I Really Need Some Meal/food Ideas for My 14 Month Old

Hi G. - I put out the same question a few weeks ago but I have an 11 month old. we don't eat together as a fam only but 2x's a week since my hubby works late 90% of the time and gets home when it's jammy time.
If you can feed him what you eat that's the best, but if that's not working for you try meatballs cut up really small like half the size of a pea - this goes for all meat. meat is harder for them to eat. My kids like the meatballs from Trader Joe's in the blue and yellow bag frozen, they are not spicy and you can microwave them. TJ's has a tone of great ideas in their freezer section like the alfredo you can add some cut up (really small) chicken. I found that trying to get down real chicken and not nuggets is better even though it's not always practical. But the most tender is thighs or the tenders. I keep a bag of frozen tenders and just cook a few at a time. with a little salt and pepper.
Looks like you got a lot of good ideas.

G.,

Offer him whatever you are having-- unless he has food allergies/special diet, include him in all family meals. Here are a few ideas that come to mind:

Steamed broccoli with cheese cubes
cheese quesadillas
pasta with steamed veggies
cut up veggies with hummus to dip
fruit salad
squash
burritos
lasagna
grill some chicken and make your own chicken strips
cottage cheese with fresh fruit
yogurt
zuchini bread
pumpkin bread
salmon
tuna

Ok, thats all I can think of for now, but basically give him a good colorful variety of foods-- lots of fruit, veggies.

Take care,

Molly

By that age we were feeding our daughter everything we ate.
I also have a little story for you. When I was pregnant with our daughter someone once told me to make sure we offer her every food we can think of because once they turn 12-18 months old they will cut the number of foods they will eat in half. So if you've only offered your son 10 items, he will only eat 5 at that age (just an example). I found this to be SO true! Once my daughter turned around 18 months she will not eat anything she use to LOVE. She will eat peas, bananas, apple sauce and an occasional melon. No other veggies. I would recommend giving him everything you can while he is welling to eat it.
Best of luck,
C.

First, it sounds like most of us agree that feeding him what you eat is a good idea. I did get the impression from your post that you are concerned that he may not be eating enough meats. Since he likes most veggies, that shouldn't be a problem. Simply be sure the veggies he gets are good meat substitutes. I would be sure he gets some type of beans every day. Also have heard that beans and corn or beans and rice served together are a good substitute for the meat protien. You might want to check a good nutrition website for more ideas in that line.

What do you eat?? That should be ideas enough. He can eat everything you and your hubby are, just smaller pieces and watch for hard choking items like carrot coins. Go for it!!! Makw your life easy!

sweet potato fries (baked)
almond butter and jelly sandwiches cut into little squares
turkey and swiss sandwiches cut into little squares (can spread soft avocado on the bread too)
(I usually cut about 4 times length wise and 4 times width)
steamed cauliflower ( can do w/ a light swiss cheese sauce (swiss cheese, milk, wheat flour to thicken)
Veggie booty (whole foods)
string cheese
ritz cracker "sandwich" with soy nut butter inside
sauteed green beans with a drizzle of soy sauce or stir fry sauce(saute until very soft -trick is to saute the garlic/oil and beans for awhile, then add a little water to help cook them and the water will steam off so don't add too much)
my daughter loves Tofu (sauteed with a tiny bit of asian sauce)
Rice a roni in several different flavors
Pasta roni (my daughter loves the basil angel hair)
mac & cheese with diced carrots and peas mixed in
(i keep a bag of frozen pea/carrot mix in the freezer to quickly boil and add to any dish)
egg omelette with spinach and shredded cheddar
(keep a block of frozen spinach in the freezer and scrape some off to put in any dish at any time)
toast with cream cheese (the whipped kind spreads great)
mini waffles
frozen mini bagels (great for teething)
at thai restaurant: pad thai or veggie dish
japanese restaurant: miso soup with tofu, veg tempura, chicken teriyaki)
steamed asparagus spears are fun
you said she loves avocado have you tried mild guacamole with pinto beans?
the mini small corn spears
chicken corn dogs cut up small
rotisseri chicken from Costco
mashed potatoes (for easy get the powdered kind)
sphaghetti o's
fish sticks
stuffed squash (summer squash stuffed with ground beef and rice mixture and simmered in a tomato sauce- its an arab dish called Mashi and my daughter loves it) it takes a little effort to make but stores well in the fridge for quick microwaving later in the week)
i haven't tried hambuger helper yet, but I may soon
one of my daughters absolute favorite is sauteed spinach (onions and olive oil in pan first until onions soft then put in the spinach and a little water until wilted) fast and easy to make but need fresh spinach
hummus with strips of toast to dip in it
corn on the cob- you just have to watch and make sure they don't try to eat the end, strangely my daughter took to it quick and seemed to instinctually know how to knaw off the kernals! I waited for this until about 14 months though coz corn is a little harder to digest
whole foods has these organic cheese sticks about the same size as string cheese but in other flavors (colby etc. my daughter loves to hold them and bite - just watch to make sure a too big bite isn't taken)

One thing that the others haven't mentioned that my son likes is Smart Dogs (aka tofu hot dogs). A quick lunch on the go is cut up Smart Dogs, a string cheese and some sort of fruit - cut up grapes, strawberries, blueberries or an apple sauce.

