Meal ideas for a 13mo old girl.

Corinne - posted on 01/14/2010

I would agree with the finger foods, my little one is 15 months now and just recently refused to eat off the spoon but wanted to take the spoon and do it herself. She loves little blocks of cheese, cut up pieces of boiled egg (the white), corn, peas, beans. I also give her some fish fingers or chicken nuggets. Plain boiled noodles aswell. She loves mashed potatoe, with some butter, milk and a little grated cheese over. Try giving her a spoon to dip into her food while you feed her with anothor one, this seems to be working for me for now. also try unsalted crackers with some butter and beef spread like ox-o, bovril or marmite.

Kylie - posted on 01/13/2010

we also do pizza's... tomato sauce on a half muffin, capsicum orpeas cron carrot, chees on top then microwave...

rissoles/ meat balls

seems lie they love dairy, milk, CHEESE, yoghurt, custard. jelly.. sandwiches are also popular here vege mite or other "mite" products peanut butter UNLESS THERE ARE ALLERGIES... honey..

pasta and cheese, dried pasta cooked then draied and mixed with cheese, Also can add salmon or tuna, mix well... my kids love this.

try potato gems, work sometimes here... chook nuggets are alway a hit

frozen cooked chips, the fatter the chip the healthier it is, though we mic defrost then and grill/oven cook them.



our girls eat most of the food we eat, just some days they eat less, and some, you cant fill them up!!

we have weetbix for breaky or toast, morning/afternoon tea banana or apple, tiny teddys (honey), sultana's.

Kylie - posted on 01/13/2010

yup, their at that age... its soo frustrating!!!
try spaghetti bol or savoury mince (mince, bacon bits from deli, peas corn carrot, and once cooked a bit of water and gravy to give it some flavour...
i cook this on stove top, saucepan, meat defrosted, then once cooked i get hte potato masher and mince even further.. then add bacon/ham diced or shredded, add some water not much and add veges... they may not eat the veges, but after a few days of this (we cook it once a week) they love the mix. let the veges cook a bit then use 200 ml of cold water and 1 tablespoon of plain flour, and 1 teaspoon of gravy powder mix in a jug/mug then add to the meat mix... stir in well then let simmer with a lid on....
spag bol, we cook these two separate and find our 14 month old loves the meat and the 2.5 year old loves the spag....
good luck

Megan - posted on 01/06/2010

I had to laugh after reading your note. My son is almost an identical eater to yours! Only difference is that he doesn't like cheese. He's a huge pea monger and recently loves edamame. You can buy it frozen and organic and easily heat it up...

Stephanie - posted on 01/06/2010

I definitely agree with letting them eat what you eat. Set a healthy example and they'd be more likely to follow. We follow the food pyramid every day- and only stray occasionally for treats! She's a really great eater so I'm sorry I can't relate. When she's teething, the ONLY thing she'll eat is green beans! She loves loves loves crackers, deli meats, and cheeses however, I suggest putting cold cuts in a pan and heating it up before feeding it to baby. Cuts down on bacteria and yuckys... She won't really eat chicken nuggets but she loves the chicken in a can- like tuna. (Easy & quick too!) You can add it to just about anything if they like it! When we have something with ground beef, I'm sure to make it as tiny as possible- no big chunks! Every night before bed she gets her "nack" which is a yogurt! There are healthy yogurts and not-so-healthy ones- great dairy idea and you can sneak in a little fruit too! Lots of great ideas on your post- thanks for the conversation piece! :)

Rachel - posted on 01/03/2010

My daughter loves fruit and cheese too :) Mozzarella string cheese is very good for her. I'm giving my daughter formula still too so i can fill the gaps of her nutrition from her picky eating. I know it is expensive but i recently was at Kroger and decided to compare the vitamin and mineral content in Enfagrow Next Step and Kroger Comforts stage 2 formula and they are exactly the same! Check for yourself. And the Enfamil (Enfagrow now) is $23 for a 24 oz powder where the Kroger brand was $13. Small price to pay for your daughters healthy development.

