Dinner Ideas for Toddlers

Last Updated on February 10, 2026 by Jordyn Koveleski Gorman

If the dinnertime hour is a struggle for you and your little ones, know that you are not alone. This is a challenging part of the day for many families!

Rest assured that it’s normal for dinner to be the most difficult meal of the day. Not only that, it may also be your little one’s smallest meal. After enjoying breakfast and lunch, plus often snacking in the afternoon, it’s no surprise their hunger has slowed down by evening!

This challenging stretch of time means that simple dinners are your best friend. But balancing simple and nutritious meals with good ratios of carbs, fats, and protein isn’t for the faint of heart.

So, what’s for dinner then? Our registered dietitian put together some easy dinner ideas that are packed with protein, iron, and fiber. Your dinnertime hour can run smoother and be filled with yummy, nutritious food!

Easy dinner ideas for toddlers

These dinners come together very quickly and have minimal ingredients. They are great to keep in the dinner rotation for evenings when you are short on time. These recipes even allow your toddler to help food prep in the kitchen. This way, they are a part of the dinner meal before it even starts! 

Taco + simple guacamole 

What’s fast, easy, and delicious for everyone? Taco night!

Taco ingredients:

• Tortilla
• 1 lb ground beef, chicken, turkey or pork 
• Taco seasoning (2 tsp chili powder, 1 ½ tsp cumin, ½ tsp paprika, 1 tsp salt, ½ tsp garlic powder, ¼ tsp dried oregano) 
• Toppings – chopped lettuce, chopped tomatoes, shredded cheese, cooked corn, sour cream

Guacamole ingredients: 

• 1 ripe avocado 
• Squeeze of lime
• Pinch of salt and pepper

Directions: 

1. Cook your ground meat in a skillet and add seasoning blend. 
2. Mash the avocado in a bowl and mix with lime juice and salt/pepper. 
3. Assemble your taco with whichever toppings your little one prefers. Serve the guac in the taco or on the side for dipping.

Time to cook: 20 minutes

Quesadilla “Hot Pocket”

This quick quesadilla is from our 15-Minute Family Meals resource and is such a crowd pleaser! It is filled with lots of dense nutrition without feeling like grown up food.

Ingredients:

• Butter
• Tortillas 
• Shredded cheese
• Black beans 
• Leftover chicken or steak
• Avocado 

Directions: 

1. Spread some butter on one side of a tortilla and place it in a skillet on low-medium heat. 
2. Add shredded cheese, beans and meat and cover with another tortilla. Cook on low until browned on one side, then flip over and let brown on the other side. 
3. Mash avocado up as a dip for quesadilla strips.

Rotisserie chicken pairings

Buying a rotisserie chicken from the grocery store is one of our favorite fast-food dinner hacks! Serve for dinner one night and use the leftover meat to add to lunches or dinners all week.

Some of our favorite ways to serve rotisserie chicken for a quick, easy toddler meal include pairing it with hummus for dipping, veggie sticks, and fruit on the side. You can whip up a quick chicken salad or serve it shredded with whatever condiment(s) your little one likes!

Looking for more quick + nutritious dinners that can be served in 15 minutes or less? We recently launched our 15-Minute Family Meals recipe guide, which includes 50 recipes for breakfast, lunch, and dinner!

Simple meals for toddlers

Some days just call for comfort food. We might as well make it as nourishing as possible! These meals take a bit more time (around 30 minutes), but are also great to reheat for lunch or dinner the following day. Plus, they are toddler staples with a healthy spin!

Stovetop mac & cheese 

Serve with steamed peas and your favorite protein, like ground beef or grilled chicken.

Ingredients:

• 1 Tablespoon butter
• 2 cups bone broth
• 2 cups milk
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 12 oz of your favorite pasta (short cut pasta works best here) 
• 1/4 teaspoon mustard powder
• 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 4 Tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
• 2 1/2 cups grated cheese

Directions:

1. Heat butter, broth, and milk in a large saucepan and bring to a boil. Add pasta, salt, mustard, onion, and garlic powder.
2. Boil according to pasta instructions. The pasta will absorb most of the liquid. Stir frequently while cooking. Depending on your pasta, you may need to add more broth. 
3. Remove pot from heat and stir in the cheese until melted.

Quick bolognese + pasta

This dinner feels fancy for the whole family without hours spent cooking.

Ingredients: 

• 1-2lb ground beef
• 1 jar favorite tomato sauce
• 4 oz minced beef liver (optional) 
• ¼ cup coconut aminos
• Sea salt and pepper to taste
• Fresh Herbs 
• Favorite pasta or spiralized zucchini

Directions: 

1. Place beef into a preheated skillet on medium-high heat and brown meat, stirring every few minutes.
2. Halfway through browning, mix in beef liver, coconut aminos, salt, and pepper.
3. Once the meat has reached temperature, turn down heat and stir in tomato sauce, cooking for an additional 2 minutes until warm.
4. Top with fresh herbs, like basil, and serve over your favorite pasta or spiralized zucchini. 

Iron-rich meals for toddlers

Getting iron into little bellies can be challenging, but it’s not impossible! Add these meals to your dinner rotation and rest assured that your toddler is boosting their iron intake.

