Easy and Fast Toddler Meal Ideas for Busy Stay-at-Home Moms - Let's Share!

[ahammons]

Sometimes, just presenting the food in a fun way helps. My nieces love their french toast or waffles cut into strips, so they can pick them up and dunk them into syrup, but they won't touch them if they're cut into squares. (And when I was little, we weren't allowed to be that picky. The rule was, "If it's on your plate, you have to eat it.")

I always cut my kids' pancakes into cute shapes like planes or trains. They love it! I've done that with sandwiches a few times too. Maybe that's why they love goldfish crackers so much, because they're fun!

 

[chefann]

That is how it was at my house. I don't have any kids yet. We actually just had this conversation. My Pastor and his wife allow there kids to be picky so at dinner time she is a short order cook for the girls. When we were younger we at least had to try anything and to be honest with you the only time that she made anything different was when we had liver she would make hotdogs for me and my brother.

Same here. Mom wouldn't necessarily give us a lot of what was for dinner, but we had to at least have a bite of everything. Liver was the only exception (probably because we fussed and moaned so much about it that she just gave in).

 

[ahammons]

My mom was the same way - but we had to eat at least 2 or 3 bites of everything. I was a very picky kid (I'm getting better as I get older! lol), so there were several nights when I dreaded dinner time. I went to live with my dad when I was 11, and he would actually fix food the way I liked it! He was by no means a short order cook, he just tweaked some of the recipes so that everyone would eat it.

 

[DebbieSAChef]

Short order cook

That is how it was at my house. I don't have any kids yet. We actually just had this conversation. My Pastor and his wife allow there kids to be picky so at dinner time she is a short order cook for the girls. When we were younger we at least had to try anything and to be honest with you the only time that she made anything different was when we had liver she would make hotdogs for me and my brother.

The great preacher Al Martin once preached on how our kids tend to make us short order cooks and that is a bad idea!! Our kids eat what we have for dinner or they don't eat. Even my three year old and 21 month old are told they have to try the food before rejecting it. They hardly reject a meal...LOL

I get them to eat veggies at every meal and healthy snacks like this fabulous snack our pastor's wife shared with us.
Homemade granola - a comination of things like oatmeal, raisins, honey, nuts, brown sugar, cinammon and a little vanilla. In an airtight container it lasts for months, not that it ever lasts that long, but it's a great snack. My kids loved fruit and I encourage them to eat it every chance they get. Along with cheese sticks.

Debbie

 

[ahammons]

I was reading kaceyleigh's thread and it sparked a question in my mind... we are both clearly at home moms and are looking for some simple quick meal suggestions and thought I would pick your brains... Any Ideas???

Have you tried making personal pizzas using biscuits? Sometimes I do this for a quick little meal. My kids love them!

 

[Jennie4PC]

My kids do pretty well at eating. My DS always comes home from school though begging for food. They love cheese we can go through 5lbs in 2 wks. let me tell you that gets expensive. My youngest she hasnt gotten picky yet we give her everything although she prefers veggies over meat.
I have a friend whose daughter is so picky all she would eat was cold cereal ramen noodles, mac and cheese and mcdonalds fries. We hae had them over for dinner and she went hungry cause she wouldnt eat what we cooked.

 

[Teresa Lynn]

cut hot dogs to make octopus stew slice them almost to the top and when they boil they curl up
when my oldest son was little he loved the book stone soup so we would make a crockpot full about once a week, he would choose the veggies and our stone as always a whole potato we would read a book then cook or bake from it If you gave a mouse a cookie and all Laura Numeroff's other books provided us with reasons to cook or bake together,

 

[ahammons]

That's a cute idea Theresa! I think I have the weirdest kids in the world though - they won't touch hot dogs!

 

[Carissidy]

I am now officially jealous of Becky's three year old! He eats better than my whole family! (and I mean by that...he will TRY more things than my family!!) My DH and SDS are very "plain"eaters and don't like many fruits or veggies. I, on the other hand, love all sorts of food and like to try new things all of the time!

