Toddler Recipies

Definately try the Soymilk instead of milk. I give my daughter plain Silk or Walmart brand (they look the same in the fridge at Walmart near the milk.) She loves it and it is sweeter than milk but still very healthy.

I have this awesome cookbook just for toddler recipes. It's called "First Meals" and it's by Annabel Karmel. My daughter can be very picky at times but she has loved everything I've tried out of there so far, especially the homemade tomato soup. It covers everything from breakfasts to desserts and is for ages 4 months to 5 years and beyond. The best part it all the recipes use healthy ingreadiants usually by sneaking them in so your child won't even know she's eating good stuff! lol

I do have a smoothie recipe too and it's so easy and my daughter loves it.

1/2 c. milk
1/2 c. Orange juice
1/2 c. frozen strawberries
1 6oz strawberry yogurt
1 banana (optional)

blend it together and enjoy. It makes 2 servings so my daughter and I usually share it when I make one. You can also substitute any fruit and flavored yogurt for the strawberry. Raspberry is pretty good as well.

My daughter is not a picky eater, but there's something I throw together every now and then that she just loves. I take browned lean ground meat, very tiny cooked pasta(you can even get alphabet pasta), sweet peas, and diced roasted red peppers and mix this all together. And of course you can mix it up and add anything you like to the pasta and meat. As for the milk, there's always the flavored powder or syrup. They've got all kinds of fun flavors and colors.

try verybestkids.com or kraftfoods.com . . . they always have the best recipes for kids.

hi A.
i really don't have a problem with my daughter eatin anything foods thank god she eats like her dad a lot of veggies, but i did have a problem with her drinkin milk when she turned 1yrs old she just made up her mind that she would not drink milk. no matter what i put in it choc, strawberries, makin a smoothie, etc. she just would not drink it then i decieded to not give her anything else but milk, she would just let it sit there untill it got hot and she knew i would not make her drink it warm. she got worried and when i was at one of my WIC meetings ask the lady that was teaching use about the proper food groups and she told me on't worry because as long as she is eating a dairy products she would be fine. so i just gave herr more cheese, pudding and things like that. but i do watch the foodnetwork a lot and the have alot of different ways to get kids to eat, maybe you should going on their website and she what they have. hope this helps goo luck.
S.

One that I found that makes a great snack is a fruit salad. With my two daughters, I let them choose their favorite fruits (raisins as an option) and let them stir. For the dressing I use yogurt. It gives them fruit and dairy and lets them participate.

I found this banana shake mix that our kids love. You can find the mix in the fruit section. In either walmart or h-e-b. You put the mix, 1-2 banana's, ice, and milk in a blender. Its really good. They also have strawberrry and orange.

hi A.,
Don't have any special recipes, but do have an idea for you to try. Have you tried the danimals drinkable yogurt? My daughter feels like a big girl with these and will drink with no problem. She even puts the straw in herself. Another way to get Faith (my 3 y/o daughter) to have dairy is to put chocolate Nesquick syrup in her milk. Not enough to make her chocolate hyper, but enough to turn the milk a light tan to mask the whiteness. Ice cream is also a fave. Faith won't eat cheese, so this is how I get her to have the recommended amt of dairy. Hope it helps!
A.

you can try dried fruit, cheesesticks, pizza with veggies on it. those work for my [icky eaters. you can also try putting chocolate syrup or strawberry syrup in her milk. works well for me.

good luck.

Hi A.,
I was told by my pediatrition not to worry about the every day eating habbits of my 18months daughter but to look at what she is eating over five to seven days. As we all know one day they will eat anything and the next they will only touch cereal! But it looks like you have gotten some really good recipies, I'll have to try some!
As for the milk, have you thought of trying soy milk? It has all of the good stuff (calcium, iron, folate, protein, lots of vitamins, and more) that cows milk has without the hormons and additives. The Silk brand has chocolate soy milk that is extremely delicious. It tastes just like chocolate milk without all of the bad sugars we don't want our children to get addicted to.
Hope I could help,
L.

My toddler loves baked potato with cheese and broccoli. I just steam some finely chopped broccoli, add a slice of those Kraft singles, and mix it up with baked potato. The cheese makes it really creamy, and she just loves it.

Also, she really likes scrambled eggs with cheese and small pieces of ham.

I make mini-pizzas with pita bread, marinara sauce, a little cheese and whatever I want to put on top. This is a good way to get her to eat her veggies, because the marinara sauce masks the veggie-taste. I use cooked zucchini, broccoli, etc. I assemble them, and bake them at 400 until the cheese is melted, then chop them up into finger-food sized pieces.

What else...? Oh, she LOVES those Yo-Baby organic yogurts. They have pear and apple flavors. I mix them with bananas and Cheerios sometimes.

I've found that if I let her "help" me make dinner, she's more interested in eating whatever it is.

Good luck!

J.

Hi A.,
My son is two and he is a pretty good eater--below are a few ideas for you, some of his favorites! I"m not a good cook either, I like things that are quick and I can remember without having to look at a recipe!
A. (mom to Easton, 2 1/2 yrs)

Bean burritos
One small flour or wheat tortilla
Beans (refried, black, or kidney)
Corn
chopped tomatoes
cheese

Put all the ingredients on half of the tortilla, fold it over and bake it on 350 for about 10 minutes. Then cut it into small pieces or strips--My son loves it and its pretty healthy!

Strawberry/banana smoothie
Add about 5 or 6 strawberries, (frozen is great because then you don't have to add ice)
1 banana
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup yogurt
blend

Macaroni and cheese with peas--Quick and easy!
I just add about 3/4 cup frozen peas to the boiling macaroni about 1 minute before its done. Drain it all and add ingredients as instructed on box.

Veggie Chili--super easy and healthy
1 onion diced and sauteed
1 can black beans (do not drain)
1 can kidney beans (do not drain)
1 can corn (drained)
1 can diced or stewed tomatoes (drained)
1 pckg taco seasoning
1 pckg dry ranch dressing or dip mix
(you can also add ground turkey if you want, just sautee with onion)

Sautee onion, add all ingredients into pot, bring to a boil and simmer for 20 minutes-yummy!\

Good luck!

My son is also very picky. He will not drink milk, so I make him smoothies. You put 1/2 cup orange juice, 1/2 cup yogurt, 1 banana and some frozen fruit in the blender. She'll love it because it's sweet and frozen and she will get fresh fruit and yogurt. Also, if you buy natural peanut butter, whole grain bread and real fruit jelly, a pb&j sandwich can cover the most basic needs for a meal. Of course, vegetables are the most difficult to get past a picky toddler. When I want to get fruits and vegetables past my little guy I bribe him with a Yummy Bear vitamin from the health food store. They told me it's the best for kids who don't eat as well as others, and it works as a perfect bribe. Good luck.

baby carrots or apple slices with peanut butter...
i mix green beans and carrot slices and broccoli and steam them.. my 2 yr old loves it!
a little milk a sliced banana and strawberries make a great smoothie! as do orange juice and strawberries or even oj and a banana!
my daughter likes brightly colored foods and i usually find that if i make a big deal out of taking a bite of something and "yumming it up" then she really wants some or if my husband tells her "oh no.. this is mine" well that's a kicker right there.. if daddy has it.. she wants it..
I wish you the best! luckily my daughter eats everything ... which means my son will probably eat nothing!

Hi A.,
The only way my daughter likes milk, is to dip cookies in it.
The highest source of calcium(higher than milk) you get from cottage chease. I always mix it with applesauce.

A.

I used the Superbaby Cookbook when my kids were toddlers. It's a purple book. I saw it at Barnes and Noble just the other day.