Jane - posted on 01/03/2010

I'm much more relaxed with some processed foods now my LOs over a year. Where possible I get her to eat what we eat - she loves my pasta sauce which I make with lots of veggies like peppers and corgettes, with some herbs and crushed chillies - that's her favourite and I add tuna, or chicken or quorn to get her protein. She's a cheese fanatic so tea is often a boiled potato mashed with some grated cheese and low salt baked beans (half a snack pot). Roast with us on a sunday, my own spag bol, cottage pie's lasagne are all a hit and I make them using a baby stock cube to keep the salt low. My hubby doesn't notice the difference now. But she wants to feed herself and she will throw it if you help too much and she's constantly on the move so sometimes just sitting still for a meal is an inconvience. but i know it can be tricky as i had about 6 weeks of her eating nothing but fruit once she went to nursery and think it was her asserting her independence

Lindsay - posted on 12/31/2009

Quoting Lisa:

Why not just offer her what you're having? As long as you eat healthy yourself no reason she cannot share your fruit salad, your pasta, your steak.

I totally agree.. we feed our daughter everything that we are having, sometimes children just like to be apart of what you are doing, eat what you are eating. Try meatloaf, pasta, chicken alfredo, butter chicken. You can search online for meal ideas for toddlers. I have a few recipe books that are really great. She eats steak, and sometimes its not that a child doesnt like the food it's just that they may not like how you made it, so try her again, and prepare it a different way. My daughter is not a fan of scrambled eggs either. So we made her an omlet with some cheese and ham and she loves it.  good luck

Amani - posted on 12/30/2009

i usually boil some vegetables like 1 carrot-1 zucchini- some broccoli with a peice of chicken and some macaroni and blind them for my 14 month and he seems to love them.this amout is enough for both lunch and dinner and i usually add some salt and spices cuz he seems to love them

Melissa - posted on 12/29/2009

I tend to feed Gabriel whatever it is that I am eating that evening. Occasionally, if I'm eating something that would be tough for him to chew, I'll make him a small thing of Mac N Cheese or open a small can of veggies for him to eat. Fortunately though, he's like a garbage disposal and will eat everything! I nkow my sister tends to feed her daughter chicken nuggets for the protein. Also, I noticed the other day at the grocery store that sell the little microwavable containers of "Finger Pasta;" they are like small raviolis filled with Tomato and Beef, Cheese, and some are filled with veggies. I've picked a few up to try, but have not as of yet. Hopefully this helps, good luck!!

Janet - posted on 12/29/2009

My son is 14.5 months and a fairly picky eater. Although breakfast is no problem EVER he loves eggs (scrambled with a little millk, salt & pepper), pancakes, french toast, cereal...etc. And lunch is usually a sandwich with meat, cheese & tomato. But supper is where the problem is most of the time. I try to make different veggies, but it seems the only things hell eat is peas and sweet potato. He hates mostly ever other kind of veggies. So its peas almost every night. He loves meat, fruit and ANY kind of breads (Whole wheat bread, cakes, cookies, muffins etc), and he LOVES his dairy...milk, yogurt, eggs and CHEESE!
He gets enough of the "daily requirement" of mostly everything, but I dont know how to get him to eat any more servings of veggies in a day other then his 1-2 servings of peas every night! He likes corn, but its always ends up looking the same as it did going in...
anyone got any suggestions for more veggies?

Claire - posted on 12/28/2009

my little boy is 14 months and eats pretty much everything i put in front of him however he can get a bit bored if its too repeatative, Ronon loves sweet potatoe mashed up with carrot chunks sweet corn courgette or (Squash) and gravy, he also loves meat and fish but if your introducing grind it up real small and mix with a baby stock cube. The other thing to consider is has your little girl been poorly recently but that can throw their taste buds off the thing they would normally eat all i can say is be patient the more you try her with things the sooner she like them.

Anita - posted on 12/27/2009

mine loves fruit, so i try to sneak in other things with it - I tried rice with bit of cranberry sauce yesterday, that was a hit. she feeds herself mostly now too, so corn is good, chicken bologna (low sodium if you can find it), porridge with dried cranberries, special K soaked in milk.

