I'm back! Yes, sir, back to blogging :) Thanks for being patient with me for the last couple of days. Meanwhile, I bring you toddler meal ideas!!
Transitioning from formula and beginning solids is always a bit troublesome for mom's and dad's because you aren't too sure of what to feed your toddler. You want it to be healthy, but you also don't have all the time in the world to be making the most amazingly healthy meals for your child. At times you find yourself on the run and you have to stop at a drive-thru, dreaded, I know, haha. Anyhow, I've decided to put together a list of ideas for meals, snacks and just because foods for your little one. I hope that these will help you out and I plan to continue to add to this list as time goes on, so keep checking back for more ideas! :)
*Please NOTE - You know your child best in what they can chew/swallow without choking, so please adhere to cutting/chopping your toddlers food accordingly. Also, please adhere to your child's food allergies as well. I am not a doctor, nor am I a nutritionist, just a mom giving some ideas to everyone.*
Transitioning from formula and beginning solids is always a bit troublesome for mom's and dad's because you aren't too sure of what to feed your toddler. You want it to be healthy, but you also don't have all the time in the world to be making the most amazingly healthy meals for your child. At times you find yourself on the run and you have to stop at a drive-thru, dreaded, I know, haha. Anyhow, I've decided to put together a list of ideas for meals, snacks and just because foods for your little one. I hope that these will help you out and I plan to continue to add to this list as time goes on, so keep checking back for more ideas! :)
*Please NOTE - You know your child best in what they can chew/swallow without choking, so please adhere to cutting/chopping your toddlers food accordingly. Also, please adhere to your child's food allergies as well. I am not a doctor, nor am I a nutritionist, just a mom giving some ideas to everyone.*
Snacks
- Seedless grapes (please cut in half and/or quarters)
- Whole Grain Goldfish
- Cheerios and a side of yogurt
- Cheez-its
- String Cheese
- Shredded Cheese with a slice of lunch meat torn up
- Yogurt mixed with sliced berries
- Celery sticks with ranch dressing
- Banana Slices with peanut butter on top
- Apple Slices with caramel dip
- Pita bread triangles and spinach artichoke dip
- Ants on a log (raisins, celery and peanut butter)
- Fig Newtons
- Fruit mix (watermelon, pineapple, strawberries, blueberries, raspberries)
- Fruit / Yogurt Smoothie
- Toast with jelly or jam (strawberry, grape, apple - low sugar or sugar free)
- Frozen Grapes
- Yogurt Popsicles (freeze a cup of yogurt with a Popsicle stick inserted into the package)
- Crunchy Tofu Bites (crunch cheerios in a Ziploc bag, a touch of Cinnamon, and toss in pieces of tofu, shake, wha-lah)
- Apple slices dipped in Vanilla Yogurt
- Baked Sweet Potato Chips
- Kiwi Slices and Yogurt
- Hard boiled egg, hand full of grapes
- Ritz crackers and cheddar cheese slices
Breakfast Meals
- Scrambled egg whites with cheddar cheese, hand full of cheerios, sliced strawberries
- Organic vanilla yogurt, sliced raspberries and blueberries for mixing, 1/2 cup of cheerios
- 1 Banana sliced, peanut butter on the slices, 8oz of Whole Milk
- 3 Eggo Blueberry pancakes, slice of ham
- Rice cereal fruit milkshake (whole milk, rice cereal, fruit of choice: blueberries, strawberries, mango, pineapple, raspberries, etc.)
