20 Quick and Nutritious Toddler Lunch Ideas

If you're over making sandwiches, these cheesy lunchbox poppers are a great way to mix up lunch throughout the week.

The combo of silky egg salad and soft rolls in this egg salad slider recipe is so tasty, you'll have trouble not sneaking some from your kid.

In this macaroni salad recipe, every kid's favorite noodle gets lunchtime fixings with a cool dressing and crispy veggies cut so finely, they'll barely know they're there.

Roll up your tot's favorite sandwich fillings into flatbread, and you've got turkey pinwheels — a school lunch you can make on autopilot.

Your kids may not know what the heck pesto is, but no matter; once they bite into the chewy pasta, tangy tomatoes, and creamy mozzarella in this pesto pasta salad, they'll forget any previous doubts.

These tempting baked ham and cheese mozzarella sticks may look worthy of a kids' menu, but they're crazy easy to make at home. Hiding beneath those egg-roll wrappers are simply cheese sticks and ham.

These blender beetroot muffins contain beets, chickpeas, peanut butter, bananas, and oats. You've probably never pictured these words together, but their flavors together? Pillowy, peanut butter and banana perfection. Trust us.

Served with other snacks like fruit, veggies, and hummus, these chocolate granola bars will keep little ones charged until dinner. These are naturally sweetened so they taste like dessert but are also full of nutritious ingredients and require no baking!

Put the kids to work making pepperoni smiley faces on these better-for-them sweet potato pizza bites. The leftovers can be the next day's lunch.

Chances are, if it's shaped like a muffin, toddlers will eat it. If it's shaped like a muffin and also made of tender beef, creamy mashed potatoes, and colorful veggies — like these mini shepherd's pie muffins — they just might enjoy it, too.

Any barbecue-lover would be stoked to find these fluffy, cheesy barbecue chicken bites waiting for them at lunch.

Turkey meatloaf is a simple way to sneak some protein into your kiddo's day. Serve this with a whole grain and a veggie for a balanced meal.

Avocados are packed with healthy fats, fiber, and important nutrients. But sliced fresh avocados can be hard for tiny hands to grasp, as they can be quite slippery. These avocado fries supply kids with these good-for-you fats while allowing for self-feeding, helping prevent table time frustration and a potential meltdown.

The turkey in this recipe can be swapped for lean beef, which will provide your child with iron and zinc, two nutrients that are essential for a child's growth and development. Oven-baked turkey meatballs are easy to serve and fun to eat. Serve these with a healthy carb and some veggies, and perhaps a glass of milk.

Serve this avocado toast recipe on whole grain bread and slice it into strips for a dish that is easy for little hands to grasp. Pair it with some fresh fruit and a protein for a simple meal.

Pancakes aren't just for breakfast. Banana pancakes help your kiddo include more fruit in their day, and pancakes are always a kid-favorite. Skip the maple syrup and serve this dish with fresh fruit for a bit of sweetness, because added sugars should not be served to toddlers per the Dietary Guidelines for Americans.

Fish is incredibly important for a toddler's diet because it is one of the best sources of DHA omega-3 fatty acids, a nutrient that supports brain development. Skip the sauce and serve these baked salmon meatballs plain for tiny palettes.

Skip the added spice in this recipe and try making these mini broccoli cheddar egg muffins ahead of time for a quick and nutritious lunch. Eggs are a nutritional powerhouse, and the yolks are one of the best sources of choline, a nutrient that supports brain health.

Bento boxes are fun for kids to eat and are easy for caregivers to make. While the portion sizes provided in this particular easy vegetarian bento box recipe may be too large for a toddler, you can use it as inspiration to create your own bento box lunch ideas.

If your little ones have PB&J fatigue, this jazzed-up PB&J kebab recipe will make them fall in love with the combination all over again.

Sara Cagle is a former PS contributor.

Lauren Manaker is an award-winning registered dietitian and freelance writer who is passionate about providing evidence-based nutrition information in a fun and interesting way.