Feeding a toddler without relying on meat doesn’t mean you’re stuck with boring pasta every night. In fact, going meat-free even once a day can benefit your little one’s health and help the planet. According to studies, a well-planned vegetarian diet is safe and healthy for children and can provide all the nutrients they need to grow and thrive.

This list of veggie-packed meals is proof that toddlers don’t need meat to enjoy a hearty, satisfying dish. Bonus: These are easy enough for weeknights and tasty enough for grown-ups to enjoy too.

Support Your Toddler’s Energy—Even Without Meat

Worried your toddler might miss out on energy without meat in their diet? Healthy Parents, Healthy Kids by Dr Nick Fuller, Australia’s leading childhood obesity expert, shows you how to create balanced, nutrient-rich meals that fuel focus, growth, and playtime stamina, all while keeping things meat-free. This book is full of easy strategies to broaden your toddler’s diet and take the stress out of mealtimes.

Want to feel more confident serving up meat-free meals? Grab your copy of Healthy Parents, Healthy Kids today.

5 Vegetarian Meal Recipes For Toddlers

Here are five toddler-friendly meals that skip the meat but still bring the flavour, colour, and nutrients to the plate.

One-Pan Spicy Rice

This is a mild version of the classic spicy rice—think flavourful, not fire-breathing. It’s packed with complex carbs and fibre. Brown rice is also a good source of magnesium, which supports muscle and nerve function in growing kids.

Type: Vegetarian, Gluten Free

Serves 6

Prep Time: 5 minutes 

Cooking Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• 2 cups basmati rice
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon chili flakes
• 650ml boiling water
• Pinch of salt and pepper
• 2 eggs, whisked
• ½ cup plain Greek yoghurt
• 1 lemon, juiced
• Handful parsley
• ½ pomegranate 
• Extra chili flakes to serve, if desired

Recipe

1. Add the olive oil to a medium saucepan or pot over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook for 1-2 minutes until fragrant. 

2. Add in the rice, cumin, paprika and chili flakes and stir to combine. Pour the boiling water over the rice and add a pinch of salt and pepper. 

3. Stir everything together then cover with a lid. Reduce the heat to low and cook for 10-15 minutes. 

4. After 10-15 minutes one the rice has cooked, use a fork to fluff the grains of rice. Pour the whisked eggs over the rice, then cover and cook for another 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and stand for a further 5 minutes with the lid on. 

5. Meanwhile, in a small bowl whisk together the yoghurt and lemon juice. Set aside.  

6. Once the rice is ready to serve, top with parsley leaves. Whack the back of the pomegranate with a wooden spoon over the top of the pot so that the seeds fall out and scatter the top of the rice. 

7. Serve immediately with the lemon yoghurt and extra chili flakes and enjoy!

Bean & Veggie Quesadillas

Beans are protein powerhouses. Just half a cup of cooked beans gives toddlers nearly 7g of protein, which is about half of what they need in a day.

Type: Vegetarian, Kid Friendly 

Makes 4 (or 8 halves)

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cooking Time: 15 minutes 

Ingredients

• 4 wholegrain tortillas or wraps
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• ½ red onion, thinly sliced
• Sprinkle of paprika 
• Sprinkle of cumin
• ½ of 1x400g tin black beans, drained and rinsed
• ½ of 1x400g tin corn, drained and rinsed
• 1 tomato, finely chopped
• ½ cup mozzarella cheese, grated

Recipe

1. Heat a large frying pan over medium to high heat. Add the onion, paprika and cumin, and cook for a couple of minutes until fragrant. 

2. Add in the black beans and corn. Stir and continue to fry for 4-5 minutes. Stir in the tomato and cook for another minute until the tomato is slightly softened. 

3. Remove the bean mixture from the pan into a bowl and set aside. Give the pan a quick wipe, then return to the heat. 

4. Place one tortilla into the pan. Cover half of the tortilla with ¼ of the bean mixture. Sprinkle ¼ of the cheese over the top. Fold the empty side of the tortilla over the bean filling, and press down to enclose. 

5. Continue frying for 1-2 minutes, then flip the entire quesadilla over so that the side facing up is now facing down in the pan. Fry this side for 2-3 minutes until lightly golden. Remove from the pan and set aside. 

6. Repeat steps 4 and 5 with the remaining tortillas, using the rest of the bean mixture and cheese. 

7. Once all the quesadillas are cooked, slice each one in half. Serve immediately and enjoy!

Mini Banana Pancakes - h3

Mash one ripe banana, mix with one egg and a tablespoon of flour, and fry spoonfuls on a pan. You’ll get little golden pancakes that toddlers love to eat (and help make). Bananas provide potassium for healthy muscles and energy, while eggs are rich in choline, which supports brain development.

