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.)
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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.
- ACORN SQUASH
Roasted and served in cubes; roasted and mashed. - ALMOND BUTTER
Thinned or spread on toast or fruit; stirred into oatmeal or yogurt. - APPLES
Fresh, very thinly sliced or shredded; diced and roasted; Sauteed Apples; in Applesauce or Applesauce Muffins. - APRICOTS
Fresh, diced; dried and diced. Try them softened in oatmeal for kids. - AVOCADO
Cubed or sliced or mashed and served on a spoon. Or, add 1-2 tablespoons to a smoothie. - BABY PUFFS
These are a staple of many baby and toddler diets. Use them as a way to introduce a new texture and flavors. - BABY RICE CRACKERS
Try with a little mashed avocado or a thin smear of nut butter. - BANANA
Fresh or mashed and stirred into vegan banana pancake batter or yogurt. Or, to a smoothie, whether fresh or frozen. - 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. - BEEF
Ground or thinly sliced and chopped steak, healthy meatballs, meatloaf. Or, in Easy Skillet Stuffed Peppers. - BEETS
Red or golden, steamed or roasted, Or simple Boiled Beets. - BELL PEPPER
Green, orange, red, or yellow, finely diced; sliced and roasted in the oven, or sauteed. - BLACK BEANS
Stirred with a little mild salsa or topped with cumin and chili powder. Try cooking slow cooker black beans. - BLACKBERRIES
Fresh, in baked goods or smoothies. - BLACK-EYED PEAS
Try serving simply tossed with a little olive oil, salt, and pepper, or warmed with rice. - BLUEBERRIES
Fresh, halved if needed; frozen and thawed; frozen in blueberry banana smoothies or baked goods like Blueberry Banana Muffins.
- BROCCOLI
Roasted, steamed, or sauteed. Or, in Broccoli Tots or Broccoli Pesto. - BULGUR
Prepared as a grain salad or served as a whole-grain side. - BUTTERNUT SQUASH
Roasted in cubes or roasted and pureed. Or in Butternut Squash Muffins or Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese. - CABBAGE
Sliced and sauteed until soft. (It’s really good with bacon!) - CANTALOUPE
Diced or served in wedges. Or, blend with ice into a fresh icy drink.
- CARROTS
Steamed; roasted carrot fries; sauteed carrots. Or, in carrot pancakes or Healthy Carrot Cookies. - CASHEW BUTTER
Served on toast, bread, or fruit; stirred into oatmeal or yogurt. - CASHEWS
Sliced into small pieces and soaked to soften as needed. Or, in No-Bake Chocolate Balls. - CAULIFLOWER
White, purple, or orange, chopped roasted, steamed cauliflower, or sauteed. Or, try Cauliflower Tots! Or Cauliflower Mac and Cheese! - CELERY
Steamed lightly and sliced; softened in soups. - CHEERIOS
Or other similar low sugar cereal with whole grains and fewer ingredients. - CHEESE
Shredded or cubed; crumbles; cheese sticks. - CHERRIES
Fresh, halved and pitted; frozen for cherry smoothies.
- CHIA SEEDS
Softened in yogurt, milk, or Baked Oatmeal Cups (above) or muffins. - 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. - CHICKPEAS
Soft-Roasted Chickpeas or served with a little salt. Or, in Homemade Hummus, Roasted Sweet Potato Tacos, or with pasta and marinara sauce. - CLEMENTINES
Peeled and sectioned, cut in half if needed. - COCONUT
Shredded in baked goods or sprinkled over yogurt. Look for unsweetened coconut to avoid added sugars. - COCONUT MILK
Light or full-fat in smoothies or baked goods. (This can also help ease toddler constipation.) - CORN
Thawed from frozen or fresh on the cob.
- COTTAGE CHEESE
Whole milk when possible. Serve it with fruit or try it in a Whipped Cottage Cheese Dip or a Cottage Cheese Smoothie. - COUSCOUS
Served like pasta with pesto or marinara, or as a whole grain side with butter or a little olive oil. - CUCUMBERS
Diced finely or shredded, peeled if needed. Or, add them to smoothies for a burst of freshness. - EGGS
Fried, hard-cooked, scrambled, or in egg muffins. - FIGS
Fresh and diced; dried and softened in oatmeal. - FLAXSEEDS
Ground, in smoothies, baked goods, or sprinkled over yogurt. - GOAT CHEESE
Spreadable goat cheese on toast or muffins; crumbles on their own or with grains or pasta. - GRAPES
Quartered lengthwise to avoid choking. - GREEN BEANS
Steamed and diced, or roasted. Or, sauteed as Sesame Green Beans. - GRITS
Cooked until soft with cheese and/or bite-size broccoli.
