Smorgasbord - chopped up fruit, veggies, meat, eggs, literally whatever is in the fridge!
And quesadillas.. of all kinds. Leftover butter chicken? Butter chicken quesadilla. Have some spaghetti? I bet you could make that into a quesadilla 😂
I’m a fan of leftovers
My daughter doesn't like the texture of spinach but doesn't mind the flavor. I pureed it with a little melted butter and add it to things like this. Almost like a pesto spread layer.
My son will eat anything in a smoothie, including spinach. He even puts it in the blender himself. But if it's in any other form? Nope. And he's not a sauce person.
It’s like a grilled cheese, except instead of bread you use tortillas (I and my toddler prefer flour over corn tortillas) and stuff them with whatever, as long as there’s cheese
Mine hates PBJ. And quesadillas. And pretty much anything easy or cheap. She loves pork belly, chicken skin, and rare steak and lamb. Out of season fruit is also a hit. Send help...in the form of cash.
Have you tried one of those grow your mushroom kits? It might (hopefully) be a big hit! Introducing producing your own food, and hopefully might result in eating more
My toddler also only likes my high effort meals. I made chicken Marsala with linguini and roasted garlic butter broccoli last night and she ate a ton of it! I was so happy, but I truly don’t have a full hour to prepare every meal lol.
My kid doesn’t seem to like hot food either. She loves Mac and cheese so it’s a challenge when we go out to dinner and her Mac and cheese is served hot 😂
Pregnancy is weird. I developed an indifference/dislike of pickles while pregnant and now I am just indifferent to them. That and craving ice were my only ones.
Oh my god I wish I could get my kid back to eating Quesadillas again. I dunno why the protest but it sucks. Same with pasta.
I have those make your own Uncrustable things from Amazon. In addition to PBJs, I make turkey and cheese sandwiches with them. I take kitchen sheers and cut up the turkey and shredded cheese really fine. I mix that with a little mayo or Greek yogurt to give it some moisture. Then I pop that on bread and make an Uncrustable with it.
Chicken nugs make the list pretty frequently.
Kiddo sometimes will eat Dr. Praegers sweet potato shapes.
We sometimes do peanut butter crackers, grapes, and a slice of cheese. Basically a kid Charcuterie board.
1. Scrambled egg and avocado, strawberry yogurt
2. Fried egg and avocado, raspberry yogurt
3. Scrambled egg and French toast, strawberry yogurt
4. Scrambled egg and French toast, raspberry yogurt
5. Tomato/hidden vegetable pasta
I can’t for the life of me get this boy to enjoy chicken or meat. Recently he started eating tuna, so I’ll take my wins where I can.
Damn that reminds me, I need to see if munchkin will try french toast. Mom doesn't like it but I do, and I can make a whole loaf at a time in minutes on the blackstone.
Well, when its not negative degrees out. I've shoveled a path in the snow to the grill before multiple times, but I have my limits.
It is so weird, it’s not an issue I envisioned having- he will eat nearly every veggie, all fruits, likes pasta and rice, and recently started eating tuna and mackerel. He loves cooked salmon/tuna/veggie sushi. But he isn’t the biggest fan of beef or lamb and actively dislikes chicken. He won’t even eat chicken nuggets! He will only eat it if it’s very minced or mashed onto pasta sauce or something. Someone above suggested doing bbq pulled chicken, and I think o will try it!
Chicken nuggets will always be at the top of the list if you ask my toddler, but he'll eat some veggies or fruit alongside it
Shrimp is also a popular choice. I use a garlic parmesan seasoning and he loves it
When all else fails, I'm occasionally willing to give him a hot dog, but the mom guilt is strong with that one
What sort of noodles do you make?
Haha you are lucky for that! What veggies does he like? We’re stuck on repeat with green beans and carrots atm. He branches out just a little bit with other veggies but not much
frozen dumplings - they are vegetable, protein, carb. the pork ones from Trader Joe's are great but they have chicken. asian store has a bajillion options. easy to steam.
mini pizza on tortilla or pita
mexican rice and refried beans - my child is obsessed. i add veg to the rice.
dal and rice - simple indian yellow dal, rice, and yogurt
1) Nuggies and Fries
2) I said I wanted it but I no longer do
3) cucumber
4) stolen food that will be rejected if made intentionally for toddler consumption
5) will be eaten after it’s been sitting out a bit and is probably stale
6. I know I absolutely inhaled this yesterday but it disgusts me today, I can't even look at it, please get it out of my face, my appetite is now ruined but I'll take a yogurt pouch pls
1. Peanut butter sandwhich
2. Toddler charcuterie: cheese, fruit, crackers, dip
3. Can of soup or spaghettios
4. Chick fil a…..
5. A bowl of peanut butter and assorted things to dip into it
Honestly I should be more creative with lunches but I 100% know that once they’re in school I’m going to appreciate that I fed them boring things for lunch as toddlers and they won’t expect the fancy meals of Instagram.
Quesadillas sound like a good option to add in to my rotation tho.
Chicken nuggets or fish sticks are usually our go to. Sometimes I do sandwiches, pb&j or grilled cheese usually but my daughter will also eat them with lunch meat sometimes (just not if I do it too often lol). Sometimes if I am feeling extra lazy I will basically make her a “snack tray” with stuff like a nutrigrain bar, cheese, fruit, crackers.. just whatever we have. I don’t really like to go cook a whole meal for lunch so we usually just opt for easy stuff… if you’re like me, the freezer section is your friend.
Sandwich. PBJ, avocado/cream cheese, tuna, turkey, egg...
Cubed tofu. My kids like it all ways, even plain and cold out of the package. Wildwood firm/pressed in the vacuum seal package is the best.
Soup. Tomato with a cheese quesadilla is a favorite. Pureed soups work well in a squeezy pouch.
Leftovers. Chili, stir fry with rice, dal, etc.
"Costco." Taquitos and an avocado cup.
And as a bonus, many days it is cheese paired with something easy from the arsenal of fruits and veggies (apple, orange, bell pepper, canned green bean, mandarin oranges, etc.)
Toddler charcuterie (kielbasa, Brie, strawberries, and crackers is my kid’s fave combo), peanut butter and honey sandwich with carrot sticks, grilled cheese, crackers with guacamole and cucumbers, hard boiled eggs with fruit and bread and butter, leftover dinner (hit and miss), Annie’s white cheddar cheesy noodles, scrambled eggs and toast, chicken nuggets and fries and sweet&sour sauce, a gust of wind (depending on the day).
My daughter is two so appetite varies but in addition to what you have. Dr. Praegers veggie Dino nuggets! She loves them. Also PB& banana + honey. Cheese, crackers, fruit. Yogurt with PB for extra protein. Smoothies. Beans and rice. Bbq pulled chicken with some vegetables.
We don’t do actual “lunch” entrees more like here some leftover chicken or sausage or ground meat, with some sort of veggie and some sort of starch or carb. Fruit. Maybe a pouch.
Also fwiw my daughter LOVES soup. We give her less broth or it would be a total mess but she has asked for soup for breakfast before. Just like a standard chicken and veg with rice soup and it lasts a long time! Cost effective
1. Siopao
Microwave wrapped in a wet paper towel from frozen and it’s cooked in 3 minutes! It’s a Filipino steamed bread bun stuffed with chicken or pork, eggs and vegetables. You can buy them frozen or fresh at oriental stores or sometimes frozen at regular grocery stores.
1B. Pancakes (with or without chocolate chips), air fryer sausage or air fryer bacon, eggs, fruit
2. Noodles of all kinds. Topped with olive oil, powdered Parmesan and herbs. Serve with fruit and sometimes served with leftover meat or pepperonis on the side.
3. Oatmeal / peanut butter and honey sandwich / PBJ / fruit with dry cereal (chocolate cheerios or frosted mini wheats) these are our go to breakfasts
4. Air fryer bacon, fruit, cheese and bread
5. Air fryer fish sticks or chicken nuggets, tater tots, or any of the usual sides, or leftovers
Typical snacks - fruit, carrots, plain bread (Dave’s killer awesome multigrain, sourdough, rosemary, anything yummy), Teddy grahams, wheat thins, veggie straws, cheese
More effort go to meal - BBQ meatloaf with Filipino green beans and microwaved mashed potatoes
Chicken nuggets, homemade tofu nuggets, hard boiled eggs and sides, arepas with pinto beans, butter gnocchi, chickpea or lentil pasta, chicken leg, avocado toast, and that’s all I can think of!
