9 toddler-friendly recipes you can make in 2 minutes; Making nutritious meals on the fly
We’ve all been there – excited to try out a new yummy toddler-friendly recipe that from the looks of it shouldn’t take long, only to find yourself spending way too much time slicing, dicing, cooking, and stirring. And after all that, your little one devours it in just minutes. It doesn’t have to be this way! We're all beyond busy these days, especially with a toddler running around. That’s why we swear by the ultimate culinary hack: 2-minute meals, (yes, truly just 2 minutes)!
Mastering the art of low-prep, nutritious, and delicious dishes means less time cooking and more time playing with your little one. So, we made a list of quick, go-to dishes and meals that are proven crowd-pleasers with key nutrients – protein, calcium, whole grains, and healthy fats – that are so important for your child’s development.
And the 9 top quick toddler-friendly recipes are…:
Overnight Oats:
Making this dish: All you need to do is stir together oatmeal, apple, milk, and spices in a medium bowl. Portion it out into 2 sealable containers and place in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours – we recommend overnight so that you don’t have to even think about cooking in the morning. When you're ready to serve it, take it out of the fridge, top with chopped berries, and sit back and relax! Pro tip: Try using various milks in this recipe to allow baby to be exposed to allergens such as nuts, soy, and dairy.
Wait time: At least 4 hours, if not overnight
Yield: 1 quarter cup portion
Ingredients:
- 2 ½ TBSP Gerber® Grain & Grow™ Oatmeal
- 1 TBSP Gerber® 2nd Foods® Apple Puree
- ¼ Cup almond, soy, dairy or breast milk, or formula
- Pinch of ground cinnamon or ginger (optional)
- 1 TBSP fresh berries, cut for appropriate age (optional)
Add the Gerber ingredients you need, right to your cart: click here
Squash Fritters:
This crowd-pleaser goes great with hummus, tzatziki, or Greek yogurt for added texture, flavor, and nutrition. Start by heating oil in large skillet over medium high heat. Then, combine egg, cereal, milk, 2nd Foods® puree, and spices in a large bowl. Stir in squash, adding salt and pepper to taste. Next, place tablespoon sized dollops of fritter batter into prepared skillet on stove. Gently press fritters to flatten slightly. Cook on each side until golden brown; approximately 3-4 minutes per side. Remove from heat and let cool before serving.
Yield: 12 Fritters (about 1 tablespoon each)
Ingredients:
- 2 TBSP olive or vegetable oil
- 1 Large egg
- ¾ Cup Gerber® Grain & Grow™ Oatmeal or Multigrain Cereal
- ¼ Cup dairy or almond milk
- ¼ Cup Gerber® 2nd Foods® Carrot or Butternut Squash
- ¼ TSP basil or oregano (fresh or dried)
- ¼ TSP minced garlic (optional)
- 1 Cup spiral-cut or shredded squash (butternut squash, summer squash, zucchini)
- Salt & pepper to taste
Age:
Crawler 8+ months: flattened dollop
Veggie Polenta:
In a small saucepan over medium heat, bring stock to a boil. Stir in cornmeal and cook for 5-6 minutes, until thickened and bubbling. Remove from heat, stir in cheese, 2nd food®, and seasoning. Place into serving bowls and serve with vegetables or tofu.
Yield: 3 Servings; one serving is ¼ cup polenta with ¼ cup veggies
Ingredients:
- 1 Cup low sodium vegetable or chicken stock
- 1/4 Cup cornmeal
- 2 TBSP shredded cheese (preferably Parmesan or mozzarella)
- 1/3 Cup Gerber® 2nd Foods® Butternut Squash or Sweet Potato
- 1/4 TSP Italian seasoning (optional)
- 1/4 Cup steamed vegetables or cooked tofu (cut appropriately for baby)
Age:
Sitter: without veggies/tofu
Crawler 8+: steamed veggies mashed
Toddler: Steamed veggies cut into bite-sized pieces
Pasta with tomato sauce or savory pouches:
You can’t go wrong with pasta. Once the pasta is cooked according to the directions on the box, toss it with a mild tomato sauce and Gerber® Carrot or Butternut Squash to add flavor and extra nutrition. Option to add very finely chopped, cooked broccoli florets on top of chopped veggies as green “sprinkles.” Serve with one of Gerber's pouches.
