100 Healthy Foods for Toddlers

When you’re at a loss for which healthy foods to feed your toddler, this list of 100 healthy foods for toddlers is a great place to start. You’ll find healthy food for kids including fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, dairy, meat, and more!

This toddler food list includes fresh fruit and vegetables, whole grains, healthy dairy, lean protein, and more to ensure that you have easy ideas to feed your toddler well. These are whole foods that are easy to self-feed, because we know that toddlers love their independence!

And these foods for toddlers have a range of the nutrients that our kids need to grow up strong and healthy.

(You may also like Healthy Toddler Breakfasts, shortcut toddler meals, and easy toddler lunch ideas.)

How to Choose Healthy Food for Kids

It’s so much fun to start solids with babies because they are eager to eat most things—and because they haven’t yet learned how to talk! I think if we channel that energy as we continue to feed our 1, 2, and 3 year olds, it might help us to feel optimistic about serving them a range of healthy foods. A key to this is avoiding food ruts.

TIP: Try not to serve the same three foods every day, but try to rotate favorite foods in and out, exposing the kids to the healthy foods for toddlers you want them to eat.

Best Foods for 1 Year Old

Remember when you fed your baby something and they spit it out? It wasn’t the end of the world! We simply cleaned it up and tried again another time—which can be a great tactic to use with toddler foods. Remember: Just because your 1 year old (or 2 or 3 year old) didn’t want or like something today doesn’t mean that they won’t ever eat it!

Remember that it may be easier for your child to try new foods if she sees it often, so consider routine as a helpful tool when feeding your kids.

TIP: Check out my go-to recipes for 1 year olds, too.

100 Healthy Foods for Toddlers

Use this list of healthy kids food as inspiration for when you go to the grocery store or plan your family’s meals. It’s a great place to start if you’re in need of inspiration, want to provide a wider range of nutrients for your child, or just want to mix things up with the toddler food you regularly serve.

