Breakfast Ideas for Toddlers

Fruit
Fruit is one of the easier foods to get even the pickiest eaters to eat. For variety, you can try pairing it with yogurt, granola, or even oatmeal. “Boxed waffle mix with mashed bananas or applesauce mixed in the batter. Three minutes in the waffle iron, and my kids have no idea they’re eating fruit and I love it,” mom-of-four Tabitha Hawkins told Mom.com.

Eggs
There are a ton of different recipes you can make with eggs. Breakfast quesadillas, wraps, and omelettes are just a few ideas.

Yogurt
Yogurt is already packed with calcium and other health benefits. But it can easily be mixed with things like fruit, granola, or chia/flax seeds for extra nutrients.

Overnight Oats
Overnight oats are packed with nutrients due to the oats, milk/yogurt, and fruit and make a perfect quick breakfast for toddlers. You can let your toddler pick their own fruits and drizzle it with honey or sugar-free toppings.

Whole-Grain Waffles
Whole-grain waffles contain extra fiber and protein and can easily be made to fit little toddler hands. Try these Mini Vanilla Whole-Wheat Waffles from yummytoddlerfood.com for a fun twist.

Egg Muffins
Egg muffins are a great idea for an easy handheld breakfast. You can make them ahead and pop them in the microwave or oven to reheat. They are also good to store in the refrigerator for a few days. These egg muffins with bacon and cheese check off all the yummy breakfast favorites.

Rotate breakfast ideas
Switching it up is important for us, even as adults. Introducing new foods and rotating breakfast ideas are good ways to ensure that your toddler is trying new foods and not becoming accustomed to eating just one thing.

Let them get involved
Mom of two Allaya Campbell shares this quick tip for getting her kids to help. “I literally throw Eggos in the toaster. My kids get a kick out of helping me press the buttons, and we all grab one with a piece of fruit on the way out the door,” she told Mom.com.

Put a twist on something they already love
Shapes, colors, and little twists on classics they already love is an easy way to add some flair to breakfast. Try these easy pancake and sausage on a stick from foodnetwork.com.

Snack Trays
Snack trays can be for breakfast, lunch, snack, and anything in between. “My toddler would never sit still long enough for a proper breakfast, so I would just make a little grazing station,” mom-of-four Marie Bentley Shaurette shared with Mom.com. “I’d fill a small muffin tin or ice cube tray with strawberries, dry Cheerios, cheese cubes, and things like that. He’d eat a bit and come back to it in between playing and running around.”

Whitney Cornelison of Simplifyingfamily.com says letting your toddler make their own choices can be key. “While I was not a short-order cook, I did let them choose between specific foods available for breakfast,” she told Mom.com. “There was usually one cooked item like eggs or oatmeal, but if they didn’t want that, they could have a breakfast bar, fruit, or yogurt with chia seeds. I also had a cabinet filled with their plates and cups, so they could grab their own plates and fill their own glasses with water from the fridge.”

Consulting with a professional on how to develop healthy eating habits in toddlers is sometimes a saving grace for parents. Also, modeling good eating habits and being consistent are important steps to getting your picky eater back into good habits. Frustrating as it may be, at the end of the day, picky eating is typical behavior for toddlers.

Lastly, when it comes to introducing new foods to toddlers, watching for allergic reactions is important. The most common food allergy triggers in kids:

• Cow’s milk
• Eggs
• Peanuts
• Tree nuts (walnuts, almonds, cashews, pistachios)
• Fish
• Shellfish (shrimp, crab, lobster)
• Soy
• Wheat
• Sesame

You should always speak with your pediatrician if you feel like your child’s picky eating is affecting their growth and development.