Toddler Food Ideas

Toddlers are notoriously finicky eaters — their tastes (and moods) can change like the weather. At the same time, kids this age love routine, so don't be surprised if yours exists — and insists — on the same food (prepared the exact same way) for every meal. 


toddler's eating pattern can be as erratic as his taste buds, causing him to devour everything in sight one day and barely take a bite the next. But children this age need a steady flow of food to keep up their energy, so rather than try to get yours to conform to a strict three-meal-a-day timetable, set a loose schedule and follow his hunger cues. In the long run, it's more realistic to supplement his typical mini-meals with well-timed (healthy) snacks. More smart strategies: 

Start the day right. Mom always said that breakfast was the most important meal of the day. Turns out she was right! Breakfast-skippers tend to be irritable and restless, and (surprise!) are more likely to become overweight. So make it a habit to begin your toddler's day with a good breakfast.... (so for you)

Timing is everything. After breakfast, try to figure out when your tot is most hungry and set mealtimes for just before his tummy typically starts to growl. This way you can ward off crankiness before it rears its ugly head. On days when your child can't seem to last until dinnertime, try giving him part of his meal to stave off the hungries, then he can finish eating later with the rest of the family. 

Don't skip. It's a rare toddler who always eats what you want, when you want him to. But skipping an entire meal is definitely not a smart idea. Not only will it throw off his energy supply, it can wreck his eating schedule for the entire day (and maybe tomorrow!)... So do try to get him to eat something — even a couple of bites is better than nothing. 

Evaluate the snack schedule. A typical toddler routine — breakfast, snack, lunch, snack, dinner — should keep him fueled throughout the day. But what (and how much) he eats at each of those times can affect the big picture. For example, if he's not eating much at dinner, maybe his afternoon snack is too close to mealtime, or it's simply too big. If he's cranky at ten a.m., consider a snack sooner after breakfast. 

Do what works for (both of) you . The goal is to get your toddler to eat well and enjoy mealtime. 

Recipe 1:

So I start with basic recipe for toddler...

Take Yellow Lentil (mong daal) 1 tbsp and Rice 1 tbsp .. wash and soak them for minimum 20-30 minutes... and then drain that water and wash them again 

put them in a pot add some water and make them cook add few chicken pieces preferably with bone (it will it more tasty)... now add some veggies... (carrot, zucchini, peas, corns, spinach, broccoli But NO potatoes all the time..)  and season it with salt and pepper

when chicken get tender...bring it out de-bone and then add the mashed chicken pieces back in your pot

cook till you get tenderize and mushy tasty food...

This has protein, carbs and veggies... it will fulfill all her nutrient value at the same time satisfy her taste buds

You can add
Cheese or
Butter or
bread slice
eggs

Recipe 2:

Egg delight:


heat 1 tsp oil, add 1/2 onion chopped saute, add chopped tomatoes fry... add 2 beaten eggs.. season with salt, black pepper or red chili pd... cook till eggs are done... in the end add cheese.. stir .. n Done


Recipe 3: 

Creamy potato:


Heat 1 tsp butter/oi/olive oil... add 1 tsp all purpose flour make a paste with 1//2 cup of milk... cook till u get a thick paste add mash potatoes, boiled chicken, add salt and pepper... cheese and bread crumbs and done

These are the basic meal ideas... which you can serve them for dinner and lunch... but most important for them is their snacks or middle meal... Despite what your mother used to tell you when you were a kid, snacks don’t have to spoil your appetite. ...In fact, when it comes to toddlers, healthy snacks should be a staple of their diet. It’s practically impossible for toddlers, with their tiny tummies, to eat as much as they need at mealtimes. 

Try these the next time your toddler is hankering for a bite to eat:

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• Ants on a log — spread peanut butter on celery sticks and sprinkle them with raisins (Experts used to recommend waiting to serve peanuts until a child was age two or three — to help prevent a peanut allergy. But now, experts believe there may be no benefit to waiting that long. Talk with your pediatrician about when you should offer your tot peanuts and other allergenic foods, especially if food allergies run in your family.)

• Whole-grain tortilla chips topped with veggies, salsa, and shredded cheese

• Apple slices with string cheese or peanut butter (if your pediatrician says it’s okay to introduce peanuts to your toddler now)

• Frozen no-sugar-added fruit bars with a glass of milk

• Berries topped with a smidge of low-fat frozen yogurt

• Crinkle-cut carrot “chips” with hummus

• Whole-wheat pita-bread triangles or baked wheat crackers with melted reduced-fat cheese for dipping

• Dip a banana in yogurt, roll it in crushed cereal, and freeze it for a tasty frozen snack

• Whole-wheat tortilla chips with bean dip

• Low-fat yogurt topped with granola and fresh or dried fruit

• Cottage cheese with cut-up peaches, nectarines, pineapple, or bananas

• Whole grain, fiber-rich cereal with (or without) milk - they will love to muchin their breakfast cereal 

• Graham crackers with applesauce for dipping

• Yogurt smoothie made with low-fat yogurt, milk, ice, and any fruit (toddler favorites include bananas, strawberries, blueberries, and cantaloupe)

• Canned salmon mixed with low-fat mayo and spread on baked whole-grain crackers 

• A graham cracker sandwich filled with a scoop of frozen yogurt and sliced bananas

• A small baked potato with melted reduced-fat cheese 

• Graham cracker with low-fat cream cheese, along with four to six ounces of 100 percent juice (you might consider diluting the juice to make it last longer and to cut the sugar quotient)

• Whole-grain pretzels, soy crisps, baked pita chips, or rice cakes with a slice of cheese

• Cucumbers, celery, or red peppers with low-fat dressing for dipping

• All-fruit fruit leather with a glass of milk

• Mix one cup of whole-grain oat cereal with 1/4 cup chopped walnuts and 1/4 cup dried cranberries for a healthy trail mix

Think of the colors of the rainbow and then think of the vegetables and fruits that match those colors! 

Granted, it will be very hard to feed your Toddler "blues" and "purples" every day however, the general idea of following the rainbow should be helpful.

 Red - Apples, Cherries, Strawberries, Watermelon, Red Potatoes, Tomatoes

 Orange - Oranges, Peaches, Sweet Potatoes, Carrots

 Yellow - Bananas, Summer Squash, Wax Beans, Pears

 Green - Avocado, Green Beans, Zucchini, Mango, Papaya

 Blue - Blueberries

 Purple - Grapes, Eggplant