Easy Toddler Meal Ideas | Food & Drink | Lone Star Looking Glass

Can you believe it’s officially 2019!? I don’t know about y’all about 2018 flew by at lightning speed at our house. Then again, when I see pictures of Annie at the beginning of last year vs. now – it’s hard to believe it’s only been 365 days.

There are so many changes that come along with a growing toddler. There’s the good stuff (so good it’ll almost take your breath away!) like hearing your little one say “Hi, Mommy!” for the first time. And aren’t all of those precious hugs that they so generously give the most amazing thing!? Then there are the more challenging aspects of toddlerhood – sleep struggles, potty training, full-blown tantrums & meltdowns over the smallest little things. One thing that we have had on and off struggles with is finding the foods that Annie fancies the most. At one point, she would eat any and everything we gave her. Fast forward a few months and sweet potatoes and chicken were both flying fast across our dining room. Her dislike of some of our favorite dishes sure made our pups happy, that’s for sure!

After several months of trial and error, I’ve narrowed down a few super healthy and easy toddler meal ideas that Annie loves to eat. And we all know that everyone wants to start eating healthier in the New Year (myself included)! I’m hoping to make it easier on you and your tots today so I’m teaming up with ALDI to share these three colorful toddler meals that I’m sure your tot will appreciate as much as mine!

The best part about these easy toddler meal ideas is that there is hardly much cooking or prep involved. And the second best? You don’t even have to go out the door to shop for everything you need. With Instacart, ALDI shoppers can use the code ALDIFAN for $10 off their first three ALDI orders of $35 or more too! Sharing more details on the toddler meals ideas & how we save while shopping for them below!

I’ve mentioned here and there about how much I love using Instacart to order my groceries online. It’s honestly shocking how much time this delivery service saves me. And it also saves my sanity!! Currently, little Annie absolutely detests the child’s seat in the grocery cart, which makes a trip to the store that much more difficult. I love that with Instacart, you can order your ALDI groceries from the comfort of home and have them delivered at a time most convenient for you.

I also think that Instacart helps me shop smarter. I’m able to add everything I need to my cart and know what the total is before I check out. If it’s a bit higher than what I’ve budgeted, it’s so simple to remove an item. Seeing what you are spending while you’re shopping can make those impulse buys happen less and less, thus saving you even more money on groceries.

It’s true what they say about toddlers – sometimes they find the box or the bag and it’s way more fun than whatever was inside it!

3 Healthy & Easy Toddler Meal Ideas:

1. Cucumber Cream Cheese Sandwich with Fruit and Veggies

Who else grew up on peanut butter and jelly sandwiches!? While I love that lunch box staple, I’m trying to change up Annie’s sandwich game a bit with something different every so often.

I’ll spread a generous swipe of cream cheese on the Simply Nature Organic Seeded Bread and top it with sliced cucumbers. After I slice one up, I’ll keep a container filled with the extra slices in the fridge to make sandwiches the next day that much easier. Berries and carrots make tasty sides that she can’t resist!

2. A Southwestern Inspired Meal with Quesadillas and Peppers

We eat A LOT of Tex Mex around here so it’s no surprise Annie is a fan of tacos, avocados and all things spicy like we are. Quesadillas are much easier to whip up than you might think. I’ll bake a batch of chicken from the Never Any! line early in the week, shred it and keep the pieces in the fridge to pull out and use for last-minute lunches. (Let’s be honest, when a toddler is hungry … they want to eat NOW!) I top a tortilla with just cheese and chicken and microwave it for about thirty seconds. So quick & easy! Annie loves avocados so I often pair her quesadilla with that, sliced peppers and fruit. Right now she’s all about grapes!

3. A Protein-Packed Lunch on-the-go with Fruit & Veggies

Annie is in school four days a week which means I’m making her lunches early in the morning to pack away until noon. These collapsible meal kits from ALDI fit right inside Annie’s lunch box and not only helps with food storage but also portion control. Each space in the container holds exactly 1 cup. You can find the meal kits for a limited time at ALDI starting January 2nd.

I love using this meal kit for not only school lunches but meals-on-the-go too. Often times we’ll meet friends at the park for lunch or I’ll pack a meal for Annie when we’re traveling/road-tripping. This protein-packed lunch above consists of a hard-boiled egg, cheddar cheese (string cheese that I chopped up) sliced cucumbers, quartered cherry tomatoes and berries. Hard-boiled eggs are also something that you can make ahead of time to have on hand in a pinch. They can remain fresh for up to a week refrigerated.

Annie loves how colorful this lunch looks and I am so glad she thinks it’s tasty too!

Now after that delicious lunch … it’s time to play!!

Now that it’s a brand new year (and Annie turns 2 in less than 20 days!!) I’m really reminded of that quote, “The days are long but the years are short.” Eating healthier as a family is one of my big resolutions this year. But another one is to be more present – to enjoy the little things and simple moments that each and every day brings. What are your resolutions this year?!

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Big thank you to ALDI for sponsoring this post. I had such fun putting these easy toddler meal ideas together for you all (and Annie.) As always, all opinions are my own. Thank you to you guys for supporting the brands that make Lone Star Looking Glass possible.

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