30 Healthy Breakfast Ideas for Toddlers
Are you stuck in a toddler breakfast rut? Do you find yourself serving the same old cereal or toast day after day? Or are they just flat-out refusing to eat anything?
I get it, toddler breakfasts can be tough!
Between grumpy morning moods, picky eaters, and the need to actually get out the door, getting your toddler to eat a nutritious breakfast can be a daily challenge.
But having a stash of easy and nutritious breakfast options can make life a lot easier.
Here’s my list of 30 easy and healthy breakfast ideas for toddlers to help your mornings run a little more smoothly.
Firstly, What Makes a Healthy Toddler Breakfast?
The key to a healthy toddler breakfast is including a balance of nutrients.
This means your little one gets everything they need while keeping their energy levels up and blood sugar levels steady (meaning fewer mid-morning meltdowns!).
Ideally, a good breakfast for toddlers should include:
Protein
Protein is important for growth and keeps kids full for longer.
Eggs, dairy products such as milk, yogurt and cheese, nut butter, beans and legumes, quinoa and tofu are all good sources of protein for breakfast.
Healthy Fats
Healthy fats support brain development, help the body absorb important fat-soluble vitamins and are important for a healthy immune system. They also make it easier for toddlers to meet their high calorie requirements.
Plus, they make food taste great and help toddlers feel full and satisfied after meals.
Avocado, nut butters, chia seeds and olive oil are good sources for toddlers.
Fiber
Fiber helps digestion and keeps little bellies happy.
Oatmeal, whole grains, and fruit and vegetables are great sources.
Iron-Rich Foods
Toddlers need a lot of iron to support their growth and development, so it’s important to include iron-rich foods in most meals.
Good sources of iron for breakfast include fortified cereals, eggs, spinach and beans.
Serve iron-rich foods with a source of vitamin C - such as berries, orange, tomato or spinach - to increase iron absorption.
This might sound complicated, but…
Don’t worry, it can actually be really simple!
Even a humble piece of wholegrain toast with peanut butter and a slice of orange OR iron-fortified cereal with milk and strawberries tick all of these boxes (and there are plenty more ideas below!).
Tips for Successful Toddler Breakfasts
Allow enough time
I get it, mornings are chaotic.
But being rushed never helps anyone’s appetite, and that includes your toddler.
Give them plenty of time to eat at their own pace.
Eat with your child
Toddlers learn by watching you.
Sitting down and having breakfast together (if you can!) means they’re more likely to eat, encourages them to try new foods and helps them develop healthy eating habits.
Get rid of distractions
It can be tempting to put on the TV or hand over a tablet to help your toddler stay put during breakfast.
But sometimes, those distractions can make it harder for them to eat a good meal.
A screen-free breakfast means your toddler can focus on eating and makes for a nice little moment to connect before the day gets busy.
Let them help
Toddlers love helping in the kitchen, and being involved can help get them more excited about breakfast (and more willing to actually eat it!).
Stirring fruit into yogurt or oatmeal, mixing batter or adding toppings to pancakes are easy tasks for toddlers.
Offer Variety
Having a variety of different foods ensures your toddler gets a range of nutrients and doesn’t get bored.
That doesn’t mean you have to offer endless different meals, just have a few in the rotation.
What About Picky Eaters?
As the parent of a picky eater (yep, even dietitians aren’t immune!), I know the frustration of having your breakfast creations rejected before they even hit the table.
Picky eating is a right of passage for toddlers. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
But knowing that doesn’t help you much when you just need them to eat something so you can leave the house!
So, what can you do to get your picky eater to actually eat breakfast?
Offer choices
Let them pick between two options (e.g., banana pancakes or oatmeal?).
This gives toddlers a sense of control and independence - very important to toddlers!
Think outside the breakfast box
If your little one is refusing usual breakfast foods, try something completely different, like dinner foods!
There’s no reason spaghetti bolognese can’t be breakfast, if that’s what your toddler feels like in the morning.
We’re trained from a young age to think cereal/toast/eggs for breakfast but the truth is, anything can be served at breakfast as long as it’s nutritious and balanced.
Make it fun
A little fun can go a very long way when it comes to making food more appealing to toddlers.
Use cookie cutters to shape toast or pancakes into fun designs or make faces using fruit or sauces.
Or try adding a little color by adding some natural food coloring to pancakes or oatmeal.
I find that adding a few sprinkles to peanut butter toast can make all the difference. Yes, it adds a little sugar, but I’m willing to make that trade-off if it means they eat an otherwise nutritious meal!
Have something familiar on their plate
If you’re serving a new food or ‘learning to like’ food, serve it alongside a ‘safe’ or favorite food.
