A list of 14 toddler meals with fruit for toddlers who love fruit or need some more in their diet. Wondering if your toddler can eat too much fruit? I’ll go through that too!
My toddler’s love fruit (and I think most do)! Fruit can be a fun way to make your toddler’s meal or plate look colorful, it tastes sweet and fresh, and it contains lots of healthy vitamins and minerals. But is there too much of a good thing?
Below you will find out what vitamins are in fruit, how much fruit your toddler should eat per day, fruit ideas for toddlers, and 14 meal ideas with fruit on the side, baked in, or spread on top.
Vitamins in Fruit
Fruits are full of vitamins and minerals and can be a healthy part of your toddler’s diet. You should offer your toddlers a wide variety of foods including protein, fats, veggies and fruit. But, if your toddler is picky or doesn’t eat a ton of veggies, fruit can be a good alternative to bridge the gap for some of those missing vitamins.
Below are some common vitamins and corresponding fruits and veggies high in those specific vitamins. If your toddler struggles to eat veggies, consider using this chart to try to meet those missing vitamin needs.
| Vitamin | Veggies w/ High Vitamin Content | Fruits w/ High Vitamin Content |
| Vitamin A | Carrots, Sweet Potato, Squash | Mango, Canteloupe, Grapefruit, Watermelon |
| Vitamin B6 | Spinach, Broccoli | Banana, Papaya, Oranges, Canteloupe |
| Vitamin C | Broccoli, Brussel Sprouts, Cauliflower, Peppers | Canteloupe, Orange, Grapefruit, Kiwi, Mango |
| Vitamin E | Red Pepper, Turnip, Butternut Squash, Broccoli | Mango, Kiwi, Blackberries, Black currant |
| Vitamin K | Leafy Greens, Broccoli, Brussel Sprouts | Kiwi, Blackberries, Blueberries, Pomegranate |
| Antioxidants | Leafy Greens, Broccoli, Sweet Potato | Cranberries, Grapes, Peaches, Berries |
| Folic Acid | Leafy Greens, Broccoli, Asparagus | Oranges, Papaya, Banana |
| Magnesuim | Leafy Greens, Edemame | Banana, Guava, Kiwi, Papaya, Blackberries, Raspberries |
| Potassium | Spinach, Sweet Potato, Broccoli | Banana, Oranges, Canteloupe, Apricots, Grapefruit |
| Zinc | Asparagus, Broccoli, Peas | Blackberries, Pomegrantat, Raspberries, Guava, Canteloupe |
How Much Fruit Should my Toddler Eat?
It is recommended that toddlers eat 2-3 servings of fruit each day (a serving is about 1/2 of a cup). Fruit is high in healthy things like fiber, vitamins, and minerals, but some fruits are also very high in sugar and calories.
Can my toddler eat too much fruit? While fruit is relatively healthy, too much of a good thing can be harmful. Most toddlers can eat more that 3 servings per day (mine probably do!), but too much fruit can lead to gastrointestinal issues like diarrhea.
Fruit Ideas for Toddlers
Toddlers can eat just about any fruit, but you should make sure that it is soft enough and cut appropriately to not be a chocking hazard. Below are some of my toddlers’ favorite fruits:
- Grapes (halved or quartered)
- Bananas
- Mandarin oranges (fresh or canned)
- Pears (fresh or canned)
- Apples (thinly sliced for young toddlers)
- Kiwi
- Berries (strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, blackberries)
- Oranges (navel oranges, blood oranges)
- Watermelon
- Cantaloupe
- Honeydew
- Pineapple
- Peaches
- Nectarine
- Apricots
- Plums
Toddler Meals with Fruit
Below are 14 toddler meal ideas that use fruit based on what my toddlers actually eat. Fruit can be a good option for a side dish or even cooked in to the meal to add extra sweetness (like Oatmeal & Blueberry French Toast).
Toddler Meal Idea #1
Toddler Snack Plate – A toddler snack plate or snack tray is a great way to serve your toddler a wide variety of foods (including fruits) all at once. Choose all your toddler’s favorite healthy snacks like tomatoes, carrots, mandarin oranges, cheese, yellow sweet pepper, cheese puffs, string cheese, grapes, and avocado and serve on a plate, cutting board, or muffin tin. For more snack tray ideas check out this related post: 50 Toddler Snack Trays.
