What to feed 15 mo? How to get more protein? Update & thank U!

[boys2enough]

I realized today that I don't have a huge repertoire for DS2's menu: eggs (mainly egg yolk), mac & cheese, peanut butter sandwich, broccoli, lima beans, fish, vegi burger (sometimes) and grilled cheese (occassionally) are the few things he would actually keep in his mouth and swallow.

On one hand, I feel I should stick with what works; on the other hand, I feel guilty feeding him the same thing every day.

What kind of food will your toddler eat? I would appreciate any simple recipe, suggestions for ready-made food, food that I can pre-make and freeze, or any advice, opinions, etc etc.

Or simply tell me that I am not alone! lol ;-)

Lin

[August Mom]

What kind of food will my toddler eat? Hmm. It depends on the day. :) LOL We generally just offer DS what we are having at our meal.

One of his favorite meals is pot roast, potatoes and carrots. I just put chuck roast (sprinkled with salt and pepper), halved new potatoes and baby carrots in the crock pot. Pour in a can of beef broth and cook on low for 8+ hours. The meat is very tender and DS really likes it.

DS also really likes black beans. He likes other kinds of beans too, but black beans are a definite favorite.

DS also likes marinated meat. I make a Polynesian beef and peppers. The round steak is marinated in a soy sauce mixture before cooking and DS thinks this meat is great.

DS might be a little unusual, but he also really likes chili and chicken chili (maybe it's the beans). If you would like a recipe for either, let me know.

For lunch, we do easier things. One that DS and I both like is a quesadilla. I just put a flour tortilla in a skillet, put shredded cheese on half of it, fold the tortilla and cook until lightly browned on each side. Sometimes I add bell pepper, black beans, ground beef or chicken.

[egoldber]

Rice and black beans are a HUGE fav around here too! And also quesadilla. Ground beef and rice in various combinations are also quite popular. Meatloaf was a huge fav for awhile, but now its fallen out of favor. I can also get her to eat almost anything in soup, which she adores.

My DD is not so fond of chicken, fish or eggs. She mainly likes beef and beans for her protein. She will occasionally eat some of my omelette in the morning, but usually not.

Other good protein sources are yogurt, tofu (you can mix it into yogurt for a "super" protein) and cheese.

HTH,

[kransden]

This week, who knows about next, dd loves chicken legs, manwiches (who knew?), spagetti with red or white sauce, frozen tyson chicken nuggets (good teethers), pork stir fry (meat,rice and beans sprouts only), kraft easy mac and cheese, canned black beans, non-spicy chicken tacos, cream of tomato soup w/ grilled cheese, yogurt, string cheese, ham from the deli, and miso soup.

I offer dd whatever we are eating. She usually trys it, spits it out and I try to offer it again casually a couple of times through the meal. Sometimes later it is a yes, sometimes it is a week later, and sometimes it is a firm no. I have made a point of not making it be a big deal. Since there are no consquences for her trying something and spitting it out, she seems very willing to test things. Texture seems to be her issue. She hates canned fruit, but loved fresh pineapple.

Karin and Katie 10/24/02

[sbaker]

DS's all time favorite protein rich food is a drinkable yogurt called Nouriche. He drinks a whole one for breakfast everyday. They have like 10 grams of protein and come in a bunch of different flavors. I bought some Playtex straw sippys from Costco and use those for the yogurt. He thinks he's a "big boy" because he gets to drink with a straw.

Just my two cents...
:) :+ :)
Sara
Mom to:
Rayce 02/09/02
Charlye 12/20/03

[emilyf]

You're not alone! I offer ds everything that I make for myself, but he is turning out to be kind of picky (figures, picky eaters are a pet peeve of mine). He eats a lot of pbj and mac and cheese. I just try to keep offering new things, some times he will eat something he completely rejected the day before (and vice versa)!
Emily \r\nmom of Charlie born 11/02

[boys2enough]

HI, came back to thank you all for your suggestions and moral support. :) In this week I realized that my real problem is that Gabriel will not stay in his high chair for longer than 10 minutes. But he will eat, sorry Gabriel, like a puppy: you know, roam around the house and then come back for more... I am also guilty because I chase after him to give him food around the house...

Anyway, I appreciate all the suggestions and have been trying the things you mentioned:

drinkable yogurt is a hit... ok, have to admit that I "stole" food from my own baby. lol. but they taste really good, and I DO NOT eat yogurt normally. At first I was taken aback by the price, but thought if he'd drink eat and get some nutrition into his tummy, hey, I'll pay!

Tried pot roast today. I had to ask a lady what kind of beef people use for pot roast and she looked at me like I was crazy. lol. it's so convenient and was a hit! DS1 had 2 servings of it. The baby ate all the meat I gave him but spit out the potato and carrots.

Soup: I just opened a can of soup. I really can't cook... Gabriel was kind of surprised by the soup, I think. He had fun putting his hands in the soup though, and he did eat some chicken and some vegi in the soup.

The cheese quesadilla was a huge hit! It's also non-messy enough that I was able to feed him on the run. Funny thing was DH liked it so much, he kept on asking me, "Is Gabriel going to eat this piece?" Soon DH ate most of it and I had to make another one. :)

Again, thank you and have a great week! Cheers, Lin

[Momof3Labs]

Try a booster seat. Colin boycotted his high chair about a month ago, so we put him in his strap-on booster seat that we bought for eating out. He loves being at the table with us and sits much longer now! Also, be sure that you sit down to eat with him; he'll be more likely to stay put if you are sitting there than if you leave him alone.

[alleyoop]

If he will eat Lima Beans, then give Edamame (Soy beans in the pod) a try! They are very tasty, and quick to make. Plus, Soy has lots of protein.