Ideas for my 18 month year old?

Kayalana99

Right guys, we have just got back from shopping and I was looking at the prices for my eldest meals I usually buy (the little kids meals you buy) and I thought I need to get him on proper food.

So I've brought one, and I want you guys to help me not use it this week!

I feel I've got really lazy with him as he is a picky eater and hes started having alot of toast in morning, potatoes (whether in waffle shape smiley shape etc) fish fingers and chicken nuggets at lunch and for tea is generally a kids meal pack which is generally pasta type.

We have in the cupboard/ fridge,

Meat:
Mince, pork chops , sausages, bacon (frozen) chicken breasts

Veg:

Carrots, broc (2) sweet potatoes, white potatoes

Pasta twirls and conchigliette , rice

Tikka Masla cause, dolmio bologne sauce ragu tomato & basil sauce, tonight(brand name lol) sausage casserole sauce

Chopped tomatoes.

Were having cottage pie tonight as the potatoes are going out of date but LO won't eat mash and when we tried he wouldn't eat the mince, he used to eat carrot and peas but doesn't any more...not sure if its worth trying him again tonight and see how he goes.

I'm quite happy to buy stuff in tomorrow, but hopefully keep overall costs of meals down.

I don't really cook - so any ideas I would really appreciate a break down recipe and to keep things as simple as possible ingredients wise. I.e our cottage pie tonight is basicly mince, carrots peas and gravy with mash ontop.

I also have a 5month old who I am just about to start weaning - hence we have brought sweet potato for him to try - never tried that before with eldest perhaps make him some chips with that or something although I only have the two so maybe I should just freeze it for 5 month old in future....

So we will call this Day 0 as technically its only one meal and if you don't mind I'll keep it updated on what he has had each day! :-)

Day 0:

Tea: Failed cottage pie - toast :-|

Day 1:

Breakfast: Porridge - absolutely loved it ..but it was a bit runny and he loves milk...still! :-)
Lunch: Sandwichs with ham - ham went over the floor
Dinner: Chicken dippers, waffles (they have carrot and sweetcorn in them hehe)

Day 2:

Breakfast: Toast
Lunch: Crackers, cheese and ham ( I'm pretty sure all the cheese and ham went on the floor)
Dinnner: Broccoli + bacon pasta bake (None of it but I took what you said on board and didn't give him anything else but did add a bit extra milk when he went to bed)

Day 3:

Breakfast: Proper porridge - as in I didn't over do the milk this time, first bit was met with a disgusted face and plop on the floor but he ate it after that...success :-)
Lunch - Sandwichs with little bits of ham - He ate this without a 2nd thought :-) now to slowly increase how much I put in !

Crowdpleaser

Hmmm. Mine slways ate what we had just with no salt so fraid I might be unhelpful there to start from scratch now. You can make ur own spag bol sauce v easy. Use passata rather than chop toms. If he has a bit of s mince issue u can always give it a quick blast with stick blender but not too much so there is still texture there. Dd2 hates chopped toms but will eat passata sauce.

What I did pop on to say tho is that mine never haf 2 hot meals a day. One meal was always sarnies or crackers n cheese etc. Sometimes cold pasta salad. This makes life s bit easier as your not reliant on 2 hot meals a day. Just one.

Kayalana99

Well I could try cottage pie tonight slightly blended and chop carrots right up and serve it in a tray so he might be more inclined to try it then as its in the tray he's used to ....:rotfl: god kids can be picky.

flowertotmum

Hi..have you tried a bit of scrambled egg on toast for lunch..with fruit salad for puddings..rice pudding goes down well too..
Eggy bread
egg and soldiers..
spaghetti bolognese
pizza..hm little ones..with salad..toms,cucumber all chopped into little shapes for little fingers..
sausages with sweetcorn and peas..cut up obviously
fishcakes with beans..
we gave all ours what we ate just smaller portions and i tried to make it interesting too..different shapes and colours..
good luck..i know how picky little ones can be..
ftm

AnnieO1234

Did your lo ever have jars? If so, think about some of those recipes. If not, investigate them anyway and go from there. Things like pasta carbonara, meatballs, fish, fruit, yogurt, philly cheese, cucumber, pizza, couscous, risotto, jacket spud with beans coleslaw or cottage cheese.

Be back to edit in a bit as my lo is wanting ipad!

Icey77

My DD is 2 in a few weeks and her meals are along the lines of a picnic lunch and a hot dinner.

The picnic lunches have various things in like - cocktail sausages, mini scotch eggs, fruit, crackers, cheese, carrots, peppers etc

Her hot dinners are - HM chicken burgers, fish fingers, salmon & pesto. Sausages, scrambled eggs, pasta bolognese etc. All served with lots of veg.

I do want to extend this repotoire so I shall be keeping an eye on this thread

dylan2011

I guess I am really lucky with my 2 boys (2 1/2 and 10 months) - they have always eaten what we eat most of the time and they are both quite adventurous. There have been occassions tho when the older one has had a "fussy" stage, but he would always eat when hungry if you know what I mean. And beans on toast/egg on toast etc. for dinner occassionly does them no harm.
Examples of what they eat:
Breakfasts - Weetabix or Porridge - my 2 year old wont touch anything else cereal wise.
Often they share a banana as well or sometimes a yogurt - both are big breakfast eaters.
Occassionly they have toast with cheese spread or jam or honey for breakfast instead of cereal or egg and soldiers (2 yr old has slightly runny, baby has his scrambled with toast)

Lunches -
Toast, Sandwiches (ham, chicken, pork, cheese, cheese spread, tuna etc), Beans on toast, scrambled egg, pasta with pesto or 2 yr old loves it with mint sauce etc.

