Could someone please give me an example of a healthy meal plan for a toddler?

Question

My 18 month old daughter is difficult with her food and eats a lot of crappy stuff because when she refuses what I make her I worry that she won't eat at all and then give her something like a bread roll which is hardly nutritious! What am I supposed to be feeding her? I normally do cereal in the morning, yogurt for lunch and spaghetti or something for dinner but she eats a lot of biscuits and snack foods during the day which I don't think are healthy. What does your toddler eat during the course of a day?

Answer 1

My 2 year old is the same way. Extremely picky. So her diet consists of the only healthy things I can keep her eating.

Breakfast:
1 Scrambled egg w/cheese.
Oatmeal.
or a banana.

Lunch:
Turkey and cheese. (Lunch-ables has these new snack ones with diced turkey, mozzarella, and mini Ritz, they're awesome!)
Cut up hot dog w/cheese and green beans.

Dinner:
Anything I cook that night, like spaghetti, or if I make hamburgers I just cut up the meat for her.


Another thing I have found is a lot of the things I try to give her she won't taste, so I have to catch her with her mouth open and throw it in there. She will spit it out, but when I leave the room I catch her eating it all once I'm gone. Also, try putting a dime size amount of dip, like ketchup, because then it makes it fun, and they will eat the food just to dip it! I hope that helps!

Answer 2

The thing we did that worked so well was give them the healthy stuff first. When my kids were that age I would sit them in their high chair or booster seat while I was finishing up the meal and put the veggies on their plate (broccoli and carrots, asparagus, green beans, etc..) and they would just start munching on them. Then we would work toward the things they naturally liked.

Now is the time to introduce a variety of foods, including lots of fruits and veggies, to get them on a path of healthy eating.
The biggest thing that will keep them from eating a variety of healthy things at dinner is tons of snacking during the day.

You're the parent. It's up to you to make the decisions, if you let 18 month olds make important decisions (like what their diet will be) then you're going to have a long, tough road the next 18-21 years.

Answer 3

Get a MICROPLANE corse grater. I have a 3 year old and a 16 month old... and the only time I can get the youngest one to eat veggies is when I sneak them into pancakes. Seriously! I make Aunt Jemima pancakes (the mix that requires an egg and milk has no funny stuff in the ingredients) and I grate a carrot or two OR a zucchini... it's fast and easy. But the microplane works miracles. It shreds things so fine, they can't be detected or picked out. You can shred and add zucchini to spaghetti too. Also, to spaghetti, add 1/2 a cup of pumpkin puree. You wont taste it, but it adds a huge dose of vitamins and fiber that are really good for the baby. Try purees, too. Even you will love them. Buy a butternut squash (one that feels heavy for it's size) and throw it in the microwave for 5 minutes, flip it over for another 5 minutes. Let it cool 5-10 minutes. Pole it in a few places to make sure it's soft, otherwise, microwave it some more. Once cool enough to handle, cut it in half, core out the seeds, scoop it away from the peel and mash it and serve as is to the baby, add a little butter, salt, and pepper for you if you like. It's so delicious! Acorn squash! Microwave the same way, cut in half, core it out, pour maple syrup into the cavity and put it in the oven until dinner is ready. Serve as is or with a little butter, salt, and pepper... they are really delicious! Try lots of new foods. The sooner you get her to eat different foods, the easier she will be to feed! Have fun!

Answer 4

firstly, there are worse things than a bread roll! at least it isn't full of sugar and salt. i have a daughter the same age and once she was established on solids, i realised i was giving her a lot of little snacks (plain biscuits etc) during the day and then she wouldn't eat so much at lunch etc. so i've tried to cut down on those snacks, espcially biscuits. i don't have a particular plan, but i just try and balance the five food groups.... breakfast is usually cereal with banana, lunch is usually sandwich, with vegemite and cheese or peanut butter, plus some fruit. dinner is usually what we are having plus fruit with yoghurt. i figure that seeing as she is only awake for about 10 hours per day, she doesn't need extra snacks as well as her meals. maybe you could try offering her snacks of fruit. does she prefer to eat herself (finger foods) rather than be fed things like yoghurt? giving my daughter more finger food has helped with her eating. the sandwiches at lunch are good for that, plus at dinner i might give her pieces of cooked vegetables or pasta or chicken or cheese that she can feed herself.

Answer 5

my toddler is not a big eater when it comes to sitting down as a family to have dinner she also has cereal or yogurt for breakfast and she snacks on fruit all day she has about 3 apples a day bananas, more yogurt, grapes and any other fruit she can get her hands on for dinner is also something light like you said spaghetti, rice with chicken but she don't eat much cuz of all the fruit she eats try giving your toddler more fruits

Answer 6

I have a 1yr. old/ 3 yr. old.. .They aren't picky it's just that they are tiny for their ages.. My 1 yr. old weighs about 18 lbs and my 3 yr. old weighs about 26 lbs. So, I spend a lot of time feeding them, nutritious foods.. I've started "hiding" things in the foods they all ready like.. For instance my children both love to drink milk so I give them whole milk supplemented with Carnantion Instant breakfast. During the summer I would throw in a ripe banana in the blender w/ some ice and they liked that plus the milk stayed colder longer... I also have some baby foods left from the 1 yr. old.. He want table foods. So, since my children also love macaroni n cheese.. I make them Kraft and add acouple jars of baby food.. Like butternut squash or beef macaroni w/ noodles.. They eat what they like and get the nutrients they really need... Plus it gets rid of baby food...I also add veggies into spagetti and mashed potatoes..

My kids love to eat pancakes but, I hate to give them syrup.. So, I've made a recipie that doesn't need it....My husband loves them too...

Oatmeal Cookie Pancakes...

2 cups bisquick or baking mix
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 c. quick oat prepared on stove... cooling
OR 2 envelopes maple brown sugar flavored instant oatmeal made according to directions...cooling
1-2 C. of milk...
1 tsp. of vanilla
1 tsp. of cinnamon

1 over ripe banana or 1/2 c. of applesauce *OMIT oil from recipie....

2 eggs beaten...

Combine dry ingriedients.. baking mix, cinnamon, sugar mix together... In another bowl.. beat eggs, add banana OR applesauce, and vanilla, slowly add in cooled oatmeal... Mix until combined and fold into dry ingriedients ... DO NOT overmix batter should be thick and lumpy.. If you want thinner pancakes add more milk.... Heat griddle/skillet and make as usual.. Makes about 10 pancakes..

*These pancakes freeze/reheat very well and make an excellent bread for peanut butter n jelly....

Good luck

Answer 7

try colorful foods like carrot and raisen salad, peas and carrots, banana and peach slices, strawberries and cottage cheese. Blueberries and mandarin oranges with a little sugar. Jello with a fruit mix.

Parents often overlook the color factor in attracting kids to foods. They will like or dislike certain foods no matter what, but by making the food fun and pretty, it will naturally attract them.

Answer 8

toast and cereal in the morning
fruit and crackers or bread for lunch
meat, veg rice or pasta for dinner.
I only allow my two boys to snack on fruit of crackers through the day and water only through the day.

Answer 9

Toddlers love finger foods.Try ravioli,green beans,PB&J cut into small pieces,fish sticks,nuggets,mac&cheese,sweet peas,and cooked pieces of other meats cut small.Give them variety and try putting some of your food up there.So they see that they eat what you eat.

Answer 10

Use the food pyramid. I do it with my two year old twins. Now i know what i should be feeding them. I printed one out and stuck it on the fridge! It's so easy!!