Reyna - posted on 12/26/2009

My daughter is pretty picky as well. Her very favorite foods that she will pretty much always eat are chicken nuggets (otherwise she won't eat meat) and sweet potato fries. Also if I salt her food (just a little) with garlic salt, she might eat something that she wasn't eating before. Just a few ideas, good luck!

Sarah - posted on 12/26/2009

I'm blessed because my daughter is a very good eater. Other then meat, she eats it all. Have you tried grilled cheese? It works great and she can feed it to herself!

Deanna - posted on 12/25/2009

The food pyramid, which is a guideline not a bible, for a one year old says meats like chicken, fish, beef, liver, etc. are only needed "every few weeks" Their 2 daily servings in the protein group should come from no more than one egg a day and a variety of cooked legumes like: peas, soy beans, peanuts and other beans (serving=1/3 cup). If you can't get your baby to eat any fruits and veggies, diguise them in food like breads or sauces. We put way too much emphasis on meats in our diets. Me included. If you're still concerded, you shouuld talk to your doctor. But, it is likely that if you are offering your baby a varity of foods they are going to grow just fine. (I count my blessings my girl hasn't gotten picky on me, yet.) Good luck.

Keenan - posted on 12/23/2009

My son just started become a picky eater. He used to eat anything. He was a very good eater. Now, I find myself struggling to get him to eat his meals. Breakfast normally is his best meal of the day. Meaning, he eats a good amount without putting up a fight. I am Cape Verdean, so I have introduced him to Jag, which is a Cape Verdean yellow rice, with linguica, squash, and kale in it. He seemed to enjoy that. He is not much of a meat eater at all though. For lunch sometimes I give him a strawberry jelly sandwich, cut up into small square pieces so he can easily pick them up and feed himself. Because he has become a picky eater and does not like all the foods that we eat, I still give him the Beechnut Lets Grow Meals. A great source of protein! Its convient to if you are on the go for lunch. He had corn bread just recently and ate a good amount of it. He also loves the cottage cheese and peaches. I find that if I mix just about any meal with applesauce, sure enough he will eat it. They have a great selection from Motts. The summer strawberry, and cinamon applesauce seem to be a big hit for him. Oatmeal and yogurt is great as well. Sometimes I give him that for dinner. He enjoys it and its good for him, Hope some of these things have helped.

Gina - posted on 12/23/2009

Annies brands has all natural Mac n Cheese and other foods that are actually all natural. No hidden MSG's such as the 'Natural Flavors or Spices' that are MSG hidden as other names in almost all children's foods

Nancy - posted on 12/21/2009

I think a mix of fresh and very little processed food is best. The graduates look disgusting to me. We tried them and he wouldn't touch them and the ingredients don't look good. My little man is very picky, he'll refuse it one day, eat it the next, then refuse it again. His dad fed him off his plate some stringbeans and turkey, he couldn't get enough. The next day I gave it to him in his high chair and he just threw it to the dog! Unfortunately he likes breads too much, but I try to mix in other stuff he likes. He loves banana and outside of mama and dada, it's the only other word he'll say! He self feeds cheerios, organic juice (cut with water), finally likes turkey hotdogs cut up, apple, banana, some cheese, saltines, teddy grahams, toast, etc... He likes baby food carrots, so I steamed fresh carrots and mashed them and he wouldn't touch them so I mixed half and half putting them back in the baby food jar and now he loves them. He refuses food he's unfamilar with, so seeing it in the baby food jar helped. He was a preemie, so he's behind on the talking and solid food eating a little bit. He would eat the icky baby food pasta, but not my homemade fresh pasta, go figure! We're expanding little by little. Thanks for the ideas. I love the mandarin oranges, maybe he will too!

Stephanie - posted on 12/19/2009

I don't recommend burger but most meat is safe as long as you cook it very well. I do make my own baby foods I pick like chicken boiled and add broccoli throw it in my magic bullet with a tiny bit of water or pureed gerber carrots or 2nd food. Also I have used beef tenderloin and veg. Chicken and pasta. If your kiddo likes the pasta texture which my son does sometimes I cook masticolli then cut it into small o's you can add sauce if you want but I don't because he feeds himself and it makes a mess. I give him scrambled eggs and toast pieces. A slice of bread with a little apple butter or strawberry jelly for lunch. My guy likes broccoli steamed (florets) and cut up to pick up sized pieces .

