Joyfully Prudent

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February 27, 2014 by: JoyfullyPrudent

Feeding a Toddler: TONS of Meal Ideas and Recipes

Finally!  I’ve been working on this post for a while, so I hope you find it useful!

I think the one thing that has stressed me out the most about raising a baby so far, is what to feed them.  It was easy the first year – breast milk and pureed fruits and veggies.  I lived by THIS website for foods age birth-1 year.  Finger foods is a whole new ball game.  Did he get enough?  Why does he hate meat?  Why isn’t he eating his sweet potatoes? He ate them all last week.  Can he have this particular food?  Why is he throwing his food everywhere?  Am I feeding him healthy foods?  Did I ruin his taste preference when I was pregnant?  And on and on!

BASIC MEAL PLAN:
If you have a toddler, I’m sure you’ve asked yourself these questions and more.  I’m not an expert on feeding a 1 year old, but I thought I would share some pictures of several meals I’ve fed Beckham the last few months (he’s almost 17 months).  I try to serve a meat/protein, fruit, and veggie at every meal.  He also has a sippy cup of milk (Organic Whole milk) with each meal (about 20-24 oz. per day).  I will explore other types of milk (almond, coconut, etc.…), but until he’s 2, I was advised to give cow’s milk.  Most of his foods have to be soft since he’s still working on getting his teeth.  He eats crackers, but tough raw fruits and veggies doesn’t work just yet.  He can’t eat with a spoon by himself yet, so any yogurt type food is done by me.   I let him practice with the spoon afterwards though and a few bites here and there.  He’s pretty good with the fork, but if he’s super hungry, he just gives up and shoves it in his mouth with his hands.

DRINK:
In between meals, he gets WATER to drink.  I don’t give him juice as I PERSONALLY don’t feel it’s needed for HIM.  It just has a lot of sugar and he eats TONS of fruit anyway, so we just do water.  I don’t think it’s bad, just not for Beckham right now.  If he didn’t eat a lot of fruit, I would probably give him some diluted juice (25% juice/75% water).

SNACKS:
For snacks, he usually eats fruit (tons of clementines), Goldfish (although he’s not really into these right now), peanut butter crackers, smoothies, applesauce, those squeezable pureed fruits/veggies on-the-go, and yogurt.  This boy LOVES smoothies!  This is a great way to hide foods your kid may not eat.  I don’t want to hide foods from Beckham, but sometimes you’re desperate for your child to get certain nutrients.  When I make myself a smoothie, I pour him a cup before I add my protein powder.  He gulps it down SO fast!  See…

Check out my Strawberry-Banana Smoothie HERE and my Peanut Butter Banana Smoothie HERE!

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In addition to smoothies, here are some of his favorites:
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4 Things I Find Important:

  • I’m really trying to keep him from sweets that are not fruit because I just don’t see a point in making that a craving.  Don’t get me wrong, he’s had sweets and will have more in the future, but he’s too young to make that choice right now, so mama’s in control!  Haha.
  • I also let him try as many different foods as possible.  I was shocked he liked tomatoes.
  • I introduce foods he might not like at first over and over and over again!  He JUST ate a bite of avocado for the first time without spitting it out a few days ago.  He has hated this food since he was 6 months old.  He also ate broccoli (all of mine of course) and he hasn’t been liking that either lately.
  • Quick meals are mandatory – Nothing will get you moving faster than a hungry child!

Here are several pictures of some of the foods he’s been eating lately.  I’ll start with breakfast foods, then lunch foods, and then dinner.  Lunch and dinner tend to be the same at times.  A lot of these foods may be the same, but I just took a picture of everything I was feeding him.

There are SEVERAL recipe links below, so be sure to read under the meal title if you’re interested in how I made it.

 

Pancakes, Eggs, Blueberries
I make a huge batch of plain or whole wheat pancakes and freeze them.  When I need one, I pop it in the toaster.  Sometimes, I’ll drizzle a LITTLE agave syrup or maple syrup on his plate under the pancakes.  Click HERE to see how I “scramble” his eggs in 45 seconds. He’s also eaten hard boiled eggs, but the yolk is hard to eat, so it ends up being just the egg white. IMG_0342
Fiber Muffin, Scrambled eggs with green pepper and mushroom, Strawberries/Blueberries
Click HERE for the Fiber Muffin recipe.  This is a GREAT recipe for toddlers and it makes 48 muffins, so you can freeze them for later use.  I do recommend only making half the recipe though, unless you have a bowl three times the size of your face…it needs to be huge!  Oh and he was not a fan of the peppers/mushrooms in  his eggs.

