Sample Menu in the Day of a 2-Year Old

Sample Menu in the Day of a 2-Year Old

Below is our sample food schedule for a 2 year old. Check out the What a Good Eater! cookbook for fantastic ideas on family friendly meals, more sample food schedules by age, healthy snack ideas by age, and meals ready in about 30 minutes or less for busy parents.

The sample menu below takes you through some examples of what I, Amy, have recently been feeding my 2-year old son. This is by no means a comprehensive list…we move and change with the times and current circumstances occurring in our household! Every family has their own unique schedule and challenges, and we’re no different! When possible, I try to mix up the food options from day to day so that our toddler eats a wide variety of foods. I find that serving a variety of foods and switching things up encourages healthier nutrition and an open palette; it doesn’t allow my toddler to get overly comfortable eating and requesting the same foods over and over, consequently rejecting other food options we try to serve.       

 

Sample Menu in the Day of a 2-Year Old

8:15 AM: Breakfast is Served!

Options for the Main Meal:

  • Steel cut oats with cardamom and nutmeg
  • Plain yogurt
  • Greek yogurt
  • Cereal with milk
  • Blueberry waffles

Options to Serve on the Side:

  • Freshly diced fruit (banana, berries, pear, apple, watermelon, etc.)
  • Cheese

Drink:

  • Milk or water in a sippy cup

10:00 AM: Did Someone Say Snack Time?*

Options for Snack Time:

  • Fresh fruit smoothie for mom and kiddo (i.e.: mixed organic berries, fresh spinach, water)
  • Cottage cheese with diced apples
  • Fresh fruit

*Note: We often skip snack time if we’re out of the house doing an activity. My toddler comes back nice and hungry for a hearty lunch that holds him until the afternoon.

11:00 AM: It’s Lunch Time!

Options for the Main Meal:

  • Dinner leftovers from the previous night
  • Toddler Veggie Platter (served with hummus or yogurt dipping sauce for protein)
  • Avocado, Tomato, and Hummus Sandwich
  • Peanut Butter/Almond Butter Sandwich
  • Black beans, spinach, and tomatoes with couscous or bulgur
  • Soft taco: Chicken or beans (previously made and stored in fridge/freezer), cheese, tomato, and spinach wrapped in whole wheat tortilla
  • Spinach and cheese omelet with fresh herbs and toast

Options to Serve on the Side:

  • Diced fruit (i.e.: avocado, pear, berries, watermelon, grapes, peach, apricot, plum, tomato)
  • Diced vegetables (i.e.: brightly colored bell peppers, broccoli, cauliflower, etc.)

Drink:

  • Water or milk in a sippy cup

3:30 PM: It’s Snack Time Again?!

Options for Snack Time:

  • Diced fresh fruit
  • Dried fruit (i.e.: raisins, cranberries, blueberries, etc.)
  • Whole wheat crackers with cheese, peanut butter, or almond butter
  • Cheese

Drink:

  • Water or milk in a sippy cup

5:30 or 6:00 PM: Dinner’s On the Table!

Note: If we’re cooking dinner at home, our son is expected to eat what the family eats for dinner, and we rarely make exceptions. When possible, we try to include a protein, whole grain, and/or vegetable in the meal. On evenings when my husband and I can’t cook and we need a quick dinner, we’ll serve our son sardines (they’re high in omegas!) with some vegetables on the side or one of the lunch options listed above. If we go to a restaurant as a family, our son currently shares the meal we order versus ordering off the kids menu.

Options for the Main Meal:

  • Chicken, ground beef, or bean soft tacos
  • Whole wheat pasta tossed with sauce and vegetables
  • Slow cooker beef short ribs with Yukon Gold potatoes
  • Chicken tikka masala
  • Turkey cutlets
  • Lemon chicken with fresh herbs
  • Grilled salmon on a cedar plank
  • Grilled hamburgers
  • Lentil soup

Options to Serve on the Side:

  • Vegetables (broccoli, cabbage, bell peppers, spinach, kale, green peas, etc.)
  • Salad
  • Whole grain (i.e.: farro, bulgur, barley, wild rice, etc.)

Drink:

  • Water or milk in a sippy cup

Did this post help you? Check out our cookbook What a Good Eater! for baby & toddler recipes with healthy herbs and spices to add flavor and broaden your baby’s palette, now available on Amazon! If you enjoyed this post, sign up to receive our newsletter for other great ideas on feeding your baby, toddler, and family.

 

About Amy Godiwalla

Amy Godiwalla is co-author of the What a Good Eater! cookbook, available on Amazon. Amy and her husband, Shaun, live in Denver, Colorado, with their two little boys. When Amy is not feeding little mouths or inventing recipes, she enjoys hiking, yoga, snowboarding, cooking, entertaining, traveling to the mountains, sipping hot chocolate at ski resorts, and wine tasting.

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