CircleBumpCheckedFilledMedicalBookmarkBookmarkTickBookmarkAddCheckBoxCheckBoxFilled

10 Best Toddler Cookbooks That Will Please the Pickiest Eaters

Keeping up with the latest nutrition guidelines for kids isn’t easy—and neither is getting them to eat the rainbow. Check out these top toddler cookbooks that offer quick, easy and healthy recipes to make mealtime a breeze.
save article
profile picture of Leah Rocketto
Updated November 2, 2021
Hero Image
Image: Getty Images
10 slides
We have included third party products to help you navigate and enjoy life’s biggest moments. Purchases made through links on this page may earn us a commission.

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 Gowdy

The 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 Donne

The 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 Cookbooks

Weelicious: 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 Griffin

Real 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 Morrow

Deceptively 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 Baird

The 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 Jones

The 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 Workshop

Sesame 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 Press

The 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

save article
ADVERTISEMENT

Next on Your Reading List

Best Toddler Snacks-hero
The 8 Best Toddler Snacks for Well-Balanced Diets
By Emma O'Regan-Reidy
Baby Plates Bowls-hero
The Best Baby Plates and Bowls for Stress-Free Feeding
By Danielle Halibey
father feeding toddler yogurt while sitting on public bench outside
How to Introduce New Foods to Your Toddler Without the Stress
By Laura Morton, MS, RDN, LD
ADVERTISEMENT
dad eating healthy food with his toddler in the kitchen
Your Guide to Healthy Food for Toddlers
By Holly Pevzner
10 slides
10 Tasty Recipes for 1-Year-Olds
10 Tasty Recipes for 1-Year-Olds
By Ashlee Neuman
dad eating healthy food with his toddler in the kitchen
Your Guide to Healthy Food for Toddlers
By Holly Pevzner
toddler using tablet on couch at home
The 5 Best Toddler Tablets and Kids’ Tablets, Tested by a Mom of Four
By Korin Miller
ADVERTISEMENT
Best Toddler Cameras Hero
The Best Toddler Cameras and Kids’ Cameras, Tested by a Mom of Four
By Korin Miller
Toy Hero
Best Gifts and Toys for 2-Year-Olds, According to Families
By Elizabeth Narins
John Legend and his wife Chrissy Teigen with their two children arriving at the Trocadero ahead of the opening ceremony for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games
Chrissy Teigen Opens Up About Her Son’s Type 1 Diabetes Diagnosis
By Wyndi Kappes
ADVERTISEMENT
The-Best-Toddler-Floor-Beds-Hero
The Best Toddler Floor Beds to Promote Independence
By Emma O'Regan-Reidy
Best toddler pillows for a comfy night of sleep-hero
7 Best Toddler Pillows for a Comfy Night of Sleep, Tested by Little Ones
By Korin Miller
Toddler’s Bedroom, Montessori-Style
From Nursery to “Big Boy Room”: Creating Our Son’s Montessori Bedroom
By Natalie Gontcharova
ADVERTISEMENT
best-pumping-bras-HERO
The Best Pumping Bra Styles to Free Up Your Hands
By Emma O'Regan-Reidy
mother wearing a nursing bra while breastfeeding baby in bed
The Best Nursing Bras, Tested by Breastfeeding Moms
Medically Reviewed by Kendra Segura, MD
top-nursing-covers-HERO
The Best Nursing Covers for Breastfeeding on the Go
By Martina Garvey
Pouring a multivitamin into food
5 Best Toddler Vitamins, Tested by a Dietitian (and Mom)
Medically Reviewed by Dina DiMaggio Walters, MD
ADVERTISEMENT
elvie breast pump vs willow breast pump
Elvie vs. Willow: Real Parents Weigh in
By Elizabeth Nelson
toddler sitting on bed waving hello
How to Teach Toddlers About Appropriate Greetings and Boundaries
Medically Reviewed by Dina DiMaggio Walters, MD
mother celebrating baby's first birthday party
How to Plan Baby’s First Birthday Party
By Sarah Yang
ADVERTISEMENT
Article removed.
Article removed.
Name added. View Your List