Leila - posted on 12/19/2009

I def agree with the concerns about sodium and preservatives in "easy" foods!!! Babys should only get 1000 mg of sodium in a day. A half cup of Chef Boyardee is 500 mg alone. Chicken nuggets aren't actually too bad. about 100 mg per nugget I think. Baby Center has a great chart of how much sodium, etc babies should get. Worth checking out.

Lunica - posted on 12/17/2009

do u guys thin meat is good at this age for a baby.???i thot u can only introduce meats after they turn 2????

Susan - posted on 12/17/2009

Quoting Nic:

Reading through some of the food items here, I was wondering if anyone was concerned about processed foods containing preservatives, high salt, high fructose corn syrup or just being overall low in nutrition? I like the idea of homemade potato and sweet potato 'fries' baked with a little olive oil, but was wondering whether chicken nuggets, fish sticks, mini hotdogs and hambugers sounded a bit 'fast foodish' (but easy)? What do you guys think?

I agree that some of these are high in sodium and may not sound like the first choice for your toddler but what does your little ones' menu consist of? Just curious.

Amanda - posted on 12/05/2009

I make big batches of spaghetti and put in the in the food processor (you could use a fork or knife it just takes longer) and make it cut up very small. I put it in individual tupperwear containers in the fridge and serve it over the next week. This is a good one for helping learn how to self feed since it will stick the spoon better (dont use too much sauce) and you can add veggies to the sauce to make it even more nurtious or ground beef or turkey! Also, I make mac and cheese and them put it in the food processor with peas or mixed veggies...that way they dont even really taste the veggies, this might be good b/c she likes cheese! Good luck!

Corinne - posted on 12/05/2009

I find it really hard to get any kind of meat into my little guy, but if I offer it with some ketchup on it he'll almost always eat it then!

Nic - posted on 12/04/2009

Reading through some of the food items here, I was wondering if anyone was concerned about processed foods containing preservatives, high salt, high fructose corn syrup or just being overall low in nutrition? I like the idea of homemade potato and sweet potato 'fries' baked with a little olive oil, but was wondering whether chicken nuggets, fish sticks, mini hotdogs and hambugers sounded a bit 'fast foodish' (but easy)? What do you guys think?

Amanda - posted on 12/03/2009

i am jealous of all of you with the good eaters!!!! my son used to eat and love everything, with spinach being his favorite! now he really doesn't care for veggies, hates/refuses meat and eggs, and really doesn't care for much of the healthy stuff anymore! i've gotten sneaky though :) some of the things i can usually get him to eat are:

he loves spaghetti so i puree veggies to add in, mac and cheese with veggie bits in it, raviolis make a great finger food, sandwhiches (although my son gets sick of these), chicken noodle soup (watch the sodium on the canned types they can be a little high), cottage cheese (with a fruit or veggie), yogurt (with fruit),

i try to make most of it from scratch in order to cut down on sodium content and use more whole grain pasta.

Shannon - posted on 12/03/2009

Owen eats the mini Raviolis from Chef Boyardee. He also loves Easy Mac. We also buy the frozen corn dog bites (not on sticks) and he loves those. Fish sticks, chicken breast, chicken nuggets. He loves green peas, and other veggies he can pick up with his fingers. We also give him fruit cocktail drained so he can eat it himself, as well as mandarin oranges.

Hilda - posted on 12/03/2009

am surprised with cheese .is it really good at this age?

Diane - posted on 12/03/2009

My daughter is 13 months and eats every thing you give her.... From baby food to food that I cook. Her favorite is pasta and sauce. If it is on a plate she will eat, we even have a fight over my fruit.

