Need Meal Ideas for 15 Month Old

Updated on January 31, 2008
A.M. asks from Newark, OH
8 answers

Hi ladies! I need some help. My son is at the point where he wants to eat our food but is extremely picky! I'm not a very good cook and my husband and I just opened a new business so we're very busy so I don't even have the time to make elaborate meals but I still want my family to eat semi-healthy. My son right now will eat ANYTHING with bread (he's a carb-o-holic). He loves spaghetti and scrambled eggs. When it comes to veggies, he'll take 1 bite and then spit it out. He loved bananas for about 3 weeks and then now he wont' touch them. I'm so frustrated with having him try new things and making meals that he takes one bite then refuses to eat anything. What do I do?

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M.R.

answers from Cleveland on

A.,
Hey I have the same prob except my little Mya (12 months) does not like noodles and/or potatoes.. tell me if that is weird. I did the gerber graduates like everyone else until my daughter started to eat 'table food' then she got out of them and started to refuse them. I have some recipes if you're intrested they are real easy to make especially if it's just u and ur husband. I make stuffed peppers, meatload, swedish meatballs all that take like 1 hr and 1/2 to cook b/c it's such a small about like 1 pound of meat. Plus i do like smoke sausage boiled w/ some noodle sides/corn.. pork chops, with noodles and applesauce. Stuff like that. For lunches same as the other girls so far mostly chix nuggets, bologne w/ crackers, sometimes leftovers if I have them, but most of the time not b/c the meals are just the perfect size for dinners. Let me know i'd be happy to help a fellow mom out. Good luck!
M.

1 mom found this helpful
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D.H.

answers from Cincinnati on

Have you tried putting veggie purees in the food that you cook for your son? My mom gave me the cook book by Jerry Seinfields wife wrote about doing that. Hope that helps.
Debbei

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T.J.

answers from Cincinnati on

My son can be picky at times, I learned if you make anything "FUN" he will eat it......he loves "dipping" things....his favorite is ranch...he will dip everything into ranch...chicken nuggets, french fries...etc. As far as fruit ...he loves it when I put the fruit on little toothpicks...it makes it fun for him. Veggies, I use the spray butter and that seems to work for steamed broccoli! But sometimes he will sit down and eat a bowl of frozen peas....or frozen blueberries....I know it's weird but kids like different things. Also, the Banquet Meals are only $1.00 normally..sometimes less....and my son goes nuts over the salsbury steak, mashed potatoes and corn...have you tried that? Then you don't feel bad if it's wasted because it was only $1.00. Good luck to you.....

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D.C.

answers from Tampa on

I would just keep trying with him. WHATEVER YOU DO DON'T GIVE HIM HOT DOGS OR PEANUT BUTTER! Peanut butter given too early can cause allergies that he might not have developed had you waited until later. My daughter is allergic to nuts and I wouldn't want to have your son be allergic as well. Hot dogs are a huge choking hazard as are grapes. Just keep offering him the nutritious things that you have been and eventually he will pick up on them. Also there is a book you can get that teaches you to hide fruits and Veggies in different things. It is wrote by Jessica Seinfeld. Hope this helps.

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A.W.

answers from Cleveland on

Hi Ashly
My son is 17 months old and he does the same thing to me, one bite and then spits it out and then nothing. He will do this to food I know he likes, I think it is a phase they go through, anyways I too use gerber graduates but only on the nights that I dont feel like cooking or have time to. THe gerber grads are good though and they help me sneak in some of the horrible veggies. Okay so here are some dinners and lunches my son usually does nto turn away. Easy Mac (3 min in the micro) he loves this, grilled cheese is another hit, chicken nuggets, eggo waffles, french fries, he loves mashed potatoes. I hope this helps. Good luck with the eating and the new buisness.

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R.R.

answers from Louisville on

Hi A.,
I think I used a lot of Gerber Graduate meals at this age, along with sharing some of our regular meals, such as spaghetti (like you said), macaroni and cheese, chicken and noodles, etc. He might like fish sticks (cut up real small), grilled cheese, cheese pizza (homemade is best- buy tube of pizza crust, jar of sauce, mozzarella cheese)
Also, my kids always loved the "chicken parmesan" (frozen - I can't remember who makes it). It's very soft breaded chicken and sauce. The vegetable thing is more complicated. I'm watching a 20-month old who refuses all veggies, but she'll eat just about any fruit. The important thing is that you always offer the variety of foods. Only put a couple of pieces of each on the tray so it's not overwhelming. Eventually he'll try it. My daughter always ate peas and carrots that were mixed with rice. Just experiment, and don't worry..all kids go thru food phases where it seems like they only eat one thing. Oh, I almost forgot... the girl I watch who won't eat veggies will drink the new 100% juice by V8 (Vfusion)that tastes like fruit juice but it actually has more veg. juice--Mango is great (has carrot juice, etc) Good luck to you!

R.

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S.J.

answers from Dayton on

I have a 15 month as well . he eats anything though. Try adding a very very samll amount of peanut butter to a piece of bread- you could either tear it into little pieces or use a baking roller and roll it really thin and then cut it into pieces. they sell individual veggies cups near the canned veggies - i heat those up in microwave and put them on his highchair and eats those(carrots). try mac and cheese- put some on his tray and let him eat that, grilled cheese cut into little pieces- rice- put that on his tray and let him eat it- frozen waffles or pancakes- heats and cut into little pieces. most of the stuff i have listed you can get organic or whole grain. i think i have heard you have to give kids something new to try several times before you can rule it out that they wont eat it. i just gave my 15 month old avacado and tomatoes cut up- he loves it. he aldo loves refried beans( which you can make healthy too). there is a great cookbook out called deceptively delicious by jessica seinfeld. it is a great book to sneak in veggies to foods you normally wouldnt think of.- you could loan it out from your local library.
i wouldnt worry too much though- most kids are picky at this age- you probably feel like you make the same things over and over again- i say as long as he is eating something and thriving you shouldnt stress out about it too much.
hope that helps
-S. ( mom of 4!)

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A.H.

answers from Cincinnati on

My 19 month old goes through phases where she won't eat veggies either. I've been able to sneak some in by mashing cooked carrots or sweet potatoes in with tomato sauce for pasta. I also make homemade pumpkin pancakes. You can find tons of recipes online and they are surprisingly easy to make. Make a batch or two and freeze. The pumpkin is really nutritious. If you can find time, you can make things like carrot/raisin muffins, etc. Easier healthy foods that you could try are mashed avocados and baked sweet potatoes (mashed with butter and a little bit of real maple syrup). I've also gotten my daughter to eat peas mixed in with her scrambeled eggs. I know it sounds gross but whatever works, right?! Good luck!

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