This allows your toddler to feel comfortable knowing there’s at least something they’re happy to eat, and you know they’ll at least eat something.
They’re also more likely to try a new food when they’re relaxed and comfortable.
Have a back up
If, despite all your best efforts, your toddler refuses to eat the delicious breakfast you just made especially for them, don’t panic.
Just have a backup option available - think toast or a smoothie or maybe even a stash of homemade breakfast biscuits in the freezer - that you know they will be happy to eat.
Even a banana is a perfectly acceptable plan B for breakfast.
30 Easy and Nutritious Breakfast Ideas for Toddlers
Whether your little one loves pancakes, eggs, or oatmeal, these balanced breakfast ideas for toddlers will help start the day on the right foot.
1. Banana Pancakes
Made with just bananas, eggs, and oats, these are soft, naturally sweet, and packed with fiber.
You can even add some chia or hemp seeds for extra iron and omega 3s, and serve with vitamin C rich berry puree to increase iron absorption.
They’re also a perfect finger food for little hands.
2. Overnight Oats with Berries
A no-cook breakfast that’s creamy, nutritious, and packed with fiber.
Just mix up some rolled oats, milk, yogurt, maybe some chopped nuts and seeds and leave it in the fridge overnight. Then top with some fruit and it’s good to go.
3. Greek Yogurt with Granola
Full of protein and probiotics for gut health, plus the crunch of granola adds a fun texture.
4. Scrambled Eggs with Toast
A protein-packed option that helps keep toddlers full while providing a source of iron.
Serve with whole grain toast for extra fiber and energy.
5. Avocado and Cheese on Toast
A good source of healthy fats and calcium for brain and bone development.
6. Whole Wheat Waffles with Nut Butter
A fiber-rich, satisfying breakfast with protein from nut butter to keep blood sugar levels steady and energy levels up.
7. Baked Beans on Toast
A hearty and nutritious breakfast for toddlers, providing a balance of protein, fiber, and slow-releasing energy to keep them full and fueled for the morning.
Go for low-sodium baked beans and serve on wholegrain toast for an easy, balanced meal.
8. Smoothie Bowl with Chia Seeds
A fun, spoonable way to get vitamins, minerals, and omega-3s into your toddler’s diet.
I like to make smoothies with frozen bananas and berries, milk, yogurt and some chia seeds or peanut butter for iron.
9. French Toast Fingers
Soft and easy to hold, this is a fun way to offer protein and healthy carbs.
Dip in yogurt for extra calcium and protein.
Try making it with fruit toast for something different.
10. Mini Muffins
Sneak in some extra veggies with these moist and delicious muffins!
Try my recipe for Banana, Blueberry & Chia Muffins.
11. Hard-Boiled Eggs with Fruit
Nothing beats eggs for a nutritious breakfast.
If you’re toddler isn’t into scrambled eggs, try them hard-boiled instead.
Serve with a vitamin C-rich fruit to increase iron absorption.
12. Oatmeal with Cinnamon and Apple
Warm, cozy, and loaded with fiber.
13. Peanut Butter & Banana Toast
A balanced meal with protein, healthy fats, and natural sweetness.
14. Chocolate Porridge
A nutritious and delicious breakfast for toddlers that feels like a treat but is packed with goodness.
Made with oats, cocoa and milk (or a dairy-free alternative), it gives toddlers long-lasting energy, fiber for digestion, and essential nutrients such as iron and calcium.
Try this Chocolate Oatmeal recipe.
15. Cheese and Whole Grain Crackers
Don’t limit yourself to traditional breakfast foods. Any healthy food is fine for breakfast, as long as your toddler will eat it!
Good old cheese and crackers are a quick and satisfying breakfast option that provides calcium, protein, and fiber.
16. Banana Smoothie
Just add a ripe banana to the blender along with some milk, yogurt and some peanut butter for iron, and you’ve got yourself a balanced toddler breakfast!
This is a great on-the-go breakfast option when you need to get out the door.
Try this Breakfast Smoothie recipe.
17. Egg Bites with Veggies
A great make-ahead option, packed with protein and veggies for extra nutrition.
Try this recipe.
18. Breakfast Quesadilla with Cheese and Scrambled Eggs
If you’ve got a little more time on your hands, try a breakfast quesadilla with scrambled eggs, cheese and any veggies you can get away with (tomato? bell peppers? spinach?).
A great way to serve protein and calcium in a toddler-friendly meal.
19. Cereal with Fruit
Choose a low-sugar, iron-fortified whole-grain cereal for an easy, balanced meal.
