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Dinner ideas for toddlers?

soveryexcitedsoveryexcited member
in Pre-School and Daycare
Breakfast and lunch I've got pretty well covered, but DD typically refuses to eat what I serve at dinner. I always make her try a few bites of everything; but I feel like all I'm feeding her lately are noodles and sandwiches. What do you feed your child at dinner? The more ideas (and the simpler they are) the better!
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Re: Dinner ideas for toddlers?

  • the_jackpotthe_jackpot member
    He eats what we eat unless it is too spicy. I always keep black beans and rice with veggies as an option. His lunch ideas are: quesadillas (sometimes with spinach), pasta w/veggies, grilled cheese, shredded chicken on tortillas, mac and cheese, roasted veggies over mashed potatoes.
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  • howleyshellhowleyshell member

    imagethe_jackpot:
    He eats what we eat unless it is too spicy

    This.

    I'm not a short order cook so they eat what I fix for us.

    The differences are that I make theirs less spicy and often serve their stuff without sauces.

    I try to make sure that there's at least one thing that they'll like:

    shirimp

    salmon 

    chicken with bread crumbs

    fish with bread crumbs

    meat (or turkey) loaf

    sweet pototoes

    broccoli

    pasta

    rice

     

    Bottom line around out house is that you make a happy plate or you don't get fruit after dinner as dessert.  I've seen them choke down almost anything to earn their fruit!

    If I suspect something won't go over well I put less of that on their plate and more of something I know they'll like.

    If you're struggling with dinner time try skipping the afternoon snack if you don't already.  Being truly hungry helps them try new foods with a more open mind IMO. 

    Our IF journey: 1 m/c, 1 IVF with only 3 eggs retrieved yielding Dylan and a lost twin, 1 shocker unmedicated BFP resulting in Jace, 3 more unmedicated pregnancies ending in more losses.
    Total score: 6 pregnancies, 5 losses, 2 amazing blessings that I'm thankful for every single day.
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  • SpenjaminsSpenjamins
    My kids are very picky. We always have in the house: Trader Joe's frozen meatballs Pasta All kinds of fresh fruit and veggies Cheese Crackers

    I am not a short order cook but my kids are picky and I am not going to make mealtime a battleground and force them to eat stuff. We are all busy with work and school so we keep it simple. Lots of times I will make a big platter of cheese, cut up fruits and veggies and some chicken or salami and bread or crackers. We all dig in and have fun.

    image
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  • septemberdreamsseptemberdreams
    He eats what we eat.  If it's something new I will give a smaller portion.  I only ask that he try 3 bites.  I also keep re-introducing the new item.  We also have fruit for dessert, which he only gets if he finishes everything.
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  • shellybird101shellybird101
    My child will eat what I serve, if she doesn't like it then I guess she is hungry later, I refuse to make her a "special" plate cause she is picky.  I find that if it is something she doesn't like (pizza) she eats more salad or veggies. 
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  • KathrynMDKathrynMD member
    imageSpenjamins:
    My kids are very picky. We always have in the house: Trader Joe's frozen meatballs Pasta All kinds of fresh fruit and veggies Cheese Crackers

    I am not a short order cook but my kids are picky and I am not going to make mealtime a battleground and force them to eat stuff. We are all busy with work and school so we keep it simple. Lots of times I will make a big platter of cheese, cut up fruits and veggies and some chicken or salami and bread or crackers. We all dig in and have fun.

    I'm similar to Spenjamins, DD isn't terribly picky, but I'm also not interested in making mealtime a battle.  She will ocassionnaly refuse to eat whatever we've made or I need her to eat quickly before our dinner ready - those meals are typically sliced deli ham or turkey, turkey or beef meatballs, chicken nuggets, 1/2 a frozen burger, beans and rice, whatever veggies or fruit I have around - typically carrots, oranges, grapes or bananas nad sometimes some pretzels or rice cake crackers. 

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  • KristinKDKristinKD member

    I also don't like making three different meals, so I usually base our meals around what my girls will eat, or make a plainer version for them. If we try something new, DD1 knows she has to try at least one bite, and I'll try it a few more times to make sure she really doesn't like it. (It took her FOREVER to eat chicken, and last night she finally ate asparagus after rejecting it so many times!) She gets a treat like fruit, yogurt, or a smoothie, only if she finishes everything on her plate.

    The other night I made chicken potpie with a biscuit topping, and I just know they should like it, especially since the only vegetables I used were carrots, peas, and potatoes, but all they ate were the biscuits. :(

    Anyway, some favorites with my girls:

    * breaded chicken (made with whole wheat breadcrumbs mixed with a little flaxseed) with mashed sweet potatoes or sweet potato fries and steamed broccoli

    * breaded flounder/tilapia (same as above) with oven-baked fries and steamed broccoli and baby carrots

    * mustard-glazed turkey tenderloin (cooked plain for the girls) with mashed potatoes and steamed sugar snap peas

    * linguine with spinach-basil pesto, shrimp and scallops (DD2 will eat this but DD1 will just have plain linguine) and steamed green beans

    * whole wheat couscous with grilled chicken and broccoli in tomato sauce

    I am always looking for some new family-friendly ideas too. :)

    Emily 11.29.2007 | Kate 4.3.2010 | James 8.22.2013
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  • ShanJosh777ShanJosh777 member
    imageKathrynMD:
    imageSpenjamins:
    My kids are very picky. We always have in the house: Trader Joe's frozen meatballs Pasta All kinds of fresh fruit and veggies Cheese Crackers

    I am not a short order cook but my kids are picky and I am not going to make mealtime a battleground and force them to eat stuff. We are all busy with work and school so we keep it simple. Lots of times I will make a big platter of cheese, cut up fruits and veggies and some chicken or salami and bread or crackers. We all dig in and have fun.

    I'm similar to Spenjamins, DD isn't terribly picky, but I'm also not interested in making mealtime a battle.  She will ocassionnaly refuse to eat whatever we've made or I need her to eat quickly before our dinner ready - those meals are typically sliced deli ham or turkey, turkey or beef meatballs, chicken nuggets, 1/2 a frozen burger, beans and rice, whatever veggies or fruit I have around - typically carrots, oranges, grapes or bananas nad sometimes some pretzels or rice cake crackers. 

    So glad to see people say this. It seems like everyone is quick to say 'I'm not a short order cook,' which, of course, who wants to be? But my DS recently (in the last few months) became much more picky and I refuse to spend my limited time with him fighting over what I think he should eat, or forcing him to eat things he doesn't like. At the same time, I don't want to eat the same things for dinner over and over, so I usually do make him eggs with veggies and cheese, or let him eat a sandwich for dinner while I have whatever I made.

     

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