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Van’s Pancakes (I get gluten free or whole grains), Eggs, Bananas
I just pop them in the toaster.  I don’t just give him 3 banana slices…he had already eaten most of them…I told you he loves fruit!

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ELMO pancake, eggs, blueberries

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Toast with Peanut Butter, Eggs, Banana

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Same as above, but PB on an English muffin with Eggs and Banana
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Oatmeal with Mashed Bananas and Cinnamon (no picture)
I heat Quaker instant plain oatmeal with water that covers it in the microwave for 1-2 minutes until it’s soft.  You can add a little milk if it’s too dry.  Then I mash half a banana and add it to the oatmeal with a sprinkle of cinnamon.  Oatmeal days are the days he sits on the couch with me and I feed it to him.  You can always prepare the oatmeal ahead of time and keep a large batch in the fridge and reheat it in the microwave when needed.
Peanut Butter Banana (PBB) Sandwich, Carrots, Strawberries
Read BELOW (at the end of this post) how I prepare his vegetables for the week.
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Turkey & Cream Cheese Roll Up, Strawberries/Pineapple
He did not care for the roll up.  I’ll try again later.  It was a whole wheat tortilla, spinach, tomato, turkey, garlic cream cheese.  I think he’s too young to eat something like this.

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PBJ Sandwich, String Cheese (Weight Watcher’s brand), Bananas, Applesauce
He likes string cheese (for snacks also).

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Hebrew National Beef Hot Dog w/ bbq sauce, Green Beans, Grapes
I used to hear the word “hot dog” and cringe!  I don’t always like giving him these, but I do feel better about them being 100% Kosher Beef, 97% fat free, no bi-products, no artificial flavors, and no gluten.  They’re $3.99 at Wal-Mart, which is the cheapest I’ve found (vs. $5.99 for same EXACT product at Tom Thumb).  We do this same concept with chopped grilled chicken.  Make sure to cut the hot dogs similar to below (or smaller)…many children choke otherwise.  I cut them, drizzle a little bbq sauce on top, heat in microwave for 20-30 seconds, then stir and serve.

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PBB, Green Beans, Grapes

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HN Hot Dog w/ bbq sauce, Sliced Cheese, Blueberries

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PBB, Pretzels, Clementine

IMG_0637

 

HN Hot Dog, Pretzels, Banana

IMG_0767

 

Pasta w/ meat sauce, Carrots, Banana
To make the meat sauce, I use a jar of spaghetti sauce (usually Prego’s Mushroom), a few fresh chopped mushrooms, and ground turkey or beef.  I like this shell pasta because it’s easy to pick up for him.

IMG_0341

 

Pasta w/ chicken, Sweet Potato, Banana
For this sauce, I mix a jar of spaghetti sauce and chopped chicken.  The easiest way to cook your chicken for this is to boil it in water for 20-30 minutes, then shred or chop it (see BELOW how I cook chicken for the week).

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Mmmm…see it’s good!

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Same main dish as above with blueberries and carrots/green beans instead

IMG_0378

 

Crispy Baked Tilapia, Stuffing (from a box), Green Beans, Kiwi
He didn’t really like the tilapia and I think it was due to the crispy coating.  He likes fish otherwise.

IMG_0460

 

Roast with carrots and potatoes
Crock Pot Roast – Mix 2 packets of onion soup mix with 4 cups hot water, pour over roast in crockpot, slice one onion, add to pot.  Cook on low for 6-8 hours.  I add chopped carrots (not the mini pre-packaged kind…too many chemicals) when there is about 1 hour left (you can do this sooner).  Click HERE to see the other method I use for roast.

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What would life be like without some good ol’ blueberries and cool whip?  Obviously a treat here, but he LOVED it!

IMG_0816

 

Crock Pot Beans, Pickles, Cantaloupe, Clementine
Click HERE for a healthy, vegetarian, cheap recipe of my crock pot beans!  This is one of OUR favorite recipes and is great paired with rice.  You seriously have to try these beans.  We like to eat them with a grilled chicken salad or just load them with toppings by themselves!

IMG_0944

 

See?  Yum!  He destroys his beans and rice!

IMG_0973

 

Pulled Pork w/ bbq sauce, Strawberries, Carrots
My favorite pulled pork recipe HERE.  If you have suggestions for substituting the Dr. Pepper for a NON-soda ingredient, I would LOVE to hear.

