Feeding My 14 Month Old

Hi K.,

Each week at the grocery store I try to pick up a different fresh fruit that I haven't tried before. I found out this way that my daughter loves grapefruit & blueberries (although she will eat just about any fruit). Good luck. Thanks to everyone for the ideas!

Couple of things that my kid loved (and still does!)
Edammame (that is young soybeans in the pod..boiled and lightly salted..you can get them at any sushi place or an asian or whole foods market...they are really high in protein, perfect finger foods and REALLY healthy!) My kid loves these...they are a staple at our house!
Avacado...it is filled with healthy fats, and it is soft and not a chocking hazard..
all fruits are good, just make sure that they aren't chocking size...if they are cut them in half.
Rice noodles are a nice spin off the normal pasta. My kid loves Rice noodles w/a little Pad Thai sauce (it is a sweeter sauce, but it has peanuts in it...)
As a rule, my kid didn't like pasta's w/ sauce on it. You could also try grilled chicken instead of hotdog...it is healther and you can lightly season it different ways for variety.
Pommegrantes are good, but we are getting out of the season...so are sweet poataoes...my kid loves them.
Soy milk is a nice change of pace..we keep vanilla on hand. It doesn't replace her normal intake of milk, but it is healthy and seems more like a snack.
In general, we had found that our kid HATES bland food!! She loves flavor! She wants things fresh, and she likes food with flavor....garlic, mexican, thai, ect....
I know...she is a weird kid....

And remember...sometimes you have to offer a food up to 3 times before they might be brave enough to try it.

I have a 1 year old and a 3 year old. I keep the smaller cans of veggies around so that I can offer them a vegetable with every meal. They like all kinds and the 3 year old prefers them cold.

Also their favorite supper is Taco Bake:
Brown 1 lb of hamburger add
1/2 cup milk, 1 can tomato soup, 1 cup salsa, shreded cheese (we like it cheesy so I use about 1/2 a lb.), and 6-10 tortillas cut into one inch squares.
Heat for about 5- 10 minutes.
Pour into a baking dish, top with additonal cheese, cover and bake for 30 minutes.

It is easy and they eat it up.

It is not spicy either.

One thing my boys love to have is little pizzas. We roll out biscuit dough and put some pizza sauce and cheese on it, and they put whatever they want on it. Its a really easy meal that they can have fun with, and I can limit any of the bad things I don't wan't them to have on it. They are 4 and 2, and love it! Another thing is salads. My sons love it. I just put out a big bowl of lettuce, and as long as we have some croutons, and fat free ranch dressing, they are happy! I hope this helps!

Hi K.! This is what I did shortly after my daughter turned one and became more mobile. She preferred to toddle around with something in her hand, like a cookie or a piece of cheese. My philosophy has always been, just always have something to offer, all the time. At this age kids eat frequent small portions, their stomachs are tiny. So, I created what I like to call a flower wheel. I arrange easy to handle food stuff on a plate in a circle, like cheese, carrots, beans, pretzels, hot dogs, deli meats, etc, etc, and in the center of the plate i toss a combo of grapes, or berries, and cheerios, or even peas. Kids aren't picky about mixing things at this point, so veggies and fruit actually go well together, also fresh cooked pasta is always a good choice as it provides excellent building blocks for their little bodies. Then I set it on the coffee table and my daughter always had something to pick on no matter what the rest of us were doing and between meals. Kids are naturally attracted to NICE and NEAT looking things, so that they can put their touch to it and have an effect on it, which is important for self confidence and independence. If your kid starts to get cranky, check the plate, if it's a mess, get it out of there, it's a general rule, when the place is a mess the kid is cranky. That is until they are 2!

I could actually use help in this department too. I also have a 14 month old. She would eat constantly if I let her. I let her have everything we are having, plus she snacks all day. I have started letting her have fruit snacks and wheat thins. Of course I have the same speghetti-o, hot dog issue at my house.

i have a 1 year old girl and some of her favorite things to eat are; vienna sausages, mac and cheese, peas, corn, beets, green beans, waffles, flap-jaks, french toast, spagetti, ramen noodles, and pretty much anything i put down in front of her. the only time she doesn't eat what everybody else is eating is when if i feel like what we are having would be too spicey for her. hope this helps you out.

Here are some ideas:
1. green and purple grapes - sliced very small, I cut them into 6 or 8 pieces
2. little cheese cubes
3. cheerios
4. crackers broken up into 4 pieces
5. avocado
6. toast with butter in small pieces
7. sausage links cut up small
8. applesauce
9. blueberries (cut in half)
10. cottage cheese
11. boiled or scrambled eggs
Hope that helps
L.

