Authored by Kate Beswick in Parenting
Published on 07-16-2009
For parents, feeding their little ones often becomes a battle that turns into a full-fledge war. Very small children, such as toddlers, often find mealtime difficult because they are generally very picky eaters with particular tastes. And while those tastes often include things such as frozen or fast-food solutions, giving these foods to your toddler is not the most nutritious option. Finding quick and easy meal ideas that your toddler will actually eat is not as difficult as it first sounds. With just a few simple ingredients, and a little imagination, mealtime can be fun time too! And, your toddler can get a tummy full of nutritious delights all at the same time!
Breakfast is one of the easiest mealtimes for toddlers because there are so many breakfast foods that toddlers love! Making French toast and cutting the bread into strips can be a great way to get your toddler to eat eggs and whole wheat bread! Simply make your French toast as you normally would, by dipping it into eggs and frying it up. Then cut the bread into strips, shake some powdered sugar over it and give them a small cup of syrup for dipping. Toddlers love playing with their food. This will let them do that and eat a healthy breakfast too! Other breakfast foods that toddlers love are Cheerios and whole wheat waffles. These are two more options for an easy and quick breakfast that your child will actually eat!
Lunches can also be made easy by serving your toddler an array of choices. Serve an antipasto platter that has lots of veggies, meats, and cheeses. Cut up veggies such as celery and carrots and offer them with a favorite dip. Roll up deli meats such as salami or roasted turkey and have cubes of cheddar or marble cheese on the side. Your toddler will love all of the options and will eat up the plate quicker than you can say, ‘Lunch time!’ If you want to pack an extra-nutritious punch into your child’s meal, you can puree things such as cauliflower or eggplant. The colorful dip will intrigue your child plus, they’ll get an extra dose of vitamins!
Dinner time is one of the hardest for parents to get through with their toddler. But serving some yummy and imaginative food will make it one of the easiest! Serving breakfast for dinner by cooking up bacon and eggs will thrill your toddler! They’ll feel as though they’re doing something naughty, simply because it’s unusual and you’ll have an easy and peaceful mealtime. To give this trick some more pizzazz, dye the eggs green with food coloring or add in some leftover broccoli puree that you used for dip. Your child will feel just like they’re part of the lovable Dr. Seuss’ Green Eggs and Ham! And if you’re tired of serving the same old vegetables for supper, try roasting chickpeas in the oven. These treats can be made by simply tossing chickpeas in some olive oil and roasting them in a 350 degree oven for about 45 minutes. They’ll be golden and crispy on the outside and soft and chewy on the inside – what more could a kid ask for?