IMG_0987

 

A little bit of both from above – Beans/Rice, Pulled Pork, Carrots, Pineapple

IMG_1029

 

Chicken Taco Chili, Sweet Potato, Strawberries
He wasn’t a huge fan of the chili, but did eat some of it.

IMG_1151

 

HN Hot Dog, Pirates Booty Puffs, Strawberries
This was our picnic outside.

IMG_1155

 

Pulled Pork, Green Beans, Cantaloupe

IMG_1170


 

And when you’re stuck in a mall for 2+ hours waiting for your car to get fixed, Chick-fil-a has grilled chicken nuggets.  I brought a couple Clementines for a fruit.  He actually didn’t eat a lot of the chicken.

IMG_1140

ANOTHER RECIPE NOT PICTURED:

–QUESADILLAS– You can pretty much add anything to the inside of a tortilla, add some cheese, and heat it up in the microwave or on the stove for a crispier tortilla.  We add finely chopped chicken and broccoli a lot.  Beckham would only eat these for a time period.  It was our saving grace for him to eat meat.  I also heard you can add hummus to the tortilla for a sticky filling in addition to meat, veggies, and cheese.  I will definitely try this.

HOW I MAKE GRILLED VEGGIES AND CHICKEN FOR THE ENTIRE WEEK:

-Grilled veggies on the fly:
A little prep work 30 minutes (if that) a week and you have veggies all week you can serve in seconds.  I will wash, peel, and cut veggies such as sweet potatoes, carrots, and broccoli.  I’ll steam them on the stove and then store them in an air tight container in the fridge for the week.  Whenever I need veggies, I take out a few and heat them in the microwave.

-Chicken on the fly:
1. If there is a day we’re having grilled chicken (or anything that needs to be cooked on our outside grill), I’ll have Ryan grill 1-2 extra chicken breasts so I can have a couple of already cooked chicken breasts ready to eat for Beckham.  Usually one will be enough for the week.  I marinate them with seasonings and Worcestershire sauce before grilling them.  Then I can use them for chopped bbq chicken or inside a pasta or quesadilla dish.

2. Boil chicken in water for 20-30 minutes.  This will be very plain so it’s good to pair with other ingredients when serving.  It’s a much faster and easier way to cook it though.  Great for the winter months when you might not be outside grilling.

3. 1-2 chicken breasts in the crock pot with 1-2 cups salsa (we use medium).  I also add about 1 Tbsp. of taco seasoning.  Cook on low for 2-3 hours, longer if frozen.  Shred with a fork!  I freeze this a lot of times to have for chicken recipes.

*I just keep the chicken in a baggie in the fridge!

I hope you found these meal ideas and recipes useful!  I would LOVE to hear any ideas you have for feeding your toddler, whether it’s a meal, a snack, a cook book, or an idea that gets them to eat better.  Other moms and dads are the best resources!  Thanks to my “special moms” Facebook group for so much support and idea sharing.  You’ve made this first year and a half SO much better!




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Comments

  1. 1

    Amanda says

    June 21, 2013 at 3:06 pm

    Thanks for all the great ideas! I've been avoiding buying a steamer basket for veggies, but this motivates me to do it so I can prepare them all at the beginning of the week. My little guy is almost 16 months, and I feel like I feed him the same thing over and over!

    Reply
  2. 2

    MouseKisses says

    July 17, 2013 at 3:26 am

    Thank you for all the work you put into this! It gives me some great ideas.

    Reply
  3. 3

    Heather Sharpe says

    July 22, 2013 at 9:56 pm

    My 23mo loves shrimp, so I keep a bag of cooked shrimp in the freezer-they thaw in minutes and made an easy snack or meal time met I'd I know he won't eat our meat-like steak.

    Reply
  4. 4

    Elizabeth Hill says

    August 5, 2013 at 4:47 pm

    I am LOVING this post!! My twins just turned one and are so ready to stop eating purees, but I'm not very creative when it comes to their food, so they usually get some anyway. Right now, I'm stuck on PB sandwiches, Grilled Cheese, and Quesadillas. They love these, but I feel like they need more variety! I'm excited to try some of these meals with them. They look so easy and something my husband and I would be able to make into a more "grown-up" meal as well (i.e. pulled pork sandwiches). Thank you!!

    Reply
  5. 5

    Heidi says

    August 10, 2013 at 10:07 am

    Great list! I have 15 month old twin boys, so this is very helpful. I think i need to do better about cutting their food up like you do. They are great chewers but the smaller pieces would look more manageable to them.

