Meals for Daycare

The Super Baby Food book by Yaron might help you a lot. It's probably where your friend got her puree food idea. I've used it for both my boys, youngest now 11 mos, too. It's a little over the top on some issues, but you can pick and choose what you want to follow. As far as particular food suggestions, I always suggest tofu! It's an awesome kid food! I cut it into small chunks for finger food or mash it with some fruit. Kids love it! I too froze some veggie purees and one afternoon can yield a lot of frozen food. But, at your baby's age he can probably eat leftovers a lot. Good luck!

Sounds like you're doing a fabulous job with his diet! Some other dishes, mac & cheese, rotini w/sauce--pretty much whatever you've seen as an organic baby food, just mashed up more. Don't forget some treats like applesauce, mashed bananas, mashed pears.... I'd also make sure I try them at home before sending new dishes to daycare to see if he has any food allergies. And, gradually add new dishes to his menu. You didn't mention if he's doing any cereals, but that's another option, rice cereal, cream of wheat, etc., with pears, applesauce or bananas for breakfast. Now, I don't know how many teeth he has, but I saw one mom who is a veggan giving her daughter (a little older than your son) bits of beets. I've forgotten how old they should be to eat little finger foods like cheerios, but when you go grocery shopping, check the aisle and look at the graduate selections to get some more ideas. You don't have to buy them, but they used to give me ideas of what I could make at home.

Anything works. I had to provide breakfast and lunch. To ensure I didn't forget something, I had a little mantra: 2 fruits, a vegetable, a protein, a yogurt and a breakfast. As a baby, she got a combination of home prepared food and jar food. I made the stuff that tasted better than jar: carrots, broccoli, cauliflower. But don't sweat it if that's too much. Then I just sent what I knew she would eat. When she got a bit older, she often had left overs from the night before. Then if I was too tired to cook, I didn't feel guilty about giving her a sandwich. I will say all her teachers commented on the healthiness of the lunches I provided.!

To be honest, I wouldn't really start steaming and pureeing for your son now. Instead just steam the vegetables so they are soft - he's old enough to eat that now. Steaming was not at all difficult for me, I either just steam extra veggies with our dinner or steam stuff in the microwave or on the stove. I use baby carrots, frozen peas, cleaned fresh green beans, and steam until soft. I cook sweet potaotes or squash in the microwave and cube them. My friend just treated herself to an awesome gadget at Williams-Sonoma that perfectly cubes the steamed veggies in baby bite sizes.

As for other items in the lunch, you'll need a protien and a carb. Low sodium lunch meat cut up small is great for finger feeders and much more appetizing than pureed meat. I also cut up a variety of cheeses and chicken breasts. Around one I started to make sandwiches so that I could include toppings like pesto or mayo. Then I just cut up the sandwitches into little easy to gum cubes. For carbs I just made pasta, used crackers, pretzels, or bread. They now make awesome "mini" pastas, I especially like the mini-ravioli by Da vinci.

Really, your child at one can eat just about anything you do as long as you cook it until soft even if he has no teath. We use lots and lots of leftovers for lunches.

I have been making my DD's food since she started eating solids. It's really not that much work, especially if you get a microwave steamer. I don't do purees anymore - haven't since DD was about 9 months old. She is very adept at eating table food (she's 14 months now), even though she doesn't have all her teeth. Babies gums are very strong, so your DS may do better than you think with fruit, steamed veggies, meats, etc.

What I have been doing is just sending cut up fruits, steamed veggies, and meats to DC. It takes some prep time in the morning, but not too much. On the weekends, I will steam huge batches of veggies in chunks and freeze them, then each night, take out what I will need for the next day and let it thaw in the fridge overnight and cut up in the morning. DD also likes peas and corn, which don't need to be cut up and are easy finger foods. Beans are good, too, if your DS will eat them.

You can check out wholesomebabyfood.com for some ideas.

My son turned 1 a couple weeks ago and he's been on table foods since 10 months - pureed stuff just didn't satisfy him any longer.

For breakfast he gets yogurt (I buy the Yoplait Originals - not that expensive YoBaby) or a packet of oatmeal and either cereal (cheerios, mini-wheats, etc) or frozen waffle (toasted). For lunch he gets fruit and cheese (sometimes its cubes of cheese, sometimes its grilled cheese sandwich on whole wheat bread). For dinner he gets veggie, meat and somtimes pasta.

Cody gets a sippy cup of milk with each meal and he gets sippy cups of water and snacks as he desires throughout the day.

Meatloaf, Hamsteak and Fish sticks are his favorite meats. Blueberries are the fruit I know he will eat no matter what.

Also, the ziploc steam bags are a Godsend! I buy fresh or frozen veggies and steam them in the microwave along with rice or pasta. I make enough to last the week. It makes it easy to get dinner together for him each night!

I bake apples and pears in the over (just enough water to cover them, sprinkle with cinnamon) at 350* for 1 hour. This makes them soft enough for beginners.

Also, I urge you to stay away from Gerber graduates, Lunchables, and similar things as they have more sodium than an adult should consume in a day!

I always send a cup of veggies, then either fruit, apple sauce, or yogurt, plus whatever is leftover from dinner the night before. If there's nothing left, or I didn't cook for some reason, then I'll throw in something simple, like a cheese sandwich or a peanut butter sandwich. I also keep some canned fruits and vegetable on hand for those days when the cupboard is bare and I haven't made it to the store for the fresh stuff.

I think they are called gerber graduates, jarred whole veggies cut up into tiny bites, beans, carrots, and fruit.
or you could cut up the stuff yourself. they will eat the veggies at room temp. cut up veggies, fruits, cheese. pack crackers a yogurt. anything you give him at home he can take to daycare.

I would make a bit extra at dinnertime and then put it aside for lunch the next day

It sounds like you're doing a good job preparing food for him. Have you tried making a little extra during the week when you prepare him table food and freeze it then? It may save you time instead of having to do a big preparation on the weekend.

I've made a organic "beefaroni" for my little one. Just organic elbow maccaroni, tomato sauce, and ground beef. She only has a few teeth but she has never had trouble eating this and absolultly loves it! You can add peas, or cut up carrots or broccoli to it too - a simple all in one meal. Yo Baby yogurt with cereal is also one my daycare staples too.