Toddler meal ideas (Daily plans)

Toddler meal ideas (Daily plans)

  Do you need some food ideas to feed your little one and help you to prepare quick and easy toddler meal recipes for your picky eaters? So follow these typical diet plans and these tips to ensure that your child is eating a balanced diet.
  To get the energy and nutrients that will meet their growing body needs (and curiosity!), Toddlers should have three nutritious meals and two to three favorite snacks a day,

Healthy Toddler meal ideas

What to say to an extremely picky eater when he refuses to eat:

 • “The next time you're going to have a chance to eat is on the breakfast table tomorrow, and I'm worried that you'll be hungry before then. Do you understand that your belly might feel uncomfortable if you don't eat now?”

 • “Can we see if there's a way to make this dinner yummier for you? Would you like a dip?”

 • “Can I cut this up for your”

 • “Do you need a different spoon so this is easier to eat?”

Why is breakfast important for toddlers?

Breakfast gives the body the energy lost during a full night of fasting.

The preschooler will have breakfast regularly if he is used to doing it when he was younger. He will adopt this habit more easily if it is anchored in the customs of the home.

Breakfast meal plans for toddlers

A good toddler breakfast includes food from at least three of the four food groups. Here is a simple recipe list for a balanced, tasty and delicious toddler breakfast ideas:

BREAKFAST IDEAS FOODS FOR A PICKY TODDLER

• Banana
• Applesauce Waffles, applesauce, nut butter. The yummy meal that your fussy baby will love.
• Creamy peanut butter on whole-grain bread, (excellent as a toddler healthy food)
• Cup of milk

Or:

• Orange
• Cereals for Kids, Friendly babies meal.
• Small cubes of cheese, Perfect, nutritious, and excellent for children.

Do toddlers really need snacks?

Toddlers are active and growing up. That's why they need a lot of energy and fun! With their little stomach, they are quickly satiated. They are then forced to eat more often than an adult - about every two or three hours. Healthy snacks are like "mini-meals" that provide them with the extra energy and nutrients they need.

Do snacks replace meals!?

Remember that snacks supplement, but don’t replace daily meals. 

Foods with fewer nutrients, such as potato chips and soft drinks, should be limited to special occasions. In addition to the attention paid to the composition and variety of snacks, they are also planned within a regular schedule, so that the snack is halfway between meals.

Note that the afternoon snack is particularly essential since it literally allows the child to hold until supper.

Think variety

Varied foods also mean a variety of nutrients. When preparing a snack, be sure to choose different foods. By offering a different snack every day, there is less risk that sugary, sticky foods come back to the menu too often, which could cause tooth decay.

What should my toddlers eat?

 And what to feed a toddler !?

Toddlers aged 1 to 3 can eat a variety of healthy foods. Give your picky eater the same foods that other family members eat. Offer foods with different tastes, textures, and colors from all four food groups.

The Four Food Groups

  

Every day, toddlers should have a mix of:

1. Protein: (dairy, nuts/legumes, meat, poultry, and fish).
2. Complex carbohydrates: (whole grains and produce including sweet potatoes and squash).
3. Healthy fats: such as avocado, flaxseed, chia seed, hemp seed, egg yolks, and nuts, and seeds.
4. Produce including fruits and veggies.

How much should a toddler eat?

   Let your toddler decide how much food he wants to eat on his plate. Do not force your child to eat and, conversely, avoid restricting food intake. Your child may eat more days than others: a toddler's appetite may fluctuate from day to another one. Use the meal examples described below as guidelines only.

   Give small portions to your child first, and keep it if he is still hungry.

Toddler Portion sizes:

Toddler Grain Portion Sizes

TYPICAL MENUS FOR TODDLERS: 1-3 YEARS

Toddler meal ideas: day1

1st Sample: 

·         Breakfast ideas: Oatmeal with sliced peach and milk, fresh scrambled egg, milk in a cup or breast milk.

