Easy Toddler Lunch recipes and food ideas for Toddlers.  Below you will find a few easy ideas for lunch for the Toddler.  Feel free to substitute any ingredients you feel may be inappropriate for your Toddler!

PASTA SALAD

1 bag of tri-color pasta (shaped in wheels or another "fun" shape if possible)
1 C chopped fresh broccoli
1/4 C sliced black olives
1/2 C baby Carrots, julienne
1/2 C zucchini, sliced thin
1/2 red onion, sliced very thin
2 T olive oil
black pepper and lemon juice (low-fat salad dressing if your choose)

Boil pasta al dente. Sauté broccoli, carrots, zucchini in olive oil until crisp yet tender. Drain & rinse pasta. Combine pasta and vegetables in large bowl and add parmesan cheese to lightly coat. Add black pepper and lemon juice if you wish. Serve warm or cold

PINWHEEL PLATTER

Cheese Slices
Veggie and Fruit sticks or slices
Turkey, Chicken Breast or other Meat Slices ** NATURAL ONLY - CHECK FOR PRESERVATIVES**

Lay meat slices on plate, top with cheese slices and roll into a tube.
Cut the "tube" into separate portions.
If appropriate, use colourful toothpicks to hold the "pinwheel" slices together.
Your toddler will have fun eating the portions from the toothpicks
(you may even lay these out if find them inappropriate!) as if on an hors de vours tray! Add sliced veggies and fruits to your pinwheel platter for colour and variety to tempt the toddler palate!

CHICKEN POTATO CHOWDER

1/3 C. diced and cooked boneless breast or ground chicken
1/4 C. cubed and cooked potato
3 T. shredded mild Cheddar or American cheese
1/4 C. milk
2 tsp. butter
Peas, carrots and/or corn

Mix chicken, veggies, potato, milk, and butter in a small saucepan. Simmer over low heat for 10 minutes. Stir in cheese. Serve warm.

CHEESE MELTS

Top a slice of bread, open pita or flour tortilla with the following:
2 tomato slices
Strips of cooked thinly sliced chicken, natural ham, beef or ground turkey sausages, (you may also use tuna fish if your toddler may have fish).
Top off with a slice of cheese (deli style "real" cheese).

Hide some veggies like cooked Broccoli, Carrot Slivers, Onions, Peppers, even Green Beans for example!
Broil in oven or toaster oven until cheese is melted.
Allow to cool prior to serving

NANA'S CREAMED PEAS & NUGGETS

4 cups peas, fresh, frozen (or canned as a last resort)
1 cup milk
2 tablespoons flour
2 tablespoons butter
salt and pepper to taste
pieces of chicken, fish, pork or beef

Melt butter in a large sauce pan and whisk in flour- allow to cook for 1 minute.
Slowly add milk, whisking to prevent lumps. Add salt, pepper and other spices as desired. Cook until sauce begins to thicken. Add peas, stir and cook until peas are heated through (about 5-7 minutes) Add meat Serve warm alone or over multi-grain toast. **Other veggies may be added if you desire, however - ensure that ratio of veggies equals 4 cups!**

PUPS IN A BLANKET

One pack of all-beef, or turkey all-natural (or tofu) hot dogs
Puff pastry dough or Ready-to-Bake Crescent Rolls or Lavash or Wraps
Veggies & Cheese

Directions:
In a skillet, cook the (tofu) dogs until they brown and blister- may boil if using meat dogs, while the dough sits out defrosting.
Wrap the dogs in a square of the dough and roll them up like a cigar with veggies & cheese.
Cut into smaller pieces to desired Toddler-friendly size.
In an oven preheated to 375-400 degrees F, bake the rolled dogs for about 25min. or until they are fluffy and golden brown.

Serve with Sweet Potato Fries or Veggie Sticks and Dipping Sauce

TOFU NUGGETS

1 package firm tofu - 1/4 cup flour (more or less)
1 egg equivalent (2 whites or your favorite sub)
1 cup fine dry bread or cracker crumbs (mixtures are fun)
1 teaspoon garlic salt - 1 teaspoon paprika - 1 dash or a few grinds of pepper

Cut tofu into your favorite configuration (my toddler likes fingers).
Spread flour on a small plate or flat dish. Beat egg equivalent in a
shallow dish. Mix remaining ingredients in shallow dish. Turn each
piece of tofu in the flour to cover, then into the egg, then crumbs, and
then to the rack. Chilling will help to set the coating, but you can just bake right away. Bake at 350 degrees F
for 15-20 minutes until crisp. Serve with a dipping sauce


PEANUT BUTTER & BANANA GRILLED SANDWICH **See below for a Note concerning Peanuts and Tree Nuts**

Warm frying pan
Lightly butter 2 slices of whole grain bread

When frying pan has warmed, lay one slice of bread butter-side down and spread with peanut butter and thinly sliced bananas
Top with remaining slice of bread; butter side up. Fry and flip sandwich as needed until bread becomes golden and toasted.

"TRADITIONAL" GRILLED CHEESE

Warm frying pan and take out 2 slices of cheese from the fridge
Lightly butter 2 slices of whole grain bread
When frying pan has warmed, lay one slice of bread butter-side down top with 2 slices of cheese and then top with remaining slice of bread;
butter side up. Fry and flip sandwich as needed until bread becomes golden and toasted.

Hide meat and/or veggies in there!! Turkey, Chicken, Cooked Broccoli, Carrot Slivers, Onions, Peppers, Tomatoes or even Green Beans for example!

QUICK CHEESY VEGGIE QUESADILLA

1 flour tortilla
2 slices of cheese
chopped cooked veggies

On the tortilla, spread out the veggies then cover with cheese slices
Bake or broil until cheese has melted
If broiling, watch carefully as cheese may burn quickly!


STUFFED PITAS - The greatest for travel as they act like a plate/bowl!

1 whole grain or oat bran pita pocket

Stuffing such as:
cheese, turkey, chicken, peanut butter-n-jelly, hummus, veggies
Cut off one "top" portion of the pita to enable opening
Stuff pita with your choice of ingredients

Warm in toaster oven or microwave if desired (when melting cheesy-veggie pita for example)

Serve with fruit slices, yogurt and drink