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10 Toddler Breakfast Ideas to inspire your busy mornings! Mix and match these mostly healthy, always delicious kid favorites for a great start to any day.
As the mother of a toddler (and a kindergartener), breakfast is, unquestionably, The Most Important Meal of the Day.
For all of us.
I cannot predict what my kids will eat (or not eat) the rest of the day, but I know I can get them to eat a solid breakfast. Mix and match these 10 Toddler Breakfast Ideas to guarantee a nourishing start to your child’s day. And a bit of sanity to yours.
What can I feed my fussy toddler for breakfast?
What any given toddler will eat is a mystery. However, from this list you will have a bunch of new ideas you can try out. Most, if not all, are healthy too (depending on your exact definition of “healthy”).
Toddler Breakfast Idea #1: Turkey sausage, clementines, and cereal
Turkey sausage is one of the rare poultry options that I like as much as the full-fat version (turkey pepperoni is another favorite). I added clementine slices (or substitute any orange) for sweetness and some toasted oat cereal.
If your child is coordinated enough, pour the milk into the bowl to enjoy the cereal the traditional way! Running behind? Toss the cereal into a bag and take it on the road for a quick snack.
Toddler Breakfast Idea #2: Pancakes and chopped strawberries
If you cannot find the energy to mix up a batch of pancakes from scratch in the morning (and if you’re reading this post, you probably have a toddler, and therefore you definitely DON’T have the energy), give yourself a head start with a Healthy Homemade Pancake Mix.
Top with butter and/or pure maple syrup, then serve with a side of fresh strawberries for an easy, toddler-pleasing morning.
In my house, pancakes = fewer tantrums.
Toddler Breakfast Idea #3: Scrambled egg with cheese, tomatoes, and an English muffin
Everything is better with cheese (says the girl from America’s Dairyland) and your toddler thinks so, too.
Even a tiny sprinkle of shredded cheese might be all it takes to convince your toddler that eggs are a good idea in the morning.
As for the grape tomato halves… my toddler loves these. Yours might not. That’s okay. Serve with a small piece of toasted English muffin and strawberry jam.
Toddler Breakfast Idea #4: Crackers with cottage cheese and a berry smoothie
This is a favorite snack in my house but it doubles as a quick breakfast idea, too. Blend some ½ banana and 4 fresh or frozen strawberries into 6 ounces of milk for a sweet and satisfying toddler-sized smoothie. Then call it dessert!
Toddler Breakfast Idea #5: Whole wheat toast with peanut butter and bananas
Peanut butter toast with bananas on top is an obvious breakfast idea for anyone except a toddler.
The banana slices must be on the side: Always on the side! No questions asked!
If you start your child off eating wheat toast from the beginning, they won’t even want squishy white bread as they grow up. It worked for me when my mom did it!
Toddler Breakfast Idea #6: Turkey bacon, a mini pumpkin muffin, and applesauce
Turkey bacon often tastes and looks like a ham slice. For toddlers, that’s good!
The pumpkin muffins can be made on a weekend for an easy breakfast or snacking idea all week long (add in a teaspoon or two of chia seeds or ground flax if you want to). Applesauce completes this breakfast of tiny champions.
Toddler Breakfast Idea #7: Yogurt with granola, blueberries, and milk
This is another “assembly” breakfast idea that requires no actual cooking.
Keep the components separate at first in case your toddler doesn’t like everything mixed together (mine doesn’t). Either homemade granola or store-bought granola works here. Substitute your child’s favorite fruit of choice if necessary!
Toddler Breakfast Idea #8: Apple slices with almond butter and string cheese
Possibly the easiest breakfast idea yet, and that’s saying something! (None of these are rocket science).
Almond butter is surprisingly delicious when you spread it on apple slices (my toddler prefers a cup for dipping). Wash it down with a glass of milk and add a piece of string cheese on the side. Super simple, and it also makes a great snack idea!
Toddler Breakfast Idea #9: Mini bagel with cream cheese and grapes
Obviously regular bagels work just as well here (but maybe just start with half of a bagel depending on the size of your toddler’s tummy).