    Reply
  6. 6

    An Angel's Auntie says

    August 11, 2013 at 8:53 pm

    One other idea that I've been using recently is sandwich kebabs. I cut rounds of bread and cheese, slice the sausage.chicken and tomato and thread them on a skewer (I snip of the pointy bit). My toddler aged 3 and 4 months is loving them. Sometimes I may even add one item he doesn't like (example:cucumber) so he is free to taste it!

    Reply
    • 7

      joyfullyprudent says

      August 11, 2013 at 9:02 pm

      That's a great idea. I'll have to try that. I bet they think it's "fun" to eat that way.

      Reply
  7. 8

    AprilHolly says

    August 13, 2013 at 1:49 pm

    I have been looking for a blog like this! These are great ideas and I love how you tell exactly what Beckham's eating and with pictures. We were kinda slow with food for our now 14 month old, so I love how you have explained things so clearly. I was able to send this to my mom (who keeps my son), and she loved it. Good job!!

    Reply
  8. 9

    Jessica Burgess says

    August 18, 2013 at 5:54 pm

    I also love this post! Believe it or not, my 2 YEAR OLD, is still giving me fits about eating food that's not pureed. I'm starting to introduce him to new foods, and I found this very helpful! Especially love the peanut butter, banana sandwich idea. I think this may get him to eat bread, since he likes peanut butter and bananas! Yay!

    Reply
  9. 10

    karen goodwin says

    August 19, 2013 at 2:11 pm

    Olivia, thank you for this detailed post. You have put a lot of work into giving some great ideas. And I love the photos of how you prepared them. As a grandmother, I really appreciate your suggestions for feeding even the fussiest eaters. Karen http://www.givingbears.com

    Reply
  10. 11

    Ash P says

    August 24, 2013 at 3:52 pm

    Pastina!
    We loved pastina for when our kids were younger.
    Mixed with soft veggies, they loved it!

    Also, an easy steamer idea:
    Large pot filled 1/4-1/3 with water.
    Metal strainer or metal colander.
    Place the strainer in the pot (make sure the water is low enough to not come through the mesh/holes)
    Place veggies in the strainer and set the water to simmer.

    I don't have money or room for a separate steamer. This worked for my family very nicely.

    Thanks for the post. Some new ideas for my boys to try.

    Reply
    • 12

      joyfullyprudent says

      February 27, 2014 at 5:15 am

      Great ideas…thank you so much!

      Reply
  11. 13

    ufmelissa says

    September 2, 2013 at 1:57 am

    I buy frozen bags of grilled, pre-cooked chicken strips and throw 3-4 in the microwave, then chop them up.

    Reply
    • 14

      joyfullyprudent says

      February 27, 2014 at 5:15 am

      I started doing this after you suggested it and my son loves the chicken strips (actually they are the fajita chicken strips that I've bought). Super easy and quick too. I don't necessarily like the chicken as much, but he seems to love it 🙂 Thank you!

      Reply
  12. 15

    lilk8tob says

    September 6, 2013 at 3:15 am

    Thanks for the ideas!

    Reply
  13. 16

    Dorinda Chambers says

    September 7, 2013 at 5:58 am

    Loved this! Thank you for the great ideas and especially the tip on prepping the veggies for the week!

    Reply
  14. 17

    Kelly says

    September 20, 2013 at 2:08 am

    Thank you SO much for this post. Your descriptions and pictures are very inspirational. I am not creative when it comes to meals for my 2 year old, so this is a HUGE help! Thanks, again!

    Reply
  15. 18

    Kimberly says

    October 16, 2013 at 5:33 am

    This is a great post! I'm so happy I found it- I'll refer to it often! Well done, Mama. = ) Thank you so much for sharing! Your little man is SUCH a cutie!

    Reply
  16. 19

    Ryan Perkins says

    November 5, 2013 at 11:04 pm

    I love all of this! It is such great inspiration for my two boys. (1.5 and 3) As for the non soda ingredient with your roast. Try using some sparkling water (the fizz helps to tenderize) or seltzer water. For the sweetness you can add a little agave or some molasses and acidity can come from the onions or add about half a tablespoon of lemon juice!

    Reply
    • 20

      joyfullyprudent says

      July 30, 2014 at 7:23 pm

      Great idea! Thank you!

      Reply
  17. 21

    Jessica Marie says

    November 10, 2013 at 7:16 pm

    might want to reconsider calling your beans that use chicken stock "vegetarian"

    Reply
    • 22

      joyfullyprudent says

      February 27, 2014 at 5:10 am

      Well I suppose your correct. I guess I just thought "no meat" = vegetarian. But yes, if you use veggie broth (which I do sometimes), then they can technically be called "vegetarian" I prefer the chicken broth.

