As toddlers grow and develop, it’s important they receive the right nutrition to fuel their little bodies. A balanced, varied diet incorporating all the food groups puts your little one on the right path to healthy eating, ensuring they receive all the nutrition they need.
Understanding toddler nutrition
Following rapid growth in their first year of life, children typically grow slower during the toddler years (one to three years). As such, they may experience a decreased appetite, which, when combined with an increased desire for independence, can make mealtimes more difficult. All this being said, toddlers need a balanced diet filled with foods from all major food groups for continued growth and development.
It’s not uncommon for toddlers to be picky eaters or have food preferences that change regularly. It can make coming up with toddler lunch ideas a little trickier than you may hope, but it’s important to remember that this stage won’t last forever and that as long as your little one is fed and content, you’re doing a great job!
How to plan toddler lunches
Toddlers do not eat as much as adults or older children, but they do need to consume a variety of foods, including:
- Fruits
- Vegetables
- Whole grains (e.g. rice, pasta, quinoa, cereals)
- Dairy (e.g. milk, cheese)
- Protein (e.g. meat, fish, eggs, nuts, legumes).
While not all food groups need to be present in every meal, you should look to include a mix of different foods in your toddler’s meals throughout the day.
Whether you’re tight on time or looking to make your life a little easier, some forward planning and a few simple strategies can simplify preparing your toddler’s lunches. You might like to set aside some dinner leftovers to pack into your toddler’s lunch box the next day or make a double batch of dishes like muffins, pasta or soups, cutting down your preparation time in the future. Another handy approach is to batch cook and freeze foods, leaving them ready to defrost or reheat whenever the occasion arises.
With a little trial and error, you’ll soon find a system that works for you, cutting down your time in the kitchen while ensuring your little one is happy and fed!
Finger foods and bite-sized options
It takes time for toddlers to learn how to use a spoon or fork. While they’re still working on this important skill, finger foods and bite-sized options can help make lunchtime easier for you and your little one, especially if they’re at daycare or on the go.
If you’re looking for some inspiration and good daycare lunch box ideas, some easy, bite-sized finger foods include:
- Sliced fruits and vegetables
- Sliced boiled eggs
- Small pieces of cooked lean meat
- Pasta (look for larger shapes that are easier to hold)
- Homemade pikelets or pancakes
- Sandwiches sliced into fingers or small squares
- Mini muffins
- Cheese and crackers.
When deciding what to serve your toddler, consider their age and developmental stage. Younger toddlers require softer foods and smaller-sized pieces of food, while older children tend to enjoy a broader selection of foods.
Incorporating fruits and vegetables
With a reputation for being picky eaters, sometimes you need to get creative when incorporating fruits and vegetables into your toddler’s lunch. With plenty of great ways to do this, getting your little one excited about healthy eating can be fun.
One of the easiest ways to encourage your toddler to eat more vegetables is to combine them into foods you know they already like. Consider adding grated carrot or zucchini into a pasta sauce, stir pureed pumpkin through macaroni and cheese or add a range of delicious vegetables to a thick, blended soup. Fruits and some vegetables can also be easily blended into smoothies and juices and added to some baked goods, like muffins, to boost nutrition.
Using colourful vegetables to make faces on sandwiches or mini pizzas can be another great way to get your little one excited to try something new!
Whole grains and carbohydrates
Carbohydrates are a type of nutrient broken down by the body into simple sugars, which, in turn, help to power the body’s cells and essential organs like the brain. With toddlers growing, playing and developing, their bodies need the right fuel.
Carbohydrates can be found in various foods, from fruit and grains to some starchy vegetables. When incorporating carbohydrates into your toddler lunch box ideas, consider complex carbohydrates, like whole grains, which break down more slowly in the body, providing longer-lasting energy.
Some examples of whole grains you might like to include in your toddler’s lunch box are:
- Brown rice
- Quinoa
- Oats
- Whole grain bread
- Whole wheat pasta
- Whole grain cereals
Toddler lunch ideas and recipes
Looking for some delicious toddler lunch ideas? You’ll find some great options on the Bubs blog. Some of our favourites include:
- Bubs egg-free vegetarian-friendly crepes
- Bubs banana oat pancakes
- Banana, sweet potato, carrot and pumpkin mini muffins
- Chicken and sweetcorn pikelets
- Delicious and healthy alternative to mac and cheese
- Delicious and healthy hummus recipe
- Crunchy cheese crackers
Toddler-friendly lunchbox ideas
Deciding what to pack in your toddler’s lunch box can be a lot of fun, but there are a few important things to keep in mind:
- If you’re packing a lunch for your toddler to take to daycare, check the centre’s allergy guidelines. These guidelines help keep everyone safe and healthy and inform which daycare lunch box ideas you select.
- Try to avoid including new and unfamiliar foods that your little one may not like. If possible, reserve trying new foods for when you’re in a comfortable home setting.
- Serve all foods in sizes that your toddler can manage. Finger foods and bite-sized options are ideal.
- Ensure your toddler can open their lunchbox and all items within it. You might like to open pre-packaged foods, pre-peel mandarins and other fruits and opt for a lunchbox your toddler can open easily without assistance.
- Try incorporating a range of food groups into your toddler’s lunch, from fruits and vegetables to whole grains.
- Pre-cut foods like cherry tomatoes, grapes and hard fruits and vegetables to reduce choking hazards.
Bento-style lunch boxes with several different compartments can be a good option when serving toddler lunch ideas. They allow you to keep foods separate and fresh without combining flavours. In summer, you may also consider an insulated lunch bag, helping to keep your little one’s lunch cool and fresh.
As toddlers grow and develop, they need the right nutrition to fuel their little bodies. A tasty and nutritious lunch is one part of the puzzle, giving them the energy to play right through the day. Have fun trying out a range of toddler lunch box ideas, and rest easy knowing you’re filling their tiny tummies with plenty of good food.