- Tangerine slices, side of raisins, handful of Kix cereal
- Whole grain blueberry or cranberry muffin, 8oz of Whole Milk
- French toast, side of mixed fruit
- Peanut butter and jelly sandwich, 6 oz of Whole Milk
- Baked Oatmeal, side of raisins (3 cups oats, 1 cup milk, 1/2 cup olive oil, 1/2 cup stevia, 1 tsp vanilla, 1 tsp baking powder, 2 eggs, 1 tsp sea salt - mix - bake for 20 minutes until top is spongy on 350)
- Buckwheat Pancakes, sliced banana
- Whole grain toast with peanut butter, applesauce with mixed in Oatmeal
- Veggie and cheese omelet (try bell peppers, broccoli, mushrooms, etc.), fruit cup
- Fruit smoothie (berries, whole milk or yogurt), cheerios or kix cereal
- Whole wheat toast, light cream cheese, turkey sausage
- Sweet potato pancakes (2 or 3), 6oz of milk
- Sliced peaches, cottage cheese
- Sliced pineapple, whole wheat toast with strawberry cream cheese
- French toast (whole grain bread (no added sugar), eggs, cinnamon, vanilla and milk) top with frozen berries and low-sugar maple syrup
- Cantaloupe, Banana, yogurt, orange juice, honey and vanilla extract smoothie
- Whole wheat toast with sugar free natural jam, nectarines
Lunch Meals
- Turkey and cheddar cheese sandwich on whole wheat, handful of goldfish
- Grilled American cheese sandwich on whole wheat, Dole mixed 100% fruit juice cup
- Grilled chicken patty seasoned with parsley and LIGHT pepper, baked sweet potato fries
- Crinkle carrots, sliced cucumbers (peeled), spinach and artichoke dip, whole wheat pita bread triangles
- Chopped cooked broccoli with cheddar cheese melted on top, warm whole grain pita
- Peanut Butter and Jelly sandwich, steamed carrot sticks sliced/chopped
- Tomato, cucumber and onion salad - chop/slice veggies - mix with light Italian dressing or red wine vinegar and olive oil, kids chicken nuggets
- Turkey burger patty (no bun) sliced, baked sweet potato fries
- Whole wheat or grain toast, avocado and cream cheese smeared on toast, steamed carrot sticks and dipping sauce
- Grilled peanut butter and banana sandwich
- Cheesy Broccoli-Potato Mash (1lb yukon Gold potatoes cut into wedges, 3/4 pound broccoli crowns chopped, 3/4 cup shredded fontina cheese, nonfat milk, teaspoon of sea salt, fresh ground pepper - place 1 in of water to boil in large pot, place potatoes in a steamer basket and steam for 10 minutes. Place broccoli on top, cover and steam until the potatoes and broccoli are tender, 6 to 8 minutes more. Transfer the broccoli to a large bowl and coarsely mash with a potato masher. Add the potatoes, cheese, milk, salt and pepper and continue mashing to desired consistency. Serve immediately.)
- Tuna Salad Pita (light mayo, tuna, baby spinach leaves chopped)
- Lunch meat slices, cheese slices, whole wheat wrap rolled or torn, veggie medley
- Pea salad ( 1 bag of frozen peas, 1 cup chopped potato, 1 cup onion, 1 cup celery, 1 cup chopped tomato, 1 cup cheddar cheese, 1/4 cup light mayo. 1/4 cup plain yogurt, 1 tbl spoon apple cider vinegar, 1 tsp. dried mustard - mix everything and cool)
- Spinach Ravioli with Parmesan cheese sprinkled on top, side of sliced strawberries
- Whole wheat triscuits, american cheese slices, ham and/or roast beef slices, sliced cantaloupe
- Sliced pickles, green olives, black olives, cheese cubes, whole wheat pita
Dinner Meals
- 1 Grilled chicken tender, quinoa, 2 asparagus spears seasoned with lime juice and garlic
- Whole wheat grilled cheese sandwich, side of tomato soup for dipping or spoon feeding
- Spinach Lasagna
- Almond crusted Chicken Fingers, mixed veggies (squash, zucchini, carrots) steamed
- Lime Chicken Fajitas - chicken sauteed in lime juice, chopped, tortilla torn, shredded Mexican cheese
- Cheddar Cheese Quesadilla - 1 whole wheat tortilla folded in half, stuffed with cheddar cheese (add veggies for extra fillings)
- Mini meatballs made from ground turkey with tomato sauce, cup of steamed broccoli
- Shredded pork lightly seasoned, steamed chopped carrots with cinnamon and unsalted butter mixed in
- Vegetable Soup - low sodium beef broth, lean beef or turkey, potatoes, stewed tomatoes, corn, carrots, peas, green beans), sweet potato biscuit
