Healthy Recipes a toddler would eat.

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RachelVerthein
RachelVerthein Posts: 28
in Recipes
So, since i'm trying to eat healthier I struggle to find recipes that my 3yr old daughter will like. I can just make two seperate meals. any ideas of recipes that are kid friendly as well?
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  • guppygirl322
    guppygirl322 Posts: 408 Member
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    http://www.wholesometoddlerfood.com/:happy:
  • nrvo
    nrvo Posts: 473 Member
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    There are some recipes on this website that look like they would be kid friendly, even chicken nuggets!
    http://www.skinnytaste.com/2008/03/recipe-index.html
  • fatty2fabby
    fatty2fabby Posts: 415 Member
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    This cookbook is amazing! Kid Favorites Made Healthy (Better Homes and Gardens): 150 Delicious Recipes Kids Can't Resist - i looked after kids aged 2 & 5 a few years ago and they loved everything! (me too :bigsmile: )
  • guppygirl322
    guppygirl322 Posts: 408 Member
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    Oh, and when my daughter was little, I used to 'hide' the veggies in her food. If I made her mac and cheese, I'd make it with pureed sweet potato and less cheese (omg that is so tasty). Same with pasta sauce. I'd blend in a cup full of cooked mixed veggies into the sauce.
  • yankeefamily05
    yankeefamily05 Posts: 657
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    Ooo! I need to look at those books.
  • 4UGIRL
    4UGIRL Posts: 3 Member
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    My boys love eating carrots and weight watchers cream cheese. They also love peanut butter with celery. Both are great snacks.
  • bgeer34
    bgeer34 Posts: 135 Member
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    I think healthy food is not that hard for a toddler to learn to eat. If they aren't used to it and are more used to processed foods like hot dogs and so on then it might take time... try presenting it in a cute or clever manner on the plate or give it a cool new name... when my first daughter was born I had a 4 year old step son. He only liked bologna, hot dogs, spaghetti and pizza. I didn't want to feed that stuff to him all the time and I did things like calling meatloaf a "meat cake" and baked it in a pan he knew I used to make cakes... the ketchup was red spicy icing for the "cake"... worked great..


    He also didn't like lasagna so I told him it was what spaghetti looked like before they cut it and it was really a flat spaghetti casserole. He loved that too.

    A little creativity and kids adjust and learn to eat good. It's even slowly working with my teenage boys but with them I also let them help create menus, spices to add, etc.... and then they want to try it and like it because they helped. :)
  • sarabellum
    sarabellum Posts: 88 Member
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    My 2 1/2 year old is obsessed with pizza, so I make them on whole wheat pitas with healthy ingredients so that we're both happy :)
    Those cookbooks sound amazing though - I need to try to get him to eat more variety - although THANKFULLY, he loves veggies like broccoli, avocado and tomatos :)
    Good luck!!!
  • SheilaSisco
    SheilaSisco Posts: 722 Member
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    My boys love things like english muffin pizzas... we split whole wheat einglish muffins, top with homemade pizza sauce (tomato sauce spiced with Italian seasoning, basil and oregano, about 1/8 cup or less of cheese each and whatever toppings we're in the mood for. It's like kid-sized pizzas, which they love and healthy, which I love. We also do turkey franks. Healthier than hot dogs and they actually taste pretty good. Almond butter and sugar free jelly sandwiches are also a good choice. Other than that... a lot of the skinnytaste.com recipes have been tested and kid approved in my house, so you can check there too. Good luck! :)
  • paavy
    paavy Posts: 16 Member
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    bump
  • RachelVerthein
    RachelVerthein Posts: 28
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    My daughter loves spagetti and meatloaf. but I'm trying to get her away from prcoessed foods. She will not eat veggies and I dont want to butter them up just to force her or to like them.
  • Atlantique
    Atlantique Posts: 2,484 Member
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    Keep in mind that a growing toddler has different dietary requirements than you do. For one example, their developing brains need much more fat than adults do. ;)

