Toddler Meals

katiegal

I'm sure this has been posted before.  I apologize if it is a repeat.  What do you all feed your toddlers?  I have a 2 y.o. and a 9 week old.  I go back to work in 2 weeks.  Once I do daycare p.u. and get home, it's usually around 6:30 and then it's chicken nuggets, mac&cheese, grilled cheese, or something similar.  I need some new ideas that are quick and easy, maybe prep ahead.  My husband doesn't get home until later so we typically don't eat until 9pm after the kids are asleep.  I'd love to eat as a family but that is just not doable with our schedules.  

litzo27

What do you and your DH eat? My kids eat what we eat with the exception of some specific things they don't like. I cook only about 2 a week with enough leftovers to last the other days and heat things up. So in your situation the 2 y.o. would get reheats of the same thing we would eat later. Things that are popular with my boys are: meatballs, soup, baked fish, slow cooker stew, lamb chops, stir fries. And of course they'll always eat pasta, rice, bread, frozen pizza, tortellini and pretty much any other starch.

mae0111

We made the horrible mistake of starting "toddler meals" with my DD. Now she won't eat anything. Dinner is a battle every night. She's 4 now. Our DD2 is 10 months and eats what we eat. My kids can't wait for me to get home, so we tend to cook a lot over the weekend and eat leftovers all week. She eats soups, all kinds of meat ( we have a grinder), etc. it's really so much easier. If you can, hold our some leftovers from your dinner the night before and heat it up. Or, cook dinner for you and H (if you can with both kids) and serve her portion early. Good luck!!

thedash

I agree that eating as a family is important but I wouldn't worry about it until your 9 wo is much older. My theory is that whenever there's a child in the family under 6 months old you just have to be in survival mode!

DS is almost 3 and loves soups, chicken drumsticks with rice, whole wheat pasta in red sauce, microwave steam in the bag veggies and breakfast foods. I also look for healthier versions of things he likes. He loves hot dogs and sausages so I buy Trader Joes chicken sausages sometimes.

Our youngest is 4 months and there have been days since I went back to work that DS eats turkey breast lunchmeat rolled up and frozen broccoli for dinner. I don't make soup or pasta often because he still needs our help eating those.

skibunny59

Soups are a favorite for my family during the week.  We eat homemade soup about 2-3 times per week because they're healthy, easy, and freeze really well.  whatever soups I'm making I usually triple the recipe and freeze a bunch of batches. DD loves soup.  

This butternut squash soup from foodnetwork is so yummy

https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/giada-de-laurentiis/butternut-squash-soup-with-fontina-cheese-crostini-recipe/index.html

We always feed DD whatever we are eating.  We don't do separate "toddler" meals for her. 

Also, I get home very early (usually in the door before 4) and I never cook after work.  I always cook on weekends or the night before for the next day.  Much easier this way.  In your situation, I would cook after the kids are in bed have DH eat and then you and your kids eat the leftovers for dinner the next night.  I agree with everyone else that's important to eat as a family and even though your DH can't join you, you should be eating with your kids.

shannm

The kids eat what we make.  Now that I have said that, it does influence what we actually make.  So the meals I know they will eat are:  pasta and meatballs, veggie ravioli, baked fish, sauteed chicken, lots of veggies, shrimp and kielbasa rice, quesadillas, chicken sausage, pizza......we then make other things and encourage them to eat it but it doesn't always happen. 

I get home around 5:30-6 and we do eat together.  It is a challenge but it works for us.

dizzycooks

litzo27 said:

What do you and your DH eat? My kids eat what we eat with the exception of some specific things they don't like. I cook only about 2 a week with enough leftovers to last the other days and heat things up. So in your situation the 2 y.o. would get reheats of the same thing we would eat later. Things that are popular with my boys are: meatballs, soup, baked fish, slow cooker stew, lamb chops, stir fries. And of course they'll always eat pasta, rice, bread, frozen pizza, tortellini and pretty much any other starch.

Yep, this is us.  DD eats with us and she eats what we eat.  Last night she had pot roast, sweet potatoes, carrots, onions and mushrooms with spinach salad and pears.  She didn't touch the spinach salad but gobbled up the pears and other veggies.   I don't make a big deal out of it, if she doesn't want it, then she'll eat at the next meal.  That was an easy meal for us because it sat in the crock pot all day and was ready the minute we walked in the door.  We do not do chicken nuggets, fish sticks, mac n cheese, etc. ever so we haven't fallen into a toddler food trap.

jlaOK

My 3.5 yr old also eats whatever we eat (sometimes just a variation of it).  Since you get home so late I would start making a list of crock-pot and freezer meals or make a meal the night before that you can heat up and eat once you get home.

Here are some freezer and crock-pot meals that we really like:

Freezer:
https://www.seededatthetable.com/2010/02/22/baked-creamy-chicken-taquitos/

https://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2009/03/bbq-meatballs-comfort-food-to-the-max/

https://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2007/06/chicken_spaghet/

Crock-pot:
https://www.the-girl-who-ate-everything.com/2011/09/slow-cooker-chicken-caesar-sandwiches.html

https://www.skinnytaste.com/2008/12/skinny-italian-meatballs-turkey-1-pt.html (only I crock-pot them with jarred sauce)

https://www.budgetsavvydiva.com/2012/04/crock-pot-chicken-tacos-recipe/

https://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Slow-Cooker-Salisbury-Steak/Detail.aspx?ms=1&prop25=80079589&prop26=SlowCooker&prop27=2012-03-23&prop28=Main&prop29=Recipe&me=1

https://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/slow-cooker-lasagna/23546794-7262-47be-9ca4-e12c900399a1

Hope this helps.