1. ACORN SQUASH
   Roasted and served in cubes; roasted and mashed.
2. ALMOND BUTTER
   Thinned or spread on toast or fruit; stirred into oatmeal or yogurt.
3. APPLES
   Fresh, very thinly sliced or shredded; diced and roasted; Sauteed Apples; in Applesauce or Applesauce Muffins.
4. APRICOTS
   Fresh, diced; dried and diced. Try them softened in oatmeal for kids.
5. AVOCADO
   Cubed or sliced or mashed and served on a spoon. Or, add 1-2 tablespoons to a smoothie.
6. BABY PUFFS
   These are a staple of many baby and toddler diets. Use them as a way to introduce a new texture and flavors.
7. BABY RICE CRACKERS
   Try with a little mashed avocado or a thin smear of nut butter.
8. BANANA
   Fresh or mashed and stirred into vegan banana pancake batter or yogurt. Or, to a smoothie, whether fresh or frozen.
9. BARLEY
   Served in a soup or as a whole-grain side dish. Add some cheese, mashed sweet potato, or avocado to help it hold together.
10. BEEF
    Ground or thinly sliced and chopped steak, healthy meatballs, meatloaf. Or, in Easy Skillet Stuffed Peppers.
11. BEETS
    Red or golden, steamed or roasted, Or simple Boiled Beets.
12. BELL PEPPER
    Green, orange, red, or yellow, finely diced; sliced and roasted in the oven, or sauteed.
13. BLACK BEANS
    Stirred with a little mild salsa or topped with cumin and chili powder. Try cooking slow cooker black beans.
14. BLACKBERRIES
    Fresh, in baked goods or smoothies.
15. BLACK-EYED PEAS
    Try serving simply tossed with a little olive oil, salt, and pepper, or warmed with rice.
16. BLUEBERRIES
    Fresh, halved if needed; frozen and thawed; frozen in blueberry banana smoothies or baked goods like Blueberry Banana Muffins.
17. BROCCOLI
    Roasted, steamed, or sauteed. Or, in Broccoli Tots or Broccoli Pesto.
18. BULGUR
    Prepared as a grain salad or served as a whole-grain side.
19. BUTTERNUT SQUASH
    Roasted in cubes or roasted and pureed. Or in Butternut Squash Muffins or Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese.
20. CABBAGE
    Sliced and sauteed until soft. (It’s really good with bacon!)
21. CANTALOUPE
    Diced or served in wedges. Or, blend with ice into a fresh icy drink.
22. CARROTS
    Steamed; roasted carrot fries; sauteed carrots. Or, in carrot pancakes or Healthy Carrot Cookies.
23. CASHEW BUTTER
    Served on toast, bread, or fruit; stirred into oatmeal or yogurt.
24. CASHEWS
    Sliced into small pieces and soaked to soften as needed. Or, in No-Bake Chocolate Balls.
25. CAULIFLOWER
    White, purple, or orange, chopped roasted, steamed cauliflower, or sauteed. Or, try Cauliflower Tots! Or Cauliflower Mac and Cheese!
26. CELERY 
    Steamed lightly and sliced; softened in soups.
27. CHEERIOS
    Or other similar low sugar cereal with whole grains and fewer ingredients.
28. CHEESE
    Shredded or cubed; crumbles; cheese sticks.
29. CHERRIES
    Fresh, halved and pitted; frozen for cherry smoothies.
30. CHIA SEEDS
    Softened in yogurt, milk, or Baked Oatmeal Cups (above) or muffins.
31. CHICKEN
    Shredded, cubed, poached, roasted, baked as Chicken Nuggets or Chicken Tenders, or pan-seared chicken tenders. Or, softened in these Slow Cooker Chicken Tacos.
32. CHICKPEAS
    Soft-Roasted Chickpeas or served with a little salt. Or, in Homemade Hummus, Roasted Sweet Potato Tacos, or with pasta and marinara sauce.
33. CLEMENTINES
    Peeled and sectioned, cut in half if needed.
34. COCONUT
    Shredded in baked goods or sprinkled over yogurt. Look for unsweetened coconut to avoid added sugars.
35. COCONUT MILK
    Light or full-fat in smoothies or baked goods. (This can also help ease toddler constipation.)
36. CORN
    Thawed from frozen or fresh on the cob.
37. COTTAGE CHEESE
    Whole milk when possible. Serve it with fruit or try it in a Whipped Cottage Cheese Dip or a Cottage Cheese Smoothie.
38. COUSCOUS
    Served like pasta with pesto or marinara, or as a whole grain side with butter or a little olive oil.
39. CUCUMBERS
    Diced finely or shredded, peeled if needed.  Or, add them to smoothies for a burst of freshness.
40. EGGS
    Fried, hard-cooked, scrambled, or in egg muffins.
41. FIGS
    Fresh and diced; dried and softened in oatmeal.
42. FLAXSEEDS
    Ground, in smoothies, baked goods, or sprinkled over yogurt.
43. GOAT CHEESE
    Spreadable goat cheese on toast or muffins; crumbles on their own or with grains or pasta.
44. GRAPES
    Quartered lengthwise to avoid choking.
45. GREEN BEANS
    Steamed and diced, or roasted. Or, sauteed as Sesame Green Beans.
46. GRITS
    Cooked until soft with cheese and/or bite-size broccoli.
47. HEMP SEEDS
    Try adding a tablespoon of hemp seeds to a smoothie or oatmeal, or sprinkle over foods like yogurt.
48. HONEYDEW MELON
    Diced or served in wedges.
49. KALE
    Chopped and sauteed; in toddler smoothies; blended into spinach pesto.
50. KEFIR
    Plain or low sugar flavored, on its own or blended into a Kids Protein Shake. This tart yogurt-like drink has a lot of probiotics that are great for digestive and immune health!
51. KIDNEY BEANS
    With a little salt or oregano, in chili or plain. Or, add them to a pot of marinara sauce.
52. KIWI
    Peeled and diced. Or, add it to a smoothie.
53. LENTILS
    Red or brown, simmered until soft or cooked into Lentil Soup.
54. LETTUCE
    Shredded into very thin strips. Offer just a little at a time since it can be a challenging texture to learn.
55. MANDARIN ORANGES
    Peeled and sectioned, cut in half if needed. Or, blend into a smoothie.
56. MANGO
