However, rather than base your calculations on one meal, look at the entire week. In most cases, when we look at what our kids have eaten over the week, it’s pretty balanced, and all of the boxes get ticked at one point or another.
Get Clear Bowls
We hear about “food exposures” all the time. We also know that having a food on the dining table counts as an exposure, even if your child doesn’t eat the food. However, it doesn’t count if your kiddo can’t SEE the food. Next week when you have time, I want you to sit at your table, at your child’s height and see what they see. Can they see over and into serving bowls (assuming meals are served family style rather than plated). If not, it’s time to get clear bowls so that when your child is at the table, they’re seeing the options. Also, spurge and get super cute tongs or a smiley face serving spoon. Little bits of novelty like that can help some kids get brave and try new foods.
Get Creative
Make sun breakfast recipes such as breakfast cookies (these can even be used as part of a food ladder to introduce new foods) or make breakfast “candy bars” together. “Candy Bars” can be a granola bar with melted dark chocolate on top and hemp heart “sprinkles”. Sometimes, you just need to be a good PR manager for the foods you’re serving.
Answering Your Questions About Toddler Breakfast Ideas
What are the best healthy cereals for toddlers?
When it comes to selecting a dry cereal for your little one, there are a factors I personally like to prioritize. First, make sure it’s free from artificial food dye and artificial flavors. Next, avoid bioengineered and GMO ingredients (there are a lot of studies that are showing how damaging these products are over time). Choose organic where you can, and Non-GMO if you don’t have easy access to stores that carry a range of organic.
However, if you find yourself in that kind of situation, check out Thrive Market, an online grocery store. They stock amazing products at great prices. VitaCost does the same, and they have amazing healthy options to choose from.
Once we’re past the quality of the ingredients, I like to check the nutrition panel and see how much added sugar is in the cereal (not the same as naturally occurring sugars). If it’s more than 8g/serving, I’m usually not on board. Then, I look for those 2% or less than type of ingredients. Honestly, I’m OK with some of them because I understand food manufacturing, but I’m always going to choose cereals that are made from simple whole ingredients first and foremost.
One brand that I really like for my kids is Enviro Kids (a division of Nature’s Path). I sometimes like Cascadian Farm as well since it’s organic and one of my kids likes the flavors on offer, but as a company, I’m not their biggest fan.
My latest cereal brand obsession that you should check out, especially if you have a toddler with food allergies is Loverbird Foods. Their company has amazing values and the flavors are solid.
If you plan on making baked cereal bars at any point, make sure you choose cereals with little to no added sugar since you’ll most likely be adding some form of sugar/sweetener when making the cereal bars.
Is there an easy way to make healthy muffins at home?
Yes! Honestly, I think muffins are a great breakfast option, plus, easy recipes like the ones I share are freezer friendly as well (batch cooking can save you SO much time). Honestly, the best way to make healthy muffins is to start with recipes that have no more than 10 – 12 grams of added sugar per muffin (you’ll have to do the math since each recipe can yield a different amount). From there, focus on recipes that lean into real food, and where you can, purchase organic (and grass fed if applicable). I know there’s a lot of debate on the topic of organic, but ultimately, no one should be consuming the amount of heavy farming chemicals and pesticides that are currently being used.
You’ll want to avoid recipes that lean too heavily into ingredients such as chocolate chips and ingredients that come with more sugar (think candy type items). Additionally, look for recipes that incorporate a little protein powder, healthy fat such as chia seeds, or plain Greek yogurt. Those types of muffins will boast better nutritional value overall when compared to a more basic muffin that’s flour + egg + milk + sweetener. That’s not to say that a basic recipe is “bad”. When made with real organic simple ingredients, a basic muffin is still a good breakfast. However, if you’re looking to boost the nutritional value, then you’ll want to look for the types of recipes I suggested.
What are some good ways to season sheet pan eggs?
You can think of sheet pan eggs like a canvas, ready to receive a range of seasoning options. Your mix of eggs can even include spice blends such as BBQ seasoning or Italian seasoning to make your life a little easier. Also, you could also create a few “columns” in your sheet pan to you have more than one flavour (or use a 1/4 or 1/8 sheet pan when making your sheet pan eggs). Here are some flavors to explore when making sheet pan eggs (or even egg cups):
- Egg Mixture + Shredded Parmesan Cheese + Chopped Bell Peppers + Italian Seasoning + Chopped Pepperoni
- Egg Mixture + Small Diced Mushroom + Shredded Cheddar Cheese + BBQ Seasoning
- Egg Mixture + Quartered Tomatoes + Onion Granules + Black Pepper
- Egg Mixture + Chopped Baby Spinach + Smoked Salt + Black Pepper + Smoked Paprika
Is there a way to make dairy free cottage cheese pancakes?
There might be, but it will take a little extra work, and you’ll need to have access to soy based products. First, you’ll want to check out this recipe from Go Dairy Free. It’s for a dairy free cottage cheese that’s based on miso, mayo, and tofu. You can use an egg free mayo if needed. Once you have your dairy free cottage cheese made, then you’d proceed to follow a simple cottage cheese pancake recipe, and use your homemade goods.
Now, I’ve not followed the recipe, and there are more available if you search for “dairy free cottage cheese recipe” online. So know that your mileage may vary, but, in theory, it’s absolutely possible.
