Toddler Meal Ideas - Bloomingdale,IL

Hello, I agree with the other ladies, just give her what you eat in smaller pieces. That's what I do with my 12 month old too and she does fine. Unless I don't think it's good for her, then I make her something else, but that's unusual.

My daughter is 2 now but I had so many issues trying to figure out what to feed her and ran into the same problems as you. I googled, read books and asked the question over and over and everyone said...feed her what you're eating. For some reason I wasn't doing that and we weren't eating together...she ate and then my husband and I ate after we put her to bed. Then I woke up and realized...everyone was right! We started eating dinner as a family and I started feeding her whatever we were eating....chicken, pork chops, tacos, fajitas,etc. We eat a salad every night and so does she...she loves raw peppers and cucumbers. I give her a vegetable and fruit along with whatever we're eating. If she doesn't like it or won't eat it...I'm okay with that but I don't make her something else. The other food is enough...I may give her a bit more vegetable if she askes for it.

I had a really hard time with meals and variety. I was in a rut...cooking the same thing week after week. Now I put more thought into my weekly grocery list...planning meals for the night. I also get a daily recipe from cooking light which gives me great ideas on different ways to cook the proteins I already use. My husband thinks its wonderful and my daughter is expanding her diet...great for everyone!

One of my favorite recipes for kids is Green Sauce.

1 package of fresh spinach
2 cups cottage cheese
1/4 cup fresh parmesan cheese
fresh basil chopped 1 tsp. (opt)
dash of salt.

Wash the spinach(don't drain or squeeze out water) and put in a pot, place on stove on med heat and steam for 7 minutes. After steaming drain and squeeze out excess water.

In a food processor put cottage cheese, parmesan, basil and salt and puree until smooth. Add steamed spinach and puree until smooth.

I have served this just in a bowl, as a dip for pasta and mixed with pasta. I like it on brown rice cake, myself. I don't really like spinach, but I love this recipe.

I feed my 12 month old everything I eat, mac and cheese, raviolli, spagetti, grilled cheese, burgers, ect. I just cut it up so fine OMG it is unrecognizable as such. She has NEVER chocked and she is my 3rd child.

I agree with others..anything you eat..offer to her. Stay away from the chicken nuggests, fries, etc. Offer her your salad (chopped itty bitty..eventually she will figure out how to pick the slippery bits up!), any pasta, cheese, veg and fruit, bread, etc.

I do home childcare and at 12 months old (the DAY of their 1st birthday) they go on the "big kid" meal menu for the USDA Food Program. They eat what the big kids eat. My current 12 monther loves grill cheese (with or without ham), scrabled eggs with cheese (with or without vegs as well), pastas in salads or with warm sauses, rice dishes, baked potatoe, English muffin pizzas (big kids love to make one for her!).

Just giver her what you are eating..plus offer her those things your tastes may not like ! Expose her to everything! (I had a family in care years ago who were shocked to find their twins loved watermelon, as mom and dad hated the stuff and admitted it was something they had never offered the kids cuz they hated the taste so much as kids themselves..after that, they bought it for their kids!)

Tuna is another great protien that is easy for a one year old to eat. I have 14 month old twin boys and a 4-year old boy. They've all got healthy appetities too. They love their pastas and protiens. Tuna, chicken, rice & whole grain pastas are a constant staple in our pantry and freezer.
I bought a cook book on the sale table at Barnes and Nobles a while ago that is specific to healthy - kid-friendly recipies. My babies love everything in that book. It's healthy, full of flavor, quick/easy recipes & easy on the wallet.

She's old enough to eat whatever you eat. Just make small bits or mashed pieces and feed her whatever you're eating for the meal.

I agree with the other mamas that she can eat whatever you eat. But some easy kid friendly food would be homemade fishsticks (made with salmon, breadcrumbs/parmesan cheese, and baked), quesadillas, grilled cheese (whole wheat bread/2%cheese), rotini with pesto sauce, soups are always healthy and easy, really any pasta and any fish should be soft enough and small enough for your 13 month old to eat safely.

try: www.weelicious.com

(:

Meatballs - in marinara sauce, or gravy

Chix nuggets with honey, ranch or ketchup

Any kind of noodle and sauce, can add in different veggies and meats

Ham, turkey, any kind of lunchmeat (can add in a sandwich and cook like a grilled cheese to make the cheese melted)

Quesadillas

All things cut up to bite sized pieces, of course.

I have a 5 month old and I have been using some books to make my own baby food. Many of the books have great recipes for 12+ month old children/toddlers. I would recommend them (Blender Baby Food, Cooking for Baby, and Top 100 Baby Purees). The recipes for toddlers are toward the back of these books. I will definitely be trying them when my daughter is a toddler.

This is a rice dish I make for my daughter and she likes it.

1) Heat a little ( about 2 tsp) oil in a pan.
2) Add some cumin seeds (optional) and salt to taste. I add chilli powder/pepper also since we like spicy food.
3) Add some frozen corn and peas and some cooked rice and mix well.

My daughter loves it specially when I mix some yoghurt in it. If you have a pressure cooker then you do not need cooked rice. You can just add uncooked rice and water for the rice to cook. Also, you can add other vegetables in a pressure cooker like potatoes and carrots since the pressure cooker will make them soft.

My daughter also loved grilled chicken at that age and still does! I know what you are going through though - for awhile it seemed like chicken was the only meat she would eat - she wouldn't even eat turkey when she was younger but does now. We tried pork chops with her since they were also white, like the chicken breast, and she loved those. It has been awhile since she was a toddler but I remember her liking grilled cheese sandwiches and any kind of pasta. It is hard at that age because they still can't really tell you what they want and don't seem to mind eating the same stuff all the time. The lack of variety probably bothers us more than it does them! Good Luck!!

My 11 month old eats everything we eat. He loves spaghetti, turkey burgers, grilled chicken, cheese quesadillas; any veggie and any fruit.