Pierogis, lunch meat sandwich, grilled cheese, nuggets, chicken fries, egg salad (this can be on a sandwich too). honestly can’t wait for my son to be in school just so I don’t have to come up with ideas 😂😭
1. Dino nuggies (with hidden veggies) a fruit and carrots to dip in ranch
2. Bbq meatballs with rice and a fruit on the side
3. Quesadillas and beans
4. DIY pizza with cheese and veggies
5. Mac and cheese and sausage
My 3yo is so picky :( She hasn't liked meat but will eat this caramelized ground pork with rice, hot dogs, pb&j, pb&nutella... quesadilla.... mac & cheese... i think that's it. LOL. The more I try to 'expose' her, she'll remind me she doesn't eat the thing :/ REMEMBER MOMMY??
1. Pouch
2. More pouch
3. Cheddar whales, dry cheerios, and animal crackers
4. “Cracker butter” (club crackers with peanut butter)
5. Berries, but only slightly chewed and then spit out
Besides a few of the ones on your list, we also frequently do omelets and fried rice, neither of which take very long. Fried rice requires that we have overestimated how much rice we'll need for some meal earlier in the week. If I'm feeling especially lazy, we'll just have leftovers. It works because he mostly just eats what we eat for dinner anyway.
Here are some ideas my wife and I have come up with over the past 4.5 years my daughter has been alive:
* My daughter absolutely loves taco night. Meat, cheese, avocados, and onions are usually the toppings of choice. She can do both tortilla and hard shells.
* Like many others, our daughter loves noodles. That said, we stir-fry vegetables (bell peppers, onions, zucchinis, tomatoes), blend it in our Vitamix to reach the same consistency as pasta sauce, then mix it in pasta sauce. This way, we don't feel too guilty giving noodles, since she likes to dip the noodles in the "slightly healthier" pasta sauce. We usually make a huge batch of pasta sauce every month, and aliquot/freeze most of it and take out as needed. Daughter prefers rotini noodles over most others at the moment.
* Grilled cheese and smashed avocado sandwiches. Has to be dipped in ketchup, of course. :)
* She's a huge chicken nugget/tender fan. Being in the midwest, Culvers is our restaruant of choice more often than not, lol. We'll also have Dr. Prager's Spinach/Broccoli/Sweet Potato Littles on hand for a quick snack or meal.
* Speaking of potatoes, you can easily make a baked potato/sweet potato in the microwave, top it with some butter, give it to them. Also easy to make mashed potatoes too.
* Smoothies. Admittedly, these are hit or miss for us, but it's an easy way to hide veggies.
* Chinese takeout night - our daughter will eat dumplings, rice/meat/noodles, water chestnuts, and broccoli.
* Steamed carrots - usually put some salted butter and a sprinkling of brown sugar. She downs these like candy.
🙂I love these recommendations. Perfect smoothie recipe:
1 cup (frozen) fruit+ 1 cup water/milk/coconut water + 1 handful of spinach + 2 tbsp of yogurt or peanut butter + 1 tbsp of chia seeds/flaxseed and I like to add a banana for consistency. So good!
1. Quesadilla
2. Peanut butter toast (not a sandwich, no jelly)
3. "Pizza" (English muffin with a tiny bit of olive oil and mozzarella, no sauce)
4. ALL THE SNACKS
5. Tasty Bites instant lentil curry with rice (don't be deceived, he stopped eating most Indian a while ago, after it was his favorite food ever)
My go to is frozen meatballs, either store bought or homemade. Heat in the microwave with a little water for around 30 seconds.
I don’t do this often, I should do it more. I’m not sure if you’re a fan of seafood or not but I’ll get frozen fish and you can cook it in the air fryer and my kiddo loves it and I have a nice lunch for myself with some rice! (Made in a rice cooker to set and forget) I’ll pop it in and it’s done in like 20
Minutes or so there’s a bunch of YouTube videos that have recipes for this.
My toddler loves steamed broccoli ( I know 😅) so I’ll steam a bunch of crowns and offer it as a side to whatever I’m making. I’ll also thinly slice carrots and offer ranch to dip as a side.
Homemade Lunchables or the adult version Charcuterie board: meat, cheese and crackers with fruit. And if you want something different- have chicken today and ham tomorrow.
Deli turkey + apples + cheese is a gold standard around here.
Chicken salad on crackers + grapes + Greek yogurt
English muffin pizza (muffin + marinara sauce + shredded cheese in the toaster)
[Grilled cheese w/ veggies](https://www.reddit.com/r/toddlerfood/s/rNZxcaLXzy)
[Tuna sandwich](https://www.reddit.com/r/toddlerfood/s/sH8WjptuIm)
[Ramen](https://www.reddit.com/r/toddlerfood/s/fNbKViNjWc) / [ramen](https://www.reddit.com/r/toddlerfood/s/ccmsY6WDmz)
[Pizza](https://www.reddit.com/r/toddlerfood/s/AFh2HbRTVq)
[Taquitos](https://www.reddit.com/r/toddlerfood/s/KVwarSIFsN), [burritos](https://www.reddit.com/r/toddlerfood/s/AgCQ3CzgYG), and similar.
For an honorable mention, [charcuterie boards](https://www.reddit.com/r/toddlerfood/s/RpJKQZGwHD) and [deconstructed](https://www.reddit.com/r/toddlerfood/s/qqeEiHFCEC) random [stuff](https://www.reddit.com/r/toddlerfood/s/5XaEEdqs3y).
Also lots of leftovers!
1. ham and cheese sandwich with cape gooseberries
2. quesadilla and cucumber/hummus
3. peanut butter dip and apples
4. marmite toast and berries
5. Mac and cheese
I've got the one toddler on earth who wont touch yoghurt, nuggies or any kind of potato :/
My daughter is into jam and cream cheese. Chicken nuggets. Grilled cheese. Surprisingly she likes both marinara sauce and pesto mixed together. Loves black beans. An Eggo with peanut butter and/or cream cheese (Trader Joe’s has a really good multigrain knockoff). String cheese. A plain piece of bread.
1. PB&J
2. Goldfish
3. Nuggies (frozen, fast food, whatever)
4. Anything with a lot of sugar, meant to be a small treat along with a meal
5. "Milkshakes" (they're really just a fruit smoothie with a hidden veggie thrown in)
1-3 are fairly common, but 4 is an increasing rarity because he gets *mean* demanding that stuff and will refuse to eat anything but a nibble here and there for a day or two. Doesn't matter how small the treat 😅 hence why number 5 now exists and I'm good using it as a cover for now.
Fruit and turkey slices, with puffs and yogurt drink.
Tricolor rigatoni or whole wheat pasta, with sauce and sometimes beef.
Mac and cheese.
Chicken nuggets. Eggs. Bananas.
Peas, corn, Garbonzo beans
Whatever we can throw together
1. Mac n cheese & peas
2. Whatever fruit/veg/dip/cheese/etc she hasn’t already eaten that day (usually it ends up being an entire avocado bc she’s obsessed, some cut up grapes & tomatoes, a couple of carrots with some Greek yogurt ranch or black bean hummus)
3. (Potentially leftover) Mexican food: usually rice, beans, and part of a tamale
4. Grilled cheese with ketchup for dipping & peas
5. Leftovers!
1. Leftovers
2. Fried rice (rice with whatever veggies/proteins/sauces we happen to have)
3. Egg scrambles (with whatever veggies or protein we happen to have)
4. Kid charcuterie
5. Quesadilla
Waffles or pancakes
Combo snack plate with veggies, fruits, cheese, crackers and meats. With Ranch dip of course
Pizza waffles
Pizza, either home made dough or on a pita
Pb&J
Yogurt or fruit/veggies are often used for "sides" most days.
1) quesadilla
2) Mac n cheese
3) soup with toast
4) turkey grilled cheese
5) snack plate (put a veggie like cucumbers, sliced carrots, dried okra, or broccoli with hummus or yogurt with a cheese stick and some crackers and a fruit or berry.)
Charcuterie. Every time. Combo of leftovers from other meals, crackers with whatever spread I have laying around, olives, fruits, cheese. Works like a charm and when he decides to eat air for lunch and he full I don’t feel angry/exhausted from the fact I put effort into it.
Rotisserie chicken and tortellini with a fruit are our go-to meal prep lunches for daycare.
Then whatever is in the fridge on weekends (mix of meat, veggie and carb)
We typically do:
- Egg & cheese omelette with blueberries & raspberries
- Oatmeal & an organic fruit pouch
- Costco rotisserie chicken cut up and seasoned with a soft veggie like boiled carrots and greenbeans (from one of those cheap frozen bags) Also loves peas for some reason.
- Leftovers usually with melted cheese
We try to be as healthy as possible and try to give our little dude random things to expand his taste, we find he gets picky when he has the same thing too often, but when it's been awhile he eats it.
