Healthy Fun Food for My Toddler

I too have a toddler and provide lunch for him. Here are some things I send - I try to send different things each day.
I always send fruit - grapes, strawberries, blueberries, etc. cut up pretty small :)
Here are some other things we send...
Yogurt, applesauce, cottage cheese, shredded cheese, Nutrigrain waffles, mini bagel sandwiches, mac and cheese, chicken nuggets, shredded carrots, snap peas - he likes them raw, and then we usually send some sort of a 'treat' if he eats well although we try to keep the treats somewhat healthy...part of a cereal bar or a few animal crackers.
I hope that helps - I am going to watch for some more ideas for us! Good question!

I can't say enough about "Ants on a log"
Celery with peanut butter and raisins. He gets to add the raisins and it couldn't be a better food for him.
L.

Hi C.,
Sometimes the easiest way to sneak in nutrition is to feed kids what they're friends are eating, only substituting healther ingredients. For example, use whole wheat bread (we LOVE Sara Lee Soft & Smooth whole grain white bread--looks & tastes like white bread but is wheat)in grilled cheeses, wheat tortillas, wheat pastas, real fruit instead of canned, etc. One thing kids love is dipping things. Mine LOVES hummus (dip with pita triangles, sweet colored peppers, celery, Cucumbers, etc.), or tzaziki sauce (Costco makes a great one). Lately my son has been wild about "banana dogs"--take a flat tortilla, spread peanut butter on it, lay a peeled banana on one side, and roll it up. trim the ends to the bananas are flush against the openings, and it's a great snack or breakfast. Not very messy, either.

I used to supply for food my son until my daycare told me that he wasnt eating very much. She started supplying the food for us and he started eating really well again.
I found that he was more interested in what the other kids were eating for lunch and was interested in trying other foods that I wasnt supplying because it was just easy, convenient boring food.
Is your daycare licensed? If so, she should be part of the food program and she should supply the food for the kids (unless she feeds organic or vegetarian or other special diets).

It takes a good 10-12 times of introducing food to my son before he will eat it, so keep offering him the food and he will eventually at least try it.

Ideas:
Grilled cheese (add ham, turkey or tomato)
Quesadilla
Spaghetti and sauce (here you can add veggie puree and he wont even know it)
mandarin oranges, raspberry, strawberry, grapes, apple
raw, baby carrots, cucumber and celery and ranch dressing (I never thought my son would eat this but we were out for dinner one night and they offered this with the kids meal and he ate it right up)
Grilled chicken and potato
peanut butter sandwich with jam or fruit spread
Celery w/peanut butter and raisins
Crackers and cheese, you can out fun shapes or buy the shape cut cheese
This is all I can think of for now..hope this helps.