my 1 year old has disovered mac and cheese....any good homemade and healthy recipes out there?

Question

Any other healthy food recipes for toddlers?

Answer 1

Add precooked vegetables to the Mac and Cheese!!!

Any chance you get to add fruits and vegetables to your kids' food should be exploited. That will start a lifelong love of healthier eating. Good luck!
ymmf

Answer 2

Stop making an issue out of it. Make the meal, serve it. If she eats, great. If she doesn't eat, fine. Don't say anything. When she's hungry she will eat. Kids will pick at food, try some, leave most. She needs to learn that mealtime isn't a fiasco, which is the situation it has become in the house. If she gets stressed about the thought of mealtime she may be too worked up to eat. Take ALL of the pressure off. She's not going to starve. What if you got in trouble at someone's house because you didn't like what they served you? Wouldn't you rather that you could let that meal go, and find yourself something else later? If you want to giver her an option, she can eat what everyone else is having, or she can make herself some cereal. Then she at least has an option besides punishment. Notice that she likes potato chips and celery? Some kids like identifiable foods. Pot roast is "complicated" and everything is together. Maybe she wouldn't feel as troubled by the meal if the parts are separated. Just a thought. If you can't do this, then your alternative is to ask her what she wants to eat. When she's more comfortable at mealtime then she will be more accepting of the food that's being served for the rest of the family. Also remember that kids' tastes are different than adults and they don't enjoy onions, bell peppers, etc. Call this the "french toast" phase where sweet and mild flavors are preferred.

Answer 3

Mac & Cheese isn't very hard from scratch. I commend you for wanting to make the real thing. The stuff in the blue box is very very salty, and contains lots of preservatives. The cheese is so processed (that magic orange powder!) that it can't hardly be called cheese any more.

Easy Mac & Cheese

Boil up a pound of Mac. Drain.

2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons flour
2 cups hot milk
12 oz shredded cheese (mild cheddar for kids, sharp for me)
salt
pepper

Melt the butter over medium-low heat. Once it melts, allow it to bubble until it stops -- this gets all the water out of the butter.

Add the flour and whisk and continue to cook the paste until it starts to turn golden, about 2 minutes. Add the hot milk in splashes and whisk continuously. Incorporate all the milk and whisk until you have a white sauce. Add a dash of pepper and salt.

Add the shredded cheese 1/3 at a a time, whisking all the way.

Pour the finished sauce onto the mac. You can serve it like this, or...

For an extra treat, put it in a casserole, cover with breadcrumbs or cracker crumbs, dot with butter, and top with more cheese. Put it under the broiler until golden brown.

Enjoy the toddler years!

Answer 4

Homemade Mac and Cheese

Ingredients-
8 ounces macaroni
2 cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
3 cups milk
1/4 cup butter
2 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1 pinch paprika


Preparation-
Cook macaroni according to the package directions. Drain.
In a saucepan, melt butter or margarine over medium heat. Stir in enough flour to make a roux. Add milk to roux slowly, stirring constantly. Stir in cheeses, and cook over low heat until cheese is melted and the sauce is a little thick. Put macaroni in large casserole dish, and pour sauce over macaroni. Stir well.
Melt butter or margarine in a skillet over medium heat. Add breadcrumbs and brown. Spread over the macaroni and cheese to cover. Sprinkle with a little paprika.
Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 30 minutes. Serve.

Answer 5

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

Answer 6

I make homemade almost exactly as the previous poster does. One exception - I use the microwave. Stirring every minute at first, and then every 30 seconds. It doesn't save time, but it prevents scorching on the bottom of the pan, and if your toddler calls you away, it won't burn. It will just sit in the microwave until you return. Just make sure to set the timer to the appropriate interval.

Now that the kids are older, I add broccoli and bacon, or sausage meat to it, too.

Answer 7

The poster above had a good recipe, but use whole wheat pasta and substitute some of the cheese for squash puree. It sounds gross, but I do this and my kids don't notice, I swear!

Answer 8

When you can't make your own, try Annies Natural Mac and Cheese. Its lower in sodium, uses organic durham flour, and is great tasting!

Answer 9

???
Please double check the salt (sodium) in the M/C..??
It may be unreasonable for a 1Y/O..
There is another catagory here in Y/A - -for parents including toddlers.. Their resources may have many web sites for food.

Answer 10

rice and gravy