Simple, Healthy, and Delicious Meal Ideas for
Toddlers
Are you looking for ways to make mealtimes easy,
tasty, and healthy for your toddler? Here are some ideas to get you sorted.
Children, especially toddlers who are undergoing a growth spurt, are
often very energetic. Therefore, it’s important to adjust their diet to not
only meet their energy needs but also make sure that they're getting the proper
nutrients for their physical and mental development.
However, getting toddlers to eat properly is quite tedious as they can
get quite fussy about their food, and it can get a little frustrating when you
can’t get them to eat a full meal.
Here are some simple meal ideas that will make your life a lot easier.
But before that, let’s see which nutrients your toddler can’t do without.
What Nutrients Does Your Toddler Need?
When you’re brainstorming healthy toddler
lunch ideas, it’s important to know what kind of nutrients
they really need. In general, toddlers should be given food rich in calcium,
iron, carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins A, D, and C.
Let’s find out which foods contain these nutrients and how they help
with your child's growth.
1. Calcium
Your child needs about 500 milligrams of
calcium daily to ensure the proper development of teeth and bones. Although
calcium is readily available in milk, toddlers tend to avoid it. Luckily, you
can give them other things like cheese, yogurt, and green leafy vegetables.
These should be more than enough to meet
your child’s daily needs. On top of that, children love cheese so much that
they’ll often pick through their food to eat just that! So you don’t have to
worry about them missing out on their calcium.
2. Iron
Iron is necessary for the development of
your child’s circulatory system. Foods that are rich in iron include fish,
poultry, red meat, beans, green vegetables, and eggs. Fortunately, all foods
mentioned above can be used to make delicious meals for your child.
3. Carbohydrates
Remember how toddlers need a lot of
energy? Well, this is where carbohydrates come in. Carbohydrates are broken
down in the body to produce glucose, which is the molecule that supplies your
child with energy to keep them active throughout the day.
Carbohydrates can come from fruits, rice,
and bread. The tastiest source of carbohydrates, of course, are potatoes!
Going for complex carbohydrates is
usually a better option and they can be found in whole wheat products or in
brown rice. These foods are also rich in fiber, which helps keep your child’s
digestive system running smoothly.
4. Proteins
Proteins are essential when it comes to
the proper growth of muscles, organs, and other tissues in the body. Some of
the food mentioned earlier - meat, fish, and yogurt - are rich in proteins.
Besides these, you can also give your child beans and lentils as well.
5. Fats
This bit is a little tricky. Not all fats
are healthy; they can eventually lead to childhood obesity if fed in large
amounts. Healthy fats are often referred to as unsaturated fats.
Peanut butter, cheese, avocado, and nuts
contain a lot of healthy fats. These fats, especially omega-3 fats, help with
your toddler’s cognitive development.
6. Vitamins
Vitamins are micronutrients that play a
huge role in the growth of your toddler. Vitamin A is usually responsible for
better eyesight. Together with vitamin C, vitamin A boosts immunity, ensuring
that cuts and bruises heal quickly.
Lastly, vitamin D makes sure that bones
and muscles form properly. Besides milk and eggs, salmon and tuna are also good
sources of these micronutrients.
Nutritious Meal Recipe Ideas
https://unsplash.com/photos/W2d_FskKkpw
Now that you’re aware of the nutrients your toddler needs, let’s check
out some simple meal ideas for your toddler.
1. Fruit Skewers
Making food for children involves making the meal look visually
appealing. Fruits are, by nature, fit the bill. However, you’ll always notice
that whenever you dice fruits and serve them in a bowl, your toddler will most
likely fish out only one of the fruits while leaving the rest.
To stop that from happening, why not make fruit skewers? You will need
some strawberries, clementines, pineapples, and kiwi fruit. Cut them into
bite-sized pieces and put them through kid-friendly skewers like straws. Serve
this colorful snack to your child and watch them gobble it up in no time.
2. Healthy Parfait
Everyone deserves some dessert after a good meal; and even without
a meal, it won’t hurt to have something sweet and healthy as a snack! To make a
healthy parfait, you will need
some yogurt, fresh fruits, and graham crackers for toppings.
As the parfait needs to be arranged in layers, start by taking a small
cup and putting some yogurt at the bottom. Now add your fruit of choice and add
a layer of yogurt over it.
Repeat the process until you have filled the cup and end with a layer
of yogurt. Sprinkle some crushed graham crackers over the top, and it’s ready
to serve.
3. Mac ‘n Cheese with Vegetables or Meat
Mac ‘n cheese is everyone’s favorite comfort food. You can never go
wrong with this, and you can add many ingredients to it to increase its
nutritional value.
