You’ve been told over and over that healthy eating habits start young, and that to get a wide range of nutrients, toddlers should be “eating the rainbow” with a diet packed with fresh foods of varying colors. But how exactly can you do that if your tot reaches for the same favorites time and again, and is resistant to trying new foods ? After all, toddlers are known to be picky eaters .
Luckily, there are plenty of toddler cookbooks that can help you get your child excited about trying new foods. Not only do they offer meal inspiration, but many also offer nutritional information, swaps for potential allergies and tips for getting toddlers involved in the cooking process. Below, check out our favorite toddler cookbooks for healthy and easy recipes that will help put the fun back into mealtime, for both you and your tot.
1 Image: Thayer Allyson GowdyThe Baby & Toddler Cookbook
The Baby & Toddler Cookbook guides parents through the food phases your little one will go through, from 6 months to 3 years old, offering recipes to help with each transition. One of our favorites? The fun-shaped cheesy pasta wheel dish, which your toddler is practically guaranteed to dig (it even sneaks in some chopped broccoli and lean chicken!).
Buy it: The Baby & Toddler Cookbook by Karen Ansel and Charity Ferreira, $15, Amazon.com
2 Image: Tara DonneThe Happy Family Organic Superfoods Cookbook For Baby & Toddler
In their toddler cookbook, authors Visram Shazi—the founder and CEO of organic baby food company Happy Family Organics and celebrated chef Cricket Azima share all that parents need to know about child nutrition, plus 70 recipes suitable for babies and toddlers. Your tot will love the tasty snacks—like banana, chocolate chip and quinoa muffins—and you’ll love that they’re eating nutrient-rich foods.
Buy it: The Happy Family Organic Superfoods Cookbook For Baby & Toddler by Visram Shazi and Cricket Azima, $16, Amazon.com
3 Image: William Morrow CookbooksWeelicious: 140 Fast, Fresh and Easy Recipes
Weelicious isn’t just a recipe book—it’s practically a coffee table book for the whole family. Each recipe includes a story about McCord’s children, and beautiful photos of the family appear on its pages. Oh, and did we mention the recipes are amazing? Mexican lasagna with edamame salsa, anyone?
Buy it: Weelicious: 140 Fast, Fresh and Easy Recipes by Catherine McCord, $15, Amazon.com
4 Image: America's Test Kitchen/Sourcebooks, Inc.The Complete Baby and Toddler Cookbook: The Very Best Baby and Toddler Food Recipe Book
The Complete Baby and Toddler Cookbook is widely popular for a reason. Not only does it help parents sift through all the childhood nutritional information out there, but it also provides recipes your little one will love. Bonus: There’s even a chapter with tips on how to involve your kids in the kitchen.
Buy it: The Complete Baby and Toddler Cookbook: The Very Best Baby and Toddler Food Recipe Book by America’s Test Kitchen Kids, $23, Amazon.com
5 Image: St. Martin's GriffinReal Food Kids Will Love: Over 100 Simple and Delicious Recipes for Toddlers and Up
Annabel Karmel’s toddler cookbook has delicious, fuss-free recipes for 15-minute meals, lunchboxes, snacks and even holiday cooking. Plus, the recipes offer easy swaps for those with food allergies, intolerances or picky eating habits.
Buy it: Real Food Kids Will Love: Over 100 Simple and Delicious Recipes for Toddlers and Up by Annabel Karmel, $24, Amazon.com
6 Image: William MorrowDeceptively Delicious
This one’s for all the parents losing the eat-your-veggies battle. The easy-to-follow recipes from Deceptively Delicious sneak veggies into meals that kids already love, such as scrambled eggs, tacos and even brownies.
Buy it: Deceptively Delicious by Jessica Seinfeld, $11, Amazon.com
7 Image: Duncan BairdThe Top 100 Recipes For Happy Kids
Not a five-star chef? No problem. The healthy recipes in Top 100 Recipes for Happy Kids are easy to prepare and can be cooked in 15 minutes or less. Hello, weeknight dinners!
Buy it: The Top 100 Recipes For Happy Kids by Charlotte Watts and Gemini Adams, $10, Amazon.com
8 Image: Biz JonesThe Fuss-Free Toddler Cookbook: Mealtimes Made Easy with Healthy Recipes for the Whole Family
Say bye-bye to cooking separate meals for your toddler and the rest of the family. The Fuss-Free Toddler Cookbook includes tons of recipes that will please toddlers and adults alike. Plus, it even offers simple tricks on how to tweak the presentation to make meals more appealing to notoriously picky tots.
Buy it: The Fuss-Free Toddler Cookbook: Mealtimes Made Easy with Healthy Recipes for the Whole Family by Barbara Lamperti, $11, Amazon.com
9 Image: Sesame WorkshopSesame Street: Let’s Cook
Can you tell me how to get…my toddler to eat healthy foods? Answer: By enlisting Elmo and the gang! This toddler cookbook uses Sesame Street characters like Elmo and Cookie Monster to teach kids food and nutrition facts. Plus, the recipes include “kid steps” that get your toddler involved in making their meal, upping the chances they’ll actually eat it.
Buy it: Sesame Street: Let’s Cook by Sesame Workshop, $19, Amazon.com
10 Image: Ten Speed PressThe Pediatrician’s Guide to Feeding Babies and Toddlers
Written by two pediatricians (and parents), this toddler cookbook answers all your feeding questions, including when, how and what to feed your growing child. All the recipes account for nutrition (following the most recent pediatric guidelines), allergies and developmental milestones for babies and toddlers.
Buy it: The Pediatrician’s Guide to Feeding Babies and Toddlers by Dina DiMaggio, MD, and Anthony F. Porto, MD, MPH, $17, Amazon.com
Plus, more from The Bump:
10 Tasty Recipes for 1-Year-Olds
The USDA Has Released Updated Nutritional Guidelines for Babies
How to Introduce New Foods to Your Toddler Without the Stress
