I’ve scoured Pinterest for toddler approved recipes and meal ideas that I can make for dinner for everyone.
Getting your toddler to eat what you’re having for dinner is not an easy task. But if you find the right recipes, you can make it a lot easier on yourself.
Here are 50 recipes your toddler will like.

Toddlers can be so picky
My toddler is usually pretty picky. We’ve been able to find quite a bit of food that she’ll actually eat with us. But sometimes she just does not want to eat what we’re having for dinner.
Sometimes you need quick and easy meal ideas for just your toddler so you can eat what you want.
But it’s like finding gold if you can get your whole family to agree on one dinner. And that’s what we’re looking for today.
Toddler Approved Meal Ideas for the Whole Family
Recipes your toddler will love so your whole family can eat the same thing.
Spaghetti Pie
If your toddler likes spaghetti, try this twist on it.
Cheesy Tuna Pasta
My daughter will eat almost any kind of noodle. This delicious pasta has tuna for a good source of protein.
French Bread Pizza
I love french bread pizza. And your toddler will too because who doesn't love french bread or pizza? Crazy people and people who are allergic to them. So if you don't need to worry about gluten or dairy, put these items on your grocery list.
Homemade Waffles Recipe
Have breakfast for dinner and make homemade waffles. Everything tastes so much better when they're homemade. Plus if your toddler is big enough, they can help with the mixing and egg cracking.
Baked Chicken Nuggets
Toddlers love chicken nuggets. Well, your whole family can have chicken nuggets for dinner and they're better for you than fast food nuggets.
Taquitos Recipe
Whitney's 3 year old devours these taquitos. My 3 year old for some reason doesn't like anything even mildly spicy so she stays away from anything taco related. But if your toddler can handle a little spice, these are a great choice.
Roasted Bacon Sweet Potatoes
My toddler loves sweet potatoes. This is a great recipe from my friend Stefani. And it's paleo! If you don't need it to be paleo, you can adapt the recipe to what you think your family will like.
The Best Chicken Salad Sandwich Recipe
Need an easy weekend lunch for everyone? Chicken salad, my friend. If your toddler doesn't grasp the idea of holding and eating a sandwich yet, you can let them just eat it with a fork or spoon. My 3 year old is not a fan of the sandwich structure. She likes to eat each part individually.
Hummus with Veggies and Pita Chips
I discovered the magic of hummus about 6 months ago and so did my 3 year old. She loves it with pita chips. You can also get your toddler to eat veggies if they can dip it in the hummus.
Easy Slow Cooker Grape Jelly Meatballs
This slow cooker meatball recipe only has 4 ingredients! She mentions that you can use BBQ sauce in place of chili sauce. That might be easier for your toddler to eat.
Easy, Healthy Broccoli and Cauliflower Pasta
This sounds delicious and I want to make it right now. I love all of these things and so does Toot.
French Toast Pigs in a Blanket Roll ups
Need a delicious Sunday breakfast recipe? This. This right here. Bacon wrapped in french toast.
Parmesan Crusted Chicken Tenders
Here's another great way to make chicken tenders a whole family meal. Who would turn these down?
Easy Vegetarian Lasagna Recipe
Veggies will be eaten. Veggies WILL be eaten! As long as they're in the middle of a delicious pasta. lol
Cheesy Chicken Broccoli and Rice Casserole
Make it cheesy and your kids will eat it. Everything tastes good with cheese on it.
Toddler Eats: Alphabet Vegetable Soup
Remember Campbell's alphabet soup? This is a homemade version of it. Who says grownups can't have letters in their soup too?
Broccoli Cheese Nuggets
Low Carb, Grain Gluten Free, and a good way to get your kids to eat broccoli.
Easy Stove Top Macaroni and Cheese
Need an alternative to a box of mac and cheese? Samantha's toddler eats this up better than Kraft.
BBQ Cups
I make a version of this at least once or twice a month. Really good and easy to make.
Family Friendly Turkey Burger Sliders With Cheese
Sliders are just the right size for toddlers.
