Typical meals and snacks for your toddler?

[Jewels06]

I was just hoping to get some fresh ideas on things to give my toddler so I was wondering if you could tell me what your toddler eats for the day typically. TIA!

[happysmileylady]

Mine's 2, she eats pretty much what we eat.

Breakfasts: scrambled eggs, fried eggs, pancakes, sausage, waffles, french toast, hard boiled eggs

Lunches: hard boiled eggs (she loves these) grilled cheese, cut up chicken breasts, soup, "a bunch of stuff on a plate" (which is basically just a bunch of cut up veggies and/or fruit, cheese cubes, crackers etc.

Dinners: same stuff we eat...tonight we are having bbq ribs, corn and cinnamon honey wheat bread...she will likely take a bite of meat, eat all the corn and nibble the bread.  Last night we had jambalya, she ate all the sausage out of it, plus some of the rice and tomatos.  The other  night, we ordered pizza, she picked at it, then ate it piece by piece.

snacks: hard boiled eggs, cut up fruit, cut up veggies, crackers, cheese cubes

[mommy212]

These are some things I feed my 18 MO

breakfasts- oatmeal made with soymilk, banana or apple, cinnamon, wheat germ and flax oil -- fresh fruit (usually bananas, blueberries, strawberries, raspberries) with yogurt and raw rolled oats soaked in yogurt at least 10 minutes -- soft boiled egg yolk with grated organic beef or calf liver (traditional food) -- french toast (whole grain bread) dipped in soymilk and egg and cooked in small amount of butter served with banana slices -- whole wheat and oat pancakes with banana sliced or "fried" apples (browned in a skillet with a little butter and cinnamon) -- 

My LO eats more breakfast than anything so I try to vary it and keep it super healthy

lunch- usually leftovers from the night before, but if there are none we try these things- pasta tossed with some spaghetti sauce and extra veggies -- congee (rice porridge) with brown rice and veggies such as sweet potato -- frozen mini meatloafs (I have an awesome recipe and generally keep some in the freezer, they have lots of spinach, mushrooms, onions and other goodies in them, so tasty and good for you) -- beans (usually canned, trying to switch more) with rice and cheese or quinoa, whatever I have -- cheese and fruit, sometimes with whole grain bread

snacks- applesauce with peanut or almond butter and flax oil -- cheese (he loves pepper jack, goat cheese and sharp chedder, no mild cheese for him, haha) -- fruit (BBs, strawberries, pear, apples, banana, whatever is on hand) -- smoothie we share (tofu, soy milk, flax seed or oats (sometimes both), peaches and blueberries or any other fruit combination) -- whole grain tortilla -- or the all time favorite, lots and lots of BM

dinner- whatever we have, some favorites are- mashed sweet potato -- winter squash puree (usually with organic half and half or milk, he loves it) -- risotto -- pasta or any sort -- grass fed beef (he will really only eat the grass fed stuff, makes a face at normal store bought beef lol) -- well flavored chicken or other meat (he loves flavor, nothing bland for LO) -- teriyaki salmon flakes -- fried rice (brown mixed veggies in a pan, add cooked brown rice, black pepper and soy sauce to taste) -- corn kernels -- beans and rice or quinoa -- and generally anything else we are eating

[belltree]

For breakfast he (17months) usually hits a bagel with butter or a vegetable spread or pesto.

For lunch, there will be fruits and leftovers from our dinner, lor scrambled eggs and lox or tofu.

Snacktime are fruits and yogurt.

Dinner is maybe another bagel or bread, leftover food from the day and or whatever we eat.

Overall regarding amounts: he eats on a typical day he eats:

1 Mango, 1 Banana, 1 carrot, 1yogurt, half a bagel, 1/2 scrambled egg.

Not very much, but he is gaining fine and is still nursing (at night).

[LilaQ]

Mommy212, do you mind posting your recipe for frozen mini meatloafs? These sound great!

[Jewels06]

I agree that sounds like a great recipe! And thanks to everyone so far for your advice! Much appreciated!

[McGucks]

Mommy212:  Clue me in on "teriyaki salmon flakes"!  I would love to know a) what that is, and b) how you make it.  You all sound like you eat wonderfully!  Come cook for us anytime!

[mommy212]

Frozen Mini meatloaf recipe:

1 Tbls olive oil or butter

1 yellow onion or 2 shallots, finely diced

8 ounces cremini mushrooms (include these even if you are not a muchroom fan- my husband hates them but loves this recipe)

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup frozen and thawed spinach

1 pound ground turkey or grass-fed beef

1/4 cup tomato paste

1 large egg

1 Tbls soy sauce or tamari

1/2 tsp pepper

1/2 cup ground walnuts, almonds or cashews (or chop finely or leave in chunks depending on who will be eating them)

1/2 c bread crumbs

1/2 c or more ketchup

1- preheat oven to 350. For me, this recipe usually uses a regular 12 cup muffin tin and 10 or 12 cups of a mini-muffin tin (perfect for baby and toddler bites!). Grease or butter your pans.