Deanna - posted on 12/02/2009

My Daughter loves all sorts of foods..especially with pasta sauce! She doesn't care too much for hamburger meat, so I get creative and I'll mix a can of good pizza sauce (it's sweeter and has a different flavour than pasta sauce) and some garlic and onion and she LOVES it!

For eggs, have you tried putting cheese ontop? *wink* Double calcium and it tastes better. :p

I will usually make a batch of mac n cheese for my Daughter and I'll add ham to it for some more texture as well as peas. She gobbles it up.

Melissa - posted on 11/30/2009

oh and tofu !!! just add whatever flavor you think shell like

Melissa - posted on 11/30/2009

my 13 month old never ate baby food she ate what we ate ... her fav is chicken from the crock pot ... remember babies need to see a food 30 times or more in some cases before they will even try it so keep trying the same things over and over she also loves french fries so i make my own and sweet patatoe ones too coat em with olive oil bake em in the oven and add just a litlle dash of salt but pretty muchi feed her what we eat. and dont worry she wont starve and i agree with below eggs are good even at dinner

Samantha - posted on 11/30/2009

Here is a great veggie bit recipe. Puree a bag or frozen broccoli (or fresh), mix in bread crumbs, an egg, and shredded cheese. Form into ball and bake for 30 minutes.

Minnie - posted on 11/21/2009

Why not just offer her what you're having? As long as you eat healthy yourself no reason she cannot share your fruit salad, your pasta, your steak.

September - posted on 11/20/2009

Our son is also 13 months old and some of his favorites are...Chicken, beans and rice, mac and cheese, beef pot roast, homemade soups, pork chops, tuna casserole. We also do a lot of crock pot meals with a meat, grain and a carb which he just loves. A typical dinner at our house consists of a meat, veggie and a grain. We tend to do a fruit also for dessert. Our son pretty much eats what we eat. I love to cook healthy meals for our family :) I hope this gives you some good ideas! Good luck!

Laura - posted on 11/19/2009

i just thought of something else that i just introduced kind of by accident... i cooked some tomato soup, campbells, with can of 2%milk and added cooked brown rice to it!!.. my 2 and 1 yr old love it!! cant believe i forgot to mention that lol.. thats new as of last week, they looovee it and plus it has some healthy stuff in it, wouldnt do it all the time cuz of sodium with the soup part, but yum! we all like that esp for lunch try it!! if you make it thick enough not too much mess as she s wanting to feed herself

Allison - posted on 11/19/2009

Thats funny, cause i tried the scrambled eggs with chicken the other night. She wouldn't touch it. She doesnt like eggs much. I also tried the Chicken pot pie tonite and she spit it out. LOL. Im laughing now, but it was annoying me at the time. She does like veggies and will eat them. She doesnt care for burger texture to much. She loves sausage and bacon and most breakfast foods. She likes hot dogs and polish. She loves mandarine oranges and pineapple and bananas and all fruit. I will try the pbj.

Alexis - posted on 11/19/2009

Hi Allison, I have a picky eater too! She is beginning to want to feed herself as well which makes it a little more difficult, but my Kaia loves chicken pot pie and chicken soup. It also helps me to get some of those veggies in there. Sometimes just giving her plain chicken and cooked carrots or peas is good. But other times she just throws it on the floor. Sometimes I feel like she isn't eating enough but the doctor told me not to worry about it. Most little ones don't want to eat dinner b/c thats when the steroids that are naturally produced in their little bodies are at their lowest levels. Therefore, I try to get a healthy lunch in there just in case dinner doesn't happen. I also just recently tried the Gradutes microwaveable lunches/dinners, but she doesn't like 'em. Most things I eat infront of her, she wants to try but doesn't always eat. Good luck momma! =)

Laura - posted on 11/19/2009

cut up chicken, you can intro beef, hamburger.. i give my boys eggs sometimes at night lol with chicken in it.. i like to have some sort of protein at every meal to build and grow... my justin, also same age as yours just started grabbing the fork and spoon from me to feed self, i was like ok go ahead lol.. pb and j.. mac and cheese, i dont give it too often though.. little hotdogs, pretty much stuff that i eat as long as not too hard or sharp, justin has been getting molars in recently