Nourishing Foods to Feed Your Toddler

Nourishing foods are so important to your toddler! Their brains and bodies are developing and growing and soaking everything up. I’m passionate about making sure I feed Miles REAL food that will support his growing body. The Weston A. Price Foundation recommends focusing on a whole food (preferably organic) diet. With little processed foods. Protein, iron, good fat, and cholesterol are important nutrients your baby needs for development. (Check out this article here for a deep dive into important nutrients for your babe). Or if you want to get really into it, their book – The Nourishing Traditions Book of Baby & Child Care.
We, as moms, have the power to set our toddlers up for the most success, just based on the foods we feed them! So, I try to stick with whole foods at home (definitely not perfect). This way, when we eat out or at someone else’s house, it’s not a big deal if it’s not the most nutrient dense food. There’s definitely a balance. I want him to love eating, not to dread it. I want him to have a good relationship with food, not think of it as “good” or “bad”. So I try to be creative and fun with high quality, nourishing foods. And also not to freak out if my husband Nick shares his chocolate chip cookie with him (which he does). With that in mind, here is a realistic day in the life of what I feed Miles.

Full Day of Eating: Toddler Style
Wake Up
Miles wakes up saying “nana” or “milk”. So he usually gets a banana and some milk first thing in the morning. (I’m still nursing him in the morning and before bedtime).
Breakfast
2 scrambled eggs + ½ an avocado + blueberries
Morning Snack
Greek yogurt + Peanut Butter + Just Ingredients vanilla protein powder (mix all together and spoon into little dollops on a sheet pan. Freeze. They are the protein packed and easy to pull out of the freezer! They are also amazing for teething!)
Lunch
Wild caught canned salmon + Avocado mayo (mix together), Good Culture (whole milk is my fav) cottage cheese, and organic blueberries (all from Costco!)
Afternoon Snack
2 cutie oranges + more cottage cheese OR apple slices and Peanut Butter
Dinner
Mini meatloaf with beef liver and heart mixed in, organic green beans, baked potato with Greek yogurt, butter, and salt, homemade sourdough bread.
Bedtime
More milk
This definitely varies based on the day. And if he could, Miles would eat bananas for breakfast, lunch, and dinner (lol). But I try to prioritize nourishing foods rich in protein and fat! Lots of ground beef and butter. I used to be afraid of butter. And cheese. And steak. But after reading The Nourishing Traditions Book of Baby and Child Care by Sally Fallon Morell, and Real Food for Pregnancy by Lily Nichols, I’m a new girl. And realize those are some of the most nutrient dense (and delicious) foods you and your kids can be eating.

Nourishing Snacks
It’s unrealistic to assume you’ll be home all day every day to feed your toddler home cooked full course meals. So I made a list of some of my favorite on-the-go but still nourishing snacks for you!
- Banana – I obviously have to bring these everywhere because they’re Miles’ favorite. But they’re also so easy to bring along and whip out for emergency snacking.
- Cutie Oranges – So practical and easy to throw in your diaper bag! Just peel when your babe is ready to eat. They also keep babies quite entertained eating the slices one at a time.
- Avocado – I always bring these with me to restaurants! They are substantial enough to supplement if what you order isn’t ideal for baby to eat. And they’re easy to throw in the bag. Definitely have a paper towel or napkin available though! I somehow always end up with avocado on me.
- Beef Sticks (Chomps or Archer brands are both grass fed!) – I can’t decide if me or Miles love these more. Either way, I always have them available for us in the diaper bag for when hunger strikes.
- Sliced apples + Peanut Butter – Healthy and delicious. I just pre slice the apples and bring the whole jar of peanut butter (lol). It’s yum but also sticks with you a little longer than just apples.
- Veggie Straws – Okay these are purely for entertainment. They don’t really satisfy a hunger craving, but they are clean ingredients and can help prevent a meltdown! (Costco carries some made with avocado oil!)
- Serenity Kids pouches – My absolute favorite. They are made with high quality ingredients – grass fed beef, free range chicken, organic veggies, etc. And Miles LOVES them. They are super low in sugar (3ish grams) and most of the pouches have 5 grams of protein and 5 grams of fat!
- Simple Mills Sweet Thins crackers – They have a couple different flavors and all are YUM. They are made with high quality ingredients and actually have some fat in them so are a great little snack. Even better dipped in peanut butter. They are pretty thick so they entertain Miles for a while trying to get through them.
You’ve Got This
Okay there you have it. What my toddler eats in a day. Plus our favorite healthy snacks. I hope this empowers you to get creative and feel less stressed about feeding your toddler! It doesn’t have to be complicated. Just focus on whole foods and ingredients you can actually read, and you’ll be golden.
I would LOVE to hear your favorite meals and snacks to feed your toddler! Comment below all your thoughts! I’m always here for your new ideas.
For a deep dive into all things nourishing foods for baby, check out my post here! A Holistic Perspective on Baby’s First Foods
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