Ground beef + rice + veggies

This meal is like Chinese takeout but at home. Feel free to add in additional/different veggies that your little one likes, but classic mixed vegetables work well in this recipe.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup white rice
• 1.5 cups bone broth 
• 1 Tbsp. butter
• 1 lb ground beef 
• ½ tsp garlic powder
• ½ tsp onion powder 
• 2 tsp coconut aminos or soy sauce
• Frozen mixed veggies

Directions: 

1. Rinse rice thoroughly. Bring 1.5 cups bone broth and 1 Tbsp butter to a boil. Add rice, stir, cover with a lid, and reduce heat to low. Simmer for 15 minutes, then remove from heat and let sit. 
2. While rice cooks, brown ground beef in a skillet, breaking it up as you go. Add 2 tsp coconut aminos or soy sauce, ½ tsp garlic and ½ tsp onion powder. 
3. Add 1 cup of frozen mixed veggies to the beef and cook until beef is done and veggies are tender. You may need to add a few tablespoons of water or broth. 
4. Mix rice with ground beef and veggies, or serve them separately if your toddler prefers.

Sheet pan dinners for toddlers

The less pots and pans to wash, the better! These meals are all made on one big sheet pan. The veggies can be customized to whichever ones your family loves, and they are a great option for picky eaters because your little one can choose what they want to eat from the sheet pan.

These recipes are also rich in iron. Double win!

Baked white fish + sweet potato cubes + green beans

This recipe is quick and easy, with limited prep work and even less to clean up.

Ingredients: 

• 4 white fish filets such as cod, halibut or haddock 
• 2 Tablespoons butter or ghee
• Sea salt
• Onion powder
• Garlic powder
• Paprika 
• Pepper
• Sweet potatoes 
• Green beans 
• Avocado oil, duck fat, lard, tallow, or ghee

Directions: 

1. Preheat oven to 400F. Pat fish filets dry with a paper towel and place on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. 
2. Use a spoon or pastry brush to spread melted butter or ghee all over the fish.
3. Season fish to your preference with salt, onion powder, garlic powder, parsley, and paprika.
4. Peel and chop sweet potatoes into small cubes. Drizzle with avocado oil, duck fat, or lard, and season to taste with salt and pepper. Spread onto a parchment paper lined sheet pan. 
5. Spread green beans out on the sheet pan next to sweet potatoes. Drizzle with avocado oil and sprinkle with salt. 
6. Bake the fish in the preheated oven at 400F for around 12-13 minutes. The sweet potatoes and green beans will take longer, about 30 minutes. Adjust time based on how well you like your veggies cooked.

Chicken thighs + potatoes + zucchini 

This recipe is incredibly easy to make extra portions without much added effort, giving you prepped meals for future lunches throughout the week!

Ingredients:

• Chicken thighs (either bone in skin on or boneless skinless work well) 
• Baby potatoes
• Zucchini
• Avocado oil, duck fat, lard, tallow, or ghee 
• Salt and pepper 
• Optional spices: garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, oregano, italian seasoning
• Optional: Fresh grated parmesan cheese

Directions: 

1. Preheat the oven to 400F and line a large sheet pan with parchment paper. 
2. Rub chicken thighs with avocado oil and season well with salt, pepper and any other seasonings you wish. Spread onto one side of the sheet pan. 
3. Chop baby potatoes and zucchini into cubes, drizzle with fat of choice and sprinkle with salt, pepper, and any other seasonings. Spread potatoes out on sheet pan, but leave the zucchini on the side to add later.
4. Bake chicken and potatoes for about 30 minutes, then add the zucchini to the sheet pan and bake for another 15 minutes, or until veggies are cooked to your liking. The chicken should reach an internal temp of 165F. 
5. If desired, sprinkle parmesan cheese over everything.

Ricotta meatballs + roasted carrots +  broccoli 

These meatballs make an excellent dinner, but also reheat so well for lunch the next day!

Meatball ingredients: 

• 1 lb ground chicken, pork, turkey, or beef 
• ½ tsp garlic powder 
• ½ Tbsp. italian seasoning 
• ¾ cup whole milk ricotta cheese
• ⅛ cup shredded parmesan cheese
• 1 teaspoon salt
• Pepper to taste 

Carrot and broccoli ingredients:

• Carrots 
• Head of broccoli or broccoli florets 
• Avocado oil
• Salt and pepper to taste 

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425F. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper. Combine the meatball ingredients in a bowl and mix with your hands. 
2. Roll the mixture into meatballs about the size of a golf ball and set on the sheet pan. 
3. Take a big handful of carrots and scrub them clean. Chop them up into big chunks, drizzle with avocado oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Spread onto the sheet pan next to the meatballs. 
4. Chop the broccoli into florets and toss with avocado oil, salt, and pepper. Set aside to add to the sheet pan later. 
5. Place the meatballs and carrots into the oven for about 20 minutes. Remove, stir the carrots, and add the broccoli to the sheet pan. Cook for another 20 minutes. 

Need more quick, easy toddler meal ideas?

We hope these nourishing dinner ideas will bring fresh inspiration to your meal rotation.

If meal planning for dinner is overwhelming for you, then give this strategy a try. Pick 4-5 dinner recipes that you cycle through on repeat for a month. Print the recipes and have them ready to go in the kitchen. Keep the pantry ingredients stocked and the meat you need for the month in the freezer. The fruit and veggies served can vary week to week. Choose new meals for the next month and repeat!

If you need more help with breakfast, lunch, and dinner, you’ll love our latest resource—50 toddler-approved family meals that can be made in 15 minutes or less!