·         Morning Snack: Pieces of ripe melon, natural yogurt with vanilla or fruit infused water.

·         Lunch ideas: Baked Beans, Red kidney bean burgers, Lentils, Roll, or Roasted Whole Wheat Bread with Hummus Slices of Cooked Carrots, Milk in a Cup, or Breast Milk.

·         After morning Snack: unsalted crackers made of 100% whole wheat cubes of water cheese.

·         Quick dinner ideas for toddlers: Cooked salmon flavored with sesame oil Quinoa or whole-grain couscous Asparagus and sweet potato roasted curry Milk in a cup or breast milk.

·         Bedtime Snack ideas: Blueberry Mini Homemade Banana Muffins Spread with Cream Cheese, Milk in a Cup, or Breast Milk.

TODDLER MEAL IDEAS: DAY2

2nd Sample:

·         Breakfast: Rolled with walnut butter or banana and yogurt berries and natural yogurt, milk in a cup or breast milk.

·         Morning Snack: Slices of apple or applesauce, cubes of cheese water.

·         Toddler Lunch: Tofu and vegetable soup, Kid Friendly Pasta Salads, unsalted crackers made from 100% whole wheat ripe pear slices, Milk in a cup, or breast milk.

·         After morning Snack: Pita and hummus cherry tomatoes (cut in four), Water.

·         Toddler Dinner: Vegetables, Chili made of beans, chicken croquettes, and lean meat, whole wheat grain bread, milk in a cup or breast milk.

·         Bedtime Snack: Grapes (cut in four lengthwise), Shredded wheat cereals in small bites, Milk in a cup or breast milk.

Toddler meal ideas

TIPS ON FEEDING TODDLERS: 1-3 YEARS

• Serve meals and snacks around the same time each day.

• Eat snacks and homemade toddler meals as much as possible. Prepare healthy toddler recipes. Try the crispy chicken and cheese quesadillas, mini-pizza sandwiches, and squash cheese macaroni, for example.

• Let your toddler decide what he wants to eat on his plate and in what quantity. It is usual for toddlers to refuse new foods, to have a unique opinion about foods they have already eaten, or want to eat the same thing every day. Continue to offer your child a variety of foods at each meal, combining foods he already knows with others who are new.

• Breastfeed your toddler until two years of age or older.

• If your little one is drinking from a bottle, show your toddler gradually how to drink in a cup. With a bottle, the child tends to drink too much. As a result, he has less appetite for other healthy foods.

• Serve whole milk (3.25%) until the age of two. You can give your toddler cow's milk in a cup. When the toddler is two years old, you can switch to skim milk, 1%, 2% milk or soy milk. Do not give rice milk, almond milk, or coconut milk instead of breast milk or cow's milk to a toddler under two years old.

• Between meals, give water to your little one. Drinking milk or juice between meals may restrict appetite. If you are giving juice to your toddler, go for 100% fruit juice and limit it to one serving of 125ml to 175ml (4 ounces to 6 ounces) per day.

• Always supervise your toddler when eating. Cut your child's food into small bites to prevent choking.

Toddler meal ideas

What can I feed my picky toddler for dinner?

As a mom I'm looking for some inspiring ideas to provide my toddler great ideas about easy and healthy meals, here are quick recipe ideas for picky toddlers:

• Toddler cheese plates with cheese, crackers, fruit, and fresh veggies,
• Veggie Nuggets which are perfect for little hands,
• Nut butter and jelly sandwiches.  (perfect for busy parents)
• Cheese quesadillas (maybe add a little snipped spinach!)
• Egg Nests as a perfect idea for your toddler meal,
• Butter and cheese pasta.
• Tacos with beans, cheese, and/or salsa.
• Meatballs (pulled from the freezer), sliced cucumbers.  (Toddler-friendly finger food)

BEST 10 TODDLER  BREAKFAST IDEAS