Adding onto my list of toddler meal ideas, here are more breakfast ideas from fellow moms:

• Oatmeal with honey and plain yogurt (makes it creamy and gives more calcium).
  • Also can use peanut butter (for older toddlers), yogurt, and agave sweetener.
  • Lil’ Duck loves the store brand cinnamon raisin instant oatmeal made with soy milk.
• All fruit (three fruits/berries)
• Cottage cheese with pineapple, peaches or tomatoes
• Cheerios in milk
• We use the Cheerios/Clifford Crunch mixed with soy yogurt still - you can also add fruit (pureed or just cut up, depending on the little one’s preferences).
• Eggs with cheese
• Fried egg sandwiches
• Turkey bacon (Lil’ Duck loves regular bacon, but he obviously doesn’t get it very often)
• Cheese ravioli with peas
• A heap of frozen blueberries defrosted
• Fresh strawberries with honey
• French toast - this can be made ahead and kept in the fridge or freezer (I just buy the pre-made stuff, probably not quite as healthy though).
  • Brave mommies can give a little bowl of syrup/applesauce/other fruit puree/honey to dip the sticks into (can you tell I’m NOT that brave? ;)).
• Waffles (a Lil’ Duck favorite!)
• Bagels with cream cheese (Lil’ Duck prefers regular bread, toasted with cream cheese)
• Some moms have had success with those Gerber Graduates Flakes (kinda like oatmeal but with dried fruit as well) - I guess it is too textured for the Lil’ Duck because he flat-out refuses to do anything but smear it all over my kitchen…..
• He also refuses any Nutri-grain or Gerber breakfast bars, but it might be worth a try for your little one…
• Grits - Lil’ Duck loves them, I make them with soy milk and sometimes stir in a little cheese or fruit as well.
• Cream of Wheat - same as above.
• Homemade oatmeal raisin cookies (cutting the sugar and using applesauce) can be fairly healthy as well.

Parent Hacks had a great idea for cooling down hot pasta - mix it with cold pasta sauce! I usually just stick an ice cube or two in there, rather like Noodad, but not changing anything else like less water as he does, just stirring the ice cube around a little until it reaches edible temperature. Of course I also do this for any hot food…. or I’ll stick it in the freezer for a minute… although I do still occasionally resort to blowing really hard on it and waving it around while Lil’ Duck is screaming for it, ah…..

My little guy categorically refuses all meat, is allergic to milk, and is shying away from the beans that he used to love! If your toddler is anything like mine, here are some ideas from other toddler moms for you to try:

• Mixing bits of meat in with the pasta and sauce.
• Healthy hot dogs (cut up into small bits)
• Different forms of chicken - nuggets and chicken fries are big at our house.
• Many baby/toddler meals have small bits of meat in with the pasta and sauce.
• Ground turkey
• Low-sodium deli meats (a little different, so worth a try)
• Introduce peanut butter for an older toddler (after doctor approval) - on bread, peanut butter crackers.
• Eggs
• Scrambled (add cheese and milk for extra calcium)
• Mixed in pasta, fried on toast
• Yogurt
• Mix in some brewers yeast or other vitamins for extra impact
• Sugar-free pudding
• Soy cheese (he will only eat it melted in something else, but some will eat it cut up or shredded)
• Edamame (soybeans) steamed

My little guy categorically refuses all meat, is allergic to milk, and is shying away from the beans that he used to love! If your toddler is anything like mine, here are some ideas from other toddler moms for you to try:

• Mixing bits of meat in with the pasta and sauce.
• Healthy hot dogs (cut up into small bits)
• Different forms of chicken - nuggets and chicken fries are big at our house.
• Many baby/toddler meals have small bits of meat in with the pasta and sauce.
• Ground turkey
• Low-sodium deli meats (a little different, so worth a try)
• Introduce peanut butter for an older toddler (after doctor approval) - on bread, peanut butter crackers.
• Eggs
• Scrambled (add cheese and milk for extra calcium)
• Mixed in pasta, fried on toast
• Yogurt
• Mix in some brewers yeast or other vitamins for extra impact
• Sugar-free pudding
• Soy cheese (he will only eat it melted in something else, but some will eat it cut up or shredded)
• Edamame (soybeans) steamed

http://www.growmighty.com/Article.aspx?articleID=6

“Toddlers like to binge on one food at a time. They may eat only fruits one day, and vegetables the next.”

So true, hee hee.

Take Cheerios or Clifford Crunch & mix it with yogurt (soy in our case, but you can use whatever works for you). Voila, then Lil Duck can feed himself without the mess of regular yogurt, but with the protein not found in dry cereal. He LOVES it!

My little guy loves to go out and eat, and he’s usually good, especially when it is breakfast or lunch. I thought I’d pass on some tips from other mothers about entertaining them when you go out though, as it’s always helpful. This is assuming that you are using common sense in not bringing them to a super-fancy place, taking them when they are tired and/or cranky, etc etc. There is no hope for you if you do that, you are inviting the nightmare and I don’t feel sorry for you ;).

(more…)

Here’s a list of the favorite foods of the almost-two-year-old friends of Lil’ Duck Duck, perhaps it will give you some new ideas or just make you laugh at the odd collection of favorites. Lil’ Duck prefers anything that you are eating, anything he isn’t supposed to have, or anything unhealthy. He does LOVE smoothies though!

• Chicken & broccoli
• Yogurt
• Blueberries, strawberries, mandarin oranges, grapes
• Cheese crackers
• Green beans, corn, edamame
• Anything with sauce, spaghetti & meatballs
• Peas
• Peanut butter and jelly on wheat
• Popsicles
• Grilled cheese dipped in ketchup
• Cottage cheese
• Cheese
• Vanilla ice cream
• Chocolate, M&Ms
• Pancakes
• Couscous
• Popcorn
• Mashed potatoes
• Pizza!