On this page
- What should a 2-year-old eat for lunch?
- 15 easy lunches for a 2-year-old
- How do I build a lunch in two minutes?
- How much protein is in a lunch?
- How do I serve lunch safely at 2?
- What should my toddler drink with lunch?
- How can I make lunches ahead?
- What if my toddler won’t eat lunch?
- Do these lunches work for a 1-year-old or a 3-year-old?
- When to talk to your pediatrician
- Common questions
The short version
- The AAP's sample lunch for a 2-year-old is ½ sandwich with 1 oz of meat or fish and cheese, 2–3 soft carrot sticks, ½ cup of fruit and ½ cup of milk.
- A toddler's serving is about a quarter of an adult's, so start small and let them ask for more.
- Any family lunch works if you cut it into pieces no bigger than ½ inch and cook hard vegetables soft.
- Under age 4, chop hot dogs and grapes into tiny pieces, and skip nuts and popcorn.
What should a 2-year-old eat for lunch?
The American Academy of Pediatrics’ sample lunch for a 2-year-old is ½ a sandwich, 2 to 3 carrot sticks cooked until soft, ½ cup of fruit such as berries, and ½ cup of milk.1 The sandwich is 1 slice of whole-grain bread with 1 ounce of meat or fish, a slice of cheese and a vegetable like avocado, lettuce or tomato.1
That’s a small plate, and it’s meant to be. A toddler’s serving is about one-quarter of an adult’s.2 The AAP’s menu is planned for a 2-year-old who weighs about 27 pounds, so a bigger or hungrier child may eat more.1
| Food | One serving |
|---|---|
| Bread | ¼ to ½ slice |
| Meat, fish or poultry | 1 oz (two 1-inch cubes, or 2 tbsp ground) |
| Cooked beans | 2 tbsp |
| Cooked pasta, rice or cereal | 4 tbsp |
| Cooked vegetables | 1 tbsp per year of age (2 tbsp at 2) |
| Cheese | ½ oz (a 1-inch cube) |
| Yogurt | ⅓ cup |
| Milk | ½ cup |
For the rest of the day, see what a 2-year-old should eat in a day.
15 easy lunches for a 2-year-old
Each lunch is a protein, a grain or starch, and a fruit or vegetable. Use the serving sizes above, add milk or water, and let your toddler ask for more.
| Lunch | How to serve it at 2 |
|---|---|
| Turkey and cheese half sandwich with avocado | Cut into small strips or squares; slice cheese thin |
| Egg salad on soft bread with cooked carrots | Mash the egg well; cook carrots until soft and cut small |
| Bean and cheese quesadilla with mango | Mash beans; cut into small strips; chop fruit small |
| Hummus with soft pita and cucumber | Cut pita into strips; peel cucumber and cut into small pieces |
| Pasta with shredded chicken and peas | Shred finely; cook peas soft and lightly mash |
| Tuna or salmon salad on toast | Flake and check for bones; cut toast into small strips |
| Plain yogurt with berries and oat cereal | Halve or mash berries; skip hard, crunchy cereal |
| Cottage cheese with soft peach slices | Cut fruit into small pieces |
| Lentil or vegetable soup with bread | Let it cool; shred or mash any large pieces |
| Mini meatballs with rice and zucchini | Cut meatballs small; cook zucchini soft |
| Scrambled egg and cheese wrap | Cut into small bite-size pieces |
| Tofu cubes with rice and cooked green beans | Cube tofu small; cut beans into short pieces |
| Mac and cheese with soft broccoli | Chop broccoli florets small after cooking soft |
| Sweet potato and black bean bowl | Mash beans lightly; cut sweet potato small |
| Chicken and cooked apple on toast | Shred the chicken; cook the apple soft and chop finely |
How do I build a lunch in two minutes?
When the question is just “what’s for lunch”, skip the recipe and fill four slots.
The four-slot plate
- Protein. Meat, fish, egg, beans, tofu or cheese, shredded, minced or mashed so it’s easy to chew. In the AAP menu it’s 1 ounce of meat or fish plus cheese.1
- Grain. Bread, a tortilla, pasta, rice or a potato. The AAP’s sample uses whole-grain bread.1
- Vegetable. Cooked soft and cut small, 1 tablespoon per year of age.2
- Fruit and milk. ½ cup of fruit and ½ cup of milk in the sample lunch.1
Leftovers count. Last night’s shredded chicken becomes today’s quesadilla filling, and one pot of soup covers two lunches. If you’re packing lunch for daycare, see our daycare lunch ideas that need no reheating.
How much protein is in a lunch?
Protein adds up faster than most parents expect. The AAP’s sample half sandwich has 1 ounce of meat or fish plus a slice of cheese, so lunch carries a real share of the day’s protein.1 For daily targets, see how much protein a toddler needs.
How do I serve lunch safely at 2?