Lynnja616

They eat what we eat.  No special toddler or kiddie meals in our house.  If they don't like it, they go hungry but usually if there is an element to the meal they dislike, there is another 1 or 2 that they do like.  They aren't going to starve themselves.  We aren't short order cooks and I have seen people create the pickiest, unhealthiest eaters by providing "childrens" meals AKA quick and processed crap.

ss265

dizzykates said:

litzo27 said:

What do you and your DH eat? My kids eat what we eat with the exception of some specific things they don't like. I cook only about 2 a week with enough leftovers to last the other days and heat things up. So in your situation the 2 y.o. would get reheats of the same thing we would eat later. Things that are popular with my boys are: meatballs, soup, baked fish, slow cooker stew, lamb chops, stir fries. And of course they'll always eat pasta, rice, bread, frozen pizza, tortellini and pretty much any other starch.

Yep, this is us.  DD eats with us and she eats what we eat.  Last night she had pot roast, sweet potatoes, carrots, onions and mushrooms with spinach salad and pears.  She didn't touch the spinach salad but gobbled up the pears and other veggies.   I don't make a big deal out of it, if she doesn't want it, then she'll eat at the next meal.  That was an easy meal for us because it sat in the crock pot all day and was ready the minute we walked in the door.  We do not do chicken nuggets, fish sticks, mac n cheese, etc. ever so we haven't fallen into a toddler food trap.

Regarding the toddler food trap, the foods you named are similar to what DS eats at day care. So how do you get around that? Just let him eat that stuff at DC and whatever you cook at home?

katiegal

Thanks for all the helpful suggestions.  I guess I'll just have to make it work.  It's just really hard (as you all are well aware).  I feel like by the time we get home she's starving and I barely have time to do anything but feed her something really quick before it is time for bath and bed.  My husband makes dinner for us every night but as I mentioned, we usually don't eat until 9pm or after and sometimes we're just both so tired we eat some snacks and go to bed.  We rarely have a "formal" meal.  I think we'll start doing a lot of prep on Sundays!

ccam

DS eats what we eat, if I have time to cook when we get home, or he has leftovers of whatever we ate the night before.  In a pinch, I usually at least have a piece of grilled chicken to give him and microwave some veggies.

jnnfrrose6

katiegal said:

Thanks for all the helpful suggestions.  I guess I'll just have to make it work.  It's just really hard (as you all are well aware).  I feel like by the time we get home she's starving and I barely have time to do anything but feed her something really quick before it is time for bath and bed.  My husband makes dinner for us every night but as I mentioned, we usually don't eat until 9pm or after and sometimes we're just both so tired we eat some snacks and go to bed.  We rarely have a "formal" meal.  I think we'll start doing a lot of prep on Sundays!

If DH is making dinner later, then I'd just set some aside for LO to have the next day re-heated.  No extra prep for you when you get home, LO is getting variety, and you're still getting time with LO.  DS has had chicken Tikka Masala twice this week since DH made it on Saturday.  Makes getting home from work that much easier.

thedash

Yeah you definitely have to plan ahead more on the weekends when you have two and get home late. DS loves chicken drumsticks so DH will marinate and roast a few on the weekend to keep in the fridge. Then we have some rice and black beans cooked and sitting in the fridge. Those with some microwaved veggies are a good dinner for DS that can be ready in 10 minutes. If I'm making something DS really likes (chicken sausage, veggie soup in beef broth) I put at least one small portion in the fridge in a container so we can heat it up for him another night.

dizzycooks

@ss265 I don't worry about what they serve at daycare or plan my meal around what daycare might serve.  The chances are good that my meals are not exactly the same in every element.  That said, I send DDs food to daycare because I don't approve of the stuff they serve, I find it is processed, lacks vegetables, and is carb heavy.  Stepping off my soapbox...if your child will eat that food at daycare, why won't they eat it at home?  That's what I would ask myself.

In addition, I think families often fall into the trap of not eating 'formal' meals as some has said.  DH and I have eaten a sit down meal, at our table, every single night of our marrigage unless absolutely not possible.  In the case of one of us getting home much later than the other then one might eat without the other, but we would more than likely still sit down when the second person is eating.  If my children needed to eat earlier, I would eat with them and then sit down with DH and chat while he eats.  It's proven that mealtimes are important and beneficial to healthy family relationships.

jf198400

I mostly cook over the weekend and serve leftovers during the week. The kids get what we eat for the most part and if they don't like it, then they don't get anything else. I know they eat a lot during the day, so I just don't worry if they don't eat their dinner. If I'm not cooking for DH and I (if we are going out or something) then I will make kid foods- chicken nuggets or ravioli.

mrsshawnavanb

We all sit down together as well, unless DH is stuck at work late. If that's the case, I sit and eat with DD and then I also sit with him later and chat while he eats. DD eats what we eat with the exception of adding a fruit for her. Some of our regular meals are: chicken enchiladas (i cook the chicken in the crockpot with taco seasoning while at work then just assemble the enchiladas right when I get home and bake them for 30 mins), beef tacos, spaghetti with meat sauce or balls, grilled cheese and soup if we're in a rush, pot roast, beef stew, chili, breakfast for dinner, homemade pizza, pulled pork sandwiches, bbq ribs, etc. I always make sure that there is a veggie for all of us and then some sort of fruit option for DD.