It is so hard to come up with a balanced series of lunches for the pickiest of critics: toddlers. They go from being infants who are excited to try every food to being the harshest critics who despise anything resembling a vegetable. Here are some ideas for delicious, balanced toddler friendly lunches.

Naan Bread Pizza

This one is a fan favourite within my home daycare. It is fairly simple to make. Preheat the oven to 425. Using the naan bread as the dough, add a generous layer of tomato sauce, top with cheese and then layer toppings on top. Bake for 10 minutes, then broil the cheese on low for another 5 minutes. Serve with a vegetable or salad.

Pasta

Every child loves pasta. My daughter specifically enjoys the spiral noodles known as rotini pasta.

Grilled Cheese

What kid doesn’t love grilled cheese? This lunch is easily customizable with the different breads, cheeses and add ons!

Cold Plate

This one is so easy and it’s customizable depending on the food interests of your child! You can also use this opportunity to introduce new meats, cheeses, vegetables or fruits and they’re surrounded by familiar favorites. Win win!

Pizza Quesadillas

What toddler doesn’t love cheese and marinara sauce? Quesadillas are a fun way to change up the usual pizza order, and you can add any toppings you like! Simply spread some pasta sauce, add shredded cheese, some veggies or meat if you’re daring, fold in half and cook until the cheese melts! Serve with marinara sauce on the side, some fruit and milk. Mmmm.

Try out some of this fun, toddler friendly favourites and let me know which ones your toddlers love in the comments. Thank you for reading!