- HEMP SEEDS
Try adding a tablespoon of hemp seeds to a smoothie or oatmeal, or sprinkle over foods like yogurt. - HONEYDEW MELON
Diced or served in wedges. - KALE
Chopped and sauteed; in toddler smoothies; blended into spinach pesto. - 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! - KIDNEY BEANS
With a little salt or oregano, in chili or plain. Or, add them to a pot of marinara sauce. - KIWI
Peeled and diced. Or, add it to a smoothie.
- LENTILS
Red or brown, simmered until soft or cooked into Lentil Soup. - LETTUCE
Shredded into very thin strips. Offer just a little at a time since it can be a challenging texture to learn. - MANDARIN ORANGES
Peeled and sectioned, cut in half if needed. Or, blend into a smoothie. - MANGO
Diced or blended into a mango smoothie. You can also try dried mango as a special snack. - MILK
Whole dairy or plant-based milk depending on what you prefer. (Here’s some help choosing the best milk for your toddler.) - MILLET
Served as a whole grain side dish with a little olive oil or butter, or with curry. - MUSHROOMS
Sauteed in olive oil or butter; on pizza; added to marinara sauce. - NAVY BEANS
In soup, added to rice, turned into hummus, or served with a little salt and olive oil. - OLIVES
Pitted and diced. You might be surprised—many kids love the flavor of olives! - ORANGES
Peeled and chopped as needed. Or, add them to smoothies.
- PARSNIPS
Peeled, sliced, and roasted into fries. - 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. - PEACHES
Fresh, diced or sliced; frozen, blended into toddler smoothies. - 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. - PEARS
Diced or sliced, peeled if needed. Try all different types—Bosc, Bartlett, and red pears.
- PEAS
Thawed from frozen (or many kids like them frozen!). Or, add to pesto pasta or broccoli cheddar soup. - PINEAPPLE
Served fresh, thawed from frozen, added to smoothies, or over cottage cheese or yogurt. - 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. - PLUMS
Remove the skin if it’s too tough for your toddler, then cut into wedges or small chunks. - 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. - 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. - PRUNES
Chopped; softened in oatmeal; blended into a toddler smoothie. - QUINOA
Served warm as a whole grain side or with mashed squash. - RAISINS
On their own; served in apple cinnamon oatmeal; in Healthy Oatmeal Raisin Cookies. - RASPBERRIES
Served fresh, or if you buy frozen ones, you can add them to a smoothie. Try them mashed and stirred into yogurt!
- RICE
Try all kinds: basmati, brown, jasmine. Stir in cheese or avocado or mashed sweet potato to help the grains stick together. - ROLLED OATS
In oatmeal for kids, overnight oats with yogurt, homemade granola bars, banana oatmeal muffins, and more. - ROMANESCO
Prepared as you would broccoli! It’s often very sweet and is a super fun dinosaur-esque shape. - SNAP PEAS
Fresh and diced, steamed, or sauteed. - SNOW PEAS
Fresh and diced, steamed, or sauteed. Try these in a stir-fry. - SPINACH
Sauteed baby spinach or in green smoothies or spinach pesto. - SPLIT PEAS
In soup! We love this Broccoli Cheddar Soup with hidden split peas. - STRAWBERRIES
Diced fresh, in Strawberry Muffins, in freezer pops, in toddler smoothies.
- SWEET POTATOES
Sweet potato baby food, steamed, or mashed sweet potato. Or, in a sweet potato smoothie or sweet potato pancakes. - TILAPIA
Poached or steamed. Try it with green curry or a light tomato sauce. - TOFU
Firm in cubes, lightly sauteed, or breaded into Tofu Nuggets. You can also add soft tofu to smoothies for extra iron and protein. - TOMATOES
Cherry (halved), chopped, or in tomato sauce or in mild salsa. - 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. - TUNA
Try the low-mercury kinds like Safe Catch as tuna salad or tuna cakes. - TURKEY
Shredded or cubed, roasted or ground. We like store-roasted turkey lunch meat or nitrate-free lunch meat from brands like Applegate. - WATERMELON
Cubed, in sticks, in wedges. Or, blend it up into fresh juice! - WHITE BEANS
Use instead of chickpeas in homemade hummus, plain seasoned with a little salt, or with marinara sauce and pasta. - WILD RICE
Served as a whole-grain side dish with a little butter or coconut oil. - WILD SALMON
Canned or filet, baked or in salmon salad or salmon cakes - YAMS
Roasted, mashed—or prepared like sweet potatoes. - YELLOW SQUASH
Sauteed in olive oil and topped with a little grated Parmesan cheese; in toddler smoothies; in Cornmeal Muffins.
- YOGURT
Whole-milk plain yogurt is the best choice for kids. You can serve it with homemade granola, in overnight oats, or in smoothies. - 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!
Related Posts
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.
