Old Style Meal Plans for Toddlers?

CRANKY40

Talking of meat free, mine likes anything made with quorn mince, but will spit beef/lamb mince out unless it is pureed. He also likes the meat free hot dogs and meatballs, but ours come from Asda.

lola34

At 1 and 2 year old, they should be able to eat what everyone else has in the house and fit in with your plans, so if you and your oh have main meal on a night then they should too, it will also help develop their social skills and family time and its right - if they see you eating something they are more likely to eat it themselves.
New Foods - apparantly I read that you should give a child something 20 times before they decide they don't like it!!!!!!! I suppose you have to grow to like some things and our tastes change and we grow as do childrens.
If you want to give them a larger meal at lunch why not make bigger portions in the evening and freeze some, i always did this with both mine and they ate everything- until they understood they could make choices and talk

I do sometimes think we get told too much how to feed our children and at the end of the day if they are happy and healthy then does it matter if they don't get their 5 a day everyday (thats my little moan bit)

CRANKY40

lola34 wrote: »

New Foods - apparantly I read that you should give a child something 20 times before they decide they don't like it!!!!!!! I suppose you have to grow to like some things and our tastes change and we grow as do childrens.

I tend to give him new things for lunch so if they're not eaten it's not the end of the world. I then give him something that I know he likes for his evening meal so he doesn't go to bed hungry.

lola34 wrote: »

I do sometimes think we get told too much how to feed our children and at the end of the day if they are happy and healthy then does it matter if they don't get their 5 a day everyday (thats my little moan bit)

I agree, did anyone see that food programme about healthy eating? They tested two adult sisters who didn't eat any fruit or veg whatsoever. They were not deficient in any mineral or vitamin.

beccam

Did anyone else see the program about sweets etc making kids hyper? They set up 2 parties, the first had all the sweets and rubbish foods but no music, games or atmosphere at all, the kids just sat quietly and ate, the parents were all terrified of how they would come home but they all came back really quiet and subdued. The second party had healthy food, raw veg and fruit etc no sweets or artificial things but also had mad music, party games, clowns and entertainers, the kids came home absolutely crazy!!!!! Not trying to justify feeding your child junk but I live by the rule of a little bit wont hurt and have no problem in giving treats if dinner has been eaten.

I've found things like burgers, meatballs, chicken nuggets etc all work out cheaper (and healthier) if home made and most can be made and frozen either before or after cooking. The burgers and meatballs I can slip some veg into without anyone knowing....my problem is more my husband than my daughter~he eats no fruit or veg except for corn on the cob and potato wedges!!! I have to hide the veg from him!!:)
Cheaper and healthier versions of lasagne/bolognase is to bulk out with veg, grate carrots, parsnip and add to onions, garlic and a tin of chopped tomatoes, once I've cooked it all in the pan I'll blend it before adding to mince....nobody ever knows whats in it!!!!

Nitha

Hi Ragz,

My DS is 11 months (but a big lad with a toddler appetite) and also a sufferer of toddler diarroeah. I bought a copy of Annabel Karmels new 'magazine' called the family cookbook. It's #7.99 for the autumn/winter edition but I've found it well worth the money. There are lots of seasonal ideas plus general toddler meals (including a mac n cheese that is playing havoc with my diet!)

My DS loves the food and it's helped his tummy loads.

ragz_2

I did a lovely dinner for the boys and I today (OH in France, he's more fussy than the boys and wants big lumps of meat in everything!) and thought I would share it.

Cooked Asda finest chipolata sausages (I will not feed them cheap sausages)
In a seperate pan boiled pasta twists
In yet another pan (though could do this in with sausages I guess) I fried
-Onion
-Sweet pepper
- Plum tomatoes
- Spring onion
added tin of tomato puree and some tinned tomatoes (not a lot)
also 1/4 carton of chili bean soup as it was in the fridge

cooked then blended for the boys and mixed with cooked pasta, left normal for me
cut up sausages and mixed mine in, put theirs on the side of their plate (silly me)

Well, it was lovely, I had a huge plateful but the boys just ate the sausage. Youngest did try a bit but is off his food at the moment so I wasn't fussed but eldest DS was not getting away that easy. He finished his sausage and asked for his pudding so I decided to be tough, it ended up being 15 minutes of persuading before he tasted a tiny bit, then pretented to eat it and say it was delicious while not actually eating any! I relented at this point as I had promised just one taste so I consider this a point to mummy, even if he didn't eat it at least he tried it!

ragstoricheswannabe

hiya, my ds1 is nearly 4 but have found he is more likely to eat something if he has helped me cook it, (anything from putting chicken drumsticks on a baking tray to stiring the sauce)

favs here are:

• tuna pasta bake,
• cheesy mash with spring onions added
• corned beef hash
• sausage casserole
• pasta in general with anything on top, ratatouie (sp?) is good to mix in
• homemade chicken nuggets
• "daddies special fish fingers" (piece of fish cut into strips)

i also have got some snack packs and fill with cubes of cheese, chopped fruit dipped into chocolate etc.

try using a slow cooker to do stews and stuff as you can use cheaper cuts of meat and as its cooked for longer the meat tends to fall apart easier when eating it and may get over the dislike of texture. (i too still cannot eat meat that you have to chew a lot and im 27)


we have our main meal in the evening and the whole family sit at the table to eat.


probably not much help but thought i would give my pennies worth, great thread by the way!!!!


rags to riches wannabe
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

ragz_2

Speaking of helping cook, I got them both making mini muffin pizzas this afternoon, DS1 put a smily face on his with shredded spring onion hair! Very neatly for a 2 year old, but then he does like to play at being a hairdresser like his Auntie!
He did eat quite a bit but was hard to get him to eat the pretty face one, he was so proud of it!

gailey_2

Nitha careful with karmel she turned me into hand blending pureeing maniac to think how much stuff I had stashed away in freezer and odd combinations just was very addictive!

Tonight tried daughter with plain frozen baked cod with melted philadelphia on top with mushy peasgrated chese and small handful of chips as we were having fish and chips ourselves tonight.

Ragz with regards to meals and hubby working i have same prib as oh does late shifts sometimes if you know hubby home for dinner give them light lunch like soup/sandwiches for lunch and same as you for dinner if not home do bigger lunch and snacky for you its all about meal planning which im just myself getting hang of me and hubby like spicy pasta sauces and curry so if daughters eating have to do something seperate which i try and avoid doing most of time as she eats better if we eat at same time and all have same.
Also my toddler loves helping me make or make pizza which is nice activity to amuse her.