Sample Meal Plan for Toddlers

The toddler menu below meets all the requirements of the day. It comes in at 986 calories and all of the grains are whole grains. This comes in just under the 1,000 calories recommended for a toddler who is not very active. Making choices like this leaves a little room for discretionary calories.

You have around 165 calories to work with, so you could choose to add a teaspoon of honey to the morning toast for about 20 calories, sprinkle 1/4 cup cheddar cheese on the broccoli at lunch for 133 calories and add another veggie, like onions, to the stir-fry for 15 calories.

If your toddler is active, you can add calories to reach a total of 1,400. In the menu below you could do this by increasing the amounts of milk and grains or by choosing some refined grains instead of whole grains.

Sample Toddler Menu

Breakfast	Calories	Running Requirements Tally
1/2 slice whole wheat toast	64	1/2 ounce grains met
1 teaspoon butter	31	1 teaspoon fats met
1/4 cup diced pears	24	1/4 cup fruit met
1/2 cup whole milk	73	1/2 cup milk met
Morning Snack	Calories	Tally
5 whole wheat crackers	89	1 1/2 ounce grains met
1/4 cup diced peaches	18	1/2 cup fruit met
Lunch	Calories	Tally
1 slice whole wheat bread	128	2 1/2 ounces grains met
1 slice Swiss cheese	160	1 1/2 cup milk met
1 slice ham	37	1 ounce meat met
1 teaspoon butter	31	2 teaspoons fats met
1/2 cup steamed broccoli	27	1/2 cup vegetables met
Afternoon Snack	Calories	Tally
1/4 cup ricotta cheese	107	2 cups milk met
1/4 cup crushed pineapple	37	3/4 cup fruit met
Dinner	Calories	Tally
1/2 cup green peppers and carrots for stir fry	23	1 cup vegetables met
1 ounce chicken breast	31	2 ounces meat met
1/4 cup brown rice	54	3 ounces grains met
1 teaspoon canola oil	40	3 teaspoons fats met
1/4 cup watermelon balls	12	1 cup fruit met
Total	986	All Nutritional Requirements Met