What are best cooking ideas for my 14 months old toddler

J.,
Try Annabel Karmel's First Meals by DK Publishing. The ISBN is: 075660365X. It's much easier to digest (pun intended) than the Ruth Yarrow book. She also has a "Complete baby and toddler meal planner" but I haven't used that.

Happy cooking,
Jen M.

Tofu is great to cut up in cubes and is esy for them to feed themselves. My hubbie and I don't like it, but we never told her that. Also, Trader Joe's has these mini ravioli that you can serve them without having to cut them up.

J.-

Making sure toddlers eat a well balanced meal can feel overwhelming. I have a 14 month old also and have found certain books to be great resources: Super Baby Food by Ruth Yaron, Simply Natural Baby Food by Cathe Olson, and Disease Proof Your Child by Joel Fuhrman.

If at first you don't succeed, try, try again. It often takes toddlers MANY times of exposure to new foods before they will eat them and a healthy child will not let his/herself starve so keep on trying the variety of foods.

There is nothing like introducing toddlers to comfort foods that are healthy. My kids are a little older now, but I gained a family reputation for getting toddlers and pre-schoolers to eat almost anything.

1. Introduce vegetables with comfort foods. Like making chicken and dumplings. The broth has minced onions, carrots, celery and chicken with bits of dumplings in it. Easy to make and then just heat and serve. Even the most picky eaters in our family would devour two bowls of this yummy dish.
2. Make original oatmeal and let your toddler add raisins or bananas to it. That makes the oatmeal more fun. A little vanilla milk adds to the flavor.
3. I love flour tortillas. They can be folded over monterey jack cheese, layer a little tomato, spinach leaf, chicken, put it in the microwave and voila! Cut into small pieces and serve. This is how I got my nephew to eat vegetables. He was Mr. No Veggies until I made him this dish. The nice thing with this is you can vary it by adding eggs, or other kinds of meat or vegetables. The cheese helps it be creamy and is another type of comfort food.

Hope this helps.

L. H.
Mom to two munchkins and new to Mamasource!

I am so sorry for your loss :(

For your daughter, you might try some frozen pierogies (or make your own!). My son likes ravioli so I gave him so pierogies the other day and he LOVED them. They are very quick meal when boiled, and another great variation is to bake them for a few mins and serve with a side of salsa. yum!

Also I found this week that he LOVES tomato soup! Really messy...but good and healthy :)

Good luck!

Dear J.,

I just wanted to tell you some things that I learned in one of my food classes that I took. I do daycare out of my home. The first question I would ask is does your child have teeth? If your child has teeth you can start her on foods that she can chew. I have a 14 month in my daycare that eats chicken as long as it is not tough. She eats the breakfast fruit bars. You don't have to stick to traditional breakfast meals either. We have had pizza and other items at breakfast as long as it meets the state requirement. For Breakfast it is Bread/Alternate and Fruit/Vegetable and Milk. Lunch is Meat/Alternate, Bread/Alternate, Fruit/Veg, Fruit/Veg., Milk. Snack is any two catagories. You don't have to follow those, but I do. I also have learned that kids may not eat what is on their plate. It takes about 15 times for a kid to see it to be willing to try it. does she feed herself or do you feed her?

Try having her help make things that usually helps, but not always. Some of the things that I have learned is for veggies try melting cheese on it. Some times I use cheese whiz, single slices, shredded. Since she likes chicken nuggets see if she will try fish sticks.

Here is a list of things that I feed my 14month in day care. She eats almost everything that I do. But here are great starter foods.

the gogurts (frozen)
pudding
applesauce
string cheese
toast
muffins (especially the apple cinnamon)
go tarts
Chicken parmason (frozen dinners)
tuna sandwhiches

I hope this will help but without knowing certain things I really can't give you to many ideas. But if you are interested in anymore ideas please feel free to e-mail me. Good Luck and don't worry all kids go through this stage.

Hey J.!
Our situations are so similar- i do grilled cheese (with soy cheese- cuz my little man has a milk allergy- which is even HARDER To come up with things to eat for him) I do turkey dogs too! How funny! I do chicken- and I have found he likes Ham also- not the deli kind but the ham steaks- they are lean and flavorful. I also give him tater tots sometimes. I make homemade potatoes and hashbrowns he loves. Applesauce is good and also snacks like oyster crackers and chex cereal. Try new fruits with him also. Let me know what other ideas you come up with! My son loves homemade meatsauce and shells- i cook a lot even with my hectic schedule- so i can't blame the dislike for spaghettios! LOL Good luck! My son is 14mths old and I am due with my second in August- What a coincidence! We should get together!
D.