The AAP says to keep high-risk foods from children until they are 4 or older.3 Its list includes hot dogs, whole grapes, nuts and seeds, popcorn, raw carrot sticks, raw apple chunks, chunks of meat and chunks of cheese.3 Round, firm foods such as hot dogs or grapes can be served only if completely chopped into tiny pieces.3
These habits cover most lunches:
- Cut small. Cut food into pieces no larger than one-half inch.3
- Cook it soft. Cook carrots until soft, as the AAP sample lunch does, rather than serving them raw.13
- Go thin on nut butter. Spread it thinly; thick chunks are on the AAP’s list of hazards.3
- Sit down. Have children eat at the table or sit down when they eat.3
What should my toddler drink with lunch?
The AAP suggests 16 to 24 ounces (2 to 3 cups) of milk a day for ages 2 to 5, as nonfat or low-fat (1%) milk.4 It also describes plain water as the drink that gives children the hydration they need.4 If your toddler fills up on milk before the food arrives, offer water with lunch and save the milk for after. See how much milk a toddler should drink.
How can I make lunches ahead?
Toddler lunches are small, so cooking once and reusing is the easiest route. Cook a batch of pasta, rice or shredded chicken at dinner and set aside a lunch-sized portion. Mash a pot of beans and use it for quesadillas, bowls and wraps across the week. Hard-boil a few eggs and mash them into a sandwich filling when you need one.
Keep the cuts the same every time. A lunch that is safe on Monday is only as safe as the pieces on the plate, so check the size each time you serve leftovers.3
What if my toddler won’t eat lunch?
Refusal is common at this age, and one skipped lunch isn’t the whole story. Look at the whole day rather than one plate. Toddlers’ appetites swing a lot, and our guide to a toddler who eats a lot one day and nothing the next explains what’s behind it. A practical approach: put a family lunch on the table with one food you know they like, such as bread, rice or fruit, and let them choose.
For more ideas, see our guides to a toddler who only eats carbs and meal ideas for picky 2-year-olds. For the evening meal, see 2-year-old dinner ideas, and for the start of the day, 2-year-old breakfast ideas.
Do these lunches work for a 1-year-old or a 3-year-old?
Mostly, with portion changes. The AAP’s rule for cooked vegetables is 1 tablespoon for each year of age, so a 3-year-old gets a little more than a 2-year-old and a 1-year-old a little less.2 For a younger child, see how much a 1-year-old should eat. For an older one, see the best meals for 3-year-olds. The safe cuts above apply until age 4.3
When to talk to your pediatrician
Call your child's doctor if
- Your child is losing weight or has stopped growing along their usual curve
- They eat only a handful of foods and refuse whole food groups for weeks
- They cough, gag or choke often when eating, or have trouble swallowing
- They have swelling, hives or vomiting soon after eating a food
- You're planning a vegetarian, vegan or dairy-free diet and want to check for gaps
If you’re thinking of a vitamin or other supplement, ask your pediatrician first; they can tell you whether your child needs one and how much.
Common questions
What should a 2-year-old eat for lunch?
The AAP's sample lunch for a 2-year-old is ½ a sandwich (1 slice of whole-grain bread, 1 oz of meat or fish, a slice of cheese and a vegetable), 2 to 3 carrot sticks cooked until soft, ½ cup of fruit and ½ cup of milk.
How much lunch should a 2-year-old eat?
About a quarter of an adult serving, according to the AAP. That's roughly 4 tbsp of cooked pasta or rice, 1 oz of meat and 2 tbsp of cooked vegetables. Appetite swings from day to day, so let your child decide when they're done.
What are good lunch ideas for a 1-year-old?
The same lunches work with softer textures and smaller bites. Mash beans, shred meat finely, cook vegetables very soft and cut everything into pieces no larger than ½ inch. The AAP's cooked vegetable serving is 1 tablespoon per year of age, so a 1-year-old gets 1 tablespoon.
What are good lunch ideas for a 3-year-old?
Most of these lunches work unchanged, with slightly bigger servings. The AAP's cooked vegetable serving rises by 1 tablespoon a year, so a 3-year-old gets 3 tablespoons. The same safe cuts apply until age 4.
Which lunch foods are choking hazards for toddlers?
The AAP says to keep high-risk foods from children until age 4 or older, including hot dogs, whole grapes, nuts and seeds, popcorn, raw carrot sticks, raw apple chunks and chunks of cheese or meat. Round foods like hot dogs and grapes can be served only if completely chopped into tiny pieces.
Sources
- American Academy of Pediatrics, HealthyChildren.org. Sample Menu for a 2-Year-Old Child.
- American Academy of Pediatrics, HealthyChildren.org. Serving Sizes for Toddlers.
- American Academy of Pediatrics, HealthyChildren.org. Choking Prevention for Babies & Children: What Every Parent Needs to Know.
- American Academy of Pediatrics, HealthyChildren.org. Recommended Drinks for Children Age 5 & Younger.
This article is for general information and isn't a substitute for advice from your child's doctor. Our editorial standards.