      Reply
    • 23

      Anonymous says

      March 17, 2014 at 8:21 pm

      people are so picky…good lord.

      Reply
    • 24

      Angela Carini says

      October 5, 2014 at 1:13 am

      some do go out of their way to be offended and to call others out on the most harmless of things… If that is all you have in your life to be upset about, consider yourself very lucky.

      Reply
    • 25

      Anonymous says

      April 4, 2015 at 4:21 am

      If someone is a vegetarian surely they know what they should and should not cook with. These are examples of meals to feed a toddler, not recipes. People can adjust the meals to meet their own needs or preferences.

      Reply
  18. 26

    Abbie says

    February 27, 2014 at 2:39 am

    Quick question. In the description for your third picture, you reference pancakes from Sprouts as "whole wheat, gluten free". Do you mean that Sprouts has both kinds: a whole wheat option and a gluten free option? I am just wondering since a whole wheat pancake cannot be gluten free.

    Reply
    • 27

      joyfullyprudent says

      February 27, 2014 at 5:13 am

      Abbie, I corrected the information above. They do have both gluten free and whole grain (not whole wheat), but yes, not together. I also added the brand name since I get them so often now. I do believe they are at regular grocery stores as well. Now, I will buy their waffles, but make my own pancakes and freeze them since pancakes are easier for me to make in big batches. Hope that helps…thanks for asking and pointing that out.

      Reply
  19. 28

    Carolynne Davis says

    April 15, 2014 at 5:45 pm

    Thank you so much!! I needed some inspiration 🙂

    Reply
  20. 29

    Mrs. Hanselman says

    May 7, 2014 at 5:18 pm

    LOVE this! THANK YOU! How old was your little guy when you started him eating like this? Thanks so much!

    Reply
    • 30

      joyfullyprudent says

      July 30, 2014 at 7:18 pm

      About a year. I started with wholesomebabyfood.com when he was 6 months old. And gradually introduced table foods.

      Reply
  21. 31

    Anonymous says

    June 3, 2014 at 2:14 am

    Just what I was looking for! omg this has helped me so much thank you for all these wonderful ideas

    Reply
  22. 32

    Lea says

    June 7, 2014 at 7:46 pm

    GREAT ideas! I have been looking for ideas for my 1 year old. Great stuff. Thanks!

    Reply
  23. 33

    Jenefur209 says

    June 14, 2014 at 3:49 am

    What meals could be prepared for a child with allergies to dairy and egg? Anaphylaxis allergy?

    Reply
    • 34

      joyfullyprudent says

      July 30, 2014 at 7:19 pm

      I don't have much experience with allergies, but I have a friend who doesn't use egg…I will ask her what she uses as a substitute. She made me chocolate chip banana bread with no egg or flour (oatmeal instead) and it was pretty tasty.

      Reply
    • 35

      Angela Carini says

      October 5, 2014 at 1:15 am

      That is so very hard to do, my son has severe allergies to food and it isn't easy to plan any meal going out to eat is never an option. If you ever find some thing that gives a ton of ideas I would love to know about it!! Thanks, Your ideas are awesome!!

      Reply
    • 36

      Cyndal4 says

      January 30, 2015 at 10:28 pm

      This website says you can use chia seeds as an egg substitute, but I haven't tried it myself: http://wellnessmama.com/4981/uses-for-chia-seeds/

      Reply
    • 37

      Cyndal4 says

      January 30, 2015 at 10:30 pm

      I haven't tried this myself, but I read that you can use chia seeds as an egg substitute. They are packed full of nutrients, and they turn into a gel when soaked. This website gives some instructions: http://wellnessmama.com/4981/uses-for-chia-seeds/

      Reply
  24. 38

    Jenna says

    July 12, 2014 at 4:06 am

    Try using orange juice in lieu of dr pepper. I cook ribs in the oven low and slow, and the addition of orange juice mixed in with the sauce makes the meat fall off the bone. I would guess it would do the same in the slow cooker

    Reply
    • 39

      joyfullyprudent says

      July 30, 2014 at 7:19 pm

      Ooooh good idea! I will definitely try that. Thanks so much.

      Reply
  25. 40

    MelissaE12 says

    July 30, 2014 at 6:54 pm

    What recipe do you use for pancakes?

    Reply
    • 41

      joyfullyprudent says

      July 30, 2014 at 7:22 pm

      I either use frozen pancakes (Van's brand..they're organic and you can find gluten free too). Or I make them from scratch with whole wheat flour. I have a recipe on my Pinterest board I use. And every now and then I just make the recipe with Bisquick mix. I like the frozen the best because they're organic and FAST. I need fast right now.