I'm so very sorry to hear of your loss. I don't know what to say but felt compelled to say something. I'm sure it's very heart breaking to go through such a loss. You can always remember your little one in your heart! Now you have an angel looking over you. May peace be with you.

One more idea-- I buy frozen meatballs. Easy to heat in the microwave and fun to dip in either ketchup or tomato sauce. My boys love them. I also make a lot of brown rice with peas or other vegetables mixed in. Good luck!

WHAT ABOUT.....
pb&j, mac n cheese, mashed potatoes/mashed sweet potatoes, carrots and green beans made really soft, avocado, spaghetti/fettucine, ravioli..
if you haven't tried them, Gerber makes great 'lil entrees'. They worked well on my kids
Hope I helped!

A.

Hello J.,

First, please know that I haven't been on Mamasource since about September of 2006. So I decided to come on today to update myself. I came across your request for Toddler Meal Ideas, then I read your "So What Happened" response.

It saddened my heart to hear of your loss, and although no one can ever say anything to really comfort you. I wanted to let you know that I'm praying for you, and leave you with this scripture: Psalm 34:18 (NIV) "The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit."

May God Bless You and Your Family!
D.

I ran across a website about a year ago called The 6 o'clock scramble (www.thescramble.com). It's supposed to be a weekly email of quick, healthy meals that have been kid tested and approved. I haven't subscribed yet because my son is just starting solids, but I'd like to subscribe to it one he's eating and picky about it (like his mommy). So I can't give you a first-hand recommendation, but you can do your own research and see if it's something you'd be interested in trying. Good luck!

1 pound of ground lamb meat , put one slice tost bread, salt peper, 1 egg. Mix,make small balls a size of a chestnut, fry it(if you usinf teflon you do not have to put olive oil in it).

Kisir, 1 pound of bulgur(the smalest size #1), 1/2 cup of olive oil.2 lemon, 2 tblspoon of tomato paste,salt, 2 tomato, 2 onions, 5 leaves of lettuce. broil water 2.5 hot water mix it with tomato paste, pour it to the bulgur, wait 30 min untill it is smoth if it is not put e liitle bit more water. squeeze the lemon, dice the lettuce, tomato onions, mixed them with bulgur. Bon appetite.

cremay mashroon soup,

1 tablespoon butter,2 table spoon flour mix them in a pan, pour 2 glass of milk(your choice skim,full)put mashroom in it. wait unitl it raises put a little bit drill in it. wait couple minutes, serve. They love it.

mashroon(the very very big ones) clean it. put cheese in it, put in the oven 375 degree, 35-45 min. serve

do all of them together so she will try her own food. You can also give her carrots and buy couples of gerbers fruits and say to her they are dips:) My girlfriend s son loves it this way.

Hi my daughter is 15 months old she likes soup a lot. I get her the Dora soup. I also give her ravioli I cut it in fours I know it is messy, but like you I am out of ideas too. I cant wait to see people's responses too I need some ideas too.

Your child can eat anything you can that isn't hard (frozen veggies are a choking hazard until your child is about 3 years old) and is cut into tiny pieces. Buy small cans of veggies-- yellow and green beans, carrots, peas. Cut into bite sized pieces. My daughters loved baked beans straight out of the can. Small pieces of melon, bananas. Frozen dinners like beef stroganoff or spaghetti and meatballs are great--cut into small pieces. Buy some individual sized frozen veggies like broccoli. Lunch meat in small pieces, soup as finger food, fish sticks, small pieces of pasta (especially the curly kind is easy to eat). Gerber has a whole line of cooked cut up fruit, veggies and meat sticks which is very convenient. They have pasta pillows which are awesome for first time eaters. At that young age I found that we needed to get the Gerber jars just to supplement other table food. Try to get away from the "restraunt kid type foods". I realize you aren't a Spaghettio fan--neither am I--BUT check out the label; they are pretty much ok on the nutrition side and kids love them. Look at the other individual canned meals--if they look ok nutritionally then go for it. If you give her a wide variety now she will develop great habits life long. Our 4 and 6 year old's favorite meal is salmon, broccoli and rice. Good luck!!

