Breakfast for me is easy: I wake up, pop some bread in the toaster and turn on my cordless kettle to make a cup of tea. I’m happy with the basics, but my little one insists on a little more variety in his daily routine. That’s why I’ve come up with a simple rotating schedule of quick and easy breakfast ideas for toddlers and growing kids.

Pancakes – A Sunday staple; it doesn’t matter if you buy from a box or make homemade (though we prefer the latter) — pancakes are always a winner. We love pancake minis and when you do make a batch from scratch, double it and freeze the rest for a quick and easy breakfast any day of the week. For special occasions, I add in miniature chocolate chips

Waffles – Almost as good as pancakes, waffles are always welcome in our house. There are some adorable waffle makers on the market with Disney characters and other cute designs, giving your children even more reasons to love them. Again, make a double batch and freeze leftovers–you can put them in the toaster to get a nice crunch when ready to serve.

Scrambled eggs – One of the simplest hot meals you can make, scrambled eggs are genuinely loved by most children. Add in a splash of milk or coconut milk and whip to keep eggs nice and fluffy.

Toast – To liven up your child’s morning toast, cut into fun shapes with cookie cutter and top with butter or jelly. If no nut allergies, Nutella and toast is a fun treat!

Cereal with Milk – Cheerios, Chex, Rice Krispies, Kix, Puffed Rice and Corn Flakes are just a few of our favorites. We try to stay away from sugary cereals, but if we are short on time, almost any will do.

Fruit and yogurt – A toddler breakfast that can double as an anytime snack, fruit and yogurt is both delicious and healthy. Buy berries when they are in season and serve with bananas anytime of year. When you serve your little one fruit at a young age, they are more likely to keep loving it throughout their life.

Cereal Bars – When we are on the go and have to be out of the house early, cereal bars with whole grain and real fruit are our best bet. Nutri Grain and Gerber Gradulates Fruit & Cereal are popular choices, but if you have a little extra time one day, these bars can made at home with little effort.

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I have been getting an overwhelming amount of requests for quick and easy meals for toddlers. In response to this I have created a brand new site, Easy Toddler Meals.

Easy Toddler Meals provides kid approved breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snack ideas as well as nutritional information especially for toddlers.

Check it out and let me know what you think. Join the free mailing list and get 10 Yummy Toddler Smoothie Recipes.

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Feel free to submit your favorite toddler meals!

Sometimes it feels like there is nothing quick and easy to give your toddler as a snack.

I know as a parent I sometimes stare at the fridge and pantry and assume there is nothing even semi healthy to give to my little one. How I forget about the little, less complicated things that can be made in a matter of minutes. Here are 20 quick and easy snacks for your toddler:

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1. Yogurt – Good with apple slices to make dippers
2. Oatmeal – use different flavors for variety
3. Mac and cheese – Make this snack into a meal by adding in corn, carrots, peas, or ground beef.
4. String cheese
5. Raisins
6. Cut up pieces of fruit – mandarin oranges, sliced grapes, and strawberries are good options.
7. Applesauce
8. Grilled Cheese – Cut up into bite size squares
9. Goldfish Crackers, Gerber Puffs, Cheez Its
10. Mini Pancakes – Eggo makes some minis that are easy to make.
11. Scrambled Eggs
12. Toast w/Jelly (or Peanut Butter if your sure your toddler has no allergy to nuts)
13. Dry cereal – Cheerios are a great staple and easy to travel with.
14. Veggies – Broccoli, brussel sprouts, corn, green beans are all great choices!
15. Mashed Potatoes – Make up a big batch and freeze into smaller portions.
16. Cheese Quesadillas – Cut into small triangles
17. Fish Sticks, grilled chicken strips (Cut up)
18. Deli Meat – ham/turkey rolled up, serve w/cheese cubes
19. Pasta – Served with spaghetti sauce or with a small amount of butter/margarine.
20. Cereal Bars (like Nutrigrain) – Easy snack for on the go!

