- Healthy fats<\/strong>. 30-40% of your toddler’s calories<\/a> should come from healthy fats. Options for this are avocados, nuts, seeds, oils (such as coconut oil) and nut butters.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
- Complex carbohydrates<\/strong>. Avoid processed (white) grains and stick to wholemeal. This may be wholemeal pasta, bread, crackers or brown rice and quinoa<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
- Vegetables<\/strong>. It will still need to be soft for one-year-olds, but introducing them to a variety of veg at this age helps prevent picky eaters later. <\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
- Fruit<\/strong>. Fruit is usually a winner with babies as it’s so sweet. While it makes a great dessert, your toddler won’t care about the order. If you have a kitchen diner a fruit snack at the table can be a great way to keep your little one occupied while you prepare lunch. <\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
- Protein<\/strong>. One portion of protein per meal. For plant-based toddlers, this will come from beans, lentils, pulses, nuts, seeds and soy. <\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
Each meal should have a portion of each. A portion for a 1-year-old is roughly 2 tablespoons. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Don\u2019t stress if your child doesn\u2019t eat this every single meal <\/p>\n\n\n\n
They may be a fussy eater and reluctant to try new foods, or just not in the mood for anything green that mealtime. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
As long as they are consuming a balanced diet on average it’s fine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.businesswithababy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/ella-olsson-2IxTgsgFi-s-unsplash-scaled.jpg?fit=1024%2C768&ssl=1\")
I dream of having the time to prepare lunches like this! It would probably all go on the floor anyway.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n <\/div>\n\n\n\nFor when this isn\u2019t possible or practical here are some easy toddler lunch ideas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\nPizza<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Homemade pizza is a great option for a toddler’s lunch. It’s so quick to make and easily customizable to your baby’s taste. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Take a wholemeal tortilla wrap and cover thinly with tomato puree. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Add some veg such as chopped mushrooms, onions, and peppers and place under the grill for about 3 minutes. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Once cooked use a pizza cutter to cut into easy hold triangles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\nPasta<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Wholemeal pasta is packed with nutrients and a great base for a variety of easy meals. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Heat canned tomatoes and tomato puree for a quick pasta sauce. I like to add a handful of frozen mixed veg into the cooking pasta.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Once cooked drain the water and stir in the tomato sauce. Make sure you’ve got your best bib ready for this one, as it can get pretty messy!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
An alternative to this is pasta salads. Add sweetcorn and chopped red peppers to the cooked pasta instead to make a bright, baby-friendly salad.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\nSoup<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.businesswithababy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/soup-3242589_640.jpg\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\nVegetable soup and a piece of bread is a good emergency lunch. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
You can use ordinary soup from a can, but check the level of added salt first. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Alternatively, a small bowl of vegetable soup is easy to make. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Place the chopped vegetables in a saucepan (for example 2 mushrooms, half a leek, a handful of green beans, and a potato). <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Boil the contents for around 15 minutes on medium heat until soft. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Drain approximately half of the water and tip the rest of the contents of the pan into a blender. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Blend for 1 minute to create a chunky soup or longer for a smooth soup. Serve immediately<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\nBrown Rice (Or Quinoa)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Rice is so versatile and easy to cook. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Add a portion of brown rice, sweetcorn, and black beans to a pan. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Boil until the rice is fully cooked and drain. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Add chopped peppers and serve for easy rice salad. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\nToast<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Who doesn\u2019t love lunch on toast! <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Toast a slice of wholemeal bread and add toppings. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Either peanut butter or avocado provides a generous portion of healthy fats. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Plain buttered toast is also great as a snack between meals as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\nBaked Butternut Squash<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.businesswithababy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/baby-775503_640.jpg\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\nThis is an easy prep and forget meal option.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Preheat your oven to 220 degrees. Chop the butternut roughly into wedges (usually, I chop in half, and then each half into three lengthways. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sprinkle with a little salt and pepper and drizzle generously with olive oil. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Bake for 45 mins until soft and fork-tender. Leave to stand for 10 mins until cool. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
You can either mash the squash with a fork – or cut it into long chunks for soft finger food. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Add protein by dusting with sesame seeds before serving. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.businesswithababy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/pexels-pnw-production-7328292.jpg\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\nYou may be interested in my other articles for One-Year-Olds:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
19 Time Capsule Ideas for your Baby’s First Birthday<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
Quiet Book Ideas for your One Year Old<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ultimate Guide to Baby and Toddler Milestones<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\nEasy Extras<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.businesswithababy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/toddler-1963814_640.jpg\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\nThese easy to prepare sides can be added to any meal if your lacking in one of the key nutrient groups<\/p>\n\n\n\n
- Protein<\/strong>. One portion of protein per meal. For plant-based toddlers, this will come from beans, lentils, pulses, nuts, seeds and soy. <\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n
- Fruit<\/strong>. Fruit is usually a winner with babies as it’s so sweet. While it makes a great dessert, your toddler won’t care about the order. If you have a kitchen diner a fruit snack at the table can be a great way to keep your little one occupied while you prepare lunch. <\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n
- Vegetables<\/strong>. It will still need to be soft for one-year-olds, but introducing them to a variety of veg at this age helps prevent picky eaters later. <\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n
- Complex carbohydrates<\/strong>. Avoid processed (white) grains and stick to wholemeal. This may be wholemeal pasta, bread, crackers or brown rice and quinoa<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.businesswithababy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/picnic-2659208_640.jpg\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.businesswithababy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/angel-767694_640.jpg\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n