Dinner/lunch suggestions for a very picky 2 1/2 year old!

Shannon - posted on 02/23/2010

This is the story of my life - except my 2yo ONLY eats mac-n-cheese for lunch, really because it's just so darn easy for us to make ahead and send into daycare with her.



You could try quiche which is a great way to get protein from the eggs and sneak in some veggies: http://tastebudding.com/recipes/150-any-...



Quesadillas also travel well and have the dairy from cheese and you can get veggies in there too: http://tastebudding.com/recipes/43-quesa...



Good luck and would love to hear if you come up with any great ideas!

Leanne - posted on 02/22/2010

I have a ton of ideas for you.
Try grilled cheese fingers, instead of cutting sandwich in half or quarters, slice into sticks, great for dipping.
A whole wheat wrap, smeared with peanut butter, add a whole banana and roll it up and enjoy. Also try slicing for tasty little bites.
You said she likes chicken nuggets- try homemade chicken fingers. Sliced chicken breast, dip into flour, then dip into beaten egg, coat with crushed rice krispies or cornflakes, place in a baking dish and bake for 20 - 25 minutes turning once. Dip in honey, applesauce, plum sauce or whatever she likes. You can tell her there are from a great new place called Traci's.
Hope those few ideas help. I feed 5 kids 3 meals plus snacks each day and let me tell ya, you gotta get pretty creative to please everyone. Good luck and let your creativity run wild in your kitchen. You could also have her help with some of the easy stuff. Kids tend to eat a bit better when they've helped make it.

Beth - posted on 02/22/2010

she doesnt sound all that picky , honestly .....
i would continue to roll with it , give her time , to adjust, a lot of what we call "normal" flavors are too much for some kids .
try menu items wiht "funny" sounding names , my daughter loved cous cous hummus and tabouleh , all because of the words !
shes 4 now, going on 5 , and she claims she hates onions, but , still eats every meal we prepare ...
lemony snickets pasta putanesca
spaghetti, made with vegetable pasta sauce, not canned ..

32 oz tomato sauce, canned, unsalted
1/2c shredded carrots
1/4 c cauliflour or /and broccoli
3 cloves minced garlic
1/2T mrs dash
2T brown sugar
simmer stiring reglarly till vegetables cook completely, place cooled sauce in food processor or blender to puree
return to pan and add a few more carrot shreds if desired , heat and add
pepper to taste,
salt to taste, if desired
serve over whole wheat pasta . its good stuff!!!

as far as chicken nuggets, most commercial chicken nuggets have at least 20 ingredients in them , and ewww... its not all just chicken and breadcrumbs ...
this from mc donalds own website::
Chicken, water, salt, modified corn starch, sodium phosphates, chicken broth powder (chicken broth, salt, and natural flavoring (chicken source)), seasoning (vegetable oil, extracts of rosemary, mono, di- and triglycerides, lecithin). Battered and breaded with water, enriched bleached wheat flour (niacin, iron, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid), yellow corn flour, bleached wheat flour, modified corn starch, salt, leavening (baking soda, sodium acid pyrophosphate, sodium aluminum phosphate, monocalcium phosphate, calcium lactate), spices, wheat starch, dried whey, corn starch. Batter set in vegetable shortening. Cooked in partially hydrogenated vegetable oils, (may contain partially hydrogenated soybean oil and/or partially hydrogenated corn oil and/or partially hydrogenated canola oil and/or cottonseed oil and/or sunflower oil and/or corn oil). TBHQ and citric acid added to help preserve freshness. Dimethylpolysiloxane added as an anti-foaming agent.

Cyndi - posted on 02/22/2010

Child size Chicken Quesadilla



Warm a skillet, add a touch of butter or butter spray

Take a soft taco and place it in the skillet, add grilled chicken to one side of taco

(use the canned if you are crunched for time and don't want to grill a piece of chicken)

Add shredded cheese to the same side and fold over to brown lightly and melt cheese

Flip over to brown the other side.

If she likes salsa you can put it in the quesadilla while cooking or on the side for dipping

Cut in two or four pieces and serve with apple sauce or chip and melted cheese.



*You can also use ground beef or even do a breakfast with egg, sausage and cheese or even ham.