2- Heat olive oil or melt butter in a large skillet. Saute onions and mushrooms until onions soften, 3 minutes or so. Stir in garlc and cook an additional minute, stirring. squeeze as much water as possible from spinach leaves and add to onion mixture. remove from heat and set aside to cool.

3- combine turkey, tomato paste, egg, soy sauce, pepper and nuts in a large bowl. Add in onion mixture and mix thoroughly. Add just enough bread crumbs to hold mixture together (do not compact too tightly). 

4- Devide among muffin pans and top with ketchup (I do a thick layer since it is our favorite part). Bake 30 minutes or more. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

To freeze- arrange meatloaves in a single layer on a baking sheet and lay flat in the freezer overnight. When frozen put in a ziploc or tupperware. (ketchup does not freeze hard)

To thaw- These are a million times better thawed in the oven than the microwave, whch makes this spongy and unappealing. Place in a 400 degree oven for about 15 minutes (check with a toothpick or knife). if you are making something else with dinne,r like bread or roasted veggies that cook on a different temperature, you can thaw them in there with the other foods, I have done it before :)

As for the teriyaki salmon flakes, I just make teriyaki salmon (salmon filet, marinate in soy sauce, mirin or honey, ginger and garlic for 30 minutes, 400 degree oven for 15 minutes or so, check often) and flake it off the filet for him to eat. 

[JudiAU]

Quinoa lunch - protein mixed with cooked veg mixed (often grass fed lamb burger, garbanzo beans sauted zuccini, tomtoes, quinoa, and a little olive oil and lemon juice) Adults add harissa

Rice Lunch - as above but with frozen cooked brown rice, usually with an Asian flavor sauce (tofu, well cooked broccoli, brown rice, soy sauce or General Tsao's sauce from TJs)

Rice and Beans

She loves canned smoked trout or sardines, usually followed by a whole avocado and some whole wheat macaroni

Soup lunch- I make it for the kids- cook white beans with aromatics and vegetable add some protein (usually a little homemade sausage) and freeze. Add some cooked whole wheat elbow macaroni (we like the private label from Whole Foods) top with some parmesan cheese. 

Whole wheat asta with tomato sauce and spinach

[marispel]

We're in a rut, but here it goes:

Breakfast:

Waffles, pancakes, English Muffing w/PB and honey, toast w/cinnamon and butter, cereal, french toast, bacon, fruit (mostly strawberries, pears, apples or bananas), yogurt or yogurt milk and occassionaly Pop Tarts.

Lunch:  He eats lunch at daycare (which he rarely eats) - but he will eat Grilled Cheese, Fried Shrimp, French Fries, Smile Faces (potato cakes), Sweet Potato Fries, Nachos w/cheese and salsa, chicken nuggets, veggie chips (dehydrated chips), and fruit and sometimes a turkey roll up.

Dinner:  Same as lunch.

Snacks:  Cheese, fruit, crackers, cashews, graham crackers, Gold Fish, Cheez Its, Ritz Bits, pretzels.  

Treats:  After dinner we allow an "wholesome" chocolate chip cookie.  On weekends we'll do popcicles outside (when its hot out), a few M&Ms and lollipops (which is a wonderful treat when we're shopping)

Drinks:  He loves the V8 fruit/veggie drinks, which we dilute, milk and water.  

[akind1]

We are in a real rut I think! trying to think of quick and easy things to feed him. (DS is almost 16 months old)

Breakfast: a yogurt and usually up to a 1/2 a bagel with cream cheese. he sometimes eats more or less than 1/2. sometimes he will have toast and jam. (bag over head for this one: I happen to love pop tarts. especially when pregnant, and sometimes we share)

Lunch: PB&J or Grilled Cheese, and what I call a squeezie fruit (sometimes they are a veggie) but made by several different companies, Plum Organic is one. Once in a while he will eat soup..

Snack . . . Earth's Best fruit snack bars, sometimes dry cereal, sometimes a small squeezie fruit.

Dinner, what we eat. However, he is partial to anything with rice, (fried rice, risotto, rice and gravy, rice and curry sauce, etc) he likes drumsticks, pork chops, mac and cheese, pasta in general. He loves bread. And Sushi (right now we are only feeding him the cooked sort - like California rolls, etc.

He loves ice cream and especially if we are at the grandparents' houses he will have some after dinner.

Drinks: water, OJ, and whole organic cow's milk. My milk dried up several weeks ago due to pregnancy, so we aren't nursing anymore. 

[Addie]

I like reading others' meal ideas, so here's what we generally eat (17 month old)

Breakfast: steel-cut oatmeal or farina, with butter and frozen blueberries mixed in, yogurt (whole milk plain), yogurt/fruit smoothie, pancakes or crepes if we're making them on the weekend, scrambled eggs, WW toast with butter and apple butter or mango butter. He usually munches on dry cereal while we're making breakfast.

