Looking for New Meal Ideas for My 18 Month Old

Hi, I'm in Wellington also!!! I am always in that rut also!! Some not so healthy ideas are mac n cheese and Morning star frozen (vegtable) chc'n nuggets and meatballs...my kids love any kind of pasta and stringbeans. SOmetimes the best advise I can give is have "breakfast" for "dinner" that's always a hit in my house

Hi A.! I too am always looking for something "new" to mix things up a bit at meal time. Like you, I also made (and still make) baby food for my little ones.
Lately, my girls have been really "into" my pasta primavera. We also buy whole grain pasta too. I take a variety of brightly colored veggies (Zucchini/tomato/red, yellow, green peppers/onion and a little garlic) I chop them finely and then use a little olive oil and a pinch of salt. I add a little fresh basil for my 4 year old. I cook up the veggies in the olive oil on medium heat and make them soft (for my 13-month-old "toothless wonder" to enjoy :) I know, it doesn't sound too exciting; it's still pasta, but they love it and the colors make it look more fun. Also, I use different noodles each time I make it. My oldest loves the spiral pasta (my 4-year-old calls them "curly-q noodles) so it adds a little variety.
For those times when we need something-kinda-healthy-in-a-flash, I am very into the A.'s brand of frozen food (I would imagine that would be an easy brand name for you to remember :) We enjoy the yummy organic mac-n-cheese, feta and spinacch pockets, and her bean burritos are always a hit with both my girls. Hope you get lots of great ideas!! please excuse an typos- Rushing to write this because someone's nap time just came to an end, I hear. I hope I don't sound too spazzy because I didn't proofread what I just wrote and I tend to ramble!
Warmly,
A.

Hi A.,
I just wanted to let you know that I have been using my crock-pot alot lately. My kids love it. You can find so many veggie and meat recipes. It makes the veggies nice and soft too. My 13 month old loves everything that comes out of it. Plus, I do prepare it in the morning and do not have to worry about dinner for the rest of the day. They also love the typical toddler foods. Good luck!

S.

Hi A.,
I don't know what you are giving your babe now, but my daughter loves rice and beans, side of broccoli or other green vegi... Super easy to make, and make a lot of for left overs... healthy too. We also fo veggi omelets, grilled cheese w/ vegi sides... I guess my bonus is that Farah loves vegis, so even if the main dish is a little rich, she is getting a healthy side.

Hi there~
I have 2 boys, a 9 year old and a 10month old :)....we are very health concscience...here some ideas for you...whole wheat tortilla wraps...with hummus...peanut or almond butter is good on them as well(with honey)...grilled soy or cow cheese on whole wheat or millet bread is also wonderful~
pinto beans mashed with sprinkled cheese on pita bread is a good one~yogurt and granola(yo baby is delightful or stonyfield)~ cottage cheese and fruit? Hope you enjoy these if you haven't already....take care :)

Hi A.
I have a 23 month old daughter and I am a vegetarian. I let her eat meat if she wants it from my husband but I cook all veggy for her, she prefers it. Her fave food is steamed edamame. I buy it frozen, steam it in the microwave and then add sea salt. She loves it. I give her quesidillas with cheese and firm tofu in them with avacado dip. (avacado, lime, olive oil, tomato) She eats morning star farms "chick" nuggets. I make her colorful noodles (spinach and tomato noodles) with butter and parm cheese. Egg burritos that I cut up into peices that she can pick up. I put eggs, pinto beans, and cheese into a shell and warm it, cut it into peices and let her dip it into chuncky salsa. Sometimes I give her an appetizer lunch with cheese and fruit. I always make her what we eat. If we eat tacos she eats tacos. If we eat indian food so does she. We never really make her anything special and she does pretty good.
Good luck
nice to hear about another vegetarian mom
E., Madylin 23 months, and Ryder 1month

I posted this just a while ago :-)

lunch ideas: http://www.mamasource.com/request/8647606833466310657

Hi A.! What a great question! I think we could all beneift from the answers you receive. The two favorite and fun meals that kids like are:
1. Make your own pizza - half a whole wheat English muffin, top with spaghetti sauce, cheese and any other favorite fixings. My kids love making them and love eating them. It might be a little messy for an 18 mo but let her try it!
2. Pockets - I can put almost anything inside of crescent rolls and my kids will eat it. I have tried chicken & cream cheese, bbq beef & cheddar cheese, even tomato, spinach, & feta cheese. Obviously, you could substitute to make them vegetarian. Just keep two of the triangles together, place whatever you want inside, roll them up, and cook them according to the crescent roll instructions. This is great for using up left overs and for taking a lunch on the go.
Good luck! Sounds like you are on the right path eating so healthy!!!

Hi A., some great resources that we have found are "Raw Kids" by Cheryl Stoycoff and Baby Greens by Michaela Lynn and Michael Chrisemer, N.C. Other books that I love, that have great recipes are "Rainbow Green Live Food Cuisine" & "Concious Eating" by Dr. Gabriel Cousens. Hope this helps, Good luck!
Nandi

Hi A.,
I have 3 children, my youngest is an 18 month old picky eater. My first two daughters eat everything I've ever served them. I have always felt the same way as you described..."in rut...serving the same thing over again." With a picky eater, it's a hit or miss. What my son will gobble up today, he will protest tomorrow. It's frustrating. For breakfast, I will serve either pancakes, waffles, french toast, cream of wheat or oatmeal (he never turns away from breakfast foods). For lunch, this is where he gets picky. I've made grilled cheese sandwiches, scrambled egg with ketchup, those little Gerber hot dogs (cut up), spaghettios, beef roni, soup, and if all else fails, fruit, applesauce or yogurt. I am like you. I have never bought my children any of that jarred baby food. I pureed all their food and I've always put whatever I serve through a food mill. We are not vegetarians, but we also try to eat as healthy as possible, limiting our meat intake. With that said, we are Organic and I do incorporate a lot of soy products as well. Don't worry about feeding your little one the same things. If she eats it, she is liking it and if she isn't protesting it, then you are lucky. Something else my little boy likes is just jelly on two pieces of bread. He gobbles it up!

My son is 2 1/2 and is a great eater. Early on I started giving him whatever my husband and I were eating. A few of my favorite ideas:

I love to make some sort of mac and cheese and put ground carrots in it. Yummy! Peas are also great in it too.

As a snack, my son munches on red beans. We also throw them in pasta dishes. I also give him a leaf of romaine lettuce with salad dressing to dip into. He loves this as the lettuce leaf is so large that it just doesn't seem possible that "mommy would give it to me."

The morningstar veggie burgers are really yummy and a quick dinner on the run.

I will make brown rice and throw all kinds of veggies into it....chopped spinach, beans, artichoke hearts, olives, tomatos, zucchini, eggplant, etc.

I roasted sliced eggplant yesterday on a cookie sheet with a little salt and olive oil. Yummy!!! I also do the same thing with sweet potatoes but add a little garlic.

These ideas may be repeats but hopefully it will give you a little mix up.

Hi A.!

My name is C. & I live in Pembroke Pines, FL. I KNOW from experience that it's HARD to get your child to eat right, especially when they are picky eaters! My Pediatrician recommended giving my daughter Juice Plus+ which gives her 17 servings of organic vegatables, fruits & whole grains. They have it in a gummie form or powder or even a capsule form for adults too. It keeps her healthy & it's worth it to me. This is their website. www.juiceplus.com/+cu87329 Hope this helps & Take care!