A couple of these toddler snacks can be beefed up to make some yummy toddler meals. Mix and a match a few of the fruit and veggie choices and in some protein and your toddler will have a well balanced lunch

Do you have a snack your toddler enjoys and wants to share it here? Leave a comment and I will add it to my list.

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Your growing toddler needs to snack quite a few times a day in addition to eating regular meals with the rest of the family. Here are a few quick and easy snack ideas that you can put together in just a few minutes. You toddler will enjoy these yummy snacks.

Ham and Cheese Crackers

Cut up some pieces of ham and cheese and serve them with some crackers. If you want to make it fun, use a cookie cutter to cut fun shapes out of the cheese.

Fruit Dip

Caution, this can get a little messy! Cut up some fruit in bite size chunks and serve with a small bowl of yogurt. Encourage your toddler to dip the fruit in the yogurt. This is an easy way to get your toddler to eat a serving of fruit, while also getting some extra calcium and protein in his/her diet from the yogurt.

Low Sugar Cereal

I always keep a box of low sugar cereal like cheerios in my pantry. They make a great snack with a little milk, or even just a bowl of dry cereal. Dry cereal also make a great take-along snack. Just throw a serving in a Ziploc bag and toss it in your purse.

Veggies and Dip

Keep some cut up veggies in the fridge. Small pieces of carrot, peeled cucumber, celery as well as small sections of broccoli and cauliflower all make great finger food for toddlers. Make sure the pieces are very small to prevent choking or steam them to soften them up. Serve with a little ranch dressing if desired.

Peanut Butter Sandwich

A PB&J has been a snack staple for ages. Mix things up by toping the peanut butter with some thin slices of apple or banana instead of the jelly. Or try smearing the peanut butter on a tortilla. Add jelly and roll it up. Cut the rolled up tortilla into strips for a fun new way to eat a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.

Quick Cheese Quesadilla

Place a soft tortilla on a microwave safe plate. Top one half with cheese and fold the other half over it. Microwave 30-60 seconds or until the cheese is melted. Cut into wedges and let it cool a little before serving.

Quick Smoothie

Throw half a banana or some berries in a blender along with some vanilla yogurt and a splash of milk. Add a little ice if desired and blend until smooth. Serve in a sippy cup or with a straw for a quick fruit smoothie. Your toddler will love drinking a milkshake for a snack.

Give these fast, easy and healthy snack ideas for your toddler a try. By the way, these make great snacks for everyone else in the family as well – including mom.

Christine Steendahl Is The Founder Of Dine Without Whine – A Family Friendly Weekly Menu Planner.

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My daughter loves those Smuckers UnCrustables, and really, these are a great idea for an on-the-go sandwich you can take with you. If you are not familar, the Uncrustables are your typical peanut butter and jelly sandwiches without the crust, that are sealed shut in a pocket. They come frozen, and you can take them with you, within 20 minutes they are ready to eat. You could also microwave them for 10 seconds on each side if you want to eat them right out of the freezer. They are great, and my toddler LOVES them. They can also be expensive when you go through them as quick as we do!

I still buy the Uncrustables, but lately, I have been whipping up my own unique Uncrustables for my little one.

Some new, quick, variations of PB&J for your toddler

1. Our #1 favorite, white or wheat bread, cut off crust and spread on Peanut Butter and Mashed Bananas. Your toddler will go nuts!

2. Wheat Bread, cut off crust, spread on peanut butter and honey. Yummy!

3. A combo of #1 and #2. Mashed bananas and honey on white or wheat.

4. Original Peanut Butter and Jelly, cut off crust. Buy different types of jelly other than strawberry and grape! Jelly also comes in flavors like Cherry, Apricot, Blueberry, Peach, and Rasperry.

5. White or wheat bread, cut off crust, spread peanut butter and apple sauce! Another toddler favorite!

To prepare: Tear off crust first, spread toppings, and then cut sandwich into four pieces for easy toddler pickup.

Do you have any other PB&J variations you’d like to share? Make a comment and I will add it to the list.