I have a 3 year old and 15 month old. I learned that whatever we're eating, I just throw at my 15 year old as well, even tacos. Yes, the mess is awful but at least I'm glad she is trying new things.
The apples at McDonalds are a lifesaver. Glad to know I'm not the only one.
I also tear up lunch meat. I usually always have a veggie in the frig. Something that I can just zap real quick and give her at least a little of.
She also loves bananas, scrambled eggs, whole wheat pancakes from the freezer section.
It really is amazing what they can eat. I was more daring with my second child then I was with my first. Just be sure to make sure that it is something that can be easily swallowed.

I often struggle with the same thing with my two kids, ages 2 1/2 and 18 months. When we eat Wendy's offers the mandarin orange cup as a substitute for fries in their kids meals and my kids LOVE the oranges! And McDonalds offers apple slices in place of fries. This way when getting them chicken nuggets, they can have a little of the "good" stuff and also some REAL good stuff.

Another thing...you'd be surprised what kids will eat if you just put it in front of them! My son LOVES guacamole, which can be a great snack with carrot slices and baked tortilla chips assuming you don't make it with tons of sour cream. And they both love salmon sandwiches. I buy the frozen salmon fillets that comes in little pouches (Aquastar is the brand) always on sale for just $1 at Hyvee and Price Chopper. It's not breaded and fried, and of course salmon is loaded with omega fatty acids that are good for you and the babies. Just season it with whatever you'd like and bake.

I like to mix up their foods to give them variety. Some mornings I'll put a little shredded cheese or cubed ham in their scrambled eggs and other times not.

A YUMMY thing I just made up with an overripe banana one day recently is Banana Nut Pancakes. Of course, omit the walnuts for smaller toddlers, but just mash one ripe banana in a mixing bowl and add any regular pancake batter mixed as usual. I also add a pinch of cinnamon or splash of vanilla extract, and then cook on hot griddle just like regular pancakes. My kids LOVE them, and I feel good about it b/c their getting fiber and potassium from the banana along with the pancakes.

I love watching 30-Minute Meals with Rachael Ray b/c she's got TONS of great ideas for family meals that the adults and kids can both enjoy. Good luck!

Hi K.,

I have been thinking about this, and other moms have given you some great ideas...

something that has not been mentioned yet, that we feed my 12 month of and have for awhile now...

Fruit Leather, you can find it at HyVee in the organic section, or at Whole foods... I just either tear it up into tiny pieces or cut it into small squares. He loves it! It comes in a variety of flavors too...

We also give him Veggie Sticks from Whole Foods... a bag is like $1.89 or something... he loves the taste and loves to hold onto the stick and chew on it with his front teeth.

Another idea (also from whole foods) veggie burgers... please just make sure they dont have garlic powder or onion salt in them... we made that mistake and my son smelt awful for a week! LOL... what you can do is unwrap the burger and just pop it in the toaster. simple as that... only takes a few seconds too.

Whole foods also has turkey dogs as well as chicken dogs, my son inhales them. You can also try Sweet Clementines - they are really good this year...

Broccili is always good too... just clip off the top of the trees and steam them. Easy feed themselves kind of food.

Good Luck... I look forward to what other moms say.. as I am in sort of the same pickle.. no pun intended.

:)

I don't know how much help this will be because we are experiencing the same thing, but we have also tried mashed potatoes and mac and cheese with things added in, like broccoli or green beans. Our son used to eat peaches well, but has recently decided he doesn't want those anymore. We also give him applesauce, lightly buttered toast, cinammon and sugar toast, waffles, and pancakes (light syrup). He used to eat scrambled eggs, but now he won't touch them. We try to take cues from the daycare menu and what he actually eats from the menu. Fishsticks and chicken nuggets are good sources of meat; our son will not eat hardly any meat, an only sometimes eat these. I haven't tried it at home yet, but they serve soup at the daycare as well. I am not sure how well that goes due to the lack of self-serving skills at this age. We do serve him french fries occasionally, but we make sure they are cooked in the oven (so you have to anticipate when he is going to be hungry). It is very frustrating because some days he will eat what we give him, and some days he won't. We also still give formula to make sure he is getting everything he needs because he just doesn't eat a large variety yet. If all else fails, we still serve level 3 babyfood!

K.:

There are so many healthy foods to serve your son: avacado, bananas, soft pears, blueberries, peas, beans, brown rice, whole wheat noodles with a little sauce, crackers dipped in yogurt, string cheese....all of which are finger foods (just remember to avoid peanuts and honey).

A. L