Rice is a staple ingredient in Indian homes, and one of the most versatile. Make the most of it with these Healthy Rice Recipes for Babies and Toddlers.

There are days when I just don’t feel like cooking, but I don’t want to order in as well. I wish there was a way I could spend as less time as possible in the kitchen, with the least number of dishes to wash up. And then the idea hits me – make a rice dish!

Rice is one of those ingredients you can twist any which way and you’ll get a satisfactory result. You can add any fruit, vegetable or protein to it, and you’ll have a full meal. What’s more, it cooks fast, so you can just add it to a pan with the other ingredients and you’ll have a dish in a matter of minutes – with just one pot to wash!

Thanks to its neutral taste and easy digestibility, rice is also a popular food for children, especially babies. You can decide what kind of rice you can feed your child,  and your traditional variety is bound to be the best. However, you can experiment with different types of rice in the market. and while you’re at it, we suggest you try out some new recipes as well – there’s quite a lot to check out!

60 Healthy Rice Recipes for Babies and Toddlers

Healthy Rice Recipes for Babies under One Year

1. Homemade Rice Cereal (6 Months+)

The first food most babies have in their life is this – rice cereal! This is also the most commonly available baby food in stores, but as you already know, homemade rice cereal will beat commercial baby food any day!

2. Brown Rice Cereal (6 Months+)

White rice is more easy to digest, but brown rice has more fiber and nutrients. Once your baby is used to white rice, you can introduce her to brown rice cereal as well.

3. Rice Soup for Babies (6 Months+)

Rice soup is another favorite first food, and is basically cooking rice water, which is loaded with nutrients for growing babies. It’s also a great way for little ones to stay hydrated in hot weather.

4. Instant Khichdi Powder (7 Months+)

Once your baby is accustomed to plain rice cereal, it’s time to mix things up a bit by adding other ingredients, and what better way than good ol’ comforting khichdi!

5. Instant Rice Porridge Powder (7 Months+)

Instant baby cereals are convenient for busy parents, but commercial ones are loaded with preservatives. Skip the unhealthy junk with a homemade instant porridge mix.

6. Roasted Gram Rice Porridge (7 Months+)

Lentils and pulses are a great way to add protein to your baby’s diet, which is needed for healthy growth and normal development. This roasted gram rice porridge gives a good combination of protein and carbohydrates.

7. Instant Soya Rice Porridge Powder (8 Months+)

Along with lentils, soya is another excellent protein option, especially if your family is vegetarian. This soya rice porridge powder is a complete meal for babies over 8 months.

8. Ghee Rice for Babies (7 Months+)

Ghee rice isn’t only for special occasions – it’s a great staple meal for babies too! Use homemade ghee to get the full benefits of this healthy meal.

9. Pumpkin Basmati Rice (7 Months+)

One of the best parts about rice dishes is that because rice has a neutral taste, you can add any ingredient of your choice to it, like Baby Foode has done here with pumpkin.

10. Apple Khichdi (7 Months+)

It’s not just vegetables you can add to rice, you can also add fruit! Apple is another favorite first food for babies, and it goes well with rice in this apple khichdi.

11. Tomato Khichdi (7 Months+)

Tomatoes are packed with lycopene, a nutrient that has antioxidant properties. Give your baby these benefits by adding tomato to rice to make this tomato khichdi.

12. Carrot Khichdi (7 Months+)

Root vegetables are an excellent option for babies starting solids, and carrots offer additional nutrients like beta carotene and Vitamin A., which makes carrot khichdi a must have in your baby’s menu.

13. Moong Dal Khichdi (7 Months+)

Moong dal khichdi is something most of us have had growing up, and there’s no reason your baby shouldn’t enjoy it too! Moong adds a good mix of protein and carbohydrates and is a good energy giving food.

14. Coriander Curd Khichdi (8 Months+)

Curd or yogurt has many health benefits, including being probiotic which is essential for a healthy gut. Boost your baby’s digestive health with this coriander curd khichdi recipe.

15. Cheesy Vegetable Rice Pot (8 Months+)

Once your baby is familiar with most vegetables individually, you can start combining them into complete meals. We love this cheesy vegetable rice pot from Happy Veggie Kitchen that looks yummy!

