Toddler Meal Plan
To give you examples of what a toddler might eat in a day, I have 5 sample toddler meal plans from my own real life when my middle kiddo was 2 years old. These days represent average days and will show how an appetite might fluctuate and the diversity of foods that we can be offering to our toddlers.
What should toddlers eat?
Each day, toddlers should have a mix of:
Protein from dairy, nuts/legumes (in forms that are safe for their age), meat, poultry, and fish. Complex carbohydrates from whole grains and produce including sweet potatoes and squash. Healthy fats such as avocado, flax seed, chia seed, hemp seed, egg yolks, and nuts and seeds. Produce including fruits and veggies.
Toddlers also need iron-rich foods and fiber-rich foods, which they’ll naturally get if they eat from a mix of categories above. It’s also a good idea to aim to serve them a wide range of foods to ensure that they’re getting the nutrition they need to grow—and to help avoid falling into a rut of picky eating. This may sound overwhelming, but really, if you aim for 1-2 food groups minimum at most meals and vary what you serve throughout the week, you don’t need to spend time tracking food groups or counting grams, promise. TIP: Get a printable Toddler Daily Nutrition Chart here.
How many meals a day should a toddler have?
Most toddlers will do well with three main meals and two smaller snacks a day. Tune in to your toddler though because they may prefer a snack first thing, then breakfast later in the morning at what is typically morning snack time. Many toddlers are also hungry for a dinner-size meal at 4 pm and would be satisfied with a smaller snack closer to bedtime. You can adjust as needed. TIP: It can help to think of all of the food your child eats in one day as “mini meals” and to serve the same sorts of foods at each meal—instead of saving “snack” foods for just snack times. That can improve your kiddo’s disposition at all meals!
How much time should I allow between toddler meals?
Depending on the age of your toddler, and their activity level, whether they have a cold, and what you’re up to, etc, you can aim for 2-3 hours between meals and snacks. That window of time will give them plenty of time to work up an appetite, which can help them be more interested in eating what you serve them. Having set meal and snack times is a good routine to aim for since it can set a cadence to your day and help your toddler know what to expect. (I.E., try not to allow grazing on snacks all day since that is the fastest way to ruin an appetite for an actual meal!) TIP: Learn what to do when your toddler won’t eat here.
Toddler Feeding Schedule
Here’s a look at three sample options for toddler feeding schedules that might work for your toddler. These are not set in stone because I realize that everyone has a different daily schedule but are meant to be examples for you to consider and adjust.
7 am: Breakfast 9:30 am: Morning Snack 12 pm: Lunch (1 pm nap) 3 pm: Afternoon Snack 5:30 pm: Dinner
OR
6 am: Breakfast 9 am: Morning Snack 11:30 am: Lunch (12 pm nap) 2:30 pm: Afternoon Snack 5:30: Fruits and/or Veggies while waiting for dinner 6 pm: Dinner
1 Year Old Feeding Schedule
For a one year old who’s still taking two naps a day and having bottles or breastfeeding, here’s a look at what their schedule might be. (For more info on how to wean a toddler and gradually drop bottles or breastfeeding (if you want to), this post has all of the weaning info you might need.)
6 am bottle or breastfeeding 7 am: Breakfast 9 am: Morning Snack (9:30 am nap) 10:30 am bottle or breastfeeding 11:30 am: Lunch (1 pm nap) 2:30 bottle or breastfeeding 3:30 pm: Afternoon Snack 5:30 pm: Dinner 6:30: bottle or breastfeeding (7pm bedtime)
TIP: Find out more about 1 Year Old Feeding Schedules here.
Toddler Meal Plan for 2 Year Old
Here’s a look at a few sample toddler meal plans from real life with my two year old. This first was a weekend day and we typically go lighter on snacks to help our toddler have an appetite for her meals. She ate a solid breakfast this day so the banana was all she needed for her morning snack.
Breakfast: Applesauce Waffles, applesauce, nut butter Morning Snack: Banana, water Lunch: Spinach Pesto Pasta with Peas, grapes, fruit leather, milk Afternoon Snack: Cherry tomatoes, raisins Dinner: ½ Cheesy Meat Bun, broccoli, milk
Sample Toddler Meal Plan Day Two
This toddler menu was another sample day in our life. On this day, my two year old ate more substantial snacks and didn’t eat all of her main meals, as sometimes happens.
Breakfast: Breakfast Cookie, reusable pouch with plain whole milk yogurt Morning Snack: Cheese stick, clementine Lunch: Butternut Squash Apple Soup, Veggie Straws, fresh snap peas with ranch (she didn’t eat all of this and mostly ignored the soup!) Afternoon Snack: Joe’s O’s, kiwi, milk Dinner: Taco filling with ground beef, peppers, beans, and corn; cheese quesadilla (she mostly ate the quesadilla in this meal)
Sample Toddler Meal Plan Day Three
I love to make a batch of muffins on the weekend to have on hand for easy weekday breakfasts—and the Banana Oatmeal Muffins are always a hit with my kids.
Breakfast: Banana Oatmeal Muffin, cantaloupe, milk Morning Snack: Sauteed Cinnamon Apples Lunch: Bean and Cheese Quesadilla, corn, Roasted Zucchini, Strawberry Applesauce Afternoon Snack: Cheese Crackers Dinner: Teriyaki Shrimp with Zucchini and rice
Sample Meal Plan Day Four
This may or may not be the right amount of food for your child, so adjust what you serve based on their typical hunger patterns and allow more food if they let you know they’re still hungry.
Breakfast: Spinach Pancakes, pineapple, peanut butter Am Snack: Siggi’s 2% yogurt, cucumbers Lunch: Sweet Potato Grilled Cheese, peppers, freeze-dried strawberries, chocolate chip cookies PM Snack: Cheese stick and clementine Dinner: Egg Muffins with veggies, salsa, applesauce, Triscuits
Sample Meal Plan Day Five
We do oatmeal at least twice a week and I’ve found that having it in a regular cadence each week increases the likelihood that my toddler will be happy to eat it.
Breakfast: Oatmeal with blueberries Am Snack: Banana Lunch: Carrot Cake Muffins, Roasted Carrot Fries, cottage cheese, grapes PM Snack: Cottage cheese, raspberries, graham crackers Dinner: Baked Chicken Tenders, Cheesy Rice with Carrots, watermelon
TIP: My kiddo was on a cottage cheese kick on this day, hence having it twice.
How do I know if my toddler is eating enough?
If your toddler is healthy and is energetic, is meeting milestones and is gaining weight, you can trust them to eat as much as they need for their hunger assuming there are no medical issues at play. (If there are medical concerns, always check in with your pediatrician.) To help them do this, try to: TIP: Learn more about normal picky eating in toddlers.
There’s No Such Thing As a Perfect Toddler Diet
And most of all, take images of meals that other kids are eating with a grain of salt. No two kids are the same, no two families are the same. There is not one perfect way to feed a toddler, but I hope that seeing some examples do help! Click here for a printable Daily Toddler Nutrition Guide.
I’d love to know how you approach toddler meals and timing in your house, so please comment below to share!
