Looking for Healthy Lunch Ideas for 3 Year Old and 1 Year Old

Congratulations!! I also have a 3 yr old (4 on 2/24) and a 16 month old.. It is very hard to find something they both love. I read a lot of the mom's ideas which were great; however I shop on a VERY tight budget and try to penny pinch every chance I get... My best idea for lunch is Chicken Pot Pies - kids who hate meat (my 3 yr old) will eat it because of the gravy and kids who hate veggies (my 16 mo. old) will eat it because of the gravy!! AND if you buy the ones that you heat in the oven they are less than 50 cents a piece!!
Good luck and best of luck on baby 3! girl, girl girl girl girl

Mine love:

Canned mandarin oranges
Yogurt - you can give them graham crackers to dip in it
cheese quesidilla - just melts cheese between 2 tortilla's in the microwave
Fruit ganola bars
Canned lasagna

i know exactly what you are going through my twins are the same way they only eat a few things but i just try and offer them the healty option
have you tried tofu dogs, or nitrate free turkey dogs. my kids love hotdogs too and thats what i give them they eat them and think they are getting the real deal :) tofu dogs are les fat , high protien and good for them:) other healthy snacks and meals i give to my 3 yo twins - when they want chips i give them veggie chips , i call them rainbow chips and they eat them:) , ive been giving them the stonyfield yougurt squeeze tubes they like those because they are fun to eat(what they dont know is yogurt is good for you and its organic) i give them flavored crasins when they want something sweet like candy , and if they want chocolate i give them the quaker chocolate rice or corn cakes they have little chocolat chips in them and they think they are great:)
good luck with they picky eaters!

Hello A.. I wouldn't worry to much about their diet. I have two little ones and they both love "toddler" foods, which are foods that you mentioned. They will eventually tire of those foods and try something else. More than likely, they will see you eating something and want to try it like my girls do. And I would sit out other snack foods that are rich in vitamins and calcium. Wal-Mart has a section with dried fruits, veggies, meals and cookies that are loaded with vitamins.

I also have a 3 year old and 1 year old (2 on the 15th of Jan). They love the same things. I have found another quick meal that they like that isn't too fatty, but it's quick and easy. The girls love shreaded chicken on hamburg buns. They both eat a whole bun full and sometimes I have to split a 3rd! I don't put a lot of mayo on it and I throw the shreaded chicken in a pot on the stove. You can buy it at the store frozen or buy a chicken and shread it yourself the day before. It's easy and quick to make.

My son is almost 2 as well. He does not like lunch meat nor cheese slices. The only time he will eat lunch meat is when the ham is warmed up. I have found that he LOVES pasta and I will sneak the stuff he won't won't eat in the pasta. His favorite is cheese spaghetti. He does eat mac-n-cheese, so I will dice up meat and also put it in there.
Good Luck! I'm just glad I'm not the only one with a picky eater!

what i do with my son he is like that to we make turkey/cheese roll ups make corn dogs, try one veggy for a week see if he well eat it that is for your 3 year Now for the 15 month old he like meat and veggies let him eat the veggies there is nothing wrong with that for meats also try corn dog cut up and a meat roll ups or peanut butter and jelly sandwich a half of one cut in fourths. My son went through the same stage as both of your boys I hope this may help

Thanks D. B

Congraulations on your pregnancy! You must be really busy. My sister in law had a great idea of english muffins with pizza sauce and melted cheese. Kind of like mini pizzas. I also do cheese ravioli a lot for my 20 month old. They are in the frozen food section. I usually boil them or heat them in a pan and he eats them without sauce. They are just big enough for him to hold and eat. Other ideas could be chicken noodle soup (kind of messy, but my son will pick up the noodles with his hands) grilled cheese or turkey roll ups. My son loves rice, too. It's weird for him being so young, but he spoons it up and eats it. Best of luck!

Trader Joes or Whole Foods have hot dogs and other "kid friendly" food that are made with healthy products so you wont have to feel so bad if he is eating them all the time. I also use cute cookie cutters on everything I can!!! Sandwhiches, red and green peppers, cheese that is flat, anything I can cut into a cute shape I do it! Most of the time my kids will at least try it if its in the shape of a dog or something! I have a friend that does the "trade system". For every healthy serving of food her kids eat they can pick some sort of dessert from a "dessert bag". She fills it with cookies and chocolate (all from Trader Joes or Whole foods so they are still decent, not filled with all those trans fats and sugars). Her kids respond well to that. Just some ideas.
Good luck!

Hello. My daughter was a yr old when I got pregnant with my son. I found some easy dinner ideas. If your interested drop me a line, I will share the recipes. Good luck to you.

Congratulations on your pregnancy!!

Check out familyfun.com. They have a lot of kid friendly and fun recipes. Good luck.

Sounds like you have a LOVELY family. I think all of the suggestions you've received are GREAT, especially the cookie cutter one--I do that frequently too, :-) My 18 month old is allergic to gluten, wheat, eggs and peanuts AND is picky too so I can DEFINITELY relate to your concerns.

Do your kids like yougurt? That is another one you can try. My kids went through a no cheese phase too but they loved the shredded mozzarella or even the strip cheese sticks so maybe try those as well.

Do they like pizza? Pizza's great because you can load it with meat, and veggies and hide it under the cheese. Plus it hits all major food groups. I make mini-pizzas on English muffins for my 4 year old and she loves them.

We've also tried the veggie chips that you can get in the organic aisle of the grocery store. My kids love them. They're all natural and cholestorol free so but they taste like a potato chip. My 4 year old likes rice cakes too. We spead them with peanut butter and add sliced bananas or cream cheese with some fruit or jam.

I've also found hot pockets to be a hit with my 4 year old. She loves the ham and cheese ones. It's like a grilled cheese without the outside crust!

Good luck to you!!

i read that someone suggested hot pockets. its true they are delicious and kids love them, but keep in mind that a hot pocket contains more sodium than an adult needs in an entire day of meals. imagine what it does to a poor childs little body, especially over time.

I've found that for my twin one year olds, cutting up pieces of lunch meat (low fat turkey, ham etc.) into bite sizes for easy pick up is a good alternative to the lower nutritional meats like hot dogs or bologna. I also cut up cherry tomatoes, grapes, and other healthy fruits and veggies with the meat pieces. Canned green beans and corn are great for lunch too because you can just cut the beans in half for easy grasping and you don't have to do anything with the corn (canned veggies are softer for little ones with only a few teeth). I have also found that they love spaghetti-o's ravioli. I drain a little of the sauce off so it's easy for them to pick up the noodles. Cottage cheese is good too and easy to pick up off the high chair tray if you get the large curd (sometimes kids who don't like regular cheese, like my four year old, will still eat cottage cheese). Wheat saltines or other types of multi-grain/wheat crackers that are out now are good to throw on the high chair tray while you're cutting all the fruits and veggies up too (found that out the hard way....).
My four year old became kind of picky with lunch meats but loves peanut butter sandwiches so to add variety and a little more nutrition I give him cut up apples with peanut butter on top. I also buy the dried fruit trail mixes and shelled sunflower seeds for snacks or to add fruit and protein to his lunch.
Hope this helps! ~B.

Have you ever tried morning star corn dogs? They are veggie dogs and most people think they are just for vegetarians but I give the to my son and we eat meat. The thing is they are WAY healthier than hot dogs and most kids probably couldn't tell the difference especially if you dip them in ketchup. They have the full size dogs and the minis. hope this helps.

T.