My 2.5 yr. eats: homemade french toast, yogurt, sometimes cheese (he used to eat it all of the time, now is kindof hit or miss with it) apple slices, pear slices (not out of a can...doesn't like slippery type foods like canned peaches,etc.) parmesean noodles, corn, green beans, brocolli, um, hard to think!!

Oh! I made the Banana crunch muffins that were posted on here a week ago and he LOVED them! I made them in the MMP. (Half of the recipe = 48 muffins)

It's amazing how some days they eat and eat...and other days it seems like they don't eat anything!

He does drink quite a bit of milk...which I have started adding some water to it. Otherwise, he would fill up on milk! Oh, and in the mornings or at other meal times, I will tell him "This is your last cup of milk till you eat _____" So, right now, he is asking for milk, but he is NOT getting any till he finishes his breakfast.

Sorry, I feel like I am rambling...toddlers are a challenge sometimes, huh?

LOL Kelly I am so glad to hear that my child is not the only one who is texture sensitive and like you said eat and eat and then other days eat barely anything! I also water down their milk..too funny how much mothers really do have in common!

 

[Carissidy]

cut hot dogs to make octopus stew slice them almost to the top and when they boil they curl up
when my oldest son was little he loved the book stone soup so we would make a crockpot full about once a week, he would choose the veggies and our stone as always a whole potato we would read a book then cook or bake from it If you gave a mouse a cookie and all Laura Numeroff's other books provided us with reasons to cook or bake together,

Thats an awesome idea Teresa... I just might have to try that for sure! My girls love hot dogs:yuck:

 

[Carissidy]

Thanks to all of you for all your great ideas! I am so glad that I started this thread... keep the ideas flowing, I don't think I am going to be the only one who benefits from it!

 

[Chef Kearns]

I haven't read page 2, but here's my post anyway.

I buy from Schwan's and always have on-hand their Diced Chicken Breast, Broccoli, and 6 Cheese Tortelinni. When I'm looking for something to give my youngest (4 yr and 15 months old) I just toss all of those ingredients into boiling water for about 5 minutes or until they are warm and toss them with Italian dressing (just enough to add some flavor). The girls LOVE it and it is really simple.

 

[chefkristin]

My son is addicted to chicken nuggets and hot dogs. He does eat broccoli sometimes but he is a really picky eater. He likes yogurt. For dinner he only gets 2 choices though. He eats what I make or oatmeal. Thats it! Well let me tell you, he eats a lot of oatmeal.

 

[Teresa Lynn]

This thread brought back memories. When the kids were little we spent a lot of time in the kitchen I had just started PC (they were 1,3 & 5 now they are 14, 17 & 19) & was a SAHM.

They had a little tikes picnic table in the kitchen where they did crafts or helped me. I would let them "plate" the food for dinner. Of course I supervised closely as it was hot food.
I remember how broccoli was stuck in potatoes or meatloaf for a forest,
carrots would be boats in the gravy etc. My oldest would squeeze the mashed potatoes out of the old easy accent decorator. I marked lines on it so he knew how much to squirt per serving. red on one side for the kids and then when it was refilled he looked at the black lines on the other for mine and DH plates
For the salad dressing I would put it in the squeeze bottles like for ketchup and let them drizzle the salads. sometimes it was messy but they are not and weren't then picky eaters.

 

[kaceyleigh2]

Does anyone have ideas for things I can prepare ahead of time, freeze and reheat? My left side is paralyzed, so I like to keep it simple when it's just me and my 15 month old home alone b/c there are days when even making a PB & J can get complicated with one hand.
I would love some ideas on things I can freeze and just pop in the microwave at lunch time.

 

[Teresa Lynn]

chicken spaghetti,
chicken pot pies
chili
spaghetti
lasagna
enchiladas
scalloped potatoes with ham chunks

 

[Carissidy]

Keep those ideas running for Kacey please.. she especially needs these suggestions... great ideas Teresa!