i need some 'healthy' advice

[Evesmama]

my dd(21 months) eats plenty of fresh fruit, raisins,yogurts and cheese.
she has a sandwhich(chciken or ham) for lunch with dairlylea spread on accompanied by cheese, chedders and followed by a yogurt, but for tea, i want her to eat something more substantial
a typical tea would include:- slimming world chips(make them myself, just chop, boil till soft then brown in oven) with either fish fingers/chicken dippers/crispy pancakes/meatballs and mixed veg(turnip and carrot normally).
started doing my own chips as at least i know they're ok but the rest !!!!!!, tried her with lasagne tonight, but she just dipped her chips into the sauceis even going off the veg now...she tends to go for things she can 'pick up' but i want her to eat better....im sorry i seem like a bad mother who feeds her dd crap, but i really do try and want to do something about it...please help

[essbee]

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[morningpaper]

It honestly sounds fine to me. She sounds like she's got a really varied diet and you're doing a really good job.

[nailpolish]

my dd loves a big mixed salad, with cold potatoes, ham or chicken and crunchy stuff like peppers, cucumber, radishes, etc. her all time favourite is raw carrott, she has a thing about rabbits.

she can sit and pick and play with it for ages, lots of crusty bread too.

if your dd likes dipping things, make soup and she can dip bread. try different breads like tomato or garlic bread. it will help her co-ordination too with having to use a spoon for the soup.

[Evesmama]

the hoummous sounds good, shes into 'dips' at the min..bread sticks and yogurt tonight!!, but (am ashamed to say this, dont know wether she should be doing this by now or not??)
she eats yogurts and more stodgy stuff fine with her spoon and can 'stab' her s.w chips to pick up, but prefers to use her fingers..dont know if shed just refuse something that required a fork???
how do i get her to use one more regulary???god am i a clueless bad mother or what

[Amanda3266]

Evesmamma,

I don't think this is a bad diet at all. All that fibre, protein, calcium, vit.D, carbs, even just dipping the chips in the sauce is fine - at least she's tasting it. If it's any comfort - my DS (just turned 2) is exactly the same - just loves things like chicken dippers, basically, anything he can carry around and hasn't got to waste time sitting down to eat. . And I am the local Health Visitor In fact, the more crappy and unsubstantial the food the better as far as DS is concerned.
I think that half the time they are just so busy that they haven't time to sit and sample anything properly.
Sorry - that's not a lot of help is it? Just wanted you to know you're not alone out there in feeling guilty at your todller's diet. And also to say that what she is eating sounds pretty good stuff - and hey - even chicken dippers are not that bad. If you're feeling really saintly you can try making your own. (I've managed this once). Cut up a chicken breast into bite size pieces coat in beaten egg and roll in crushed cornflakes. My DS liked them - must get round to doing them again.

Mandy

[nailpolish]

my dd gets annoyed at her cutlery, and puts it down saying 'fingers'. i dont really mind if she uses her fingers, dont think it matters just now, dont worry. if you make soup and she wont use her spoon she can just soak it all up with bread!

[Evesmama]

thankyou morningpapaer..
nailpolish, she does likecertain veg and the 'dip' thoery could well work and make her eat more of it thanks and the soup is a good idea too...whats the thickest soup i can buy????

[morningpaper]

If you eat with her then make a big deal about laying the table and give her a fork and knife and spoon too. Maybe get her to carry the cutlery out herself. I've always done this with my daughter - she seems to like having the same cutlery as us. (She's never done herself any damage with the knife - she knows not to put it in her mouth of course.) Might be worth a try?

[essbee]

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[morningpaper]

I make a soup everyday! Sounds like Martha Stewart but it only takes 10 minutes and then it just bubbles away. DD actually likes making it with me - she can put the peel in the bin or wash the carrots or whatever. Basically an onion, stock cube and whatever veg lying around. A handful of lentils and potatoes makes it nice and thick. (If you want it low-salt then there's probably low salt stock cubes you could buy although I just use normal ones because my dd is fussy and won't do anything more than play with the soup!)

For a familiar soup I sometimes make 'baked bean soup' in the hope that she will one day try it. Tin of beans, onion and marmite and pint of water - boil for 20 minutes - yummy but makes you a little windy.

[nailpolish]

the 'cream of..' soups are pretty thick, (although the tomato is stain hell!) potato and leek, theres one called Big Soup that is nice and chunky.

another one her that gives dd same cutlery as everyone else

[Evesmama]

thanks Mandy, reassures me coming from someone in your proffesion!!, was just that i read somewhere(maybe on here i dont know now) that someones kids where not able to use cutlery and their school shamed the parents???
nailpolish...i'll try that with the bread as she loves 'toast'(anything in bread form is toast)and she's the same, just flings her fork down and shales her head!

[nailpolish]

just remembered too about rice - very messy but can be eaten with fingers or spoon, and veg added to it a la savoury rice (if you are in a hurry you can just add a portion of frozen veg) and even chicken or ham. dd loves her rice.

what a great thread, lots of good tips here

[KatieMac]

You can cheat with the soup- if you buy a bag of frozen Casserole mix/Stewpack vegetables - then boil half a bag (or less) for about 3/4 of an hour then liquidise (or use a blender) Lovely soup - add herbs/garlic/tomatoes as required - virtually no calories too

[essbee]

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[Amanda3266]

Yep! Just remembered that Ds loves the novelty of rice. It has to be eaten with a fork though - well when you're 2 why not - and then screamed over when the rice falls through the prongs.

[essbee]

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[morningpaper]

Add tumeric for yellow rice.
Bit of beetroot for pink rice.

(Bear in mind my daughter basically lives on bread and Kinder Eggs, despite my efforts to entertain her with magical culinary delights.)

[Evesmama]

yeah morning paper, ive just started doing that, im about to get a booster seat so she can eat at the table with us, at moment she's just on chair, so it has lovely shades of lasagne and ketchup over it, she points at the chair i originally sat her on and says chair..the..mammies chair..daddies chair, she even gets back up to the table if she wanders off! i gave her some baked beans the other day when i was having a jacket spud, she eat them, said they were nice..then a few mins later threw them up????
we have big soup in, so can try her with that, but will steer clear of the tomato for now(why owe why did we choose a cream carpet over wood floooring??)
essbee...how do i make guacamole dip please
think dips will be great as she can eat them between for snack and then i know she'll be getting more veggies etc.

[Amanda3266]

"Add tumeric for yellow rice.
Bit of beetroot for pink rice".

What a brilliant idea morningpaper. Have to remember that one.

Mandy

[essbee]

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[Evesmama]

phew! so many good tips
rice: that sounds good with the chicken and that and colouring it too
frozen veg:...am searshing for my blender now!!! thats brillient and will be nice and stodgy!
pasta: hit and miss..i had a bowl full of fresh pasta with bacon chesse and onion the other day..she liked the little parcel shape, but it was not in any sauce, so i gave her the lumpy bit with all the stuff in...she bit it..said..mmm..nice, walked around with it feeding it too her plastic farm animalsthen came in kitchen and put in bin???? she used to love the pasta in jars i used to give her when a baby???

[Evesmama]

yes!!! have just found blender..thought i chucked it

[essbee]

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[Evesmama]

i will..YOU'RE ALL FABULOUS!!!!!
hope you are well essbee?