He also will occasionally eat firm tofu - it's a texture thing though so I think some kids like it and others don't.

Good luck!
L. (momma to Jackson - 15 months)

Hi- Others will probably disagree because these are standard kid foods in this country but stuff like chicken nuggets, hot dogs and M & C are really not good for anyone. If you buy the regular grocery store versions your feeding your child a staggering amount of artificial colors & preservatives, basically lots of different chemicals. Feeding the baby what you eat will easily avoid this and also supply him with more fiber and vitamins. Check out some of the natural versions of the kid foods like natural mac & cheese, smart dogs etc. If you have a Trader Joe's or independent health food store it makes it very easy. It sounds extreme but I really believe at some point in the future we will all look back and be appalled at what we used to feed our children. I try to follow a rule that the food's ingredient list must be relatively short and I must recognize what's in the product as actual food. Good Luck!

Greetings G.: Sounds to me like you have an ideal place for a little one to grow up around -- horsesand out of doors what an adventure!
I have 5 children and now several Grandchildren and have been a foster mother so I say this with some experiance.
What ever you are eatting feed that to your child. We only did the baby jar food ( fruits and vegetables) with one child and that was because of special needs he had. But I found that if I could eat it then I could also mash it up and so could they. You know what you put into your food but you have no idea what goes into baby food and how safe it can or can't be. The best expense you can make is with a food processor or blender and off you go. I wish you well in your adventure of parenthood it will be an adventure like no other you will experiance and one of the most rewarding things you will ever do. Nana Glenda

You might try polenta - either the soft kind mixed with vegetables, sauce, or meet or pan-fried. Another option that my kids all like is vegetable fritters. Fritters can be with grated carrot, zuccini, potato, mix with some flour and parmesan and pan cook until soft on the inside and slightly crispy on the outside.

I've said it before and I'll say it again: half&half meatballs are magic!
take ground meat (I used turkey and beef) and pureed veggies in equal amounts (i.e. half cup each; veggies can be either canned baby food or steamed and pureed). Add just enough bread crumbs for the mixture to hold together. Put a little water (or stock, or juice - I've used apple and tomato) into a frying pan and "steam" these meatballs.

other ideas:
Use Trader joe's veggie fried rice combined with organic foursome (veggie mix) for a quick healthy side dish
Make tons of chicken broth and boil fresh veggies for 2-5 minutes in a single serving to make a soup.
"finger" salad - chopped tomatoes, cucumbers, and a dollop of sour cream.
Ellie isn't a fan of tuna, but loves salmon, so I keep a pack of frozen portioned salmon fillets (costco) in my freezer for when I am out of ideas/time.
Add raw veggies to whole wheat pasta towards end of cooking, drain and toss with leftover chicken or chopped queso blanko/feta
Combined whole wheat couscous with veggies (steamed separately, again TJ to the rescue with "Organic foursome") and protein - I imagine lentils of some kind would be a great addition if we ate lentils/beans...

I am a little crazy about whole and organic, but I've found that with a little bit of planning and help with veggies, I can have lunch ready to go in 15-20 minutes.

Also, watch your child for hints on optimal scheduling. We discovered early on that my daughter had better days (and better meals) when she ate her biggest meal during the day, right after her nap. We keep the evening meal light - yogurt or cottage cheese, some hi-fiber Os and fruit. Works wonders - and no more fighting over food!
Hope this helps

Dear G.,
Your little guy is certainly old enough to eat what you eat, as long as it's not super spicy or something you know him to be allergic to. By this age, my kids were eating everything. Scrambled eggs, baked chicken and fish, mashed potatoes and gravy, meatloaf, you name it.
I don't know if letting them eat what I cooked was the trick, but they were never picky eaters. The only thing they will not have is a glass of buttermilk, which I love, but they like it in salad dressing, etc.

I'm not sure what you and your husband are disagreeing about, but it really is okay to let your son have a good variety of "big people" foods. You might be surprised at the things he'll like!

Best wishes!