Favorite Healthy Toddler Breakfast Ideas

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Here are some easy and healthy toddler breakfast ideas (and for the whole family) that are perfect for busy mornings. Discover a variety of breakfast favorites like pancakes, oatmeal, muffins, and more, that even the pickiest eaters will enjoy!

a six image collage of easy toddler breakfast ideas.

Easy Breakfast Ideas for Toddlers and Kids

We’ve all been told that breakfast sets the tone for the day. Whether your child bounds out of bed with a hearty appetite or prefers to take it slow, these healthy breakfast ideas are guaranteed to set them up for a day full of energy, keeping them fueled up until lunchtime rolls around.

Toddler Breakfast #1 – Pancakes

Toddler holding two pancakes up to her eyes.

Pancakes are a favorite make-ahead breakfast option of mine because they allow for packing in loads of nutrition and freeze exceptionally well. Simply thaw them in the fridge overnight, and come morning, you can easily reheat them for a speedy breakfast

You can serve as is or top with yogurt, peanut/nut/seed butter, or mashed fruit.

Some of our favorites include these 3 ingredient banana oat pancakes, spinach pancakes, mini pancakes, and eggless pancakes, which are perfect for when you run out of eggs or if there is an egg allergy.

Don’t want to flip individual pancakes, then you’re going to love these sheet pan pancakes from a mix!

Here’s the ultimate list of pancakes for babies and toddlers that you’re going to love.

Easy Toddler Breakfast #2 – Yogurt

yogurt bowl with beets, second bowl with broccoli and peanut butter, and the third bowl with pumpkin puree and oatmeal.

Sure you can serve plain yogurt BUT, just like with cereal, by switching up the toppings, you can easily invite variety into your child’s breakfast or snack!

We do yogurt at least 3 times a week, and we always do a sweet version with fruits and a savory version with vegetables. Nuts and seeds are wonderful additions to both!

You can also transform your plain yogurt into any of these flavored yogurts!

Healthy Kids Breakfast #3 – Cereal

milk in a stainless steel bowl along with sliced bananas, walnuts, cereal, watermelon, and broccoli on a stainless steel plate.

Breakfast doesn’t get easier than this! But instead of just cereal (here are the best healthy cereals for toddlers) and milk, you can easily invite fun and variety by setting up a breakfast cereal bar with an assortment of toppings!

Your child will love having complete autonomy in picking and choosing what goes in their cereal.

And while you may think that one piece of broccoli is silly or odd, make no mistake – its presence is powerful! The more they see vegetables, the more likely they are to feel safe and familiar around them, which will lead to increased acceptance.

Toddler Breakfast Idea #4 – Muffins

spinach muffin served with beet hummus, carrots, zucchini, mangoes, and bananas.

As you start building up your freezer stash with these goodies, you will easily be able to pack in so much nutrition to your child’s first meal of the day with very minimal effort. I like to thaw in the fridge overnight and reheat briefly the morning of.

Pair them with some eggs for protein and add fruits or vegetables for a well-rounded meal.

You’re going to love these spinach muffins, yogurt muffins, and savory vegetable muffins!

Here are more healthy muffins for toddlers to add to your repertoire.

Healthy Breakfast for Kids #5 – Oatmeal

Here’s everything you need to know about making oatmeal for babies! It’s SO much better than instant oatmeal filled with all that added sugar.

You really don’t need to serve it with anything else as it’s super hearty stacked with protein, fat, carbs, and fruit/vegetable.

And if you desire thicker, creamier consistency, give this oat pudding a try. Short on time? try this 2 minute oatmeal mug cake!

Toddler Breakfast #6- Baked Oatmeal

An overhead shot of baked oatmeal with slice on green spatula.

If you prefer to skip the hassle of stirring oatmeal on the stove, try baking it in the oven instead! Once baked, slice it into individual squares and enjoy.

From egg-free baked apple oatmeal, peach banana oatmeal, strawberry banana oatmeal to savory baked oatmeal, it’s a hearty breakfast option!

These soft baked oatmeal bars with carrots are also a readers favorite.

Breakfast for Toddlers #7 – French Toast

This easy and healthy banana French toast is made with simple ingredients you probably have on hand at all times and only takes 10 minutes to make!

This brioche French toast casserole is a delicious make-ahead option. And this stuffed French toast looks fancy yet is incredibly easy to prepare!

And if you’ve never tried savory French toast before, you’re missing out. It’s such a great way to repurpose any leftover vegetables. Or if you’re struggling to get your child to eat veggies in general, give this recipe a try!

Easy Kids Breakfast #8 – Mug Cake

An overhead shot of scooped mug cake with peanut butter and berries.

In just two minutes, you can make this banana mug cake or oatmeal mug cake, which is light, moist, and fluffy, sure to win over your toddler’s heart. This has quickly become my kid’s favorite breakfast!

Easy Toddler Breakfast #9 – Breakfast Cookies

Cookies first thing in the morning? You bet ya! Try these hearty zucchini oatmeal cookies, peanut butter chickpea cookies, or 3 ingredient baby cookies.

Serve with protein/fat (eggs, yogurt, cheese, or milk) and a fruit/vegetable.

Toddler Breakfast #10 – Eggs

Close up of a baked egg muffin cut in half showing the inside on a blue plate.

If eggs are on the menu 2+ days out of the week, here are some easy egg recipes to avoid egg burnout.

