60+ Healthy, Easy Meals and Snacks for Your One-Year-Old

Surprise! You’re now the proud parent of a one-year-old! How in the heck did that happen? While the days might be loooong, those twelve months went by. so. fast.

And your rapidly growing, newly-minted one-year-old has a lot of rapidly growing needs. Among them are new nutritional needs.

Your babe began with breastmilk or formula. Then, from around the age of 6 or so months, you probably started introducing purees or super-soft finger foods.

But now that they’ve reached the one-year milestone, your little one is going to start requiring regular meals and snacks.

I’ll admit that, at first, I was totally daunted by this development. How am I going to pull this off? I thought. What am I going to feed him? What if he rejects what I give him? What if he doesn’t eat enough?

All the “what ifs” started to pile up and become a huge source of anxiety.

But after doing my research, I decided to focus on two things to help manage this new stage in our lives.

To Mitigate Stress, Focus on These Two Things:

(1) What you serve is in your control. And not much else.

You are in control of what you serve your child, NOT what your child chooses to eat. Your job is to offer them a variety of age-appropriate foods to eat — or to reject. Go in with the expectation that you WILL have to re-offer foods that have been rejected. If you don't, well, they will never eat them.

Children typically need to be exposed to a new food 6 to 15 times before they’ll accept it! Take the rejections in stride. This is 100% normal. Do not give up. But also, don't sweat it. Honestly.

(2) Have fun with it.

Experiment without expectation and just go with the flow. They will make a mess. They will defy all reason. They will also surprise you, delight you, and make you laugh...

I tried to tune out distractions at mealtime as much as possible so that I could relish all the details: the faces my son made when he ate something he liked... and didn't like.

This is New Territory for Your Child. Take a Deep Breath.

I decided I would periodically check-in to make sure that, over time, my son was gaining the weight he needed. But I tried not to let the “what ifs” control me and overwhelm my focus. Children can be inconsistent. Some days they eat like birds, other days they’ll eat your whole pantry. They’re humans, not robots. (Note: I am not a physician and this is in no way medical advice. Always consult with your pediatrician.)

A lot of kids are picky — it’s a safety mechanism. That’s the reality. Not all kids are the adventurous eating types, who happily devour pungent bowls of onion soup or spicy shakshuka... or even just a simple tomato basil sauce.

However, in my research at the time, I also learned that one-year-olds are typically more open to different flavors than two-year-olds. This was backed up by anecdotes I’d read about children who’d eat a wide range of foods... until they turned two and decided it was white bread and chicken nuggets from here on out.

So instead of playing it safe at first, I decided to try (operative word) to offer as much variety and flavor as possible in the hope of priming his palate.

One-Year-Old Nutritional Needs

According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, one-year-olds require:

1,000 calories, 700 mg of calcium, 600 IU of vitamin D, and 7 mg of iron every day to support healthy growth.

What does that look like, in practice?

700 mg of Calcium

The following equates to 772 mg of calcium:

8 ounces of milk (284 mg) + 4 ounces of yogurt (125 mg) + 1/2 ounce cheese (102 mg) + ¾ cup Cheerios (100 mg) + 1 tablespoon chia seeds (126 mg) +  ½ cup broccoli (21 mg) + ¼ cup cannellini beans (14 mg)

600 IU of Vitamin D

The following equates to 608 IU of vitamin D:

Vitamin D Spray (400 IU) + 8 ounces of whole milk (124 IU) + 1 whole egg (44 IU) + ¾ cup Cheerios (40 IU)

*There are very few food-rich sources of vitamin D. In fact, one of our most significant sources of vitamin D is the sun! It is for this reason that your pediatrician has probably recommended a vitamin D supplement for your child. For babies and young toddlers, a spray is the way to go! Always check with your physician, of course.

7 mg of Iron:

The following equates to 7.9 mg of iron:

¾ cup Cheerios (6.3 mg) + ¼ cup cooked lentils (1.6 mg)

Other good sources include: ¼ cup cannellini beans (1.3 mg), 2 ounces ground beef (1 mg), 2 ounces tuna (1 mg), and 1 whole egg (0.6 mg)

So, What Should I Serve My One-Year-Old?

I tended to follow super easy, super basic formulas when thinking about what to serve my child.

Meal: Protein + Carbohydrate + Fat + Fruit or Vegetable

Snack: Fruit or Vegetable + Fat (for satiation) + Protein and/or Carb

This will keep them full and well-nourished.

Since the "fat" is usually integrated directly into the protein or carbohydrate, it's usually not necessary to serve it as a separate item. (How does one serve pure fat, anyway?) The point is to remember to use fat (extra virgin olive oil, butter) when cooking in order to make sure that they’re getting enough fat if the base foods are naturally low in fat (say, a lean cut of meat or pasta).