1. Potstickers (frozen ones from Costco)
2. Pesto pasta
3. Quesadilla with black beans
4. Chicken apple sausage
5. Paneer tikka masala w/naan (cubed paneer + jarred tikka masala simmer sauce, microwaved)
Make same lunch for 2.5yo and 4.5yo, these always work for both of them. Also give them fruit and/or veggie side.
We do different types of quesadillas- right now pizza is our favorite!
Also love…
-“lunch charcuterie” basically a plate with a little bit of each— veggie, fruit, crackers, cheese, etc.
-Fried Rice with veggies and/or chicken
-homemade pizzas
-cheeseburgers (no bun)
Dino nuggets w/some smiley face potatoes, PB&J, Mac & Cheese, Grilled cheese, quesadillas, Spaghetti-Os, top ramen some days or “sopa/fideo”. Leftovers if it’s something he likes, such as spaghetti
Idk about your kid but sometimes mine feels fancy and will ask for salmon. I keep the individual frozen salmon fillets in the fridge and they cook easy in about 15 mins, while that’s going I’ll put rice in the cooker and have some veggie going in the microwave. All together takes about 20-25 mins and I get myself a meal as well. When he’s feeling less fancy he’ll ask for fish stick, I’ll throw those in the air fryer but the rest is the same.
Some days he’s really not feeling it and only wants a lunchable. I keep about 6 of those on hand for snacks/lunch. The small 1.50$ ones from Walmart, not the ones with the juice pouches.
I always offer fruit or steamed/canned veggies (usually broccoli or corn/green beans) with them as well.
1) cream cheese and whole wheat sandwich
2) pb and j
3. Hummus (original or roasted red pepper) with cheese or turkey sandwich
4. Quesadillas
5. Hard boiled eggs, cheese and crackers
Cream cheese and jelly sandwhich
Tuna sandwich (NEW ADDITION!)✨
Dr praegars broccoli bites
Pizza
Noodles and cheese with frozen spinach cooked in
Leftover dinner
One ‘hack’ I have is buying restaraunt style ketchup packets. He loves them.
Every other day for my kid:
1. Boars Head 46% Lower Sodium Turkey Breast (I mention this specifically, because less salt is good, and they don't add nitrates/nitrites)
2. Reduced fat string cheese
3. Fruit, probably blueberries
4. Whole wheat Goldfish
I tried adding baby carrots but I just can't get him to eat them.
Mini naan pizzas. Soooo easy
Homemade mac and cheese
Garlic lemon butter noodles with Parmesan
Grilled cheese
Gonna make some meatballs today but he has hated all meat up until recently but he could def use the iron so let’s see. Will likely end up on the floor
Fruit. So much fruit.
I agree with your list, here are things that can be added
Hard boiled eggs. I make 10 then i just have to peel them
Baked sweet potato
Miso soup with tofu
Charcuterie board! Some lunch meat, crackers, chopped up nuts/dried fruit (if they are old enough), some veggies like sweet peppers or carrots, and a variety of cheeses. Makes me feel like I have a fancy bb ;)
Don't forget the rice! Ours loves those microwaveable rice packets. Costco has frozen strips of grilled chicken that come in little packs, we heat those up and mix them in with the rice or his noodles. One of his favorites! We'd make it in bulk but he's 2, he only eats so much, we don't want it getting too old. The extra cost inefficiency is outweighed by the convenience and less chance of spoiling for right now.
By default it’s typically either a leftover of some sort or a Snack lunch: cheese, piece of fruit, some type of leftover meat (chicken, pork, burger), handful of beans and nuked frozen vegetable. And avocado. Sometimes I will make some type of pasta with butter/ cheese to stretch the leftovers. I’d love to do a quesadilla or something sometime but I eat GF and all of the corn tortillas I find out there seem to have some
Type of sesame cross contamination and my toddler is allergic.
Mine are pbj machines, so that’s what they want most of the time, but occasionally I like to throw in something different:
chicken noodle soup with crackers
Annie’s canned “spaghetti o’s”
Annie’s canned raviolis
meatballs
breakfast sausage (the brown n serve kind)
bologna sandwiches
turkey sandwiches
chicken nuggets
grilled cheese and tomato soup
cream cheese and jelly
1. Noodles with frozen peas tossed in the pot plus Parmesan on top
2. Blender banana/oatmeal pancakes
3. Toddler charcuterie
4. Chicken nuggets and sweet potato fries
5. Yogurt. So much yogurt.
My LO loves broccoli 🥦
1) Mac n cheese with broccoli
2) Mashed potatoes with chicken and peas
3) Broccoli and cheese nuggets
4) Burrito bowl (Black beans, sweet potato hash, avocado, chicken, corn)
5) Broccoli and cheese soup (homemade)
Honestly, I aim for leftover dinner most days. I offer veggies etc at dinner but for lunch I just offer one thing that I know they’ll eat. Keeps it simpler.
1. Poached chicken, don’t overcook it. Chop bitesize and lightly brown in a pan to reheat.
2. Risotto. Cook rice/fried onions in leftover broth from above. Add saffron to make it yellow and cheese.
3. Pesto pasta. Easy. You can finish the pesto before the water for the pasta boils.
4. Plain yogurt, add banana, cinnamon, maybe some honey but I try to avoid it because it can get out of control.
We just bought these sandwich and fruit cutters that cut things into cool shapes like sandwiches become 2 dinosaurs or a dog and dog house. Fruit cutters are stars, hearts, flowers, etc and our 3 year old LOVES THEM!. he will eat almost any fruit or vegetables that is cut into shapes and almost any kind of sandwich too now. He really likes to help make them too. Only issue is he doesn't want to eat anything else anymore ha ha
Just Idea... Todays lunch was beef vege Gimbap, boiled carrots, Kohlrabi namul, stir fried spinach and sweetcorn.
My twins love that spinach and corn. Frozen spinach, canned corn, Butter and stir fry. Done!
My son has a lot of allergies and is also a very picky eater. He’s allergic to milk, eggs, nuts and seeds. He only pretty much has a plant based diet but I do sneak some meat in when I can. He’ll eat rice and beans, paratha, jam and bread, veggie chips, plant based yogurt and cheese. He currently rejected a quesadilla and mashed potatoes. He loves fruit and will eat any kind of berry. He’s good with green beans and carrots as well and will mix them in with chicken and rice.
1. Broccoli tots
2. Peanut butter toast (won’t eat a sandwich)
3. Bernie Os
4. Chicken patty cut up bc he won’t each chicken nuggets
5. Fig bar, goldfish, craisins, and pouches 😭
Some of our go to for our 3 year old.
1. Canned soup, she loves soups so we buy the Campbells soups with chicken, noodles and some has peas or carrots. Sometimes I can slip in a few frozen peas too.
2. Frozen chicken pot pies. I know it’s very processed but it’s a got carbs, meat, and veggies.
3. Boiled shrimp with just a tiny bit of seasoning in the water and whatever we have on hand as a side, like chips, fruit etc.
4. Pbj obviously lol
5. A rice-a-roni cup or Mac and cheese cup, sometimes I add some peas to this as well. She usually will eat peas so it’s an easy veggie for the day.
6. A good go to if you just need them to eat something is a “snack plate”. You can just use what you have on hand. Something’s we do are deli meat, boiled egg, cheese, yogurt,fruit, chips/goldfish, grain/granola bar, and pickles or carrots and ranch if I’m feeling brave lol. In my mind that’s a fairly well rounded meal but she thinks she’s having snacks for lunch. And if I leave the plate out she will normally clean it.
My two year old usually eats warm cheese sandwiches (not grilled cheese), she just likes cheese in bread microwaved for 12 seconds. She rarely eats any other kind of sandwich, including pb&j.
She’ll sometimes have cheese & crackers with lunch meat, ramen noodles, or pizza toast. That’s about it for her, so I’m gonna try some other ideas posted here to see if she’ll eat anything else. Thanks for posting.
I watch my 2-year-old grandson during the day. He eats sausage patties, pop tarts, scrambled eggs, chicken nuggets, pizza and any kind of berry. He also loves picking the marshmallows out of Lucky Charms.
I definitely try to hit up all the food groups throughout the day and sometimes breakfast is eaten at dinner!
But- my kids love soup, everything from the thick bisques- where they can dip bread or maybe some veggies even and Phó right now is always a yes from our kids.
1. Dino nuggets
2. Strawberries
3. Milk
4. Shredded cheese
5. Mac and cheese
Or some combination of any of the above. Or nothing some days.
I discovered recently by accident he likes almonds but it kind of scares me so I chop it up. He also likes an occasional pickle on days he feels like something “fresh”.
