For SAHMs......what do you feed your 18 month old for lunch?

Jennifer - posted on 01/12/2009

My son was SUCH a great eater when he was still in baby foods... Gosh I miss those days. Right now, he will accept a cheese sandwich (grilled or regular) and like mandarin oranges or some other fruit cup type fruit (which I completely rinse off before I give it to him) and/or yogurt. He was eating veggies out of soup for about a month when he was about 15mos but now, I swear, if it wasn't for baby food, I'd never get a veggie in (well, so long as it's an orange veggie and NOT a green one...) =( He's just starting to use his fork and spoon and that has started expanding at least what he'll TRY so I'm keeping my fingers crossed there... Honestly, if it wasn't for the polyvisol vitamins, there's no way he'd be getting the nutrients he needs =(

Danielle - posted on 01/09/2009

My daughter loves anything she can eat with a fork. I usually have left overs from the night before dinner, she likes cubed chicken, any kinda veggie she can stab into.  she likes fruit, most fruit, she often asks for apples and then wont eat them though. (thats okay i love apples!!)

grilled cheese sandwich, french toast, sometimes i'll just cube some cheese and ham and give her crackers and she'll eat that for lunch. and this little girl will eat ANY kind of pasta, i'm pretty sure if i'd let her she'd eat noodles all day every day. i dont do it often, but sometimes i'll just boil some shells, or another small bitesized pasta, put a little olive oil and some parmasan cheese on it. she absolutly LOVESSS it! 

hrmm.. what else does she eat.. lol she's pretty thrilled with the toaster these days, so anything toasted (eggos were a hit for a while)

and we just found out recently that my daughter loveess bran muffins. which is absolutly great cus she's got some poop problems. (i just buy the quaker bag mix, one egg and some water mix pour bake done!!)

Adria - posted on 01/07/2009

my son loves soup, but i don't feed it to him.  for example, i buy 'thick and chunky' type of soups where veggies are the main ingredient, then i just scoop out the chunks of food and put it on this plate (skip the 'broth' but oh does it make the veggies taste better!).

my son doesn't like meat unless it's in something: casseroles, quesadillas, ravioli...

my son happens to like canned mixed veggies (easy).  canned fruit is easy too.  my boy will eat ANY fruit though!

he usually eats with me/with us.  i try not to cater too much to him.  sometimes i think: 'i'm not short order cook'!  he either eats it or he waits 'til the next meal.  sometimes i cave and give him a PB&J.

Jamie - posted on 01/06/2009

if they are tired of yesterdays leftovers; yogurt, fruit, and cheese sandwiches are great for their diets... or make large batches of veg beef soup and/or chicken soup and freeze in individual serving sizes....  very healthy and better than canned..i make them more like stew than soup for filling.. serve with a half slice of bread with a little butter and they have a great lunch.

Danielle - posted on 01/06/2009

My son is not a big meat fan at all, I am lucky if he will eat chicken, no lunch meat, beef, he will eat hot dogs. He loves all fruit and will eat some veggies. Loves yougurt and cottage cheese.

Jocelyn - posted on 01/05/2009

We bought one of those sandwich presses that grills the sandwhiches. I still give her the same lunches, but the slight grilling gives it a new look and taste.

Wendy - posted on 01/02/2009

Thanks for the ideas ladies!! I have really been focusing on the leftovers lately, and the girls seem to really like it. It is very easy too:) My husband takes leftovers to work for lunch also, so I just need to start cooking more each night to make it last. I wish I could try soups, but my girls will not let me feed them anymore. They have to be able to pick it up themselves or they will not eat it :( Thanks again!

Tara - posted on 01/02/2009

Here are some things that I give my daughter..



Leftovers from dinner the night before

Mac N Cheese

Grilled Cheese

Yogurt and toast

Chicken nuggets

Pizza

Jelly on toast

Cold cuts (ham, turkey, cheese)

Ravioli



I always give her a fruit after she eats.

Wendy - posted on 01/02/2009

I always start out with a fruit and a veggie so they can get their 5 a day. Canned green beans work great or cut up avocados are his favorite. Then apples, peaches, pears, (whatever was on sale that week). If I give the whole lunch at the same time he tends to not eat everything, so after they have veggies then fruit, we usually have bread or any fun pasta and then a little lunch meat or chicken, like the other moms said, leftovers are great. Cheese slices, quesadillas, grilled cheese, tomato soup, We have to avoid anything with eggs, but we still get by. They should really be eating whatever the family is eating, so it helps everyone eat a little healthier.

Karyn - posted on 12/29/2008

My son Adrian likes to eat yogurt, which is quick and easy. I also like Annie's organic macaroni & cheese. I usually toss some broccoli florets into the water about 3 minutes before the pasta is done, drain and mash it with a spoon. Another easy thing is English muffins with peanut butter/jelly/butter or with red sauce and mozarella. You can always add cooked carrots or whatever leftovers you have around.

Rachael - posted on 12/28/2008

Have you tried the deceptively delicious recipes by Jessica Seinfeld, or creating masterpeices with finger foods then eating them or creative pizzas and cooking them. My kids eat "green trees" and "white trees", but they refuse to eat broccoli and cauliflour

Marjorie - posted on 12/28/2008

I am kind of in the same boat as you.

We usually give our 18 month old whatever leftovers we have from the night before. Example, today he'll have turkey and mashed potatoes. He will not eat any vegetables and fruit whatsoever (except Banana but refuses to touch it with his hands) unless it's pureed baby food.

He *LOVES* hot dogs and eats one almost every day. He also likes Kraft dinner and every kind of soup we've tried. My MIL makes minestrone, chicken stew, beef and barley etc and boosts it with pureed baby food and uses vegetable noodles in his portion.

He loves all kinds of pasta as well. He will eat scrambled eggs.

He is not a sandwich fan.



I would try all kinds of pasta with different shaped noodles and different sauces as well as all kinds of soups.

Anything you make with a red sauce, you can put pureed sweet potatoes or carrots in there. Any white sauce, you can add pureed cauliflower to boost nutrients.

Renee - posted on 12/26/2008

I have a boy whose 18 months old and I feed him just about anything. He loves ravaoli, chicken nuggets, peanutbutter and jelly sandwiches, hot dogs, grilled cheese, chicken noodle 0's soup, (which is made by Campbell's Soup, and is easy for him to eat) , and usually with his lunch I fix a different veggy with it, with his lunch. I hope that gives you some ideas.