And while fruits and vegetables are technically carbohydrates, because they are so nutrient-dense and such an integral part of a healthy diet, I recommend serving them alongside a “main” carb such as pasta, beans, bread, etc.

One-Year-Old Breakfast Ideas:

Full-fat (Greek) yogurt, dry fortified cereal, strawberries

Overnight oats made with whole milk, mashed blueberries, and chia seeds

Cottage cheese, sliced peaches, seeded crackers or rice cakes

Oatmeal made with whole milk, raspberries

Avocado toast, full-fat (Greek) yogurt, thinly sliced apples

Chia-seed pudding made with whole milk, banana and strawberry bowl

Toast with a thin layer of nut butter, mango

Green smoothie (banana, spinach, dates, whole milk, chia seeds),

Whole-wheat pancakes, strawberries, (Greek) yogurt

Full-fat (Greek) yogurt, halved blueberries, sliced brioche

Scrambled eggs, mashed avocado, toast

Diced hard-boiled egg, toast, blackberries

Fortified cereal with whole milk, banana

Protein pancake (one egg + half a banana), strawberries, fortified dry cereal

TIPS:

• Toast: spread with unsalted butter or a thin layer of nut butter or sunbutter, or give it a nice drizzle of olive oil
• Oatmeal, pancakes, yogurt (if plain), or chia-seed pudding: consider adding spices like cinnamon or even ginger or cardamom! My son devours cinnamon like it's going out of style.

One-Year-Old Lunch Ideas (also work for dinner):

Veggie burger, toast, strawberries

Scrambled eggs, whole-wheat cracker, peas

Ground turkey, cheese + toast, peaches

Shredded cheese, mashed black beans, steamed sweet potato

Whole wheat fusilli, lentil sauce, applesauce or thinly sliced apples

Lentil pasta with red sauce, peas, quartered grapes

Fish fingers (soft, bite-sized pieces), steamed sweat potato, peas

Macaroni and cheese, steamed broccoli

Quinoa, shredded cheese, sliced strawberries

Cubed silken tofu (raw is fine!), pasta shells, steamed

Hummus on toast, cheese cubes, applesauce or thinly sliced apples

Grilled cheese, tomato soup, quartered grapes

Whole-wheat pita, hummus dip, diced hard-boiled egg

Cottage cheese, strawberries, sliced brioche

Nut butter or sunbutter with pureed fruit spread (no added sugar) on bread,

One-Year-Old Dinner Ideas (also work for lunch):

Meatballs, pasta, steamed carrots

Cheese tortellini, steamed broccoli, strawberries

Chicken burger, peas and corn, thinly sliced apples

Quinoa, steamed sweet potatoes and corn, sliced strawberries

Scrambled eggs, toast, steamed sweet potato

Mashed beans, red sauce, peas and corn

Egg frittata with cheese and steamed cauliflower, pita bread

Chicken noodle soup (pureed), dipping bread, sliced peaches

Whole wheat pita bread, mashed avocado, peas, cheese cubes

Chili (ground beef or turkey, or lentils/beans), whole-wheat crackers, sliced peaches

Cubed tofu with softened diced bell pepper and tomatoes, toast

Pureed salmon on toast or pita, thin cucumber sticks

Mashed beans and rice, shredded cheese, steamed carrots

Cheese and broccoli soup, bread sticks, quartered grapes

Steamed white fish, rice, steamed butternut squash

Whole wheat pasta, pesto, peas, sliced strawberries

Snacks

DIPS + FOOD to DIP

• Hummus
• Mashed beans
• Greek yogurt (pureed with berries, chives, beets, etc.)
• Cottage cheese
• Pesto

• Whole-wheat crackers
• Seeded crackers
• Pita slices
• Rice crackers
• Bread sticks
• Steamed carrot sticks
• Thinly sliced apples

FRUIT + CARB and/or PROTEIN

• Thinly sliced apples
• Thinly sliced pears
• Halved blueberries
• Halved raspberries
• Sliced strawberries
• Sliced peaches
• Sliced blackberries
• Quartered grapes
• Thinly sliced banana circles
• Thinly sliced mango
• Applesauce
• Smoothies

• Cheese cubes
• Yogurt
• Cottage cheese
• Cubed hard-boiled egg
• Seeded crackers
• Lentil or pea puffs
• Nut butter or sunbutter (spread thinly) on crackers, toast, or pita
• Soft oaty bars
• Fortified cereal (like Cheerios)
• Yogurt (cup or on-the-go pack)
• Freeze-dried strawberries, cheese cubes
• Avocado, cheese cubes
• Veggie straws
• Zucchini bread
• Freezer muffins (sweetened with applesauce, savory with cheese & veggies, etc.)