Toddler Meal with Fruit #2
Chicken Salad w/ Apples & PB – Chicken salad made with avocado and peas and a side of Babybell cheese and apples with peanut butter. For young toddlers serve apples cooked, grated, or thinly sliced.
Toddler Meal Idea #3
Veggie Corndog w/ Kiwi. Corndog (we like the MorningStar Farms veggie corndogs) with a side of kiwi and cucumbers with cream cheese. Kiwi can be a little sour so a good alternative if your toddler doesn’t like kiwi is golden kiwi because its more sweet.
Toddler Meal with Fruit #4
Hotdog w/ Red Pear – Cut up hotdog with sides of whole milk string cheese, red pear, and greek yogurt with chia seeds. Most varieties of pears are safe for toddlers because they are relatively soft when ripe. Choose ripe pears so they aren’t too firm.
Toddler Fruit Meal Idea #5
Crepes stuffed with Strawberries & Whipped Cream – crepes are delicious, decadent, and actually super easy to make. Try savory crepes with fruit on the side or sweet crepes with fruit inside. We had crepes with strawberries and whipped cream, blueberries, and broccoli and cheese eggs.
Toddler Meal Idea #6
Silver Dollar Pancakes with Strawberries – silver dollar “toddler-sized” pancakes with strawberries on top. Raw, diced up strawberries will do, but to make these a little more special I cooked the strawberries on the stove top and then smashed them up. Fruit can be a great alternative to syrup on pancakes and waffles.
Fruit Toddler Meal Idea #7
Sweet Potato Tots w/ Oranges – sweet potato or cauliflower tots(we like the Green Giant brand) are a great alternative to normal potato tots. We had sweet potato tots with oranges and grapes. Alternate peeling the orange for your toddler and leaving the skin on so they get used to eating oranges both ways.
Toddler Meal Idea with Fruit #8
Veggie Nuggets w/ Watermelon – Nuggets or veggie nuggets (we like the ones from Dr. Praeger’s brand) with a side of watermelon, blueberries, and avocado.
Toddler Meal Idea #9
Raspberry French Toast – French toast with raspberries cooked into the batter. Instead of just serving fruit on the side or as a topping, try adding it to your favorite recipes for an extra treat. This is very similar to my Blueberry French Toast recipe if you just swap out the blueberries for raspberries.
Toddler Meal Idea with Fruit #10
Waffle w/ Banana and Honey – whole wheat waffle toasted and then topped with banana and honey. Instead of serving the banana on the side, try adding slices on top!
Toddler Meal Idea #11
Pasta w/ side of Pineapple – Pasta with marinara sauce (we like the veggie pasta from Birdseye Steam Fresh). Side of pineapple and cucumber; we love theses fun food cutters to make fun shapes out of sandwiches, fruit, veggies, and cheese.
Fruit Toddler Meal Idea #12
PB&J w/ Nectarine – peanut butter and jelly sandwich made using cute sandwich cutters. Side of nectarine and avocado. Peaches and can peaches are also a great option!
Toddler Meal Idea #13
PB&J Pinwheels w/ Melon – instead of a pb&j sandwich, try pinwheels using either bread or a tortilla. Roll out bread/tortilla and spread with peanut butter and jelly, roll up tightly, and then cut into slices or pinwheels. Side of melon (watermelon, honeydew, and cantaloupe) and peas.
Toddler Meal Idea #14
Fried Egg w/ Plum – Fried egg cooked in grass-fed butter for extra healthy fat, plus a side of plum (other stone fruit like apricots are also a good option; just make sure they are ripe and soft enough).
What other fruits are your toddler’s loving? Let me know in the comments below.
Thanks for stopping by! You might also like these related posts:
- 28 Easy Toddler Dinner Ideas for 12-18 Months
- 2 Year Old Mealtime Essentials Gift Guide (Non-Toys)
- Toddler Meal Prep: Time-Saving Tips for Busy Parents
- 50 Toddler Snack Tray Ideas
- 48 Favorite Toddler Meal Ideas