My Kids Favorite Casserole
This casserole recipe is literally named her kids' favorite. So you know it's kid approved!
5 Mins Air Fryer Pita Bread Pizza
If you have an air fryer, you can try making pizza out of pita bread.
Homemade Mac and Cheese Recipe
This is a really simple and easy recipe for baked mac and cheese. I'm adding this to my dinner meal rotation because Toot loves mac and cheese.
Easy Skillet Lasagna
Get out your cast iron skillet and make a lasagna in it! If you buy the no boil noodles, you won't even have to pre cook them.
Chicken Schnitzel
Pamela's toddler is obsessed with this recipe. Schnitzel is a German thing. It's thin pieces of meat that are coated with egg, flour, and breadcrumbs then fried to be crispy.
Walking Tacos
Walking tacos are probably my favorite thing to get from food trucks at the fair or outdoor events. Here's a recipe you can make at home. Toddlers will be able to eat tacos better with a fork anyway.
Turkey Veggie Meatloaf Muffins
I love recipes you can make in muffin tins. They make good portion sizes for little tummies.
Instant Pot Cheeseburger Pasta
This is a healthier homemade hamburger helper. (That's a lot of alliteration.) And you can make it in your Instant Pot!
Instant Pot Sausage Rigatoni
This pasta recipe looks amazing. And another reason to get an Instant Pot.
Tater Tot Cheeseburger Cups
This recipe uses tator tots as the cup!
Delicious Hearty Instant Pot Beef Stew
I always loved my mom's beef stew when I was a kid. I never actually ate the beef part. I mainly wanted the vegetables. Toot is the same way.
Arrabiatta Pasta
This is an instant pot recipe for a vegan pasta. There's no crazy ingredients to make it vegan. It just is without trying. I like recipes like that.
One-Pot Spring Pasta
This pasta was made with spring in mind with fresh spring veggies.
Instant Pot Sesame Chicken
I didn't like Chinese food as a kid. I was a picky eater. But my toddler has really been liking a lot of Chinese chicken recipes. And most toddlers I know love rice. It's a great pairing.
Cheesy Sheet Pan Quesadillas
This is a really cool way to make quesadillas! You can alter some of the toppings to your toddler's tastes. Bonus: it only takes about 10 minutes to put together.
Kid-Friendly Sloppy Joe Mashed Potato Pie
Here's a gluten free take on sloppy joes!
Easy Instant Pot Chicken and Rice
Chicken and rice is a classic.
Chicken Alfredo with Penne and Peas
Chicken alfredo is a favorite in our house. Here's a great recipe that includes peas!
Sausage, Potato and Vegetables Sheet Pan Dinner
My toddler loves sausage. Here's a great sheet pan recipe for sausage and veggies. I love when you can make everything on one sheet pan.
Ham and Cheese Sliders on Hawaiian Rolls
I made these a few times and my toddler just loves them. We even served these at a Super Bowl party and all of the kids there ate them.
Easy Cheeseburger Tater Tot Casserole
This is everything my toddler loves. Cheeseburgers and tots.
Pizza Quesadillas
Pizza + Quesadillas = yes please! Bonus: these are gluten free if you use corn tortillas.
Turkey Cheese Apple Sandwiches
These apple sandwiches would make a great lunch idea.
Slow Cooker Italian Meatballs
You can make these ahead of time and freeze them.
Egg Roll in a Bowl
My toddler likes egg rolls but she has a hard time eating them. Enter: egg roll in a bowl! This is also paleo, low-carb, AIP, and Whole30.
Easy Baked Homemade Chicken Nuggets
Chicken nuggets aren't just for kids. I like them too! Make some for the whole family. There are instructions for Gluten Free & Egg free nuggets too.
Homemade Broccoli & Cheese Soup
I love a good broccoli and cheese soup. My toddler loves to dip bread in it.
Kid Friendly Taco Soup
This is an easy recipe and it's inexpensive to make.
What are your favorite toddler approved recipes for the whole family?
Let me know in the comments below!
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