- Lean ground beef or turkey browned and seasoned lightly, black beans, lettuce shreds, shredded Mexican cheese
- Fish sticks, cauliflower steamed and dressed with melted cheddar cheese
- Broccoli and Cheese Casserole
- Sizzling Stir-Fry (chicken, broccoli, baby carrots, water chestnuts, yellow bell pepper, low sodium soy sauce, garlic powder, water) with brown rice
- Turkey burger, whole wheat bun, sliced strawberries, steamed zucchini
- Rotisserie chicken slices, steamed cabbage slices, whole wheat pita bread
- Whole wheat noodles in unsalted butter, Parmesan cheese and a side of veggies with tomato sauce
- Turkey meatloaf, side of corn, brown rice, cinnamon apple slices
- BBQ Chicken tender, side of peas, sweet potato crescent roll, hand full of grapes
- Turkey, sweet mashed potatoes, roasted broccoli with feta cheese on top
- Steamed broccoli and asparagus with zesty cheese sauce for dipping and a whole wheat bread option
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58 comments:
New to your blog and your latest follower! Thank you SO much for posting this! Incredible ideas and a life-saver. I have a 14 mo and we are just getting into needing to meal plan :)
Love your site and so glad to have connected!
Welcome back lady!! :)
Loved this list! But, PLEASE edit and let parents and caregivers know that grapes are a choking hazard and should ALWAYS be halved before serving to anyone under 3!
THANK YOU!!!! My friends and I have tried to compile a list before but never had this many ideas :)
Wow!! So many ideas! I needed some new ideas, I felt like I was always feeding my boys the same 3 things! Thank you!!!
Lots of fun ideas, but the thought of giving grapes to even a toddler scares me. Big choking hazard. Thanks for posting...we have a 10 month old who is interested in trying new things!
Great List! Love all the ideas. I feel like I feed my 12 month old the same things over and over too, and he is a GREAT eater. As for the grapes, just cut them in half or even fourths, no big deal. Thanks again for the ideas
All those concerned with grapes, please don't be. I cut my 15 month old daughters grapes in half, then in half again. There is absolutely no choking hazard at that point. Please also note my note at the top of the post about knowing your child best. If something is not a good fit for your child, skip it :) Glad everyone is enjoying the list!
Oh my gosh-- What a list!! Thanks so much for putting it together. They all sound super delicious. Going to try one tonight:)
So glad I found this list! My 12 month old is getting increasingly difficult to make meals for!
As far as grapes go, I cut them in half, skin them, and half them again and he loves them and I never fear choking since the tough skin is gone.
Thanks again for this list!
Just note that eggo does not use real blueberries in their pancakes or waffles and uses synthetic dyes in most of their products but not all(I found this out after cutting them from my son's diet and having to read the labels all the time) I just make a big batch of my own now and freeze the extra between wax paper
string cheese is also a choking hazard if given to children in the form it comes out of the package in. It's round and just the right size to block the airway. It's also soft and sort of just sticks in the airway and is very difficult to get out using the Heimlich or other methods.
A wonderful list! Lots of great ideas. I will be using this as a resource!
If anyone is struggling getting their toddler (or big kid for that matter) to eat check out www.yourkidstable.com for strategies. I am am mom and occupational therapist that works with feeding difficulties.
I just pinned this because I really need some new ideas! Thanks!
Wow, pleasantly surprised to see a fair amount of variety here. More often than not, lists like these are just a collection of ways to dress up the same 3 or 4 identical dishes.
Been looking for some new ideas. Baby-led weaning worked wonders for making my little girl an adventurous eater, but since her mother and I separated, there's a lot of menu stagnation at mommy's house and I'm finding myself pressed for ideas to keep her interested on occasion.