      Reply
  26. 42

    Stevi Kozemczak says

    August 27, 2014 at 12:43 am

    Wowserz!!! You really have an imagination when it comes to food! No wonder my big guy (just turned two) won't eat what I am making!! For one, he clearly needs smaller bites. He needs a lot more variety and a lot more sprucing up. I have a very picky eater, but now I am thinking it is my fault because he good is bland. Thank you for taking the time to share all of this with the world. You have so many awesome choices and ideas!! Thank you!!

    Reply
  27. 43

    Anonymous says

    September 9, 2014 at 3:12 am

    Broiling chicken breasts is also quick, and tastier than poaching them. Just treat your oven broiler like a grill.

    Reply
  28. 44

    Anonymous says

    September 25, 2014 at 1:05 am

    For crockpot pulled pork you can use just apple juice about half way up the meat and cook on low for 12-14 hours. Shred and add as much of your favorite sauce as you want. My 9 month old loves sloppy joe. There are a lot of homemade recipes of that too if you want to avoid can.

    Reply
  29. 45

    Stephanie Reid says

    October 19, 2014 at 5:19 pm

    First, fabulous name! My 28 month old's name is Beckham! Thank you for this post. The toddler food issues id all too real.

    Reply
    • 46

      joyfullyprudent says

      January 29, 2015 at 7:39 pm

      How neat! I personally don't know any other Beckham's…I hope it stays somewhat "different"

      Reply
  30. 47

    Anonymous says

    November 12, 2014 at 10:25 pm

    We do oats 1/3 cup in a bowl 1/3 cup water for 1 min the the microwave, I like to put in fresh blueberries we picked this summer that have been washed and froze in the oatmeal, when added frozen it helps cool off the Oatmeal quickly. We also add banana, strawberries, peaches.
    Lunches we often make egg in the nest, whole wheat bread lightly buttered both sides, cut out the center, put in pan on stove crack the egg in the middle break the yoak, filp to cook other side cut up and my daughter devowers it (from time to time when on a dip kick she requests katsuo)
    When in a real pinch for a meal we buy the target brand whole wheat Mac and cheese cups cook according to package, add frozen corn, peas, mixed veggie helps cool it off and we can use that single cup for 2-3 meals depending how much she eats and the amount of veggies I put in.

    Reply
    • 48

      joyfullyprudent says

      January 29, 2015 at 7:38 pm

      Those are great ideas to sneak in those veggies. Love the frozen fruit to oatmeal…that's perfect. Curious if the egg cooks all the way through (I'm not familiar with eggs other than scrambled)…I can't do any runny-ness to eggs so I'd have to make sure it's cooked. I'll have to try it!

      Reply
    • 49

      Anonymous says

      July 14, 2015 at 3:31 am

      Yes, the egg cooks all the way through. If you have ever eaten a fried egg with the yolk broken and cooked, this is basically the same thing! I make them, but add deli ham, tomato, and provolone cheese on top for mine and it is amazingly good!

      Reply
  31. 50

    Anonymous says

    December 11, 2014 at 8:39 am

    Love all the ideas!! I've struggled with moderate egg white/soy allergies with my daughter since she began eating table foods a yr+ ago (she just turned 2) & it's been so frustrating trying to find foods that work. She loves pasta but seems to be going through a 'I-don't-care-for-anything-that-looks-like-a-GREEN-veggie' faze, & I was so happy when I found a Barilla fusilli pasta made out of spinach at the grocery store (it's green colored!) & she LOVES it, & it's never caused an allergy flare up luckily! Also loves the orange (carrots I believe) penne & mini wheel pasta (adds some fun to her dish). She loves it & I love knowing she's getting her veggie serving for the meal if she balks at the broccoli sitting right next door lol! I've also used cookie cutters to cutout her jelly sandwiches in fun shapes (have found some fun ones at the dollar store occasionally!) & it's been a big hit.

    Reply
    • 51

      joyfullyprudent says

      January 29, 2015 at 7:35 pm

      These are great ideas/tips! Thanks so much. My son LOVES when his sandwiches are cut into shapes.

      Reply
  32. 52

    Mercedes Hernandez says

    January 29, 2015 at 5:56 pm

    Great meal ideas! thanks for sharing. What bbq sauce you use? any brand suggestions?