You don’t need to do anything fancy to prepare this meal. Once you are
almost at the end of cooking your mac ‘n cheese, pour some diced carrots or
frozen peas into the mix and stir well.
You can also add in some diced sausage as well if you feel like the
meal needs more protein.
4. Vegetable Fried Rice
Fried rice is also one of those things that everyone loves. If you
happen to have some leftover rice in the fridge, this recipe is perfect for
you.
Heat your pan over the stove and pour in some oil. Start off by
scrambling an egg. Once you see it browning, add in your vegetables and
proteins. For vegetables, you can add carrots and peas — they’re usually
always around and the easiest to toss into the mix. For protein, you can go
with boneless chicken, beef, or even sliced sausages.
After frying these ingredients for about a minute, add in your rice.
Cook this for another two to three minutes before adding a little bit of soy
sauce to give it a touch of flavoring.
5. Korean Rice Rolls
For our last recipe, here’s something a little more creative. This
recipe might be a little complicated for first-timers, but once you give this
to your toddlers, rest assured they’ll be asking for more!
Kimbap, or Korean rice rolls, are basically a seaweed wrap that’s
filled with rice, vegetables, and fried eggs. The most commonly used vegetables
in kimbap are baby spinach, carrots, and yellow radish (although you can skip
yellow radish).
You will need a bamboo rolling mat, large sheets of seaweed, and of
course, a kitchen knife.
How to Make Korean Rice Rolls
-
Start by cooking the rice (sticky rice).
-
Then prepare the filling using vegetables and
eggs, shredded chicken, and even cheese.
-
Cut your vegetables into thin slices. You can
lightly fry the carrots and boil baby spinach.
-
Beat at least three eggs and cook them until they
are firm enough to cut into slices. When you are done preparing the rice and
fillings, bring everything together on a flat surface.
-
Take a healthy helping of rice in a bowl and mix
it with sesame oil and salt. Use a rice paddle to evenly mix and pat down the
rice.
-
Cut a sheet of seaweed in half and lay it down on
the rolling mat.
-
Scoop out some rice and begin to spread it evenly
across the surface of the seaweed. Use the palm of your hands to press the rice
firmly down on the seaweed. The rice should be placed a little more than
halfway down the mat.
-
Place your fillings horizontally across the rice.
Do this on the end of the mat that’s facing you.
-
While holding down on the fillings with the rest
of your fingers, gently lift the mat with your thumb and begin rolling forward.
Do this slowly, pressing down each time to make sure the seaweed sticks to the
rice underneath. Keep doing this until you reach the part of the seaweed that
you left empty. Press down firmly to form a long cylindrical roll.
-
Slice the roll into pieces, and it’s ready to
serve.
Conclusion
Feeding your children comes with a lot of hurdles. In order to find
the right food for them, keep experimenting with different recipes until you
figure out which combination your toddler likes the most. But the key doesn’t
only lie in the food you make, but also in the norms that you set at the table.
Make it a habit to eat together as a family—it’s not only a good way
to develop your child’s table manners, it’s also a good way to bond with them.
Furthermore, watching their parents eat healthy food also keeps them motivated
to do the same.
.JPG "Toasty Leftover Porchetta Sandwich")
.JPG "Toasty Leftover Porchetta Sandwich")
.JPG "Toasty Leftover Porchetta Sandwich")
.JPG "Toasty Leftover Porchetta Sandwich")
- 1 toasted brioche burger bun
- 1 (1/3 inch thick) slice of Porchetta
- 1/4 each yellow, green, orange peppers, thinly sliced
- a small piece of fennel, thinly sliced (optional but nice)
- 1/2 small onion, thinly sliced
- 1 tsp butter
- 1/4 cup grated Italian cheese mix (Provolone, mozzarella, cheddar, Parmesan)
- 1 TBS full fat mayonnaise
- 1/2 tsp gourmet garden basil
- Pinch garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp Parmesan cheese
.JPG "Toasty Leftover Porchetta Sandwich")
.JPG "Toasty Leftover Porchetta Sandwich")
.JPG "Toasty Leftover Porchetta Sandwich")
.JPG "Toasty Leftover Porchetta Sandwich")
Toasty Leftover Porchetta Sandwich
Ingredients
- 1 toasted brioche burger bun
- 1 (1/3 inch thick) slice of Porchetta
- 1/4 each yellow, green, orange peppers, thinly sliced
- a small piece of fennel, thinly sliced (optional but nice)
- 1/2 small onion, thinly sliced
- 1 tsp butter
- 1/4 cup grated Italian cheese mix (Provolone, mozzarella, cheddar, Parmesan)
- 1 TBS full fat mayonnaise
- 1/2 tsp gourmet garden basil
- Pinch garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Butter your brioche bun on the cut side and toast cut side down in a skillet. Once toasted, set aside and keep warm.