    I understand not wanting to cook multiple meals for the family, but try to be sure you don't inadvertently skimp on her needs while meeting yours.
  • guppygirl322
    guppygirl322 Posts: 408 Member
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    Try to sautee the veggies in olive oil. It's a good fat, nice and healthy. My daughter was the same, wouldn't eat her veggies unless I hid them in her food (which does work really well). Ironically, she declared herself a vegetarian at the age of 6. Now she'll eat any veggie I put in front of her, although she does ask for specific ones more than others (and just flat out refuses to eat peas). Most of it is being persistant. Just keep putting the veggies in front of her and she'll eventually eat them. If she doesn't (and this is the important part here) don't give in and give her something else or she'll learn that she will eventually get what she wants instead of what you want her to have. Remember, she won't starve herself.
  • guppygirl322
    guppygirl322 Posts: 408 Member
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    I think healthy food is not that hard for a toddler to learn to eat. If they aren't used to it and are more used to processed foods like hot dogs and so on then it might take time... try presenting it in a cute or clever manner on the plate or give it a cool new name... when my first daughter was born I had a 4 year old step son. He only liked bologna, hot dogs, spaghetti and pizza. I didn't want to feed that stuff to him all the time and I did things like calling meatloaf a "meat cake" and baked it in a pan he knew I used to make cakes... the ketchup was red spicy icing for the "cake"... worked great..


    He also didn't like lasagna so I told him it was what spaghetti looked like before they cut it and it was really a flat spaghetti casserole. He loved that too.

    A little creativity and kids adjust and learn to eat good. It's even slowly working with my teenage boys but with them I also let them help create menus, spices to add, etc.... and then they want to try it and like it because they helped. :)

    Meat cake and flat spaghetti casserole? :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:

    I LOVE IT!
  • amyers35
    amyers35 Posts: 51
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    www.greenlitebites.com
  • missmomma77
    missmomma77 Posts: 42
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    Bumping up. I need some ideas as well!
  • bbush18
    bbush18 Posts: 207 Member
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    i've recently run into (and conquered) this problem with my toddler as well. i found that if i make his snacks fun and healthy then i don't stress as much over breakfast, lunch, and dinner. i make smoothies with veggies in them and ultimately find places to hide spinach in his pizza and spaghetti. but a good ol' baked sweet potato with cinnamon never seems to fail! i think for the most part, making the meal fun to eat and the name of the food fun to say, then it should work out for you! and if anything else...i puree some veggies into my toddlers applesauce...that's money!! :D
  • jodi_bannister
    jodi_bannister Posts: 90 Member
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    Bump...
  • punkrockmama
    punkrockmama Posts: 142 Member
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    <-- Mean mama. If my kids don't eat what I make or offer, then they wait until the next meal or snack and have the same option: eat or don't. Each of the has chosen to skip a meal, or sometimes two, but they ALL happily sit down and eat eventually. And nobody was harmed.
    I don't make special meals for my kids, and I don't force them to eat their veggies...or anything else for that matter. But, I make all of our meals with a protein, a whole grain, ad a veggie in it. If the want more, they have to eat a bite of each food. We also garden, and even a small container garden can do wonders for their palate. And the only snacks they get before dinner are veggies, no exceptions.
    I'm not militant, but my 9, 4, & 2 yr olds all love a wide variety of vegetables at this point.
    Other ideas:
    -My son's preschool introduces a new fruit/veggie ever week. At the end of the week snacks revolve around that food and almost all the kids will try it after learning about it.
    -Take her to a farmers market and have her pick out veggies she'd like.
    --Have her pick recipes from some of the websites and books recommended to help you make.
    -Teach her how healthful foods help her body work.
  • TourThePast
    TourThePast Posts: 1,753 Member
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    If she doesn't (and this is the important part here) don't give in and give her something else or she'll learn that she will eventually get what she wants instead of what you want her to have. Remember, she won't starve herself.
    Absolutely agree. People say "My child will only eat X" - the same people say the same about their cats "Oh Fluffy will only eat brand X" well believe me, hunger is a powerful force, kids and every other kind of domesticated animal ( :bigsmile: ) absolutely will eat if they are hungry.

    A doctor once told me he'd never heard of a child being malnourished in a situation where food was available. I know it sounds easier to give in, but it's making a rod for your own back in the long term.

    About "hiding" vegetables in sauces - I realise it works, but I have my doubts. Thing is, it's not teaching them to love vegetables. It's teaching them that meals that look as if they don't contain vegetables are okay for them to eat, and that's not a great message to lodge into their heads.

    I told my nephews that my lovely crisp sweet peppers (red and yellow) are special and are only for grown ups, but if they're good they can have a bit. Worked wonders, my SIL came into the kitchen and couldn't believe they were eating VEGETABLE MATTER! (have to say I was surprised myself that that one worked!) :bigsmile:

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