18 best breakfast options for your toddler
Eating breakfast is a healthy habit. Research tells us that breakfast-eaters have better weight control, focus, and attention in school and tend to avoid overeating. Of course, these results are in older children — but getting the breakfast routine started early helps it become a habit.
One trick for making breakfast stick is to have a variety of food items with a rotating menu on hand. Here are 18 nutritious breakfast ideas for your toddler. But remember to mix it up so your toddler doesn’t get bored with breakfast!
Eggs
- Poached egg in a bowl with whole grain toast “fingers” for dipping; fruit on the side; milk
- Scrambled eggs with cheese and buttered cinnamon raisin toast squares; milk
- Chopped hard-boiled egg, English muffin half topped with sliced cheese and sliced into “fingers” served with melon slices; milk
- Diced ham, spinach, and cheese omelet with canned mandarin oranges (in own juices); milk
Waffles and pancakes
- Waffle strips, maple syrup, turkey sausage, and cut up apple; milk
- Waffle with nut butter spread, topped with banana slices, and cut into small 1” squares; milk
- Waffle “fingers” with fruit yogurt for dipping; 100 percent fruit juice
- Pancakes topped with warmed fruit jam or nut butter; cut up small and served with canned sliced peaches (in own juices); milk
Pastries
- Banana bread with cream cheese spread, served with 100 percent fruit juice
- Mini-muffins (any variety) with quartered grapes; milk
Granola, oatmeal, cereal
- Vanilla yogurt parfait: layer vanilla yogurt, crispy rice cereal, and chopped berries; 100 percent fruit juice
- Oatmeal made with milk and topped with fresh fruit and crushed nuts (walnuts or pecans); 100 percent fruit juice
- Cream of Wheat (farina) made with milk and topped with honey, crushed nuts, and berries; milk
- Oaty-O’s cereal and milk with chopped strawberries on top; 100 percent fruit juice
Bread
- Whole wheat toast spread with apple butter and sprinkled with cinnamon; serve with sliced cheese; 100 percent fruit juice
- French toast triangles served with syrup on the side for dipping and mixed fruit salad (seasonal); milk
- Ham and cheese mini-croissant cut up into small pieces; serve with pear slices; milk
- Tortilla spread with nut butter or hazelnut chocolate butter, warmed up and sliced into thin strips; serve with sliced strawberries; milk
Reviewed by Dr. Sara Connolly, September 2020
Takeaways
- Breakfast eaters have better control over their weight and better attention in school.
- Keep a variety of foods on hand with a rotating menu, so your children don’t end up getting bored with breakfast.
- You can include anything from eggs to waffles and even pastries and bread, as long as it’s in moderation.
I LOVE these suggestions! My son loves breakfast (it’s his biggest meal of the day and when I can usually get him to try just about anything), and I want to keep it that way. I think changing it up with some of these ideas will keep him happy with breakfast for a long time to come!
I always say, “Never off the same thing twice (in a row)”–mystery can be the spice of life!
These are great ideas. My oldest daughter eats just about the same thing for breakfast everyday and I can tell she gets bored with them so I will try some of these. Luckily, my two year old will eat just about anything but I am sure she will love to try these as well!
One of the best “strategies” for feeding children is to rotate foods and keep them guessing! It keeps interest up and boredom down.
These are great ideas! I feel like I give my 3 year old the same things all of the time…I’m going to use some of these new ideas for sure!