Before I had kids I was very confident I would raise adventurous eaters. We would eat everything. We would try new foods with enthusiasm. We would not be one of those families. Reader, we are absolutely one of those families. My daughter ate approximately six foods for the better part of a year and I learned everything I know about toddler meal planning through sheer desperation. The key insight that changed everything is this: your job is to decide what is offered. Their job is to decide whether to eat it. Stop trying to control what goes in and focus on making what you offer as appealing and varied as possible. A realistic toddler meal plan does not mean making five different meals. It means rotating a manageable number of accepted foods while regularly offering new ones alongside them. Breakfast ideas: oatmeal with banana mashed in, whole grain toast with nut butter, scrambled eggs with cheese, yogurt with soft berries, banana pancakes made with egg and banana only. Lunch ideas: cheese and whole grain crackers with soft fruit, simple pasta with butter or mild tomato sauce, soft sandwiches cut into fun shapes, baked sweet potato fingers, quesadilla with mild filling. Dinner ideas: mild fish with rice and steamed broccoli, chicken strips with sweet potato and peas, simple beef meatballs with pasta, lentil soup with bread for dipping. Always include one safe food your toddler reliably eats. Serve new foods alongside familiar ones without pressure or comment. Eat together as a family as often as possible.