Choking Hazards

Toddlers not only have small mouths, but they are also still learning how to chew. Foods need to be relatively soft and bite-sized. Slice, cube, steam, poach, etc., as needed.

Foods should also not be too sticky as sticky foods can get caught in their esophagus (so go easy on the honey* and nut butters).

** Honey in all forms, including cooked in deserts, etc., is also a no-no before the age of 1 because of the risk of botulism that it carries. Honey contains bacterium spores known as Clostridium botulinum, which can colonize a baby's immature digestive tract and cause a botulism infection. Once children turn 1, their digestive systems are robust enough to prevent this from happening.

• Grapes should be quartered (I personally don’t think halving them is enough)
• Nuts and seeds should be finely crushed, never given whole
• Nut and seed betters should be spread on thinly (same goes for honey)
• Vegetables should be cooked (never severed raw) so that they’re soft; cut into smaller pieces (carrots are one of the biggest choking hazards)
• Meat should be ground or very soft and cut into smaller pieces
• Cheese should be shredded or cubed
• Hotdogs should be cut lengthwise and diced
• Tofu should be cubed into bite-sized pieces

Daycare/Nursery Ideas:

Daycare is NOT the time to introduce your child to new food. There’s already so much stimulation happening at daycare that it’s best to focus on things that you know your child will eat.

Toddlers also love for foods to stay separate. Some refuse their pasta to be mixed up with sauce. Otherwise will first pick out all the peas before moving on to the corn.

While this might drive you a bit nuts, when it comes to packed lunches, it’s actually fantastic as it prevents food from absorbing each other’s moisture and getting soggy.

For this reason, we stick to bento boxes. One of my favorite child nutritionists, Jennifer from Kids Eat in Color, recommends this stainless steel bento box. We have it and it’s genius. We also have this silicone leakproof-bento box and it’s a winner.

Because many if not most day cares have a no-nut policy, you should swap out any nut butters like peanut or almond butter in favorite of sunbutter (made with sunflower seeds) or a tahini spread (made with sesame seeds).

And if your day care can’t refrigerate lunches, either pack it in a cooler bag with ice packs or forgo meats in favor of proteins like cheeses, hard-boiled eggs, and mashed beans, etc.

Top Toddler Food Allergies

According to Hopkins Medicine, the most common causes of food allergies in children are eggs, milk, and peanuts.

Other frequent culprits include wheat, soy, and tree nuts (almonds, cashews, brazil nuts, macadamia nuts, walnuts, etc.)

By now, you’ve probably sussed out whether your child has a milk allergy and is sensitive to either casein or lactose.

For the other foods, the trick is to start slowly, to monitor your child as they eat these new and potentially triggering foods. Also introduce these foods one by one so that, if your child does have a reaction, you know which food likely caused it. (Please note that I am not a medical professional and this is not medical advice.)

Two of My Favorite Foods for One-Year-Olds

(1) Quinoa is where it’s at. A lot of parents find that their children don’t like meat. In fact, I can name three of my son’s friends off the top of my head who eat a mostly vegetarian diet, simply because they refuse meat.

This is where quinoa comes in. Unlike most plant-based foods, quinoa is a complete protein. A complete protein contains all 9 essential amino acids. Most meat and dairy products are complete proteins, but a lot of plant-based sources are not (this does not make them inferior — it just means you need to complement them with other foods to make up the balance, which you'd do anyway).

If you’re worried that you’re child isn’t getting enough protein, feel free to substitute quinoa for rice, or even mix a bit of quinoa into the rice. This is my son’s favorite way of eating it. Stir through a bit of extra virgin olive oil and you’re good to go.

(2) Peas are the MOST magnificent food. I started feeding my son peas shortly after the 6-month-mark, first as pea mash. At the time, I didn’t realize what a powerhouse peas were. But as I grew more interested in macronutrients (protein, carbs, fat), I finally discovered that beauty that is the humble pea.

First: peas are ALMOST a complete source of protein, with 4 grams per ½ cup.

Peas are just missing the amino acid methionine, which, beyond meat products, can be found in sesame seeds, brazil nuts (crush them!), quinoa, eggs, milk, and tofu, etc.

Peas are also packed with an astonishing array of vitamins and minerals, including vitamin A, vitamin K, vitamin C, thiamine, folate, manganese, iron, and phosphorus.

The best part? This green veggie (technically, legume) is something that a lot of children enjoy. Again, add a little EVOO or melted butter and you have a winning side dish for your little. 

In Sum

• You are in control of what you serve. Not what your child eats.
• Serve a variety of foods and keep re-exposing them
• Don't stress! Kids aren't robots.
• Be aware of choking hazards.
• Persevere
• Have fun!