16. Chicken Carrot Rice (9 Months+)

Tasty Baby Recipes has a simple but completely balanced recipe that has carbohydrates from rice, protein from chicken as well as valuable Vitamins and minerals from carrots.

17. Baby Friendly Rice Meatballs (9 Months+)

If your baby enjoys self feeding and finger foods, she’ll love these meatballs from MJ & Hungry Man! If you’re cooking rice and chicken for the family, you can easily put together these baby friendly meatballs.

18. Fruit Chicken Rice (9 Months+)

Change things up a bit by combining chicken with fruit instead of vegetables, as Babyology has done in this recipe with chicken and apricots.

19. Banana Brown Rice (7 Months+)

You’ve added apples and apricots to rice, now try adding another baby favorite – bananas! Steele House Kitchen adds bananas to brown rice for a dessert-like delicious meal.

20. Rice Pudding in Coconut Milk (8 Months+)

Who says desserts are only for grown ups? Your little one can also enjoy a treat with this rice pudding that’s made with coconut milk, since cow’s milk is not recommended for babies under one year.

Healthy Rice Recipes for Children over One Year

21. Paneer Vegetable Fried Rice

Fried rice is a favorite among kids of all ages, and now you can make it healthier by adding nutritious ingredients like vegetables and paneer – sure to be a hit!

22. Sweet Corn Fried Rice

Sweet corn is a great ingredient to always have on hand, since it cooks fast and you can easily whip up recipes with it, like this sweet corn fried rice.

23. Bell Pepper Fried Rice

Bell peppers are another ingredient we always have at home. We have them in different colors since they’re attractive, fast cooking and easy to put together in meals like this bell pepper fried rice.

24. Kid-friendly Chinese Fried Rice

Kids have a particular for restaurant food – especially the oily, unhealthy ones! Satisfy this craving with a healthy, homemade Chinese fried rice recipe instead.

25. Easy Okra Rice

Does your child run at the sight of okra or ladies fingers? You can save yourself the trouble of forcing him to eat it, especially since it can easily be done through a simple okra rice recipe!

26. Sweet Carrot Rice

Rice dishes don’t have to be all savory. This sweet carrot rice is proof that a little sweetness doesn’t hurt, and can help get the nutrients go down!

27. Coriander Vegetable Rice

This coriander vegetable rice is hearty and a great choice for winters when you can add lots of warming vegetables. The coriander goes beautifully with the veggies for a satisfying meal.

28. Vegetable Soya Chunks Rice

Amp up the protein content of your child’s meal by adding soya chunks to rice along with vegetables. Kids usually love the meatiness of soya chunks and you won’t find any complaints with this!

29. Easy Coconut Rice

Coconut rice is a popular dish in South Indian homes, and kids will enjoy the nuttiness and slight sweetness of the coconut. This is one dish that’s super simple but tastes so good on its own!

30. Peanut Rice

Peanut rice is another popular rice dish, and we love this recipe from Yummy Tummy Aarthi. It’s great for kids who love slightly spicier food, and the nuts add a good crunch along with protein and healthy fats.

31. Bottlegourd Rice

Bottle gourd or lauki is a vegetable that can be a little tricky to make, especially if you have a fussy eater. Anto’s Kitchen solves this problem by masking the vegetable in rice.

32. South Indian Tomato Rice

Tomato rice is something that’s available in all South Indian restaurants and is a great idea for a quick meal. Check out the recipe from Masala Chilli to know how to make this classic dish.

33. Spinach Rice

Greens are something we’re always told to include in kids diets, but what can you do when your child finds eating them too bland? Spice up the Curry tells us how – just mix it with rice!

34. Lemon Rice

Lemon rice is something many South Indian homes cook on a regular basis, and now you can too! Check out the full recipe over at Cook with Manali – a dish with a delightful tangy taste.

35. Beetroot Rice

Kids love colorful food, and this beetroot rice from Raks Kitchen checks all the boxes! It’s healthy, it’s filling, it’s gorgeous and it’s super yummy!