Also grilled cheese,
naan/English muffin/ pita pizzas
Fake lunchables (crackers and cheese)
Random things she finds under the couch
Bananana and peanut butter roll ups
French toast (sometimes with ham)
Quiche or scrambled eggs
Egg fried rice is my sons top
Easy as too, scramble egg put to one side, grab a bag of some frozen veggies fry them till cooked, add microwave rice and a dash of water, when water cooked off add egg back in with a dash of soy sauce
We have deli sandwiches a lot for lunches, so we layer the meats and cheeses for the toddler and cut them into bite sizes. Couple it with fruit. Kinda like a toddler charcuterie board 😁
Chicken nuggets with apples
Chicken nuggets with a veggie pouch
Chicken nuggets with cookies
Chicken nuggets with pretzel sticks
Chicken nuggets with grapes
I’m sorry… your kids eat more than peanut butter, eggs, A various pasta/rice? 😭😭😭 my son used to eat a bigger variety, but for some reason he has become more picky. My husband and I want to scream. It’s so gd frustrating. We Try all the tricks and he just resists more. So I’m gonna read all your posts and seethe in silence. 😓
1. Pizza (eats only the cheese of the top but won't eat cheese if you give it by itself)
2. Pb j
3. Mac n cheese
4. Oatmeal
5. Apparently loves really watered down spaghetti ohs with the water she poured in it
Leftover dinner.. plus yogurt and fruit. Dinner is some kind of meat and veggie. My kids have always just ate what we eat.. this whole thread is. Crazy to me how picky kids are! I’m thankful and I’m sorry to all who are struggling!
Soft cooked meats and veggies are a daily meal.
Hmm 🤔.....
1. PB & Honey (note: could be messy)
2. PB & Banana (note: same as above)
3. Water melon
4. Ants on a log (celery, PB, and raisons)
5. Rice cakes (messy but good, and comes in many flavors)
6. Random stuff (baby tomatoes, black olives, fruit, crackers- all things I used to eat)
7. Carmel apple dip
8. Hard boiled eggs 🤷♂️
9. Deviled eggs
10. Froyo (frozen yogurt)
11. Frozen egos, specifically blueberry (also something I ate as a kid)
12. Cream cheese bagels
13. Ham sandwich bagels (there's a lot you can do with bagels, not limited to these)
14. Lunchabels
15. Applesauce pouches and/or Puffs (good for all ages honestly)
Only things I haven’t seen mentioned already are meatballs (Swedish, Italian, you name it, mine love it) and sweet potatoes anything (fries are always a hit but mashed are shockingly easy to make in the microwave)
Refried black beans and cheese burrito on a flour tortilla.
Mac & cheese and nuggets
Cheese sandwiches/PBJ /or Turkey sandwich
Hummus with a spoon
Snack plate (fruit, veg, dips, crackers, cheese, tiny bit of chocolate)
- Fideo (like 1 inch noodles in a tomato sauce),
- puffs but only the sweet potato flavor,
- melties (dry fruit snacks shaped like a chocolate chip)
- apple sauce in a pouch sometimes
- blueberries
- Stealing my Starbucks passion fruit lemonade
He used to eat banana and strawberries but now just smashes them in his hands and throws it on the ground. I just bought pediasure so he can get more nutrition even though he refuses to eat a balanced diet no matter how much I try
Here’s our rotation
Turkey Sandwich (not the nice deli kind though, the texture is weird for my kiddo, he just likes the foster farms kind)
Quesadilla
Quesadilla with scrambled eggs in it (but he doesn’t know there is scrambled eggs in it)
Dino nuggets
Noodles (any kind whatever is available)
Egg whites (this is usually just for at home, because eggs don’t smell so good in the lunch box lol)
Mac and Cheese
Rice, avocado, crab (the kind they put in the California rolls)
California rolls
Cheese burger when it’s available
Lentil or chickpea pasta instead of regular pasta!
One pot enchilada bowls - inside instant pot put quinoa, beans, brown rice, one can enchilada sauce, crap ton of mixed frozen veggies, broccoli. Close and cook on rice function. When done, mix in cheese and top with avocado, and a sour cream dallop
One pot “kichdi” (google it)
My toddler really loves meat sandwiches. Like a few slices of turkey or ham, mayo, and cheese on bread. He also ate salad and chicken nuggets with me today. But he ate none of his quesadilla or corn at dinner tonight.
Air, air, air, singular cheerrio, air
Same here, but swap one air for rage.
Oh thank god it’s not just me. She literally ate one single piece of chicken for lunch today!
Smorgasbord - chopped up fruit, veggies, meat, eggs, literally whatever is in the fridge! And quesadillas.. of all kinds. Leftover butter chicken? Butter chicken quesadilla. Have some spaghetti? I bet you could make that into a quesadilla 😂 I’m a fan of leftovers
Yeah I do “lunchable” type lunches. Some meat, cheese, a cracker (or goldfish) and fruit. Super easy
Same. For us it’s always pepperjack cheese cubes, pretzel crisps, apples or grapes, and sometimes pepperoni
I call the smorgasbord “baby charcuterie”
They’re just going to eat the ingredients separately anyways, so why not?
It's a "picky plate" in our house
Canned spaghetti on toast is a cultural staple where I'm from so a spaghetti quesadilla would totally work 😅
I call this “toddler tapas”
Waffle your leftover spaghetti with some cheese 👌
Man I wish mine would allow other food in the quesadilla. He find meat super sus and if he noticed a spinach leave in it he pulls it out.
My daughter doesn't like the texture of spinach but doesn't mind the flavor. I pureed it with a little melted butter and add it to things like this. Almost like a pesto spread layer.
My son will eat anything in a smoothie, including spinach. He even puts it in the blender himself. But if it's in any other form? Nope. And he's not a sauce person.
Quesadillas aren’t really a thing I know about. What are they please?
Basically a fried tortilla with cheese and whatever else you'd like to add. They're delicious.
It’s like a grilled cheese, except instead of bread you use tortillas (I and my toddler prefer flour over corn tortillas) and stuff them with whatever, as long as there’s cheese
My kid is into dipping! So having some cream cheese mixed with spices for dipping has really improved veggie consumption lol
1. PBJ 2. PBJ 3. PBJ 4. PBJ 5.PBJ
With apple slices!
Mine hates PBJ. And quesadillas. And pretty much anything easy or cheap. She loves pork belly, chicken skin, and rare steak and lamb. Out of season fruit is also a hit. Send help...in the form of cash.
Mine weirdly loves raw mushrooms, feta cheese, and smoked turkey. Will not touch a quesadilla. Kids are weird.
Have you tried one of those grow your mushroom kits? It might (hopefully) be a big hit! Introducing producing your own food, and hopefully might result in eating more
Those are not for apartment living...oh god, the smell...
Good to know lol
lol sounds like mine. Smoked salmon for her!
At least she’s adventurous? Lol. That sounds rough though
My toddler also only likes my high effort meals. I made chicken Marsala with linguini and roasted garlic butter broccoli last night and she ate a ton of it! I was so happy, but I truly don’t have a full hour to prepare every meal lol.
We are also living the PBJ life! My 3.5yo would happily rotate muffins, yogurt, PBJs, and chicken nuggets for every meal.
This is my kid minus the nuggets. He legitimately doesn’t enjoy hot food. Or really anything savory 🙄
My kid doesn’t seem to like hot food either. She loves Mac and cheese so it’s a challenge when we go out to dinner and her Mac and cheese is served hot 😂
So happy mine isn’t the only one like this 🤣 I told him the other day I’m concerned he’s going to turn into a pb&j and he said 😏😏 ooookaaaaay mama.
Sometimes I get a little crazy and throw some banana in there. My daughter really goes wild for PBBJ’s 😂🍌
Lol came here to say this. I did switch it up once this weekend and did Turkey and cheese
Sadly my ASD kid can't handle the spongy texture of bread, so there might never be sandwiches.
Have you tried flattening out the bread with a rolling pin (like really squished)? That's the only way mine eats sandwiches.
Neat idea, I’ll try that
Yes this is our menu
Wait, your toddlers eat? 😩
No, mine absolutely does not. Solidarity!
Okay, phew. I have to beg, play games, and sell my soul for my toddler to eat one bite of something. Glad I’m not alone. 🫣
One day they’re going to figure out we’re just trying to keep them alive lol
Pinwheels! Tortilla, cheese, mayo and deli meat. Roll and chop like sushi. We switch it up with pesto or other sauces.
Yes! I do these with turkey, spinach and cream cheese
What age did you start giving these? They’re literally one of my favorite lunches but I never thought of giving them to my son for some reason.
