Lunch & Dinner Ideas for a 20 Month Old.

there is a cookbook called sneaky chef... it is full of recipes for kids that have hidden good-for-you stuff. maybe try that?

I give my 18 month old whatever we're eating. I have since he was a year old. I pull his booster seat up to the table, and, he eats on his own just like one of us with HIS fork and HIS spoon. Him feeling like he is one of us, and, eating the sames as us, he eats. Yes, I have a mess to clean up three times a day, but, it is worth it for him to learn good eating habits. ;) I only help him if I see him struggling. Otherwise, he gets it in his mouth and gets to splash in the bath afterwards.

I too like Sneaky Chef but the bigger issue is that you have to offer fruits and/or veggies at every single meal. Don't fall into that kid food trap and allow her to eat whatever she wants only! You set the precedents now for good eating for a lifetime. Even if she doesn't eat it at every sitting you offer a small amount of the fruits/veggies every single time.

And like Mommy L said, baby should be at the table for every meal with the family. In our house you don't leave the table till everyone is done. The side benefit to that is when we go out to a restaurant our kids aren't squirming to get down once they finish because they know the table rule.

Get a copy of FEED ME I'M YOURS. It will give you TONS of ideas.

I would keep offering them to her at every meal. And for the main course just give her what you are eating....or since it sounds like she really likes pasta then you could experiment with different pasta dishes. They are easy to put veggies in.

My kids have different days/weeks/months where they like or dislike something. I continue to make it and serve it and a don't make a huge deal about it. But, if she wants to quickly do something or wants dessert then she has to take a certain amount of bites of the veggies. Yesterday she didn't want the broccoli, but she wanted dessert. I said she had to eat three stalks (they were pretty large) and she did and loved them (broccoli is one of the things that she likes most of the time but doesn't always want to try it).

If I make something that I know she normally eats, but she decides she doesn't want it then I give her dry cereal to eat instead. My thinking on this is I have already made dinner that I know is normally liked so I shouldn't make a second. Also, she likes cereal but doesn't love it so it's not like she getting a special treat instead...she getting something boring.

Last....when I know they are hungry like before lunch and dinner I cut up a veggie for them to snack on and they usually eat it super fast. Yesterdays "appetizer" was cut up cucumber that they could dip in the dressing of their choice. They finished the half of cuke I had cut up.

Do you make your own mac n cheese and spaghetti? That will help them be healthier. Also, you can put carrot sticks or cut up baby carrots into small circles and add them to the spaghetti. I do that when I have them at it's really good because the carrots don't taste too carroty. I had a friend come over for dinner and I made spaghetti with carrots, not knowing she didn't like carrots. She told me that afterwards but she said it was actually very good and didn't mind the carrots.

There are some really good macaroni and cheese recipes made with cauliflour and you can't tell the difference. My third would only eat chicken when it was a rottiserie and the breast meat was shredded into pieces. Also try veggie burgers, especially for lunch and very easy. Avacodo, which is very good for you. Grilled cheese cut into pieces. also, my kids love spinach squares: 2 packages of cooked spinach, be sure to get all the water out. mix together the following: 1 cup of milk, 1 cup of flour 1 tsp of baking powder, dash of garlic, 1 package of either moz. cheese or monteray jack, 1 egg. add spinach and mix together. Spray a casserole dish with non-stick cooking spray or melted butter. spread spinach mixture and cook at 375 for 30 minutes or so (I like mine cooked well done so they aren't mushy). let cool slightly and cut into squares. You can freeze the extras and take out when you need just pop in the microwave. Lastly, you may also want to try hummus. I like Trader Joes original or Sabras original b/c they are mild. My kids like it on a tortia with turkey and rolled up and cut into pieces. Oh one last option: My kids also love broccoli, steamed and chilled. I break of the heads for them to eat. You could make broccoli pasta which is very easy: cooked spagetti - lots of minced garlic in olive oil and heat just until you start to smell the garlic (don't add garlic to hot oil b/c it will taste bitter). toss with pasta, steamed broccoli and add parm. cheese, salt and pepper to taste. O.k. I'm done - good luck

I'm not a fan of concealing the veggies/fruits in other foods (as in "Deceptively Delicious"). It never teaches them to learn to like the taste, and it compromises the nutritional value of the food (the fruits/veggies).

It does sound like you prepare those foods because you know she'll eat them. I'm in agreement with Dori W and MommyL - our kids really don't have a choice. They eat what we're eating or they go hungry. Our 4 year-old is easier to reason with than our 2 year-old right now.

We usually give them an option when we're cooking - last night was, "Do you want couscous or pasta?" they chose couscous. Tonight will be, "Do you want corn or zucchini?" They didn't have an option last night on the green beans from the farmer's market, and it was the only thing on the plate my son cleared completely (and asked for more).

It takes many exposures to foods to develop a preference for them. My husband is horribly picky, and I've not allowed him to really express that to the kids. If I make broccoli, he chokes it down and smiles to set a good example.

I know our son hates canteloupe - we've tried, it's a texture thing. So, I will give him grapes, strawberries, etc. while the rest of us eat canteloupe. I just don't believe, personally, in catering to kids because they're unwilling to try things.

I hope that helps - keep in mind that fresh/frozen are always most nutritional. Canned are usually very heavy in sodium and carbs which can lead to issues down the road.

My little guy likes veggies with cheese, garlic, and basil. He'll eat a whole bowl of them if I make them that way. I also make macaroni and cheese (usually from scratch) and mix veggies in with it. He also likes spaghetti with broccoli mixed in.

I wonder what she likes about the baby food. Do you think it's the texture? Maybe mashing up veggies in the food processor would help. You could add cheese if she likes it or some tasty spices. I also find that it helps me if I don't make a big deal about it, which is hard for me when I feel like he really needs some veggies. Sometimes I make the vegetable the first course - if he's really hungry, he'll eat it. Then after he's had some, I'll add meat or noodles or whatever else to his plate.

Good luck, mama! Hang in there and keep experimenting. If my guy eats some, or tries something new but doesn't like it, I try to remember to thank him for trying it. The hardest part for me is to act like it doesn't matter to me as much as it actually does, but that seems to make him more willing to eat some.