I am responding to the 'So What Happened post. I am so sorry for your loss. I know your 2nd baby is well taken care in heaven, and you two will meet some day. I don't have a reason on why these things happen, but I know the Lord won't give you anything you cannot handle. Here is a verse that I hope will be bring you comfort,

“He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” Isaiah 40:29-31

Usually we keep it simple. Have you tried giving her little pieces of turkey, ham or chicken? Same with different or new cheeses, fruits and vegetables?
Amy

My 15 month old eats:

tortellini (he loves it)
any kind of pasta with butter & cheese, red sauce, pesto couscous
fish
toast (wheat or cinnamon raisin)
bagels
pears
blueberries
strawberries
peas & corn (he eats both straight out of the freezer!)
cooked baby carrots
apsaragus
chicken
beans & rice
hummus (great for dipping)

Hope that helps.

I think this age is notorious for picky eating!

J. -

Here's what has always worked for my son....we make soup from scratch and use a chicken base and then add different flavors. You say make soup from scratch!!! So easy...and he'll always eat soup no matter what...he loves it...for lunch and dinner...

Basic Chicken stock...

1 large pot for soup.
Fill 3/4's full with water
add 2 leg and thigh quarters to the water with skin and bones
add a few long stocks of celery you can cut into 3 inch pieces or smaller in you wish.
one small bag of baby carrots
I also add 2 Tbsp of Vegeta (an all spice) (Mrs. Dash could work too)
6 or so Chicken cubes for flavoring

This is the basic broth. Let it boil slowly for 1 1/2 hours to 2 hours. You can drain out all ingredients if you want or keep them in the soup. I usually will take the chicken out...remove the skin and bones and cut into small pieces and put back into the soup...from there you can take a few cups of broth out.

Tomato Soup....
Use the broth..with chicken pieces add rice...by adding some tomato paste to the broth...and keep some of the carrots in, the chicken and the rice and you've got a balanced meal.

Cream of Califlour or Broccoli
Use the broth with the ckicken pieces add a half of a califlour cut into pieces...take a coffee mug and add some warm water and two Tbsp of flour into the water...this will allow it to mix without clumping. Add to the broth and add a some milk a cup to about 3-4 cups of broth...the flour with thicken the soup for you. Let it boil slowly for about 1/2 hour. You can do the same with the broccoli.

That gives you three new soups from scratch...you can also make a minestone...by adding more veggies to the Tomato soup above...adding beans, green beans, peas, corn...etc. Whatever you want.

I hope this helps..my son loves soup anytime...summer, winter whenever...he'll always eat soup when nothing else will do.
Good luck!!!

J.,

How about: waffles, pancakes, french toast, lasagna (or really, any type of pasta), hamburger or cheeseburger (crumbled, of course), lunch meats, banana bread, muffins, pears, rice, pickles (my son LOVES these!), mandarin oranges, baby goldfish. I would, however, stay away from the PB&J recommended previously due to the risk of peanut allergy.

Hope this helps!!

K.

It's very typical for a child at that age to be very difficult to introduce new foods to, you have probably heard this before but always keep it simple. You can give them almost anything that adults eat if it is healthy and soft, with not too much salt or fat. Try rotating the foods so that she is getting a new food once a day atleast, sticking to her favorites when ever you can, but no more than three foods in a meal and arrange them simply, but colorfully. Always include one green or orange fruit or vegetable in every meal, even if it's just diced carrots. Save little portions from every meal when you find things she likes, so reserving them is quick and adds more variety. If you could have seen my firstborn in comparison to my other children, what a hoot! She loved all the vegetables! She actually was admitted to the hospital to be tested for lukemia at 14 months because she lost a pound. After two weeks they had run every test and determined nothing was wrong. She simply loved vegetables and did not get enough carbs. So, the point is don't worry too much, potatoes have quite a bit of vitamin C as does orange juice, so just keep trying to balance out the choices as you have been and don't be afraid of her getting too much starch unless she gets extremely overweight. Hope that helps a bit.

Get Anabel Karmel's book "First Meals" which will take you through toddlerhood. These are delicious, easy meals for the whole family that will expland your kid's palate and make everyone happy. Her ideas combined with offering our children whatever we're eating has made our 3 year old a non fussy eater with a good appetite. Good luck!