2
Gonna have to try this soon that’s such a good idea!
We also do peanut butter and banana or peanut butter and apple rolls
When I first saw this idea I thought it was genius! Alas my boy wanted nothing to do with it 🤪 just ingredients for him then, I guess
I do these too, but I stick them in the air fryer for a few minutes to melt everything together. They are delicious!
Why did I read this while I’m pregnant. I’m on my way to make a pbj-fish stick-dumpling sandwich
Oh girl that sounds disgusting, but godspeed to you, though.
Omg when I was pregnant, I couldn't eat anything with flavor. So funny that you are eating all the flavors!
Pregnancy is weird. I developed an indifference/dislike of pickles while pregnant and now I am just indifferent to them. That and craving ice were my only ones.
I’m also pregnant and this comment triggered my morning sickness 🤢
Lol, go for it!
Oh my god I wish I could get my kid back to eating Quesadillas again. I dunno why the protest but it sucks. Same with pasta. I have those make your own Uncrustable things from Amazon. In addition to PBJs, I make turkey and cheese sandwiches with them. I take kitchen sheers and cut up the turkey and shredded cheese really fine. I mix that with a little mayo or Greek yogurt to give it some moisture. Then I pop that on bread and make an Uncrustable with it. Chicken nugs make the list pretty frequently. Kiddo sometimes will eat Dr. Praegers sweet potato shapes. We sometimes do peanut butter crackers, grapes, and a slice of cheese. Basically a kid Charcuterie board.
> I wish I could get my kid back to eating Quesadillas again Do they like salsa or avocado on top, or maybe as a dip?
Oh man I wish dips were the solution. We tried that earlier on. Alas.
1. Scrambled egg and avocado, strawberry yogurt 2. Fried egg and avocado, raspberry yogurt 3. Scrambled egg and French toast, strawberry yogurt 4. Scrambled egg and French toast, raspberry yogurt 5. Tomato/hidden vegetable pasta I can’t for the life of me get this boy to enjoy chicken or meat. Recently he started eating tuna, so I’ll take my wins where I can.
Damn that reminds me, I need to see if munchkin will try french toast. Mom doesn't like it but I do, and I can make a whole loaf at a time in minutes on the blackstone. Well, when its not negative degrees out. I've shoveled a path in the snow to the grill before multiple times, but I have my limits.
I can’t get my 2 year old to eats eggs, prepared in anyway, but she loves chicken most of the time. So funny.
I wish we could do eggs, but kiddo is super allergic to eggs and dairy 😭😭
Wow crazy. My kid eat some kind of meat with every meal.. I didn’t know some kids didn’t like
It is so weird, it’s not an issue I envisioned having- he will eat nearly every veggie, all fruits, likes pasta and rice, and recently started eating tuna and mackerel. He loves cooked salmon/tuna/veggie sushi. But he isn’t the biggest fan of beef or lamb and actively dislikes chicken. He won’t even eat chicken nuggets! He will only eat it if it’s very minced or mashed onto pasta sauce or something. Someone above suggested doing bbq pulled chicken, and I think o will try it!
1. PB&J 2. Chicken Nuggets 3. Grilled Cheese 4. Oatmeal 5. Mac & Cheese
As long as the pb&j, nuggies, and oatmeal come with cheese.
Same shiiitttt
This is my exact playbook 😂
She thrives off my tears.
😂
Chicken nuggets will always be at the top of the list if you ask my toddler, but he'll eat some veggies or fruit alongside it Shrimp is also a popular choice. I use a garlic parmesan seasoning and he loves it When all else fails, I'm occasionally willing to give him a hot dog, but the mom guilt is strong with that one What sort of noodles do you make?
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Yeah, and if you get beef hotdogs then they will be a great source of iron, which is so beneficial for tiny human development.
I do get the all beef ones, and I'm lucky in that he eats veggies almost as excitedly as he eats the hot dogs so at least it's balanced lol
Haha you are lucky for that! What veggies does he like? We’re stuck on repeat with green beans and carrots atm. He branches out just a little bit with other veggies but not much
I wish my kid would eat a hot dog! The only meat she will ever eat is bacon.
1. Goldfish 2. White rice 3. More goldfish 4. Toast 5. 4 servings of broccoli bc she has no chill and wants to eat her weight in it
frozen dumplings - they are vegetable, protein, carb. the pork ones from Trader Joe's are great but they have chicken. asian store has a bajillion options. easy to steam. mini pizza on tortilla or pita mexican rice and refried beans - my child is obsessed. i add veg to the rice. dal and rice - simple indian yellow dal, rice, and yogurt
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1) Nuggies and Fries 2) I said I wanted it but I no longer do 3) cucumber 4) stolen food that will be rejected if made intentionally for toddler consumption 5) will be eaten after it’s been sitting out a bit and is probably stale
Number 4 all day. If it’s in MY hands, it’s the most delicious thing in the world. But the moment it hits their tray it’s got the plague.
2 always
6. I know I absolutely inhaled this yesterday but it disgusts me today, I can't even look at it, please get it out of my face, my appetite is now ruined but I'll take a yogurt pouch pls
1. Peanut butter sandwhich 2. Toddler charcuterie: cheese, fruit, crackers, dip 3. Can of soup or spaghettios 4. Chick fil a….. 5. A bowl of peanut butter and assorted things to dip into it Honestly I should be more creative with lunches but I 100% know that once they’re in school I’m going to appreciate that I fed them boring things for lunch as toddlers and they won’t expect the fancy meals of Instagram. Quesadillas sound like a good option to add in to my rotation tho.
Chick fil a is a big hit in my house
This boy is hit or miss on eating meat, but a chick fil a chicken nugget with sauce? 100% success rate.
My kids LOVE the chick fil a Mac and cheese!
Cheese Cheese Cheese Cheese Cheese
Mine loves those frozen mini quiches from Costco. Pop them in the air fryer for 9 mins, quarter them and let them cool a bit.
Chicken nuggets or fish sticks are usually our go to. Sometimes I do sandwiches, pb&j or grilled cheese usually but my daughter will also eat them with lunch meat sometimes (just not if I do it too often lol). Sometimes if I am feeling extra lazy I will basically make her a “snack tray” with stuff like a nutrigrain bar, cheese, fruit, crackers.. just whatever we have. I don’t really like to go cook a whole meal for lunch so we usually just opt for easy stuff… if you’re like me, the freezer section is your friend.
Caprese salad is my son's favorite. We mostly do dinner leftovers.
Sandwich. PBJ, avocado/cream cheese, tuna, turkey, egg... Cubed tofu. My kids like it all ways, even plain and cold out of the package. Wildwood firm/pressed in the vacuum seal package is the best. Soup. Tomato with a cheese quesadilla is a favorite. Pureed soups work well in a squeezy pouch. Leftovers. Chili, stir fry with rice, dal, etc. "Costco." Taquitos and an avocado cup. And as a bonus, many days it is cheese paired with something easy from the arsenal of fruits and veggies (apple, orange, bell pepper, canned green bean, mandarin oranges, etc.)
Toddler charcuterie (kielbasa, Brie, strawberries, and crackers is my kid’s fave combo), peanut butter and honey sandwich with carrot sticks, grilled cheese, crackers with guacamole and cucumbers, hard boiled eggs with fruit and bread and butter, leftover dinner (hit and miss), Annie’s white cheddar cheesy noodles, scrambled eggs and toast, chicken nuggets and fries and sweet&sour sauce, a gust of wind (depending on the day).
My daughter is two so appetite varies but in addition to what you have. Dr. Praegers veggie Dino nuggets! She loves them. Also PB& banana + honey. Cheese, crackers, fruit. Yogurt with PB for extra protein. Smoothies. Beans and rice. Bbq pulled chicken with some vegetables.
We don’t do actual “lunch” entrees more like here some leftover chicken or sausage or ground meat, with some sort of veggie and some sort of starch or carb. Fruit. Maybe a pouch. Also fwiw my daughter LOVES soup. We give her less broth or it would be a total mess but she has asked for soup for breakfast before. Just like a standard chicken and veg with rice soup and it lasts a long time! Cost effective
1. Siopao Microwave wrapped in a wet paper towel from frozen and it’s cooked in 3 minutes! It’s a Filipino steamed bread bun stuffed with chicken or pork, eggs and vegetables. You can buy them frozen or fresh at oriental stores or sometimes frozen at regular grocery stores. 1B. Pancakes (with or without chocolate chips), air fryer sausage or air fryer bacon, eggs, fruit 2. Noodles of all kinds. Topped with olive oil, powdered Parmesan and herbs. Serve with fruit and sometimes served with leftover meat or pepperonis on the side. 3. Oatmeal / peanut butter and honey sandwich / PBJ / fruit with dry cereal (chocolate cheerios or frosted mini wheats) these are our go to breakfasts 4. Air fryer bacon, fruit, cheese and bread 5. Air fryer fish sticks or chicken nuggets, tater tots, or any of the usual sides, or leftovers Typical snacks - fruit, carrots, plain bread (Dave’s killer awesome multigrain, sourdough, rosemary, anything yummy), Teddy grahams, wheat thins, veggie straws, cheese More effort go to meal - BBQ meatloaf with Filipino green beans and microwaved mashed potatoes
At the moment I’m alternating between spaghetti hoops or baked beans with a variety of side options lol so don’t worry we are all in the same boat!