    Diced or blended into a mango smoothie. You can also try dried mango as a special snack.
57. MILK
    Whole dairy or plant-based milk depending on what you prefer. (Here’s some help choosing the best milk for your toddler.)
58. MILLET
    Served as a whole grain side dish with a little olive oil or butter, or with curry.
59. MUSHROOMS
    Sauteed in olive oil or butter; on pizza; added to marinara sauce.
60. NAVY BEANS
    In soup, added to rice, turned into hummus, or served with a little salt and olive oil.
61. OLIVES
    Pitted and diced. You might be surprised—many kids love the flavor of olives!
62. ORANGES
    Peeled and chopped as needed. Or, add them to smoothies.
63. PARSNIPS
    Peeled, sliced, and roasted into fries.
64. PASTA
    Served with marinara sauce, broccoli pesto, or with butter and cheese (or another favorite sauce). You can try chickpea pasta, whole grain pasta, quinoa pasta, or a more traditional semolina pasta.
65. PEACHES
    Fresh, diced or sliced; frozen, blended into toddler smoothies.
66. PEANUT BUTTER
    Thinned and served from a spoon, spread onto toast or bread, or stirred into oatmeal or yogurt. Or, add it to smoothies. Look for natural unsweetened to avoid added sugars.
67. PEARS
    Diced or sliced, peeled if needed. Try all different types—Bosc, Bartlett, and red pears.
68. PEAS
    Thawed from frozen (or many kids like them frozen!). Or, add to pesto pasta or broccoli cheddar soup.
69. PINEAPPLE
    Served fresh, thawed from frozen, added to smoothies, or over cottage cheese or yogurt.
70. PINTO BEANS
    In vegetarian bean chili, as taco filling, mashed and spread on toast with a little cheese. Look for unsalted canned beans or rinse beans before warming them to remove excess salt.
71. PLUMS
    Remove the skin if it’s too tough for your toddler, then cut into wedges or small chunks.
72. POLENTA
    Served soft with a spoon or in firmer rounds (from the tubes you can buy premade at the store). Try the round topped with shredded cheese and pizza sauce.
73. POTATOES
    Roasted, mashed, boiled…any which way you like them! Try all kinds of potatoes including purple, yellow, pink, and white to get a range of nutrients.
74. PRUNES
    Chopped; softened in oatmeal; blended into a toddler smoothie.
75. QUINOA
    Served warm as a whole grain side or with mashed squash.
76. RAISINS
    On their own; served in apple cinnamon oatmeal; in Healthy Oatmeal Raisin Cookies.
77. RASPBERRIES
    Served fresh, or if you buy frozen ones, you can add them to a smoothie. Try them mashed and stirred into yogurt!
78. RICE
    Try all kinds: basmati, brown, jasmine. Stir in cheese or avocado or mashed sweet potato to help the grains stick together.
79. ROLLED OATS
    In oatmeal for kids, overnight oats with yogurt, homemade granola bars, banana oatmeal muffins, and more.
80. ROMANESCO
    Prepared as you would broccoli! It’s often very sweet and is a super fun dinosaur-esque shape.
81. SNAP PEAS
    Fresh and diced, steamed, or sauteed.
82. SNOW PEAS
    Fresh and diced, steamed, or sauteed. Try these in a stir-fry.
83. SPINACH
    Sauteed baby spinach or in green smoothies or spinach pesto.
84. SPLIT PEAS
    In soup! We love this Broccoli Cheddar Soup with hidden split peas.
85. STRAWBERRIES
    Diced fresh, in Strawberry Muffins, in freezer pops, in toddler smoothies.
86. SWEET POTATOES
    Sweet potato baby food, steamed, or mashed sweet potato. Or, in a sweet potato smoothie or sweet potato pancakes.
87. TILAPIA
    Poached or steamed. Try it with green curry or a light tomato sauce.
88. TOFU
    Firm in cubes, lightly sauteed, or breaded into Tofu Nuggets. You can also add soft tofu to smoothies for extra iron and protein.
89. TOMATOES
    Cherry (halved), chopped, or in tomato sauce or in mild salsa.
90. TORTELLINI
    With butter or olive oil, with pesto, with marinara sauce. These are a great quick dinner to have on hand since they cook so fast.
91. TUNA
    Try the low-mercury kinds like Safe Catch as tuna salad or tuna cakes.
92. TURKEY
    Shredded or cubed, roasted or ground. We like store-roasted turkey lunch meat or nitrate-free lunch meat from brands like Applegate.
93. WATERMELON
    Cubed, in sticks, in wedges. Or, blend it up into fresh juice!
94. WHITE BEANS
    Use instead of chickpeas in homemade hummus, plain seasoned with a little salt, or with marinara sauce and pasta.
95. WILD RICE
    Served as a whole-grain side dish with a little butter or coconut oil.
96. WILD SALMON
    Canned or filet, baked or in salmon salad or salmon cakes
97. YAMS
    Roasted, mashed—or prepared like sweet potatoes.
98. YELLOW SQUASH
    Sauteed in olive oil and topped with a little grated Parmesan cheese; in toddler smoothies; in Cornmeal Muffins.
    
99. YOGURT
    Whole-milk plain yogurt is the best choice for kids. You can serve it with homemade granola, in overnight oats, or in smoothies.
100. ZUCCHINI
     In toddler smoothies, sauteed, made into zoodles and served with peanut sauce, or as Zucchini Fritters.

Finger Food for Toddlers

I hope this list of safe and simple foods for toddlers comes in handy when you run out of ideas for what to serve your toddler, or to help you remember which foods you haven’t served in a while.

Choose from these finger foods to assemble healthy toddler meals and snacks—and to help yourself remember that there are so many wonderful foods for toddlers— if we can just remember what they are!

Did I leave any of your favorite healthy foods out? Let me know in the comments—there are so many good options!

This post was first published September 2019.