Lunch: eggs (if he didn't have them for breakfast that day), cottage cheese, hummus and crackers, sardines or canned smoked trout (both from TJs), cheesy tortilla, dinner leftovers, fruit, beans

Snacks: cheese, fruit, crackers, Graham crackers, Pirate's Booty, yogurt if he hasn't already had some that day

Dinner: whatever we're having, usually with some fruit on the side (he eats a lot of fruit!) Favorites include: almost any kind of chicken, pasta and meatballs, soup, sweet potatoes, fish, pizza...

Drinks: whole milk, water.

[sagesmothertree]

Some great ideas here...

Breakfast: soy yogurt with ground flax seed or fruit (maybe some jelly to add flavor), waffles or pancakes, bagel with cream cheese. Our son loves "honey pears or honey apples" - I dice the fruit up, add a spoonful of honey and cinnamon then warm on the stove until they are golden.  Works great too if the pear/apple isn't ripe enough, and it's easier to digest

Snacks/Lunch: we also do the "bunch of stuff on a plate" thing - crackers, fruit, veggies, etc. Sweet potato french fries. Peanut butter/jelly sandwiches, craisins, raisins, dried mango, crackers, home made popsicles, cheese, etc.

Dinner: whole wheat macaroni and cheese (I sneak in some flax oil), we also have pasta/spaghetti a lot (I sneak in spinach), lasagna, hot dogs (much to my dismay but both husband and son love them...), veggie burgers, tofu scramble, home made pizza (my easy version is a fresh loaf of french bread, pizza sauce and mozzarella). For veggies, I normally warm them in a skillet and add some spices.

Drinks: almond milk (switching from organic whole milk), juice occasionally, water

I like to sneak ground flax seed in, or liquid, every chance I get. Good fatty acids plus the ground flax has a lot of vitamins. Have to admit we aren't very creative, sadly.  Not enough time. Our diets tend to have more variety in the summer. I refuse to buy non-organic fruits/veggies most of the time and we live in Michigan, so during the colder months we're stuck with a lot of the same produce.

[shnitzel]

Breakfast:

Scrambled eggs, fruit, whole wheat toast w/ lots of butter or cream cheese, oatmeal made with milk, cut up fruit & flaxseeds, muffins, pancakes, french toast

Lunch:

Baked sweet potato, steamed veggies with butter, grilled cheese, hard boiled eggs, leftovers from dinner, peas and corn with butter, baked potato pizzas, cottage cheese, chickpeas, sandwhich

Dinner:

vegetarian tacos/burritos, french fries with protein salad, pasta with tomato sauce and cheese, homemade bread and soup, lentils/beans & rice, honey baked lentils and potatoes, homemade pizza, quesidillas, veggie sushi

Snacks:

Fruit, lunch foods, yogurt, a chocolate chip, she is such a slow eater that by the time she finishes one meal it is time for the next which has almost completely eliminated all snacks

[lovelybaby]

We're in a rut lately, especially for lunch, so this has been helpful! My DD is 20 months.

Breakfast: scrambled eggs and toast, cereal (frosted mini wheats) with milk and sliced banana in it, oatmeal, waffles, french toast. Always with cut up fruit and milk. I haven't given her bagels yet because I always thought they would be too tough for her to chew, but I'm going to see how she does really soon.

Lunch: peanut butter and jelly on whole wheat bread, grilled cheese, quesadillas on whole wheat tortillas, soup, sweet potato fries. Like I said, huge rut with lunch. She usually has fruit, yogurt, or cheese with whatever she's having. I'm going grocery shopping tomorrow and getting things to make a few new things, like making little pizzas on whole wheat english muffins. She also likes when I give her Triscuits with different little spreads on them, like hummus, salsa, cream cheese, peanut butter, etc.

Dinner: whatever we're having. Her favorite is pizza, and she also loves mashed potatoes, some pastas, and she's getting a lot better with trying and eating her veggies (yay!).

Snacks: fruit, different types of crackers, applesauce, yogurt, dry cereal, dried berries, smoothies, etc.

[Vegan Princess]

DD turned 2 at the end of January. We are in a major rut and she won't eat tons of things. Almost no fruit unless it's dried and no yogurt. Plus we are vegetarian. And lately she won't eat half the things she used to eat. I honestly have no idea what to feed her sometimes! Breakfast is also the best eaten meal of the day around here.

Breakfast: oatmeal cooked with milk, scrambled eggs, pancakes (made with oatmeal, cottage cheese, eggs and banana and spices), french toast. Occasionally a frozen waffle or dry cereal with cheese.

Lunch: Amy's Pizza Snacks  - she lives for these things. Soy chicken nuggets. Cheesy bread. Pasta. Tofu. Yellow or red pepper or green beans or brocolli. Pinto beans. Leftover egg. 

Dinner: She won't ever even try what I cook. So usually more of what she gets at lunch.

Snacks: Olives, dried fruit strips, dried cranberries or raisins, dry cereal, sesame crackers, corn flax chips, rice crackers, peanut butter crackers, shredded wheat, rice cakes, nuts.

Cindy