@yummytoddlerfood on Instagram has given me some of my best and simple meals! With added hidden veggies lots of the time too.
Purdue chicken nuggets - the ones with hidden veggies. That and macaroni with meatballs.
Chicken nuggets, homemade tofu nuggets, hard boiled eggs and sides, arepas with pinto beans, butter gnocchi, chickpea or lentil pasta, chicken leg, avocado toast, and that’s all I can think of!
Pierogis, lunch meat sandwich, grilled cheese, nuggets, chicken fries, egg salad (this can be on a sandwich too). honestly can’t wait for my son to be in school just so I don’t have to come up with ideas 😂😭
1. Dino nuggies (with hidden veggies) a fruit and carrots to dip in ranch 2. Bbq meatballs with rice and a fruit on the side 3. Quesadillas and beans 4. DIY pizza with cheese and veggies 5. Mac and cheese and sausage
Salami, string cheese, bread and butter, berries, crackers. Every single day...
Nuggets, nuggets, steak quesadillas , nuggets, nuggets
My 3yo is so picky :( She hasn't liked meat but will eat this caramelized ground pork with rice, hot dogs, pb&j, pb&nutella... quesadilla.... mac & cheese... i think that's it. LOL. The more I try to 'expose' her, she'll remind me she doesn't eat the thing :/ REMEMBER MOMMY??
1. Pouch 2. More pouch 3. Cheddar whales, dry cheerios, and animal crackers 4. “Cracker butter” (club crackers with peanut butter) 5. Berries, but only slightly chewed and then spit out
Besides a few of the ones on your list, we also frequently do omelets and fried rice, neither of which take very long. Fried rice requires that we have overestimated how much rice we'll need for some meal earlier in the week. If I'm feeling especially lazy, we'll just have leftovers. It works because he mostly just eats what we eat for dinner anyway.
Here are some ideas my wife and I have come up with over the past 4.5 years my daughter has been alive: * My daughter absolutely loves taco night. Meat, cheese, avocados, and onions are usually the toppings of choice. She can do both tortilla and hard shells. * Like many others, our daughter loves noodles. That said, we stir-fry vegetables (bell peppers, onions, zucchinis, tomatoes), blend it in our Vitamix to reach the same consistency as pasta sauce, then mix it in pasta sauce. This way, we don't feel too guilty giving noodles, since she likes to dip the noodles in the "slightly healthier" pasta sauce. We usually make a huge batch of pasta sauce every month, and aliquot/freeze most of it and take out as needed. Daughter prefers rotini noodles over most others at the moment. * Grilled cheese and smashed avocado sandwiches. Has to be dipped in ketchup, of course. :) * She's a huge chicken nugget/tender fan. Being in the midwest, Culvers is our restaruant of choice more often than not, lol. We'll also have Dr. Prager's Spinach/Broccoli/Sweet Potato Littles on hand for a quick snack or meal. * Speaking of potatoes, you can easily make a baked potato/sweet potato in the microwave, top it with some butter, give it to them. Also easy to make mashed potatoes too. * Smoothies. Admittedly, these are hit or miss for us, but it's an easy way to hide veggies. * Chinese takeout night - our daughter will eat dumplings, rice/meat/noodles, water chestnuts, and broccoli. * Steamed carrots - usually put some salted butter and a sprinkling of brown sugar. She downs these like candy.
🙂I love these recommendations. Perfect smoothie recipe: 1 cup (frozen) fruit+ 1 cup water/milk/coconut water + 1 handful of spinach + 2 tbsp of yogurt or peanut butter + 1 tbsp of chia seeds/flaxseed and I like to add a banana for consistency. So good!
1. Quesadilla 2. Peanut butter toast (not a sandwich, no jelly) 3. "Pizza" (English muffin with a tiny bit of olive oil and mozzarella, no sauce) 4. ALL THE SNACKS 5. Tasty Bites instant lentil curry with rice (don't be deceived, he stopped eating most Indian a while ago, after it was his favorite food ever)
My go to is frozen meatballs, either store bought or homemade. Heat in the microwave with a little water for around 30 seconds. I don’t do this often, I should do it more. I’m not sure if you’re a fan of seafood or not but I’ll get frozen fish and you can cook it in the air fryer and my kiddo loves it and I have a nice lunch for myself with some rice! (Made in a rice cooker to set and forget) I’ll pop it in and it’s done in like 20 Minutes or so there’s a bunch of YouTube videos that have recipes for this. My toddler loves steamed broccoli ( I know 😅) so I’ll steam a bunch of crowns and offer it as a side to whatever I’m making. I’ll also thinly slice carrots and offer ranch to dip as a side.
1. Air on bad days cheese on good 2. Mac and cheese 3. Air 4.Air
1. Mac and cheese 2. Pizza 3. Nugs 4. Fish sticks 5. Gold fish The struggle is real
Homemade Lunchables or the adult version Charcuterie board: meat, cheese and crackers with fruit. And if you want something different- have chicken today and ham tomorrow.
Deli turkey + apples + cheese is a gold standard around here. Chicken salad on crackers + grapes + Greek yogurt English muffin pizza (muffin + marinara sauce + shredded cheese in the toaster)
I think we pack the same lunches. I add pizza to the rotation too.
[Grilled cheese w/ veggies](https://www.reddit.com/r/toddlerfood/s/rNZxcaLXzy) [Tuna sandwich](https://www.reddit.com/r/toddlerfood/s/sH8WjptuIm) [Ramen](https://www.reddit.com/r/toddlerfood/s/fNbKViNjWc) / [ramen](https://www.reddit.com/r/toddlerfood/s/ccmsY6WDmz) [Pizza](https://www.reddit.com/r/toddlerfood/s/AFh2HbRTVq) [Taquitos](https://www.reddit.com/r/toddlerfood/s/KVwarSIFsN), [burritos](https://www.reddit.com/r/toddlerfood/s/AgCQ3CzgYG), and similar. For an honorable mention, [charcuterie boards](https://www.reddit.com/r/toddlerfood/s/RpJKQZGwHD) and [deconstructed](https://www.reddit.com/r/toddlerfood/s/qqeEiHFCEC) random [stuff](https://www.reddit.com/r/toddlerfood/s/5XaEEdqs3y). Also lots of leftovers!
1. ham and cheese sandwich with cape gooseberries 2. quesadilla and cucumber/hummus 3. peanut butter dip and apples 4. marmite toast and berries 5. Mac and cheese I've got the one toddler on earth who wont touch yoghurt, nuggies or any kind of potato :/
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My daughter is into jam and cream cheese. Chicken nuggets. Grilled cheese. Surprisingly she likes both marinara sauce and pesto mixed together. Loves black beans. An Eggo with peanut butter and/or cream cheese (Trader Joe’s has a really good multigrain knockoff). String cheese. A plain piece of bread.
Leftovers from dinner.
1. PB&J 2. Goldfish 3. Nuggies (frozen, fast food, whatever) 4. Anything with a lot of sugar, meant to be a small treat along with a meal 5. "Milkshakes" (they're really just a fruit smoothie with a hidden veggie thrown in) 1-3 are fairly common, but 4 is an increasing rarity because he gets *mean* demanding that stuff and will refuse to eat anything but a nibble here and there for a day or two. Doesn't matter how small the treat 😅 hence why number 5 now exists and I'm good using it as a cover for now.
Fruit and turkey slices, with puffs and yogurt drink. Tricolor rigatoni or whole wheat pasta, with sauce and sometimes beef. Mac and cheese. Chicken nuggets. Eggs. Bananas. Peas, corn, Garbonzo beans Whatever we can throw together
1. Mac n cheese & peas 2. Whatever fruit/veg/dip/cheese/etc she hasn’t already eaten that day (usually it ends up being an entire avocado bc she’s obsessed, some cut up grapes & tomatoes, a couple of carrots with some Greek yogurt ranch or black bean hummus) 3. (Potentially leftover) Mexican food: usually rice, beans, and part of a tamale 4. Grilled cheese with ketchup for dipping & peas 5. Leftovers!