I love all of the ideas, thank you! Parents should always check with their Dr before giving kids peanut butter. I know different Dr's say different things, but mine say not to let the kids have it before the age of 3.
I try to feed my toddler and preschooler many foods from these lists but I usually end up wasting more than they take in. How in the world do I get them to eat?!
-Renae Pine
I found here ultimate list of meal ideas for toddlers. This list of meal ideas is very useful for me. Thanks for sharing this awesome list of meal ideas.
This is great! My daughter has dairy and soy allergies; most blogs about toddler lunch ideas are all carbs and dairy and pre-made foods. Thanks for taking the time to compile and share this!
Also food such as strawberries and PB should NOT be given to those under two years of age.
This is a great list! My baby it totally getting tired of my same meals so this will make a great change.
and people need to chill about the food. every mom gets so many "do nots" and "my doctor said" but ultimately a mother knows her child best and will make the decision she knows is right for her baby. one of my 11 mo old favorite meals is whole wheat PB&J with homemade strawberry jam. she can't get enough of it! makes for quite the mess tho.
i love love love these ideas! Never would have thought of some of them. thank you! :)
Good list! For all those who say this and that is a choking hazard or shouldn't be given to a toddler, that's your choice as the parent. I've given my toddler grapes (halved) at 11 months and he did fine. Same with hot dogs and cheese sticks. Thanks for making the list!
(Small side note, not everyone switches from formula to food as noted above.) :)
Kelly
Wow, thank you so much for so many great ideas! :)
Hey...new follower here :) Loving your blog. I have a 14 month old daughter and am just getting back to blogging :) Thanks for all the great ideas!
Katie
Thank you for the great list! I've been running out of ideas for my 13 month old so this really helped. I think each parent knows what's appropriate for their child and we all make decisions with our child's best interest in mind.
Thanks again for the yummy ideas :)
This is a wonderful and very informative list. My 15 year old daughter watches our grandchild and uses this list everyday!
Nice list! I would like to add, instead of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, I feed my son peanut butter and fresh fruit sandwiches. Jelly is mostly sugar so I don't give it to my son. Some fruits I use are, banana, apple, grapes, blueberries, strawberries, and peaches. I also sneak prunes in there if he has been constipated.
Also our pediatrician said peanut butter after 1 is fine as long as their isn't a family history of peanut allergies. My son has been eating peanut butter since he turned one with no problems. He also loves a mixture of peanut butter and applesauce on waffles and pancakes.
*there
I was gonna say, I give my 17 month old strawberries, peanut butter & whole grapes. I used to cut them, but a trip to grandpa's vinyard stopped that. He let her eat them right off the vine and now she refuses to eat grapes that are cut. ): She just plays with them. So I have to watch her VERY closely. Never thought about string cheese being dangerous, though! Thanks for the tip!
Yeah... she eats peanut butter. Crunchy, even! No peanut allergy history here.
Please don't give your little one processed snacks. Also no peanut butter! If they are allergic the reaction is too severe until they are out of toddlerhood. Please do your research before advising others.
Half that stuff has dyes, preservatives, and high-fructose corn syrup. Easy, yea it is, but healthy? Well, maybe healthier than twinkies and french fries... Good try, tho.
I found the list incredibly helpful. Yes, there are items on the list that some parents may judge. There are some items on the list that I have chosen not to feed my son and some that I haven't thought of... some were incredibly well balanced and some were easy options that kids eat.
I guess that judgement (positive or negative) is what we as bloggers get for putting out our thoughts. It is frustrating to me though to even read the comments that some people have put on this post that you have obviously worked hard on.
You have not claimed to be a doctor. You have made mention that the parent should know their child. And, like many others, my doctor actually said strawberries and peanut butter were fine after a year, they just needed to be introduced carefully.
Anyways... I wanted to commend you for putting yourself out there and creating this list. Your child looks beautiful and healthy. The people that want to put out the negativity and effort to judge each and every item on that list aren't worth your time in my opinion.