Spread the bagel with thick petals of cream cheese and serve with grapes (halved lengthwise if necessary).
Toddler Breakfast Idea #10: Breakfast sandwich with cantaloupe
The breakfast sandwiches can be customized based on what your child likes or you have on hand. My kids love either Canadian bacon or sausage patties (with cheese, of course). Toast the English muffin first.
Looking for quick lunch ideas for your toddler? Try one of my 12 Toddler Lunch Ideas for quick, fun, and healthy meals made with staples you likely have on hand.
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10 Toddler Breakfasts
Ingredients
Toddler Breakfast Idea #1:
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1/4 cup toasted oat cereal
- 2 turkey sausage links cooked
- 1 small mandarin orange peeled and segmented
Toddler Breakfast Idea #2:
Toddler Breakfast Idea #3:
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1 egg scrambled
- 1 tablespoon shredded cheddar cheese
- 3 grape tomatoes halved horizontally
- 1/4 English muffin toasted
- 1 tbsp jelly or jam, optional
Toddler Breakfast Idea #4:
- 6 ounces milk blended with 4 strawberries and ½ banana
- 1/4 cup cottage cheese
- 8 crackers
Toddler Breakfast Idea #5:
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1 slice whole wheat bread toasted
- 1 tablespoon peanut butter
- 1/2 banana sliced
Toddler Breakfast Idea #6:
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1 slice turkey bacon cooked, quartered
- 1 mini pumpkin muffin
- 1/4 cup applesauce
Toddler Breakfast Idea #7:
Toddler Breakfast Idea #8:
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1/2 apple peeled and sliced
- 1 piece string cheese
- 1 tablespoon almond butter
Toddler Breakfast Idea #9:
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1 mini bagel halved
- 2 tablespoons cream cheese
- 1/4 cup grapes halved or quartered
Toddler Breakfast Idea #10:
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1 English muffin toasted
- 1 slice Canadian bacon
- 1 slice cheese
- 1/4 cup cantaloupe cubed
Instructions
- Ingredients are provided so you can print the list.
Recipe Video
Nutrition
Meggan Hill is a classically-trained chef and professional writer. Her meticulously-tested recipes and detailed tutorials bring confidence and success to home cooks everywhere. Meggan has been featured on NPR, HuffPost, FoxNews, LA Times, and more.
I would like to know where you got your plates and the little bowls. Thank you!
Hi Rosalia, the plates are from Crate&Barrel and the little bowls have just been accumulated over time. Hope this helps! – Meggan
This has made my mornings so much easier!
Amazingly super and easy.would love to try all the ideas with my two toddlers
Thank you so much! -Meggan
Hi Meghan, lovely recipes. Do you have the recipe for the pumpkin muffins? The link doesn’t work :-(
Hi Amy! Thanks so much pointing that out. I fixed the link in the post, but here it is as well- https://www.culinaryhill.com/pumpkin-muffins/
Love this! Like a lot of others I’m also looking forward to a “10 toddler lunches” post. These are so simple without sacrificing good health. I will definitely be using these with my toddlers.
Hi Alina, I’m not sure if you’re still in the market, but I have finally completed the toddler lunch ideas. Enjoy! :)
https://www.culinaryhill.com/toddler-lunch-ideas/
This is really helpful! Thanks. I’m always looking for more ideas.
its really helpful!
This is so helpful for my picky 3 year old! Thank you!
Great ideas! So hopeful. Thanks
Such a great post, I love these ideas! Thank you!
Great list! Thanks for the inspo
Great!
I’d like your content.
Great!
First of all, I LOVE that you made a printable list…this makes it so much easier to remember all of your tasty suggestions. Second, this list isn’t just for toddlers. I have an 8 and 9 year old who get so tired of the same thing for breakfast every morning. This will definitely be helpful when we get back into school after Christmas break. Thank you so much for sharing!
Thank you for sharing this post! My toddler son is a picky eater when it comes to breakfast. Thank you for this simple menu and I know he will enjoy it! Keep those toddler menus coming — Thank you for your work and blessings to your family!
Hi! Why is it that the bananas need to be on the side of the peanut butter toast?