- Add the butter to the skillet along with the peppers, onion and fennel (if using). Stir fry until beginning to soften.
- Add the slice of porchetta to the skillet. Brown on one side and flip over. Brown on the other. Mound the cheese on top of the meat. Cover the skillet and set aside for the cheese to melt.
- Mix together all of the ingredients for the basil mayonnaise. Spread on the cut side of the bottom half of the toasted bun. Place on a plate.
- Top with the pepper/onion/fennel mixture. Place the cheese topped slice of porchetta on top and then finally place the toasted bun top, cut side down on top of everything.
- Enjoy!
.JPG "Creamy Chicken Pesto Pasta")
.JPG "Creamy Chicken Pesto Pasta")
- 5 ounces of cherry tomatoes, halved (about 9 tomatoes)
- 2 large stalks of asparagus, washed and trimmed
- 1 TBS olive oil (I used garlic olive oil by Fody)
- 1 fat clove garlic minced
- 1 TBS light olive oil
- 1 boneless, skinless chicken breast
- fine sea salt, black pepper and ground paprika to taste
- 4 ounces (1 cup) of bow tie (Farfalle) pasta (can also use penne or fusilli)
- 1 heaped TBS of basil pesto
- 1/4 cup (60ml) heavy cream
- 2 TBS lightly toasted pine nuts (optional)
.JPG "Creamy Chicken Pesto Pasta")
.JPG "Creamy Chicken Pesto Pasta")
Pesto is actually an ingredient that I use often on here. I have quite a few recipes which use this delicious ingredient! Some of my favorites are:
Skillet Chicken and Rigatoni with Pesto - A delicious quick and easy weeknight supper that cooks in one pan! (You could also use leftover cooked chicken and cooked pasta shapes in this.)
Pasta Salad with Roasted Tomatoes and Asparagus - A deliciously different Pasta Salad. Easy to make, quick, colorful and very tasty with fresh spring asparagus and a punchy pesto dressing!
Mini Scone Focaccia Breads - A lot easier and quicker to make than a traditional focaccia bread, these are incredibly moreish and go very well with soups, salads and main courses.
Spinach and Gruyere Tart - A fabulously tasty recipe for a quick and easy to make free form tart that I got many years ago from my good friend Audrey. Its fabulously delicious!
.JPG "Creamy Chicken Pesto Pasta")
.JPG "Creamy Chicken Pesto Pasta")
I really hope that you will be inspired to cook this delicious pasta recipe. Quick, easy and delicious it has become a firm favorite with me that I know I will cook again and again!
A grating of fresh Parmesan cheese would go wonderfully lightly dusting the top of this tasty dish. I think some warm crusty bread would also go well.
The juices from those delicious roasted cherry tomatoes leak into that rich creamy sauce, creating something that is incredibly tasty! Everything together was quite simply wonderful!
Creamy Chicken Pesto Pasta
Ingredients
- 5 ounces of cherry tomatoes, halved (about 9 tomatoes)
- 2 large stalks of asparagus, washed and trimmed
- 1 TBS olive oil (I used garlic olive oil by Fody)
- 1 fat clove garlic minced
- 1 TBS light olive oil
- 1 boneless, skinless chicken breast
- fine sea salt, black pepper and ground paprika to taste
- 4 ounces (1 cup) of bow tie (Farfalle) pasta (can also use penne or fusilli)
- 1 heaped TBS of basil pesto
- 1/4 cup (60ml) heavy cream
- 2 TBS lightly toasted pine nuts (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400*F/200*C/ gas mark 6. Line a small baking tray with nonstick foil.
- Toss the cherry tomatoes with the oil and minced garlic. Spread on the baking tray. Roast for about 10 minutes, add the asparagus spears and roast for a further 10 minutes while you prep the remainder of the dish.
- Slice your chicken breast in half horizontally. Season on both sides with the salt, pepper and paprika.
- Put the water on for your pasta. (Lightly salted.) Bring to the boil while cooking the chicken.
- Heat the oil in a medium sized skillet for the chicken over medium high heat until hot. Add the chicken and cook for about 5 minutes per side, until golden brown and cooked through. The juices should no longer run pink.
- Remove to a plate and tent lightly with foil to keep warm.
- Add your pasta to the boiling water and cook according to the package directions. Drain well, rinse, and drain again.
- Add the cream and pesto to the same skillet you cooked the chicken in. Add the drained pasta, tossing to coat it well in the sauce. Cut the asparagus spears into 2 inch lengths and add to the pan. Bring to a simmer and heat through.
- Slice your chicken breast into thinnish slices. Top the pasta with the sliced chicken breast. Scatter the roasted tomatoes and pine nuts over top. Serve immediately.
Social Icons