I say this because for a while, all I served were scrambled eggs and now my preschooler all of a sudden is on an egg strike.

But he will eat it if prepared differently, such as when baked into a cute muffin form, like these spinach egg muffins and Pizza Eggs!

And these sheet pan eggs offer a fantastic way to prepare a big batch of eggs in one go, ideal for freezing and later using in speedy egg sandwiches.

Easy Breakfast for Toddlers #11 – Toast

Honestly, you can totally serve toast every morning if that’s what’s easiest for you and just switch up the toppings! Here are all the delicious toast topping ideas for little ones.

Want to make it a bit fancier? Try this custard yogurt toast!

Fun Kids Breakfast #12 – Bagels

Four bagels with different toppings - avocado, peanut butter with banana, scrambled eggs, yogurt and strawberries.

Sure you can just smear with the typical cream cheese. Delicious! OR try any of all of these bagel topping suggestions, classic and unique.

Make-Ahead Toddler Breakfast #13 – Overnight Oats

six different overnight oats both sweet and savory.

You can “cook” your oatmeal or quinoa overnight while you sleep! Sounds too good to be true, doesn’t it? Believe it, my friend ;).

Start with this banana overnight oats and if you want to invite more variety, try this overnight quinoa oats!

No-Cook Toddler Breakfast #14 – Chia Pudding

six single serve chia puddings in glass bowls.

Learn how to make ANY chia pudding for your baby and toddler! This nutritious breakfast is especially great if your child is constipated.

Toddler Breakfast Idea #15 – Smoothies

three kid friendly smoothies and one carrot cake smoothie bowl.

Make-ahead smoothie freezer bags are so brilliant! Simply add all the ingredients minus the liquid and yogurt (if adding).

That way, all you have to do in the morning is dump the whole bag in the blender with the water or milk of choice, blend, and enjoy!

Here’s how to make any green smoothie for toddlers and greek yogurt smoothie. For more, check out these fruit and vegetable smoothies.

How to Build a Balanced Breakfast for Toddlers

A well-balanced meal includes (aim to incorporate at least 2 food groups):

Grains
Protein
Fat
Fruits and vegetables

Protein/fat is a must to save you from the continuous drone of “I’m hungry” minutes later.

Fruits are a staple breakfast item but vegetables, not so much. Let’s change that together! Research shows that kids need PLENTY of exposure to a food before accepting it. So if your child is struggling to eat their vegetables, let’s not just serve them at dinnertime.

Let’s normalize enjoying vegetables at every meal, and yes, that includes breakfast! Not to mention, it’s not uncommon for toddlers and preschoolers to front load their food intake and to be hungrier and more open to trying new/disliked foods earlier in the day.

Tips for Making Breakfast for Kids easier

If you find yourself in a breakfast rut more often than not, you are NOT alone, my friend! As a mom of two littles, mornings are especially brutal.

BUT I do have some easy “tricks” up my sleeve to help keep breakfast interesting for the kids without requiring too much thought or effort. Because who has time for that, right?

Have a game plan. Pick 3-4 ideas from this list and rotate through them during the week. You can invite variety by switching up the toppings, fruits and vegetables, depending on what you have on hand.

For instance, let’s say you’re planning to do yogurt 3 times a week. You can change up the toppings, such as cereal, granola, fruits, nuts and seeds, to add “newness.”

Build a freezer stash. I encourage you to gradually build up your freezer stash by doubling a recipe once or twice a week. This way all you have to do is reheat (or enjoy cold).

Or if you are like me, you can dedicate a large chunk of time on the weekend to do a bulk cooking/baking session.

Over time, you will have quite the collection to rotate through! You might be dreading it as you’re reading, but your future self will thank you. Trust me ;).

Prep the produce in advance. Dedicate one day to washing fruits and vegetables, cutting, cooking, etc. and then store in containers. That way all you have to do is pull them out from the fridge and add to the plate(s)!

Give Yourself Grace!

peanut butter and banana toast with frozen corn and zucchini.

I just wanted to give you a glimpse of my unfiltered, real-life picture. As a food blogger and Registered Dietitian, it is my passion to inspire you with healthy (and EASY – yes! those two can go together) meal ideas for your family.

And since we eat with our eyes first, I take extra time plating the food for pictures in hopes that you’ll try them for yourself!

But as a mom of two littles, I also want to tell you that there are plenty of days when our breakfast looks like the picture above…when my freezer stash looks a bit sad, I haven’t gone to the store in a while, and I’m just…exhausted.

That’s OK! That’s NORMAL! We are human after all.

And when that darn mom guilt creeps up, as it always does, I remind myself that no matter what kind of day I’m having, I managed to get food on the table. I kept these little humans of mine alive. That’s a big win in my book! How about you?

By the way, that’s a perfectly well-balanced meal – at least 2 food groups are represented. And yes, frozen veggies are just as nutritious as the fresh ones. And yes, corn has nutritional value!

Side note: if you enjoy a lot of peanut butter and banana, try these FUN ideas!

More Toddler Meal Ideas

2 Comments

Benitha says:

March 4, 2022 at 7:31 pm

Thank you so much Min for this useful post, now I don’t have to think so much about breakfast for my kids. You are doing amazing job, I appreciate your efforts. Much love

1. Min says:
  
  March 4, 2022 at 7:35 pm
  
  You are so sweet! Thank you so much for the much needed encouragement! I will continue to share for as long as I can!