25 Toddler Meals That Are Easy and Lazy Parent–Friendly (and Mostly 30 Minutes or Less)
SOS: My kid is only nine months old and I’m already running out of meal ideas for her, so what the heck am I gonna do when she’s a toddler who’s simultaneously bored of chicken nuggets and a little too picky for what’s on my plate? I’ll probably lean on any of these 25 toddler meals, all of which are quick (about 30 minutes, give or take), easy to make (most are ten ingredients or less) and totally compatible when your M.O. is more “lazy parenting” than “gourmet chef.” What’s more, these recipes—like one-pot mac and cheese, tater tot nachos and Hawaiian roll french toast—are interesting enough to intrigue tiny taste buds without being so out there that they’ll go untouched.
31 Toddler Dinner Ideas Your Picky Eater Might Actually Try
1. One-Pot Mac and Cheese
Katherine Gillen
Time Commitment: 30 minutes
Why I Love It: <10 ingredients, one pot
Can I tell you a secret? You don’t have to drain the pasta, or even boil a separate pot of water. Just cook it in milk and voilà: There’s only one dirty dish to clean. Add pepperoni, spinach, mushrooms or any mix-ins your toddler will actually eat.
2. Crispy Coconut Chicken Tenders
Katherine Gillen
Time Commitment: 35 minutes
Why I Love It: <10 ingredients, crowd-pleaser
The sweet, salty combination is designed to please adults and kids alike. If you don’t want to fry them, bake the strips in a 400°F oven until golden, flipping halfway through.
3. One-Pan Spaghetti and Meatballs
Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell
Time Commitment: 30 minutes
Why I Love It: one pan, <10 ingredients
I can’t guarantee that the spaghetti will stay on the plate instead of ending up on the floor, but I can promise this toddler meal is ready in 30 and makes only one dirty pan. If your kid doesn’t like red sauce (can’t win them all), you could sub Alfredo sauce or pesto instead.
4. Greek Yogurt Chicken Salad Stuffed Peppers
Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell
Time Commitment: 30 minutes
Why I Love It: high protein, make ahead
Don't make sandwiches—make boats. The store-bought rotisserie chicken is the shortcut you’ll be most grateful for. Got a tot who hates flavor? Omit the scallions.
5. Baking Sheet Quesadillas
Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell
Time Commitment: 30 minutes
Why I Love It: sheet pan recipe, <10 ingredients
Trust me, you’ll never want to make individual quesadillas again once you try this method. Use round tortillas if your store doesn’t carry the rectangular variety (mine doesn’t).
6. Cheesy Cauliflower Patties
Cauliflower
Time Commitment: 30 minutes
Why I Love It: gluten free, <10 ingredients
The next best thing since tater tots, this toddler meal is made nutritious with cauliflower and can be baked in the oven instead of fried if desired. You can use mozzarella, Gouda or cheddar cheese, so pick whichever your kid likes most.
7. Leftover Pasta Frittata
Andrew Bui/Let’s Eat
Time Commitment: 15 minutes
Why I Love It: <30 minutes, <10 ingredients
If you’re anything like me, leftover noodles are destined to suffer a slow death in the back of the fridge. Better to repurpose the pasta into this pleasantly chewy frittata, which is flavored with plenty of Parmesan cheese. (Ditch the crushed red pepper flakes to make this meal totally toddler-friendly.)
8. Sweet Potato, Bacon and Broccoli Egg Muffins
Kristen Buck/Buck Naked Kitchen
Time Commitment: 30 minutes
Why I Love It: make ahead, <10 ingredients
It’s got protein, it’s got veggies, it’s got bacon—what more could a parent ask for? You can swap the fillings for whatever your toddler likes best (sausage? peas? I’ll try anything). Freeze the leftovers for a future breakfast or lunch.
9. Broccoli Pesto Pasta
Robert Bredvad/The Secret Ingredient Cookbook
Time Commitment: 23 minutes
Why I Love It: <10 ingredients, <30 minutes
I’m not saying you should lie, but if you don’t tell ’em there’s broccoli in there, they might not know. If you want to add some protein that you know they'll eat, I’d suggest adding grilled chicken or blending a bit of silken tofu into the sauce.
10. Tater Tot Nachos
Katherine Gillen
Time Commitment: 50 minutes
Why I Love It: sheet pan recipe, <10 ingredients
As it turns out, crispy-on-the-outside, soft-on-the-inside potatoes just so happen to be an ideal base for nacho toppings—obviously use whatever is most likely to get eaten in your household, and feel free to hold any “adult” ingredients (like onions, cilantro and scallions) on the side.
11. Vegetarian Sushi Cups
Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell
Time Commitment: 1 hour
Why I Love It: make ahead, vegetarian
No one is immune to the appeal of sticky rice. Even a 2-year-old. I like the idea of filling these bites with ripe avocado for something creamy, cucumber for crunch and carrots for a touch of sweetness, but you can freestyle, too.
12. Avocado and Black Bean Pasta Salad
Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell
Time Commitment: 20 minutes
Why I Love It: <30 minutes, make ahead
Pasta salad can be made ahead, served cold and eaten with forks or fingers. Is it the ultimate toddler meal? I’ll let you (or better yet, your kid) be the judge. Skip the jalapeño to make the flavor milder here.