36. Tawa Pulao

This Tawa Pulao recipe from Shweta in the Kitchen is a great way to finish up any leftover veggies and rice. Just toss everything into a pan, add some pav bhaji masala and you have a super hit!

37. Palak Paneer Pulao

What’s better than palak paneer? Palak paneer pulao! Watch What U Eat saves us the trouble of making rotis with palak paneer by combining it with rice for a one pot meal.

38. Mushroom Brown Rice

Kids my have trouble with vegetables, but mushrooms are something most kids will eat without fuss. Fun Loving Families makes use of this by combining mushroom with rice for a full meal. Use homemade chicken stock or vegetable stock for wholesome goodness.

39. Broccoli Chickpea Rice Bowl

Broccoli is another vegetable that can be tricky to incorporate in Indian dishes, but 86 Lemons shows us that with some chickpeas and rice, this is super easy!

40. Cheesy Broccoli Rice

Here’s another broccoli rice recipe that’s a boon for cheese lovers! Bunny’s Warm Oven gives us a comforting recipe that’s perfect for winters and rainy days.

41. Chana Biryani

Chana or chickpeas are an excellent source of proteins and fiber, and are very filling. This chana biryani recipe from Sharmis Passions will ensure your child doesn’t go hungry for a long time.

42. Rajma Pulao

Rajma chawal is a popular North Indian dish, and Spice Chronicles takes it a step further by combining the two in a rajma pulao – a great dish that provides loads of energy along with protein.

43. Egg Rice

Many kids balk at the thought of eating eggs, so if you want them to get the protein and other nutrients in eggs, try adding it to rice – it’ll go down without any resistance!

44. Mushroom Pulao

GK Food Diary has a beautifully flavored, yet mild mushroom pulao recipe that doesn’t really need any side dish to go with it – it’s that delicious!

45. Kid-friendly Vegetable Biryani

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Biryani is a dish the mere mention of which can get anyone salivating! Sometimes biryani can be a little overwhelming for young kids, which is why this kid-friendly version is excellent.

46. Scrambled Egg Biryani

You may have had egg biryani, but have you had scrambled egg biryani? Well, Anto’s Kitchen gives us just that, which is a great recipe to try when you’re feeling inventive!

47. Fiesta Chicken Rice Bowl

This recipe from The Girl on Bloor is a good alternative to pulaos, and is something kids will be interested to try. They can also help put the dish together, which will make them more inclined to eat it!

48. Spinach Rice Casserole

Rice doesn’t have to appear as grains on a plate, it can also appear as a baked pie, as shown in this recipe by Cleverly Simple! It’s also a fun way to include spinach in your child’s meal, masked by cheddar cheese.

49. Broccoli Cheddar Brown Rice Muffins

Muffins made out of wheat are commonplace, but muffins made out of rice? Inspiralized shows us that it’s possible, and it’ll taste amazing too!

50. Baked Italian Rice Balls

If you’d like to take things up a notch and try something totally different with rice, we’d recommend trying these baked Italian rice balls from Food Travelist.

51. Pan Fried Rice Cakes

If you don’t want to bake, these pan fried rice cakes form Healthy Yums Vine are another alternative. No preheating or extra cooking – you can just use leftover cooked rice!

52. Brown Rice Chickpea Patties

There are so many ways to combine chickpeas and rice and we love this recipe by Food by Joinster! Kids always love things in ball or patty form, so this one’s a great idea for fussy eaters!

53. Rice Cutlets

Need a quick afternoon snack that’s not unhealthy? Try these rice cutlets from Pika Chakula – not all snacks have to be made with potato alone!

54. Salmon Brown Rice Cakes

Little Grazers has a recipe that’s a great way to add fish to your child’s meals. Instead of salmon, you can use any firm white fish that is fresh and doesn’t have small bones.

55. Protein Rice Pudding

Yes, we all know how to make rice pudding, but The Meal Prep Ninja takes it a step higher by adding protein powder for a protein packed dessert! You can use any natural sweetener in this recipe.

56. Sticky Mango Rice

Little Sunny Kitchen uses rice in a traditional Thai dessert and we love how it uses many staple Indian ingredients like mango and coconut milk.