Transitioning from formula to solids? Way to exclude breastfeeding moms.
Thanks for all the wonderful ideas! I also want to say that can't moms just ever take in ideas without judging? I guess that's women for you. Instead of uplifting each other and supporting fellow moms we must judge to make ourselves feel better! Pathetic!
I think this looks like a yummy list for moms too ;) Thanks for the ideas!
Super helpful! Thanks
Big THANKS!! I am a FTM and this list is going to be Super-Helpful =)
Thanks for all these lovely ideas!!
Thanks for all these lovely ideas!!
Thank you for taking the time to share. I also saw an article where you can substitute carrot juice/veggie juice for the milk in pancakes/waffle mixes to get an extra attempt to get veggies in. Also, until recently I was always able to sneak veggies into my little ones eggs as long as I put american cheese on top - she never knew the difference. But I needed new ideas bc she must've tired of that one, we went through a bit of a tandrum this morning. ;)
Thanks again. Wanted to give my support despite some other mothers that always criticize no matter what you do. :) (cant believe the comment - "way to exclude breastfeeding moms" - um well everyone has to ween babies to food at some point in life!)
Exactly what I was looking for. Could not find such a list anywhere else. Thank you.
If you don't agree with her choices KEEP IT TO YOURSELF!! Geez, us moms should keep lift each other up not tear each other down. If you choose not to give your child something then that's fine, but everyone is different so leave it alone!
Many many Thanks!!
I'm searching a list for my baby girl and I found this. This is a complete routine for my baby girl I think.
The ultimate list of crap food maybe...
Hm. Just a suggestion to add "breast milk or formula" in your opening statement. Breast milk is, of course, how many mothers choose to feed their babies. Why leave them out?
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I like how people criticize but offer no suggestions. God I hate how mothers treat each other. I found is list very useful as I run out of ideas of what to feed the kiddies. There are lots of whole grains, fruits, and vegetables on this list. I can't stand how we are expected to be perfect all the time. I feed my kids all organic fruits and vegetables, make homemade meals, never microwave anything, and yet I am still judged by parents when I give my kids innocuous things such as Cheerios. I had one stranger approach me in public to scream at me about the sodium content in Cheerios. I can't take it anymore. I'm not perfect. And Ashley if this list is "crap" please post your own for us to review and pick apart.
Holy Cow....
If these ladies know so much why are they bothering to read a blog? They should be writing their own books. Sheesh...I think this list has a lot of great ideas! Thanks for publishing.
Holy Cow....
If these ladies know so much why are the bothering to read another person's blog. Perhaps they should be writing their own book. I think these are great ideas BUT we are all free to take them or leave them. Why be so critical?
Thanks for the post.
I'll add it to my Pins
This list made my life so much more easier!! It includes every thing my daughter loves and she does love every thing :-) thanks so much looking foward to following more of your blogs. Us moms gotta stick together!!!
Great ideas!
Not sure why people leave negative comments. Didn't like the list? Close the page.
I will definitely be taking some of these ideas and making them my own.
You are an angel sent from heaven!!! I found this post through Pinterest and I am SO thankful I did. I have been having the hardest time thinking up things that my son with 4 teeth can eat (lately I've resorted to feeding him graham crackers all day. Yes, I'm terrible).
THANK YOU!
Thanks so much for the awesome ideas! My baby Katy is 18months old and is getting soooo picky. I will start trying some of these asap. Only thing is she will only eat finger foods and just has her eight teeth in the front so chewing harder things doesn't work yet
I have a 1 year old who is sensitive to additives so I try to go whole food all the way or as much as possible. He loves lentils mixed with some parmesan and diced steamed veggies, or pasta primavera-pastini pasta and cream cheese mixed with a little parm and steamed diced veggies. He also loves fruit and yogurt, and just about any sort of bread so I make homemade muffins or pancakes and add fruit and veggies in them. He loves it!
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