    Reply
    • 53

      joyfullyprudent says

      January 29, 2015 at 7:34 pm

      Thank you! I typically buy Sweet Baby Ray's. But also have used KC Masterpiece (I think that's the name) 🙂

      Reply
  33. 54

    Kate says

    February 10, 2015 at 10:38 pm

    Love all the photos and ideas! My daughter's extremely picky and I'm kind of jealous of all the great things you get your son to eat. I am working on the variety, but it's a slow process. Will have to check back for more – love sharing and getting new ideas. Thankfully she likes fruit so that really helps.

    Reply
  34. 55

    Anonymous says

    April 28, 2015 at 8:06 pm

    These are awesome ideas my only problem, my son doesn't eat anything I offer. He's extremely picky, I can relate to Kate. Do you or any of the other bloggers have any tips for helping picky eaters? I am so jealous I will my son would eat even half of these meals. 🙂

    Reply
    • 56

      joyfullyprudent says

      April 28, 2015 at 8:55 pm

      I'm on the search for foods for picky eaters. Since I wrote this post, we've had another little boy and already (at 10 months) he seems a little picky. Time will tell, but I may have to be creative with the foods I prepare for him. I'll keep y'all updated with what works. So far, smoothies have been great to sneak in some good fruits and veggies if that helps at all.

      Reply
    • 57

      Amanda White says

      October 10, 2015 at 3:53 am

      Oh you said yall lol.. you're southern… where ya from? Please share all ideas… I'm in serious need 🙂

      Reply
    • 58

      joyfullyprudent says

      October 10, 2015 at 5:49 am

      Texas 🙂

      Reply
  35. 59

    Samantha Yusaf says

    April 29, 2015 at 3:57 pm

    Thanks so much Olivia! I'll try the smoothies, they look yummy. Please keep me posted on what you come up with for your new baby. Any help I can get I would greatly appreciate. BTW-you are awesome for sharing this with us!

    Reply
  36. 60

    raychole says

    July 22, 2015 at 2:01 pm

    My son just turned one and I'm still trying to grasp this whole "you need to give him real food" thing. Thank you for sharing your meals – it's given me quite a few ideas!

    Reply
  37. 61

    Hayley Cepeda says

    August 31, 2015 at 2:36 am

    I found this post on Pinterest and it's fantastic! I love the meal ideas, pictures, and tips on cooking large quantities of veggies and other food. Unfortunately my 17 month old has an egg allergy so that eliminates that protein option, but he seems to like grilled chicken. While I always offer him 3 different foods (protein, veggie, fruit/carb) I find myself wondering how to go about offering a food he doesn't like over and over again. For example, if I give him chicken sausage, cheese, and veggies, he'll finish all the cheese and veggies and want more of those. Do I give him more of what he wants since he's hungry or insist he try or eat the 3rd food first? Usually when I choose the latter he ends up crying and throwing a fit so I give in and offer him more cheese or a banana since I figure it's healthy. But then next time do I try sausage again with 2 other foods he likes or something else? Anyway, great post, thank you and congrats on your new little guy!

    Reply
  38. 62

    Emily says

    September 11, 2015 at 8:14 am

    Thanks so much for these ideas! I needed to see this. I think you are doing a great job and I have definitely learned a thing or two. I appreciate this.

    Reply
  39. 63

    Unknown says

    October 10, 2015 at 3:52 am

    Thank you for sharing! I have been searching for ideas and stress constantly about what to feed my 14 month old… he isn't picky, but I want him to be healthy. Thank you again!!

    Reply
  40. 64

    Anonymous says

    December 2, 2015 at 11:27 pm

    If your lil ones like pizza (who doesn't?!), you can make a healthy version with a multi-grain or whole wheat english muffin! Split it open, spread pizza sauce, sprinkle cheese (mozarella, cheddar, colby jack, whichever you like), pizza toppings (optional), and pop in the oven at 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes!

    Reply
  41. 65

    Shawna Jordan says

    January 6, 2016 at 7:43 pm

    thank you for sharing these ideas, there are a few things on here I never thought to try. I have some meals that I give my daughter that she loves…..you mentioned adding meat into a quesadilla for your son….one thing I came up with was adding tuna to my daughter's quesadillas because WIC gave us way more tuna than we need. Also for this reason, I decided to make her other meals with tuna, such as a grilled cheese sandwich….I'll grill an open-faced sandwich with cheese on top, and on one side I'll spread a tablespoon of tuna and then fold the sandwich in half. She loves it! Also, like you, I make food ahead of time and freeze it, and one thing I'll do is cook and portion out noodles to freeze….I also freeze my sauces, meats, and breads. And I'll take out a frozen cream of celery or cream of mushroom soup, some frozen noodles, and heat them up, add some chopped warm veggies and some tuna and I'll have an instant tuna casserole.