Type: Vegetarian, Kid Friendly, Baby Friendly

Makes approx. 30 mini pancakes

Prep Time: 5 minutes 

Cooking Time: 15 minutes 

Ingredients

• 1 egg
• 1/3 cup milk
• ½ cup wholemeal self-raising flour
• Sprinkle of cinnamon
• Olive oil cooking spray 
• 2 bananas, sliced into around 1 cm pieces

Recipe

1. In a mixing bowl whisk together the eggs and milk. Add in the flour and cinnamon, and whisk until no lumps remain. 

2. Spray a large frying pan with olive oil spray. Heat the frying pan over medium heat. 

3. Use a fork to dip the banana pieces into the pancake batter and drain off a little of the excess, then place into the frying pan. Fry for 2 minutes until the mini pancakes start to bubble, then flip over and cook for 1-2 minutes on the other side. Remove from the pan. 

4. Continue cooking the mini pancakes in batches until all of the banana slices and pancake batter have been used. 

5. Serve pancakes and enjoy! 

Veggie Gnocchi Bake

Gnocchi is soft and easy to chew, which is great for younger toddlers. Spinach adds iron and folate, two key nutrients for growing bodies.

Type: Vegetarian, Kid Friendly

Serves 4

Prep Time: 25 minutes

Cooking Time: 20 minutes 

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 1 carrot, finely chopped
• 1 stick celery, finely chopped
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• 1 zucchini, finely chopped
• 1 red capsicum, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 ½ cups (375ml) water
• 1x 500g packet gnocchi
• Handful fresh basil leaves
• 1/3 cup mozzarella cheese

Recipe

1. Preheat the oven to 190°C. Heat a large wide saucepan or pot over medium to high heat. 

2. Add the olive oil, onion, carrot and celery. Cook for 5 minutes until softened, stirring occasionally. 

3. Add in the garlic, zucchini, and capsicum and continue to cook for a further 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. 

4. Mix in the tomato paste, and slowly stir in the water. Reduce the heat to medium and allow the sauce to simmer, uncovered, for 10-15 minutes. 

5. Meanwhile, heat a large non-stick frying pan over medium to high heat. Add in the gnocchi and cook for 5 minutes, stirring often, until slightly crispy. Remove from the heat. 

6. Remove the tomato sauce from the heat. Add the gnocchi into the tomato sauce, along with the basil leaves, and gently stir to combine. 

7. Transfer the gnocchi mixture into a large round baking dish. Sprinkle the cheese over the top. 

8. Place into the oven and bake for 15-20 minutes until the sauce is bubbling, and the cheese is melted and golden.

9. Serve immediately and enjoy! If serving to children, allow to cool slightly before serving. 

Shakshuka

This dish is on breakfast menus all over Israel, and we fell in love with it for its tasty and healthy properties. It’s also hearty enough to have for lunch or dinner and is a ripper for serving friends or family. 

Type: Vegetarian, Gluten Free, Lactose Free

Serves 2

Prep Time: 2 minutes

Cooking Time: 10-15 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 4 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1/2 onion, diced
• 2 teaspoons fresh or dried chilli
• 3 teaspoons paprika
• 3 teaspoons cumin
• 2 x 400g tins of chopped tomato (or alternatively use roughly chopped fresh tomatoes - a great way to use up any dying slowly in your fridge!)
• 1 x red capsicum, core and seeds removed
• 4 eggs
• 1 large handful basil, rocket or baby spinach

Recipe

1. Heat oil in a large pan, then add garlic, onion, chilli and spices and cook until aromatic. 

2. Add tomato and capsicum, then cook for another 5 minutes until soft. 

3. Create four wells in the tomato mixture, then crack an egg into each hole. Cover the pan with a lid and cook for 5-7 minutes, until the eggs are firm with a runny egg yolk. 

4.  Top with basil/rocket/baby spinach and then serve with toasted whole grain bread. Enjoy!

Looking to expand your toddler's meat-free menu with snacks they'll love?  Discover a variety of sensory-friendly, vegetarian snack ideas in this helpful guide.

Wrapping Up

Meatless meals can still be filling, nourishing, and fun to eat, especially when there’s colour, texture, and flavour on the plate. These five recipes are toddler-tested and grown-up approved, making them perfect additions to your family menu.

Want to cut back on meat a little more? Try Meat-Free Mondays or swap out meat in one meal a day. Small changes can lead to big benefits for your toddler’s health and your grocery bill.

Stay informed with fresh tips, expert guidance, unique deals, and tailored support!

Click Here

Meet Dr Nick Fuller

My Story

As a father, I know first-hand that raising healthy and happy children is tricky. Children are fussy, particularly at the end of the day when they are shattered. We also live in a society where companies seek to profit from what we feed our kids; incorrect and damaging advice is pushed on us and marketed towards our children, and we have no time.

But with these recipes and resources, you and your children can enjoy simple and well-founded food and lifestyle choices for lifelong health.