Serve it with a vitamin-C rich fruit such as strawberries or orange to increase iron absorption.
20. Chia Pudding
A creamy, omega-3, iron and protein-rich breakfast that’s filling, full of fiber and great for digestion.
21. Breakfast Donuts
Take a healthy wholegrain muffin mix such as this one ….and cook it in donut molds for fun but healthy breakfast donuts!
22. English Muffin Pizza with Tomato & Cheese
Who says you can’t eat pizza for breakfast?!
These are super easy to make - just spread English muffins with some tomato paste, top with veggies such as bell peppers, tomato or mushrooms (or leave the veggies off!), top with cheese and bake or grill until the cheese is melted.
23. Breakfast Cookies
Not many toddlers will say no to cookies for breakfast! And they don’t need to know they’re healthy!
You can fill them with whole grains, nuts, seeds and dried fruit to make a balanced breakfast.
Great for breakfast on the go.
Try this recipe for 4-Ingredient Breakfast Cookies.
24. Banana Slices with Peanut Butter and Mashed Berries
Like a little PB&J but with banana instead of bread!
Protein, fibre-rich carbs, healthy fats, iron - tick, tick, tick, tick!
25. Apple ‘Donuts’
Apple slices topped with nut butter and sprinkled with chopped dried fruit, chopped nuts or seeds (or maybe even some sprinkles!) make a fun and easy breakfast with a good balance of protein, fiber and healthy fats.
26. Sweet Potato Pancakes
Veggies don’t have to wait for lunch and dinner, add some to breakfast to get a head start on the day.
Sweet potato works really well in pancakes thanks to its texture and sweet flavor.
Just mash some cooked sweet potato and add it to your usual pancake batter.
27. Sandwiches
While we usually save them for lunch, there’s no reason you can’t serve sandwiches for breakfast!
Just choose a protein-rich filling such as peanut butter or cheese and go for wholegrain or high fiber bread if you can.
My kids love them cut into shapes using a cookie cutter - apparently flower-shaped sandwiches taste way better than regular!
28. Breakfast Tacos
Scrambled eggs served in a mini tortilla with maybe a little avocado or tomato or even some beans.
Easy, nutritious and a fun twist on eggs on toast.
29. Snack Plate
Otherwise known as ‘bits and pieces’ or ‘platters’ in our house, a snack plate is a great option for toddlers who find a meal too overwhelming first thing in the morning.
Just put a few different foods on a plate, aiming for a source of protein, some carbs and healthy fats - and the more color the better!
It could be a finger of peanut butter toast, a strawberry, a piece of cheese and a slice of avocado, or a small bowl of yogurt, a piece of melon and some sliced hard-boiled egg.
30. Dinner for Breakfast
Don’t limit yourself to breakfast foods for breakfast.
Anything can be breakfast - including last night’s dinner leftovers! - as it’s nutritious and your toddler is willing to eat it.
Foods to Avoid in Toddler Breakfasts
🚫 Sugary Cereals and Pastries
High-sugar foods can fill up little tummies without giving them the nutrients they need.
It can also lead to energy crashes and leave them less hungry for the good stuff, like protein, healthy fats, and fiber, that actually keep them full and fuel their growth!
This includes ‘natural sugars’ such as honey, maple syrup, coconut sugar, agave nectar and rice malt syrup.
🚫 Choking Hazards
Foods such as whole nuts, large chunks of hard fruits and vegetables like apples or carrots, and thick spreads of peanut butter can pose a choking risk for toddlers, as their airways are still small, and they’re still learning how to chew and swallow properly.
To make these foods safer, try grinding or finely chopping nuts, grating or steaming hard fruits and veggies, and spreading peanut butter thinly on toast or thinning it with water or yogurt before stirring it into meals.
Always serve food in age-appropriate sizes and textures, and make sure your child is sitting upright and supervised while eating.
🚫 Processed Meats
Processed meats like bacon, ham and sausages are often high in salt, unhealthy fats, and preservatives like nitrates, which aren’t ideal for little tummies.
Offering fresh, less-processed protein options—like shredded chicken, eggs, or beans—helps provide important nutrients without the additives.
🚫 Fruit Juice
Fruit juice isn’t recommended as a regular drink for toddlers as it’s a concentrated source of sugar and low in fiber.
It can also fill up little tummies, which can mean less room for more nourishing foods and drinks like milk and water.
Whole fruits are a better choice than juice as they provide more fiber and nutrients.
I hope these toddler breakfast ideas help take some of the stress out of your mornings—making them a little easier, a little calmer, and a whole lot more delicious for your little one!
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