    Reply
  42. 66

    Christina Aleman says

    May 27, 2016 at 2:17 am

    I’m very happy to say that my kids is not a picky eater and I can serve any food on the table. But still I thank you for this very wonderful idea.

    Reply
  43. 67

    Jessica says

    June 12, 2016 at 9:19 pm

    Thank you for the great tips!!

    Reply
  44. 68

    Nanika says

    August 22, 2016 at 5:16 am

    A couple people mentioned having picky eaters. My daughter is weird/picky about food (will refuse food I know she likes) and I have found some of this blogger’s ideas helpful:
    http://yourkidstable.com/2014/05/turning-my-picky-eater-around-easy-to.html#_a5y_p=1757691

    Reply
  45. 69

    Megan says

    January 27, 2017 at 7:32 pm

    Such great ideas! Thank you!

    Reply
  46. 70

    Alexandria says

    January 29, 2017 at 10:48 pm

    Truly a great list! The pictures help as well! My 11 1/2 month old finally just really started eating table foods and this was the list I used to help figure out some meals for her! Thanks so much!

    Reply
  47. 71

    Crystal says

    July 14, 2018 at 1:29 pm

    These are so great but my son just throws everything on the floor if it’s something new, he won’t even try it. And he’s SO picky… he will NOT eat meat. Every once in a while he will eat a hot dog (only if it’s cold) or sandwich meat rolled up, but that’s as far as he will go with meat ( he loves chicken nuggets but I obviously can’t give him those every day) it’s so exhausting making new things for him to try just for him to throw it all on the floor and refuse to try it. He won’t eat pasta or steamed veggies, and he only likes a few fruit, pineapple, apply but not if it’s sliced and it’s hard for his little mouth to bite a full apple, peache slices. I’ve recently started making cheese quesadillas (cheesy triangles-he will only eat if if I call it by this name lol) for him but I really wish I could incorporate some kind of meat without him realizing it. He also likes peanut butter sandwiches (I have to call it a bun or he won’t eat it lol) ….. he’s just SO picky. I do my best to introduce new things for him to try but he’s not very adventurous when it comes to food. When my husband and I go to visit family they always make comments about how he doesn’t want to eat anything and want me to force him to eat. I tell them he will eat when he’s hungry but they just don’t understand and the comments they make can sometimes make me feel like I’m not doing the best I could be. It’s a struggle! I hope your little in continues eating all of these wonderful foods. When my son was his age he would eat everything! Now I’m lucky if I can get him to eat something other then rice crackers and cheese.

    Reply
    • 72

      JoyfullyPrudent says

      July 22, 2018 at 12:52 pm

      Hey Crystal,
      I have to admit (and I think I mentioned this in one of the comments here), but I didn’t realize what a good eater my first son was (he’s 6 now and I’ve had 2 more kids since then). My 6 yr old still eats well and at least tries whatever we give him. Now, my second son is more like yours :(. Super picky and I feel like he eats carbs and that’s it. Won’t try new stuff and wants to snack. It’s frustrating and I can now empathize with mothers of picky eaters. He’s not the worst case scenario when it comes to picky eaters, but he’s definitely picky. I think there are more picky kids (toddlers especially) than there are good eaters. I honestly think we luck out when we get a good one (look at us, same parents, different eaters). The only advice I can give you (and that I’ve taken myself) is to just keep giving him foods to try and don’t get mad at yourself if he doesn’t like it (he probably won’t …or won’t even try). I’ve heard rules like making them eat however many bites they are old (3 yr old has to eat 3 bites), but that only works if they’ll actually try it. I’m not above incentives for trying foods either. My picky eater likes smoothies and I can sneak in spinach and some healthy supplements (flax seed, chia seeds, etc). I sweeten it with agave nectar (light). He also likes peanut butter smoothies. Anyway, good luck and keep at it…he won’t be this picky forever and you’ll have more leverage when he’s older. I’m sorry…I know it can be extremely frustrating. And ignore the ugly comments :). YOUR his momma 🙂

      Reply
  48. 73

    Heather says

    August 20, 2020 at 3:32 pm

    Just found this post, love all the ideas. I put chopped frozen spinach (thawed first of course) in spaghetti sauce and my son loves it. Also Amy’s brand makes a frozen spinach pizza that is delish and my son scarfs down at least a whole slice then some. He’s 21 months.

    Reply

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