What is an easy finger food to send with my 14 month old for lunch?

Question

I need ideas for something that is not messy, and that is not easy to choke on. And that doesn't require refrigeration, since they don't have a fridge for lunches at daycare. Thanks

They have a fridge for other things, just not one for lunches, since there are over 100 kids at this center.

Answer 1

first of all-i want to say ignore all the negative feedback you're getting about where you take your child or the fact that you take your child to daycare. most moms nowdays cannot afford to stay home and raise their children-they work. i'm a single mom of 3 girls-all 3 are in private school. my oldest are in 2nd grade and kindergarten, my youngest in preschool. i have to pack lunch for all 3 b/c the montessori they attend also has several students and not enough room to store refridgerated stuff....

get a small lunchbag and a few little ice packs to put in it-this will help keep things cold.

for a 14 month old you can try:
-peanut butter and jelly or lunch meat and cheese sandwiches-cut them into shapes with cookie cutters (my girls love this)
-goldfish crackers
-cucumber sticks (these will be easy for her little fingers to grasp and they are easy to chew)
-banana slices
-cooked pasta in fun shapes like bowties (you can melt a small amount of butter over these and then chill them in your fridge before packing them in her lunch-this will add flavor to them, put them in a ziplock baggie when you pack them for lunch)
-scrambled eggs
-diced chicken with green beans cut into bite sized pieces
juice boxes or small milk containers

all of this can be eaten cold and will keep fine as long as you have the ice packs in the lunch bag to keep it cold....

Answer 2

Oh, how I wish you didn't have to use daycare :(

Why don't they have a refrigerator? Maybe they could have a fundraiser. Does that mean they can't give the children milk or juice? Very weird.

Anyway, Cheerios are a healthy thing to eat and not messy. Maybe you could send food in a small cooler, so that your baby could have milk. You could make peanut butter and jelly/jam (go lightly on each) and cut the sandwich into small squares. A grilled cheese sandwich cut into small squares would be good, too. If your baby is in daycare 5 days a week, just try to make sandwiches that don't need refrigeration. Good luck to you, I hope I've helped even a little bit.

Answer 3

Well, my 14 month old is still on baby food - stage 3, as well as table foods, so that's what I use. Although, I'm fortunate to have my mom watch her. My daughter eats just about a whole jar at a meal, so there wouldn't be anything left to refrigerate. What 14 month old isn't going to make a mess with finger foods? Are they expecting a 14 month old to completely feed themselves at a meal? I would look for a new daycare. I honestly can't think of anything that doesn't need refrigeration. What about a lunchbox with a freezer/ice pack in it? If they aren't going to allow you to use their refrigerator, then you should be able to bring something to keep your baby's food cool. How do they expect you to give your child good nutrition?

Answer 4

You can make a simple burrito by getting a whole wheat tortilla, adding refried beans and cheese and rolling it up and then you can bake it or heat it in a pan on the stove. My daughter loved this as a one year old. You just chop it into pieces after that. Also, try making sweet potato pancakes. They are sweet enough, you don't need syrup but you could add applesauce to the top or yogurt. Then just chop into pieces. I'd also just make pasta and top with a low sodium tomato sauce. Pretty boring, but all my kids loved this as a toddler. It's messy to let them eat it with their fingers, but if you don't put too much sauce, it's not so bad. Or you could just do a sampler: bits of whole grain bread, little pieces of chicken, bits of cheese, chopped fruit, etc. I also would scramble up eggs sometimes. And I made campbell's bean with bacon soup (because I like it) and then I'd just drain out the soupy part and give the beans.

Answer 5

Make Over 200 Juicy, Mouth-Watering Paleo Recipes You've NEVER Seen or Tasted Before?

Answer 6

Gerber has these freeze dried fruits that my 1 year twins love!
I also give them baked snap pea crisps (they are really tasty - kinda like chips).
Also... buy one of those luch bags with a freezer pack in it. Then you can cut up avocado, carrots, or cheese or even boiled eggs and send them with her.

If there is no refrigeration, then what is your 14 month old drinking?? Doesn't sounds very healthy to me.

Answer 7

when i have to send my child to a sitter during a mealtime, i send her meal in a small lunch tote with a couple of ice packs. some ideas are

-- juice boxes

-- cheerios

-- apple butter sandwich

-- peanut butter and jelly sandwich, peanut butter and nutella, or just a jelly sandwich

-- crackers with cheese (the cheese should stay cool enough with an icepack)

-- a sandwich w/ butter or mustard in place of mayonaise which spoils quicker

-- raisins or dried fruit (gerber has a great selection of dehydrated fruits and vegetables) go to
http://www.gerber.com/toddlersite?tmsdir=food&tmspromo=2

for a whole line of products that are offered

--or try beechnut products. this is the link for ages 13-18 months
http://beechnut.com/Our%20Baby%20Food/results.asp?Product_Line=6&ListValue=1&SearchType=By%20Age

if you don't want to pay for "brand name prices", many stores have alternative brands that cost less. I.E. walmart has parent's choice, which carry many of the same foods, but at a cheaper price

-- canned green beans (they don't HAVE to be heated!)

-- you can also go to http://www.babycenter.com/toddler/toddlerfeeding/index
for ideas

or http://kraftfoods.com/main.aspx?s=recipe&m=recipe/knet_recipe_grid&u1=bytype&u2=12*152
for recipies for snacks for kids

hope this helps! if you want, you can e mail me directly and we can trade ideas!

Answer 8

why don't you just be a stay at home mom to your baby like you should. i cant' imagine that daycare for a 14 mo is cheap and i doubt the benefits outweigh the cons when it comes to that little bit of extra money you bring in.

Answer 9

Little jars of baby food that Beech-Nut makes. They have carrots, green beans and some meats and some fruits

Gerber makes pasta pick-ups.

Del-monte makes individual fruit cups.

PopTarts that have been broken up.

Answer 10

Don't send him there if there is no refrigerator. How will he drink his milk? What kind of place is it anyway. Look for a place that will feed your child healthy food, and milk. Ice water when he is hot. Geez.