Thanks!
Hi Jamie, they can definitely go on top if that’s how you like them! I know I do, but my kids don’t.
Hi Jamie! They don’t! You can do whatever you want – any combination or organization, customization, whatever. These are just ideas. :) Thanks! -Meggan
Hi Sakuna, as promised, here is another toddler menu! :)
https://www.culinaryhill.com/toddler-lunch-ideas/
Hi, I found this photo of the lead example with 10 plates on a Google search for toddler breakfasts. Great ideas, always good to get some ideas on a sleepy morning. Thanks for sharing. Would it be possible to change the grape photo to them sliced lengthways instead of whole grapes? Someone may see the photo on Pinterest or Google and not read the context and copy the idea of giving whole grapes.
Hi Frances, I just wanted to let you know the photo with the grapes has been reshot. They are now shown as sliced. Thanks so much for finding that and pointing it out! I appreciate you. -Meggan
This is amazing!!! Can you please do a lunch and dinner version!?!?
Thank you Jena! The lunch version is in development now. :D I appreciate your support!!! And yes I’ll add a dinner version to the list!
So did we get the lunch and dinner versions made ever? Do tell and please include link?
Hi Richard, time sure does fly, doesn’t it! A lot of life has happened since the reply, and lunch and dinner are still in development. So sorry about that! – Meggan
This post came up on my Pinterest feed and it looked like what we have for breakfast. Then I realized why. The new pictures look perfect! Any chance you’ve done a lunch post? This breakfast rotation totally changed my life, but I still hate making lunch. Thanks!
Hi Wendy, I’m so mortified to say I never did the lunch one! But I still WANT TO! So thanks for reminding me. It’s been on my list for literally years. And I still have a toddler so, I’m officially out of excuses. I will email you when it’s done. Thank you! -Meggan
I still fail at lunch. Did you happen to solve that for me so I don’t have to? 😂
Is your toddler a picky and a fussy eater? Do you have trouble making something that he will like and not avoid? These 7 breakfast ideas might just be the answer to your problem.
Omg! I am so thankful for this post. My toddler is such a picky eater. She’s not a big fan of pancakes and won’t have eggs at all. Sometimes I find myself struggling with ideas of what to feed her. These recipes look awesome . I can’t wait to try them.
These are great ideas! I see that you included the suggestion to halve the grapes if necessary but I just wanted to suggest maybe letting your readers know grapes are a choking hazard when they’re whole. There are a lot of first time parents out there who don’t know this and I was one of them myself :) I’m so excited to try these! My daughter is 15 months and like you said, it’s a mystery what she’ll eat from day to day haha! Thank you!
Such a good idea Beverly! I’m going to update the recipe accordingly. You are totally right. It’s something I would probably do myself but don’t necessarily think about out of context of actually FEEDING the child! Thank you for pointing that out. :D
Where are those kids utensils from? They are beautiful.
Hi Mira, thank you! Yes they are so nice! They are Oneida brand, the Chateau pattern. If you go to Amazon and look up “Oneida kids chateau” you’ll find it there. And they feel so nice in your hand, it’s really high quality stuff. I have a set for each of my children. It’s lovely! Thanks and take care!
Any chance there’s a way to print i want to share with the nanny!!!!
Love your ideas for toddlers breakfast
I have picky grandkids and your ideas sound great and will definitely try it.
Great ideas, thanks for sharing!
Suggestion….just to show that the grapes are halved lengthways also in the photos :)
I think they are, but they are styled so poorly you can’t even tell! ACK! Thank you for reminding me to reshoot that. :)
What turkey sausage do you use?
My 17 month old little girl loves tomatoes & I serve them with cheese eggs. It was a nice relief to see some of my meals on the menu. Thank you
Just love this post! Simple healthy ideas that have been so well received by my two girls. Would love a lunch plan just like this if you ever have a chance. Thank you so much!
I love this post! The foods listed are very simple and the meals are easy to put together! I struggle with thinking outside our normal breakfast of pancakes or oatmeal! Thanks again!