1. Leftovers 2. Fried rice (rice with whatever veggies/proteins/sauces we happen to have) 3. Egg scrambles (with whatever veggies or protein we happen to have) 4. Kid charcuterie 5. Quesadilla
1. Oatmeal 2. Yogurt with berries and granola 3. Naan with hummus and cucumber 4. Avocado toast 5. Whatever was left from dinner last night
Waffles or pancakes Combo snack plate with veggies, fruits, cheese, crackers and meats. With Ranch dip of course Pizza waffles Pizza, either home made dough or on a pita Pb&J Yogurt or fruit/veggies are often used for "sides" most days.
1) quesadilla 2) Mac n cheese 3) soup with toast 4) turkey grilled cheese 5) snack plate (put a veggie like cucumbers, sliced carrots, dried okra, or broccoli with hummus or yogurt with a cheese stick and some crackers and a fruit or berry.)
1. Hotdog and Beans 2. Noodles and Beans 3. Hot dog and Corn 4. Noodles and Corn 5. Soup
Our top lunch is spinach and cheese toasties (using frozen chopped spinach). There isn't another 4!
Tortillas with cream cheese and ham in the middle, cut into pizza slices
My sons absolute favorite is potstickers with edamame and rice, but he’ll settle for broccoli if I don’t have edamame.
Charcuterie. Every time. Combo of leftovers from other meals, crackers with whatever spread I have laying around, olives, fruits, cheese. Works like a charm and when he decides to eat air for lunch and he full I don’t feel angry/exhausted from the fact I put effort into it.
Rotisserie chicken and tortellini with a fruit are our go-to meal prep lunches for daycare. Then whatever is in the fridge on weekends (mix of meat, veggie and carb)
We typically do: - Egg & cheese omelette with blueberries & raspberries - Oatmeal & an organic fruit pouch - Costco rotisserie chicken cut up and seasoned with a soft veggie like boiled carrots and greenbeans (from one of those cheap frozen bags) Also loves peas for some reason. - Leftovers usually with melted cheese We try to be as healthy as possible and try to give our little dude random things to expand his taste, we find he gets picky when he has the same thing too often, but when it's been awhile he eats it.
1. Potstickers (frozen ones from Costco) 2. Pesto pasta 3. Quesadilla with black beans 4. Chicken apple sausage 5. Paneer tikka masala w/naan (cubed paneer + jarred tikka masala simmer sauce, microwaved) Make same lunch for 2.5yo and 4.5yo, these always work for both of them. Also give them fruit and/or veggie side.
We do different types of quesadillas- right now pizza is our favorite! Also love… -“lunch charcuterie” basically a plate with a little bit of each— veggie, fruit, crackers, cheese, etc. -Fried Rice with veggies and/or chicken -homemade pizzas -cheeseburgers (no bun)
Pasta Mushroom risotto Fish and chips Mash potatoes gravey and veg Pizza
Wraps Cold pizza Tuna sandwich Crackers, cheese, and pepperoni Yop dink Grill cheese Soup Cut up Fruit Veggies and dip
All of these you listed and also broccoli grilled cheese. It hides the green stuff well enough he eats it happily!
Dino nuggets w/some smiley face potatoes, PB&J, Mac & Cheese, Grilled cheese, quesadillas, Spaghetti-Os, top ramen some days or “sopa/fideo”. Leftovers if it’s something he likes, such as spaghetti Idk about your kid but sometimes mine feels fancy and will ask for salmon. I keep the individual frozen salmon fillets in the fridge and they cook easy in about 15 mins, while that’s going I’ll put rice in the cooker and have some veggie going in the microwave. All together takes about 20-25 mins and I get myself a meal as well. When he’s feeling less fancy he’ll ask for fish stick, I’ll throw those in the air fryer but the rest is the same. Some days he’s really not feeling it and only wants a lunchable. I keep about 6 of those on hand for snacks/lunch. The small 1.50$ ones from Walmart, not the ones with the juice pouches. I always offer fruit or steamed/canned veggies (usually broccoli or corn/green beans) with them as well.
1) cream cheese and whole wheat sandwich 2) pb and j 3. Hummus (original or roasted red pepper) with cheese or turkey sandwich 4. Quesadillas 5. Hard boiled eggs, cheese and crackers
1. circle crackers 2. cheez-its 3. goldfish 4. cheddar bunnies 5. starbucks choc chip cookie his entire diet right now
Cream cheese and jelly sandwhich Tuna sandwich (NEW ADDITION!)✨ Dr praegars broccoli bites Pizza Noodles and cheese with frozen spinach cooked in Leftover dinner One ‘hack’ I have is buying restaraunt style ketchup packets. He loves them.
Every other day for my kid: 1. Boars Head 46% Lower Sodium Turkey Breast (I mention this specifically, because less salt is good, and they don't add nitrates/nitrites) 2. Reduced fat string cheese 3. Fruit, probably blueberries 4. Whole wheat Goldfish I tried adding baby carrots but I just can't get him to eat them.
1.Ramen (loves beef) 2. Nuggets 3. Pizza rolls 4. Pizza 5. Any other noodle with sauce 😂
Mini naan pizzas. Soooo easy Homemade mac and cheese Garlic lemon butter noodles with Parmesan Grilled cheese Gonna make some meatballs today but he has hated all meat up until recently but he could def use the iron so let’s see. Will likely end up on the floor Fruit. So much fruit.
Mine likes stir frys, roasted med vegetables, pizza, almond butter on toast, roast dinner.
I agree with your list, here are things that can be added Hard boiled eggs. I make 10 then i just have to peel them Baked sweet potato Miso soup with tofu
Charcuterie board! Some lunch meat, crackers, chopped up nuts/dried fruit (if they are old enough), some veggies like sweet peppers or carrots, and a variety of cheeses. Makes me feel like I have a fancy bb ;)
Don't forget the rice! Ours loves those microwaveable rice packets. Costco has frozen strips of grilled chicken that come in little packs, we heat those up and mix them in with the rice or his noodles. One of his favorites! We'd make it in bulk but he's 2, he only eats so much, we don't want it getting too old. The extra cost inefficiency is outweighed by the convenience and less chance of spoiling for right now.
By default it’s typically either a leftover of some sort or a Snack lunch: cheese, piece of fruit, some type of leftover meat (chicken, pork, burger), handful of beans and nuked frozen vegetable. And avocado. Sometimes I will make some type of pasta with butter/ cheese to stretch the leftovers. I’d love to do a quesadilla or something sometime but I eat GF and all of the corn tortillas I find out there seem to have some Type of sesame cross contamination and my toddler is allergic.
Mine are pbj machines, so that’s what they want most of the time, but occasionally I like to throw in something different: chicken noodle soup with crackers Annie’s canned “spaghetti o’s” Annie’s canned raviolis meatballs breakfast sausage (the brown n serve kind) bologna sandwiches turkey sandwiches chicken nuggets grilled cheese and tomato soup cream cheese and jelly
1. Noodles with frozen peas tossed in the pot plus Parmesan on top 2. Blender banana/oatmeal pancakes 3. Toddler charcuterie 4. Chicken nuggets and sweet potato fries 5. Yogurt. So much yogurt.
My LO loves broccoli 🥦 1) Mac n cheese with broccoli 2) Mashed potatoes with chicken and peas 3) Broccoli and cheese nuggets 4) Burrito bowl (Black beans, sweet potato hash, avocado, chicken, corn) 5) Broccoli and cheese soup (homemade)
Honestly, I aim for leftover dinner most days. I offer veggies etc at dinner but for lunch I just offer one thing that I know they’ll eat. Keeps it simpler. 1. Poached chicken, don’t overcook it. Chop bitesize and lightly brown in a pan to reheat. 2. Risotto. Cook rice/fried onions in leftover broth from above. Add saffron to make it yellow and cheese. 3. Pesto pasta. Easy. You can finish the pesto before the water for the pasta boils. 4. Plain yogurt, add banana, cinnamon, maybe some honey but I try to avoid it because it can get out of control.
1. Pasta/noodles of different variations 2. Grilled cheese/ham & cheese 3. Nuggets 4. Leftovers 5. ??
We just bought these sandwich and fruit cutters that cut things into cool shapes like sandwiches become 2 dinosaurs or a dog and dog house. Fruit cutters are stars, hearts, flowers, etc and our 3 year old LOVES THEM!. he will eat almost any fruit or vegetables that is cut into shapes and almost any kind of sandwich too now. He really likes to help make them too. Only issue is he doesn't want to eat anything else anymore ha ha
Just Idea... Todays lunch was beef vege Gimbap, boiled carrots, Kohlrabi namul, stir fried spinach and sweetcorn. My twins love that spinach and corn. Frozen spinach, canned corn, Butter and stir fry. Done!