Yield: 2 Servings
- Ingredients:
- ½ cup Whole grain pasta
- ½ cup of tomato sauce
- 1 jar Gerber® Carrot or Butternut Squash
- 1 TBSP of cooked broccoli florets (save the rest of the broccoli you don’t use for another dish)
Nutty Fruit Smoothie:
Place all ingredients into a blender and combine until smooth. Pour into preferred training cups to enjoy. Pro tip: Extra smoothie can be frozen and thawed for later use. This smoothie is a great way to introduce baby to using a cup.
Yield: 4 Servings, one portion is ¼ cup
Ingredients:
- 1/3 Cup almond or other nut milk
- 1/4 Cup Gerber® 2nd Foods® Banana
- 1 ½ TBSP cup fresh or frozen berries or stone fruit (thawed if frozen)
- 2 ½ TSP Gerber® Grain & Grow™ Oatmeal or Multigrain Cereal
- 2 TSP Smooth nut butter (optional)
Age:
Appropriate for Sitter +
NOTE: As with any dish containing nuts, make sure to ask your doctor about introducing nut allergens to your baby.
Turkey and cheese wrap topped with sweet potato puree:
Start by spreading a thin layer of Gerber® sweet potato puree on a whole wheat tortilla. Place slices of cooked, finely shredded turkey and a small amount of cheese on top. Roll the tortilla into a wrap and cut it into bite-sized pieces and serve.
Yield: 1 wrap
Ingredients:
- 1 Whole wheat tortilla
- 2-3 Slices of cooked turkey
- 2 TBSP Gerber® 2nd Foods® Sweet Potato Puree
- 1 slice of Swiss cheese or the cheese of your choosing
Age:
12+ months
Scrambled eggs with veggies or egg slicers:
To make the egg slicers, all you need to do is cut egg into quarters. Place Gerber® Grain & Grow™ Oatmeal into a small bowl. Toss egg quarters in the oatmeal to coat on all sides. Place egg pieces on a plate. Top with herbs, green beans, carrots, or pumpkin.
Yield: 2 Portions
Ingredients:
- 1 Hard-boiled egg, cooled and peeled
- 1 tsp Gerber® Grain & Grow™ Oatmeal
- 2 tsp Gerber® 2nd Foods® Green Bean, Carrot, or Pumpkin
- 1/4 tsp Fresh herbs, minced (we prefer basil, thyme, oregano) *optional
Age:
Crawler 8+ months: cut into quarters
Hummus Bites and whole wheat pita and thin-sliced/soft-cooked veggies such as diced bell peppers or skinless cucumber slices:
Place cucumbers/crackers on plate. In a small bowl, combine hummus and 2nd food, such as carrots or pumpkin. Spread hummus mixture on top of sliced cucumber/crackers. Sprinkle with optional herbs and feta cheese. Pro tip: If using cucumber slices, coat with Gerber® Grain & Grow™ Oatmeal or Multigrain Cereal to help baby grasp the food.
Yield: 6 Bites
Ingredients:
- 6 Slices of peeled cucumber (1/4 inch thick) or 6 whole wheat crackers or Gerber® Teethers
- 1/3 Cup hummus
- 1 TBSP Gerber® 2nd Foods® Carrot or Pumpkin
- ¼ tsp Fresh herbs, minced *optional
- 2 tsp Feta cheese crumbles *optional
Age:
10 + crawler: without cracker, with teether rice rusks
Toddler 12+: with crackers
NOTE – Cucumbers must be peeled
Gerber® Grain & Grow™ Oatmeal with banana boats:
This one is truly as simple as it sounds. Start by cutting a banana in half, then cut the two halves in half to get 4 pieces. Cut each of those pieces into a spear to create 8 boats. Place Gerber® Grain & Grow™ Oatmeal into a medium bowl. Toss banana boats in the oatmeal to coat on all sides and put the banana boats on a plate, topped with mango, peach, or pear.
Yield: 8 Boats
Ingredients:
- 1 Ripe banana, peeled
- 2 TBSP Gerber® Grain & Grow™ Oatmeal
- 1-2 TBSP Gerber® 2nd Foods® Mango, Peach, or Pear
Age:
Crawler 8+: spears
Embracing lightning-fast meals like these allows you to keep up your daily jam-packed schedule without missing the day-to-day basics or cutting out nutrients and balanced meals. With the extra time back in your day, you can enjoy more quality time playing with your little one or, yes, even relaxing for a moment, just for you. After all, parenting smarter not harder is about making every minute count.