You are so welcome Dyticia! It’s just a starting point for new ideas if nothing else. :) Take care!
Hi! I will definitely follow your blog. As a First Time Mom sometimes I feel friustrated and worried that my 15 month old picky eater won’t get the calories that he needs for his growth or won’t eat well. I will definitely try to offer him just as what you have written. Thanks so much!:)
Where are the veggies?
Hi Margaret, I have words labeling each picture. The only veggies that appear in this post are grape tomato halves on the plate of the scrambled eggs with cheese. Everything else is fruit. Am I answering your question? I hope so! Thank you!
Thinking it might be better to have just one source of dairy and more veggies. Good ideas, regardless.
They are so picky?
Love this post and your style! These are ikea dishes you say? I need to get my hands on these for my babes. Will now stalk your blog and search for a toddler lunch post ;)
Lorraine, I haven’t written the post for the lunches yet but I have ALL the notes made and the recipes decided! Moving it back to the top of my list! And yes, the dishes are definitely from Ikea. :) Thanks so much for your kind words. :)
Thank you for this post!!! As a first time mom, it’s hard to find healthy ideas for breakfast….this helps! Now for veggie dinner ideas my toddler will like. She’s not a meat eater.
Hi Sara! Believe me, after baby #2 getting kids to eat healthy doesn’t get any easier… LOL! But I know what you mean. Every kid is different, but my kids (ages 1 and 4) are pretty good with things like stir-fries or soups that have veggies in them, cooked and soft and not necessarily noticeable. But it’s HARD! It’s so hard. Good luck!!
Okay… these are awesome ideas!!! Have you thought about doing something like this for lunch or dinner!?!? Super helpful!
Hi Kristina, I’m so glad you like these ideas! I for sure want to do a lunch one, I already wrote out all the ideas and everything! I just have to photograph them. I’ll put that on the agenda for March!! Thanks so much. :D
I love all of these food combinations! I have a picky eater (2.5 year old) I would absolutely love to see any toddler meal ideas you have for lunch and dinner!!
You seem to be the only one I’ve come across with realistic food combinations that don’t take an hour to make. Again, would absolutely love to see other meal ideas for toddlers! Subscribing now!
Ashley Mullin
Hi Ashley, I’m not sure if you’re still in the market, but I have completed the toddler lunch ideas. Enjoy! :)
https://www.culinaryhill.com/toddler-lunch-ideas/
Congrats on your baby, I have two toddlers and they love all of these save the cottage cheese as we don’t have it. Eggs can be an easy fix at lunch or dinner if they get picky too. We also love colorful IKEA dishes!
Thank you, Malia! Yes my oldest is 3 and my baby is now 8 months already. Time flies! We eat eggs all the time. I decided to call it “having an egg party” and of course my 3-yr-old is ALL over that. Anything with the word party in it! I love the Ikea dishes too, they are so fun! I used to have all those special kid plates with the dividers that don’t stack, I’m sure you know how that goes. Done with that, LOL! Thanks so much for visiting. :)
Did you do a lunch one? Nothing comes up when I search. Your blog is awesome and this breakfast list has been perfect for our family. I would love to have a similar lunch one to follow!
Hey Wendy! Rats, I haven’t made the lunch one yet. I need to! I’m sorry! I have a list of the recipes, I just need to get it together. Thanks for your feedback!
You have such wonderful ideas! I will definitely be putting some of these ideas in our breakfast rotation. My toddler has a lot of food allergies, though, so I have to substitute some things. Thank you!
I hear you on the allergies! My son was allergic to dairy until he was two, that definitely complicated things. But luckily he grew out of it. Wishing the same for you. Thanks so much for your comment! It’s always nice to share ideas on how to keep our kids fed (with something other than goldfish crackers and fruit snacks!).
Um, best post ever!! As you know we have twin toddlers, and I am so guilty of getting into ruts with our meals. Definitely pinning this for future inspiration!!
I don’t have any children, yet. But I can certainly appreciate a hectic morning and these quick and healthy breakfasts looks great for adults too :)
This is a great post. Knowing how difficult it can be just to get a toddler to sit down to eat, there are some great tips here.