13. Hawaiian Roll French Toast
Katherine Gillen
Time Commitment: 25 minutes
Why I Love It: <30 minutes, <10 ingredients
In my humble opinion, French toast is the superior sweet breakfast food. It’s versatile (use whatever stale bread you have!), balanced (carbs, protein, fat and, ahem, syrup) and easy to make on a busy morning or tired night. This version, which uses Hawaiian rolls, is sweet and easy for little hands to grasp.
14. Vegetarian Sloppy Joes
Katherine Gillen
Time Commitment: 30 minutes
Why I Love It: one pan, vegetarian
Hello, favorite childhood meal. This version uses lentils instead of ground meat to save money while still bringing protein to the table. I’ll be topping mine with coleslaw and a sesame seed bun for the full effect.
15. Puff Pastry Pizza Bundles
Katherine Gillen
Time Commitment: 25 minutes
Why I Love It: <30 minutes, <10 ingredients
Whether you’re 2 or 102, it’s simply impossible to say no to pizza. (Ditto for a toddler meal that’s ready in 25 minutes.) I’ll be using pre-made sauce, but if you make your own, you can add in extra vegetables.
16. BLT Tacos
Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell
Time Commitment: 35 minutes
Why I Love It: <10 ingredients, high protein
What 4-year-old doesn’t want to eat fistfuls of bacon? (You know, if they pick out the lettuce and tomato, it’s not the end of the world.)
17. Julia Turshen’s Sticky Chicken
Melina Hammer/Simply Julia
Time Commitment: 25 minutes
Why I Love It: <30 minutes, <10 ingredients
This is a 25-minute, sticky-sweet chicken dish that’s hard to resist. The ketchup-based sauce has a kick from chili-garlic paste, but you can absolutely leave it out to eliminate the heat. (And if you plan on serving it to a kid under the age of one, leave out the honey.)
18. Sheet Pan Tomato Basil Gnocchi
Jessica Merchant/Everyday Dinners
Time Commitment: 35 minutes
Why I Love It: sheet pan recipe, make ahead
Can we take a moment for gnocchi? It’s pillowy soft, it combines my two favorite food groups (pasta and potatoes) and, if you use the store-bought kind, it makes an easy weeknight toddler meal that also happens to be adult friendly. My advice? Use store-bought pesto to save yourself some effort.
19. Herby Salmon Cakes
What’s Gaby Cooking
Time Commitment: 21 minutes
Why I Love It: <30 minutes, beginner-friendly
I plan on chopping up the herbs into ultra-fine bits to expose my kid to new flavors without the texture sparking a meltdown. Preheat the pan thoroughly so when you cook the salmon cakes, they turn out crispy, not mushy.
20. 4-Ingredient Banana Pancakes
Ambitious Kitchen
Time Commitment: 30 minutes
Why I Love It: <10 ingredients, gluten free
High in protein and fiber, these pancakes have a bit more substance than your typical short stack. They’re made with coconut flour and alt milk, so they’re safe for gluten- and dairy-sensitive tots, but you can also use all-purpose flour and regular milk if you want.
21. Eggs, Greens and Cheese Tortilla
Aviva Wittenberg/Lunchbox
Time Commitment: 15 minutes
Why I Love It: <10 ingredients, <30 minutes
If you want to switch it up from the usual PB&J, this egg and tortilla rollup is equally tasty warm out of the pan or sliced up and packed for lunch. Most importantly, you can play around with the exact filling based on what you have in the fridge.
22. Caprese Pasta Salad
Katherine Gillen
Time Commitment: 30 minutes
Why I Love It: make ahead, <10 ingredients
If I won’t eat a sad, gloppy, mayo-based salad, why would I make my kid? This toddler-friendly meal is bright and fresh, but still has all the necessities (ahem, cheese balls). Again, if you plan on adding this to a baby-led weaning menu for Tiny, leave out the honey—and you may want to quarter the tomatoes and mozz.
23. Baked Chicken and Ricotta Meatballs
Patricia Niven/Keeping It Simple
Time Commitment: 35 minutes
Why I Love It: sheet pan recipe, high protein
Broccolini has a milder flavor than broccoli, so it’s ideal for expanding your toddler’s taste buds. The meatballs can be made ahead and frozen for up to a month, if you want to make your life even simpler.
24. Chickpea and Vegetable Coconut Curry
Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell
Time Commitment: 30 minutes
Why I Love It: one pot, vegetarian
Curry for a toddler meal? Hear me out: The coconut milk mellows the flavor considerably, so it’s not particularly spicy. But if you really don’t think your kid will go for it, you can reduce the amount of curry paste or leave it out entirely.
25. Savory Chicken Sausage, Egg and Cheese Muffins
Ambitious Kitchen
Time Commitment: 20 minutes
Why I Love It: <30 minutes, <10 ingredients
These healthy egg muffins can be made the night before and stashed in the fridge, then reheated the next morning. Breakfast tantrum avoided? Well, I can’t make any guarantees.