Dinners -
Roast Dinner - They both have things cut quite chunky and feed themselves - they have meat, all veg, potatoes, yorkshires, stuffing etc.
Spag Bol
Mild Chilli & Rice
Mild Curry & Rice
HM Pizzas
Fajitas/Enchiladas
Tuna & Rice/Salad/Veg
Fish Pie
Chicken & Bacon Pie
Sausage & HM Chips
Toad in the Hole
Fish & HM Chips (or Fish Fingers)
Sausage & Mash (made half potato half carrot or sweet pot)
CousCous with Veg and Seasonings
Cottage Pie/Shephards Pie
The list is endless - The only issue I have at the moment is my 10 month old is going through a phase of insisting on wanting to feed himself a lot of the time, so I tend to give him something he can hold to feed whilst I spoon other bits in. lol.

My biggest tip tho is to perserveer - it won't take long for them to realise that you won't give in, and will be so much healthier for little one to be eating home cooked food. I see this all the time tho, so you are not alone, that if bought up on "jarred food" the transition can be hard, but I bet that give it a few days of insisting they have what is in front of them and not giving them the pre packed meal whatever type of fuss they make, they will give in and eat the new food. Hope this helps, and try and enjoy the adventure as well - cooking is all about confidence, and anyone can do it, just keep doing it and I am sure you will love it too. x

meritaten

I just don't get the concept of 'kids meals'. My kids had what we had from the minute they started weaning. I also did 'baby meals' for their kids too. my own kids as parents never bought a jar of baby food.
but - I always cooked with as little salt/sugar as possible. added more for the grown ups while theirs was being pureed, mashed or dished up to cool off slightly.
Serving it in a way they will eat it makes a difference. one of the GDs wouldn't eat mashed potato until I added beetroot juice, and Pink Princess Mash was a winner!

another wouldn't eat spaghetti - so hers got finely chopped up and mixed with whatever sauce I was using, and she ate hers from a bowl with a spoon.

They like finger foods at that age too - so beans on toast were served with the beans in a bowl and the toast 'fingers' arranged around like a crown.

I tend to be generous with the gravy - but have learned not to 'flood' toddlers plates with it. I serve most of it separately in a ramekin for them to dip meat and their veg into.

dylan2011

meritaten wrote: »

I just don't get the concept of 'kids meals'. My kids had what we had from the minute they started weaning. I also did 'baby meals' for their kids too. my own kids as parents never bought a jar of baby food.
but - I always cooked with as little salt/sugar as possible. added more for the grown ups while theirs was being pureed, mashed or dished up to cool off slightly.
Serving it in a way they will eat it makes a difference. one of the GDs wouldn't eat mashed potato until I added beetroot juice, and Pink Princess Mash was a winner!

another wouldn't eat spaghetti - so hers got finely chopped up and mixed with whatever sauce I was using, and she ate hers from a bowl with a spoon.

They like finger foods at that age too - so beans on toast were served with the beans in a bowl and the toast 'fingers' arranged around like a crown.

I tend to be generous with the gravy - but have learned not to 'flood' toddlers plates with it. I serve most of it separately in a ramekin for them to dip meat and their veg into.

Yay! I thought I was the odd one out! Just dont get the "thing" with the jars and pre-packed meals - and I hate, hate, hate it when people look at me like I'm mad when I serve up the same food as we eat and then they question me about it as though eat from the jar is the way to ensure children are healthy. I see/hear it all the time that babies/children HAVE to eat the jars of tasteless puree. x

meritaten

lol - my DD says that when they eat out, GD gets really offended if offered a meal from the 'kids menu', by the server or waiter. She sniffily informs them 'If its good enough for grown-ups, its good enough for me'! But, she is a real 'foodie'. has very sophisticated palate and is turning into a lovely little cook.

yes, I have no idea either where this 'babies eat from jars and packets' came from. surely anyone with any dietary knowledge knows that good, wholesome, home cooked food beats jars and packets hands down?

not having a go at you OP - its just its the norm these days for babies to be fed this way, and I for one (and Dylan for another, it seems) don't really understand why. and don't start me on 'kids menus' in pubs, cafes and restaurants!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!lol

Kayalana99

meritaten wrote: »

yes, I have no idea either where this 'babies eat from jars and packets' came from. surely anyone with any dietary knowledge knows that good, wholesome, home cooked food beats jars and packets hands down?

Agreed but you form habits - I was never taught to cook. As a child I hadn't eaten stupid things like beef burgers or pizza until I was 16, my sister is the same.

Thanks for all replys guys, unf tonight didn't go well he wouldn't eat any of it and pulled faces when I got it in his mouth and took it out...he gobbled up two slices of toast afterwards he was obviously hungry but just didn't want it.