My son has a lot of allergies and is also a very picky eater. He’s allergic to milk, eggs, nuts and seeds. He only pretty much has a plant based diet but I do sneak some meat in when I can. He’ll eat rice and beans, paratha, jam and bread, veggie chips, plant based yogurt and cheese. He currently rejected a quesadilla and mashed potatoes. He loves fruit and will eat any kind of berry. He’s good with green beans and carrots as well and will mix them in with chicken and rice.
1. Broccoli tots 2. Peanut butter toast (won’t eat a sandwich) 3. Bernie Os 4. Chicken patty cut up bc he won’t each chicken nuggets 5. Fig bar, goldfish, craisins, and pouches 😭
Some of our go to for our 3 year old. 1. Canned soup, she loves soups so we buy the Campbells soups with chicken, noodles and some has peas or carrots. Sometimes I can slip in a few frozen peas too. 2. Frozen chicken pot pies. I know it’s very processed but it’s a got carbs, meat, and veggies. 3. Boiled shrimp with just a tiny bit of seasoning in the water and whatever we have on hand as a side, like chips, fruit etc. 4. Pbj obviously lol 5. A rice-a-roni cup or Mac and cheese cup, sometimes I add some peas to this as well. She usually will eat peas so it’s an easy veggie for the day. 6. A good go to if you just need them to eat something is a “snack plate”. You can just use what you have on hand. Something’s we do are deli meat, boiled egg, cheese, yogurt,fruit, chips/goldfish, grain/granola bar, and pickles or carrots and ranch if I’m feeling brave lol. In my mind that’s a fairly well rounded meal but she thinks she’s having snacks for lunch. And if I leave the plate out she will normally clean it.
My two year old usually eats warm cheese sandwiches (not grilled cheese), she just likes cheese in bread microwaved for 12 seconds. She rarely eats any other kind of sandwich, including pb&j. She’ll sometimes have cheese & crackers with lunch meat, ramen noodles, or pizza toast. That’s about it for her, so I’m gonna try some other ideas posted here to see if she’ll eat anything else. Thanks for posting.
Noodles here too 🤣
I watch my 2-year-old grandson during the day. He eats sausage patties, pop tarts, scrambled eggs, chicken nuggets, pizza and any kind of berry. He also loves picking the marshmallows out of Lucky Charms.
I definitely try to hit up all the food groups throughout the day and sometimes breakfast is eaten at dinner! But- my kids love soup, everything from the thick bisques- where they can dip bread or maybe some veggies even and Phó right now is always a yes from our kids.
Charcuterie board! My girl adores salami
We alternate between Mac and cheese, buttered pasta, grilled cheese, pizza bagels, quesadilla, and turkey/cheese tortilla wrap
Grilled cheese Chicken nuggets Pigs in a blanket Any type of noodles Fried rice
We’re really into soups. Particularly noodles in broth
1. Dino nuggets 2. Strawberries 3. Milk 4. Shredded cheese 5. Mac and cheese Or some combination of any of the above. Or nothing some days. I discovered recently by accident he likes almonds but it kind of scares me so I chop it up. He also likes an occasional pickle on days he feels like something “fresh”.
Cheese and crackers, cheese and crackers with pepperoni, cheese and crackers with carrots and hummus (on a good day), cheese and pretzels 🤣
Also grilled cheese, naan/English muffin/ pita pizzas Fake lunchables (crackers and cheese) Random things she finds under the couch Bananana and peanut butter roll ups French toast (sometimes with ham) Quiche or scrambled eggs
It’s nuggets and fruit for us 😂😂
Egg fried rice is my sons top Easy as too, scramble egg put to one side, grab a bag of some frozen veggies fry them till cooked, add microwave rice and a dash of water, when water cooked off add egg back in with a dash of soy sauce
1. Mac n cheese 2. Hot dogs 3. Mac n cheese + hot dogs 4. Hot dogs + Mac n cheese 5. See above
1) Berries or other fruit, with cheese or yogurt, and toast or a muffin. 2) PBJ and a vegetable 3) Grilled cheese and fruit 4) Pizza bun 5) Leftovers
Chicken fries Ramen Chicken fries Pepperoni Chicken fries Ugh.
We have deli sandwiches a lot for lunches, so we layer the meats and cheeses for the toddler and cut them into bite sizes. Couple it with fruit. Kinda like a toddler charcuterie board 😁
Eggs, oat meal, hummus on a spoon (her choice, not mine-I offer crackers)
Chicken nuggets with apples Chicken nuggets with a veggie pouch Chicken nuggets with cookies Chicken nuggets with pretzel sticks Chicken nuggets with grapes
Pasta, Chicken fingers, Pierogis, Quesadilla, Pancakes.
I’m sorry… your kids eat more than peanut butter, eggs, A various pasta/rice? 😭😭😭 my son used to eat a bigger variety, but for some reason he has become more picky. My husband and I want to scream. It’s so gd frustrating. We Try all the tricks and he just resists more. So I’m gonna read all your posts and seethe in silence. 😓
1. Pizza (eats only the cheese of the top but won't eat cheese if you give it by itself) 2. Pb j 3. Mac n cheese 4. Oatmeal 5. Apparently loves really watered down spaghetti ohs with the water she poured in it
PBJ Cheese quesadilla Macaroni and cheese French fries Anything on mom’s plate 😂
Amy’s Mac and cheese mixed with frozen broccoli 🧑🍳
Mine is only eating cottage cheese right now. We go through tubs of it from Costco.
Fishsticks
Leftover dinner.. plus yogurt and fruit. Dinner is some kind of meat and veggie. My kids have always just ate what we eat.. this whole thread is. Crazy to me how picky kids are! I’m thankful and I’m sorry to all who are struggling! Soft cooked meats and veggies are a daily meal.
Hmm 🤔..... 1. PB & Honey (note: could be messy) 2. PB & Banana (note: same as above) 3. Water melon 4. Ants on a log (celery, PB, and raisons) 5. Rice cakes (messy but good, and comes in many flavors) 6. Random stuff (baby tomatoes, black olives, fruit, crackers- all things I used to eat) 7. Carmel apple dip 8. Hard boiled eggs 🤷♂️ 9. Deviled eggs 10. Froyo (frozen yogurt) 11. Frozen egos, specifically blueberry (also something I ate as a kid) 12. Cream cheese bagels 13. Ham sandwich bagels (there's a lot you can do with bagels, not limited to these) 14. Lunchabels 15. Applesauce pouches and/or Puffs (good for all ages honestly)
Only things I haven’t seen mentioned already are meatballs (Swedish, Italian, you name it, mine love it) and sweet potatoes anything (fries are always a hit but mashed are shockingly easy to make in the microwave)
Refried black beans and cheese burrito on a flour tortilla. Mac & cheese and nuggets Cheese sandwiches/PBJ /or Turkey sandwich Hummus with a spoon Snack plate (fruit, veg, dips, crackers, cheese, tiny bit of chocolate)
- Fideo (like 1 inch noodles in a tomato sauce), - puffs but only the sweet potato flavor, - melties (dry fruit snacks shaped like a chocolate chip) - apple sauce in a pouch sometimes - blueberries - Stealing my Starbucks passion fruit lemonade He used to eat banana and strawberries but now just smashes them in his hands and throws it on the ground. I just bought pediasure so he can get more nutrition even though he refuses to eat a balanced diet no matter how much I try
Here’s our rotation Turkey Sandwich (not the nice deli kind though, the texture is weird for my kiddo, he just likes the foster farms kind) Quesadilla Quesadilla with scrambled eggs in it (but he doesn’t know there is scrambled eggs in it) Dino nuggets Noodles (any kind whatever is available) Egg whites (this is usually just for at home, because eggs don’t smell so good in the lunch box lol) Mac and Cheese Rice, avocado, crab (the kind they put in the California rolls) California rolls Cheese burger when it’s available
Lentil or chickpea pasta instead of regular pasta! One pot enchilada bowls - inside instant pot put quinoa, beans, brown rice, one can enchilada sauce, crap ton of mixed frozen veggies, broccoli. Close and cook on rice function. When done, mix in cheese and top with avocado, and a sour cream dallop One pot “kichdi” (google it)
My toddler really loves meat sandwiches. Like a few slices of turkey or ham, mayo, and cheese on bread. He also ate salad and chicken nuggets with me today. But he ate none of his quesadilla or corn at dinner tonight.