What do I feed my toddler?

[Mar1a]

I'm at a loss as to what to feed my toddler... She isn't particularly fussy but I've found I'm now in a routine whereby we seem to be eating the same meals week in week out (spaghetti bolognaise, carbonara, sausage and mash...) Sometimes I'm a little adventurous but find she doesn't eat that much of it (kedgeree for example) so I resort to popping pasta on the hob as she always eats it... I'm sure too much pasta is not a good thing1?!
My husband and I both work so time is an issue, by the time we get her home from nursery we've an hour together before it's her bedtime. There was a stage where I was making food in advance and freezing it, but I found when she didn't want it I would resort to making - you guessed - pasta again...
I wonder if there are any good recipe books out there, ones that mean you don't have to travel to Mars to get the ingredients. Recipes that can be made with everyday ingredients with not too much preparation..?

I'm no expert but do you think she might be a bit too tired to try anything adventurous at tea time? I usually give DD her main meal at lunchtime and then just something simple (pasta or even just a sandwich) for her tea.

Obviously too much of anything isn't a great idea but you can add all sorts of different sauces to pasta to ring the changes. Carbs like pasta also have the advantage of being sleep-inducing!

Presumably your DD can't eat tea at nursery? I figure mine gets enough variety there 3 days a week that it's not such a big deal if I stick to the reliable old faves the rest of the time!

I find a slow-cooked omelette goes down well with my LO. It's another option which can be varied depending on what you have in.

My usual version:
Fry cubed potatoes until look like chips.
Defrost chopped spinach in microwave
Beat 2 eggs (or 4/5 eggs if making in big frying pan). Season eggs with grated parmesan, dried herbs, pepper (and salt if desired).
Add spinach and potatoes to egg mixture.
Turn heat down to minimum under pan. Pour mixture into pan and allow to cook for 15 min until just set (big version needs about 30 min).
Finish off under grill.

This can be eaten cold as well. The slow cooking means you don't get a tough base, which makes it easier to eat for small children.

Ah that's really helpful. Thanks! I'll defo try that.

I guess they do eat a lot at nursery so maybe she'll be okay with a light snack when we get home...

My toddler likes risotto, fish pie, chilli con carne, vegetarian chilli, baked potato with tuna mayonnaise or cheese and beans, meatballs, shepherds pie and chicken pie if that helps at all.

My failsafe 5 minute recipe for toddlers is spinach and/or mushroom omelette: defrost a nugget of chopped spinach; slice and fry the mushrooms; beat an egg and mix veg into it; fry in butter in a small no-stick pan, and while that's doing sprinkle with cheese (I use ready-grated parmesan for speed). Slide onto a place and flip it back into the pan upside down, so the cheese cooks, for about half a minute. Chop into squares so they can eat with fingers or a fork.

(This is also nice with a bit of garlic in there too. I use the frozen ready-shopped stuff.)

Otherwise fish fingers and veg, or baked beans (reduced salt and sugar version), or stir-fry (I do broccoli, red pepper, mushroom, carrot and sometimes tofu, with a sprinkle of soy sauce), or ham and cream cheese rolls with veg usually go down well.

Lastly, if you're worried about pasta's lack of nutritional value, try whole wheat pasta which will at least provide a bit more fibre.

Have slept on this - we have had some success with soup at teatimes. Gina Ford has some good recipes in her weaning book (DD likes Gina's leek & potato, minestrone and courgette & leek) but obviously you could use any grown-up recipe and substitute low-salt stock cubes. I serve it with bread but try and keep that hidden until she's at least had a few mouthfuls of soup. Like I said before, I've found it's worked best for us to keep it light in the evening and include more carbs than protein to encourage sleep.

I sometimes - and particularly at teatimes - find DD will turn her nose up at something after a few mouthfuls but then come back to it.
I tolerate this a bit (and let her get down and play for a while) in the interests of actually getting some food down her, even though it might not be the best table manners! And I can sometimes get her to take a few more mouthfuls if I ring the changes and bring out a different set of cutlery

Will look up that Little Dish book as their ready meals are great.

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