Foods for Toddlers/Picky Eaters

[StillJulie]

Please post foods that your toddlers and/or picky eaters like to eat.

[StillJulie]

A can of Van Camp's Pork 'n Beans with slices of hot dog stirred in. Heat until thoroughly warmed.

My dks will eat a huge variety of raw veggies if Ranch dressing is offered to dip them in. I never know what they'll enjoy or avoid so try offering: cucumber sticks, golden bell pepper strips, cauliflower, broccoli, carrot sticks (my kids avoid celery no matter how I disguise it) and any other veggies you can think of.

Of course, one of my staples is the old, reliable pb&j on whole wheat.

Lately, the kids have been willing to try chicken salad on crackers with cheese slices and I add tomato slices to their plates.

They also like a halved apple spread with peanut butter and topped with raisins! So glad produce prices are dropping again!

[StillJulie]

We did "sandwiches" with all kinds of breads---pitas, croissants, crackers, oatmeal brd, bagels, etc.

Salads included egg, tuna, ham, and chicken.

They liked hard boiled eggs w/ a little salt/pepper to dip in.

They liked salad--just plain salad--with LOTS of stuff in it. I just had to do things like grate the carrots, tear the lettuce into DIME-sized pieces, chop the cucumber, etc.

Oh, they like cucumber sandwiches, and I STILL chop it up for them.

They liked "hot-dog toast": lightly butter the bread; sprinkle FINELY chopped hot dog over it, then grated cheese; broil till cheese melts.

They also liked "salad toast": toast, spread w/ creamed cheese and mayo, then add shredded veggies.

They also REALLY liked what they called "snicky-snack" lunches (!) where I gave them little piles of things--sometimes in a clean egg carton: one-two section(s) would have raisins, another crackers, another cheese cubes, another small carrot sticks, another cucumber, etc. I would balance fruit, bread, protein and veggie.

OH--they liked thin lunch meat rolled up around creamed cheese; they liked pb rolled up in the bread slice.

Ice cream cones filled with tuna, chicken, or ham salad! They tho't those a riot!

Otherwise, I did give them soups of various kinds, sometimes canned ravioli. Also Grilled cheese--often with diced ham, cooked crumbled bacon, or cooked, crumbled ground beef added---even a Tblspn adds flavor.

Also remembered baked potatoes with stuff on them, esp cheese and either bacon or grd beef.

Stuff like pickles, olives, applesauce (ummm WARM applesauce with cooked apple slices or raisins, plus cinnamon) was another fav.

[StillJulie]

I have been looking for things for my son to eat. He is picky about food, one of the main things he will eat for lunch is though

tortilinni cooked with spinach, slices of chicken and parmesean. He loves his pasta.

Sandwiches are a big hit and many a time just chicken noodle soup hits the spot. He also loves gold fish crackers and he drinks 100% juice or lowfat milk.

[StillJulie]

Two of my ds' favorite lunches:

grilled cheese with banana slices or grapes cut in half

tortilla pizza. To make this I spread a flour tortilla (taco size) with pizza sauce from a jar, sprinkle with mozzarella cheese, and broil it in the toaster oven until the cheese is bubbly and the edges of the tortilla are slightly brown.

[StillJulie]

here are some more ideas:
english muffin pizzas, tortilla with a string cheese and a slice of ham rolled up (better if zapped in the microwave for a few seconds), my sons favorite is a "snack tray" kind of like a homemade lunchable, pieces of lunch meat, cheese, crackers, fruit, veggies just put on a plate.

[StillJulie]

Quesedilla, hot dog (just watch for choking), cheese, crackers, diced fruit (fruit cup), eggs

[StillJulie]

diced up meats, pasta, rice, potatoes, eggs, fruits and veggies

[StillJulie]

Strawberries
Apples
Blueberries
Gerber dried corn snack (good, actually!)
Gerber dried puffy cereal type snacks
Cheese sticks/diced
Hot dogs/diced
chicken/diced
cake
apple juice/diluted
pizza / diced
shredded cheese in a cup

Really just about anything and everything we ate, only diced up really small.

Oh and get this, one of her favorites ......BLACK OLIVES !

[StillJulie]

Do you know how to make souper rice? You take a can of condensed soup, like chicken, beef or vegetable soup. Pour it into a pot, dilute with the water and let it come to a boil. Add 3/4 cup long-grain rice, reduce heat and simmer until rice is tender and liquid is absorbed, about 15 minutes.

It has a soft texture that's very easy for a little one with few teeth to eat. If you use the vegetable soup it's got loads of Vitamin A and some Vitamin C, too.