Parents who manage meals at home are always in need of fast, flavorful and functional recipes. But when it comes to food, its not a one-size-fits-all sort of deal speed, flavor and function are relative to the various stages of parenthood. Moms and dads of infants and toddlers, for example, have very different schedules and meal requirements from parents of tweens and teens.

Coming up with new ideas for quick, tasty food for the family is always top of mind for most parents and caregivers, but that doesnt necessarily mean everyones mastered it.

We gathered tips, tricks and recipe suggestions from parents of children of all ages and those parents also happen to be culinary pros. Check out their advice that all parents can use to get a nutritious dinner on the table, no matter how much downtime you do or dont have.

For parents of toddlers: Focus on development and distraction

If youve got children under the age of 3, you should nurture not only their growing bodies but their developing taste buds, as well.

Dr. Teresa Purzner, co-founder of Cerebelly and the mother of three children (ages 2,4 and 6), cautions, The first two years of life are critical for brain development. During this period, each region of the brain requires its own set of nutrients to grow optimally. By the time children reach their first birthday, Purzner advises its time to think more seriously about protein and iron and introduce lean meats, fish, chicken and beans.

In order to realistically get said nourishing meals on the table, focus on the ingredients while your kids focus on something else. Daphne Oz, cohost of Foxs MasterChef Junior, nutrition ambassador for Persona Nutrition and mother of four children (ages 1, 2, 4 and 6), told HuffPost, Youve got to keep them distracted otherwise youll never get anything done in the kitchen. Oz, who has maybe 30 minutes at night for active cooking, relies on kid-friendly but grown-up recipes that she can set and forget and cook passively while taking care of other things.

Her Nutty Chicken Fingers recipe provides the protein enrichment and the textural variety young eaters need and a flavorful crunch the adults will appreciate.