menu planner for toddlers?

[sparklyshoos]

Hi, can anybody give me some suggestions for meals for my 14mo DS? we weaned on purees, so now he's on lumpy foods and I tend to cook extra of what we're eating then mash into lumps. A freezer full of stew, cauli cheese, shep pie etc. is all well and good in the winter, but now the weather is changing and also that he wants more food he can feed himself I need some inspiration for things I can make easily for him, especially at lunchtime.

So far I've come up with jkt pot & cheese, scrambled egg on toast...and that's about it really! all suggestions most gratefully received, TIA.

Hey, just thought I'd recommend Annabel Karmel books, we have the planner one and while there is a lot I wouldn't make, it is full of ideas which make me think... "Oh, so I can give them that then....."

How about checking one out the library for some info?

Homemade pizza slices, risotto, cheese and tomato on toast, fruit, er.... will think!

Cheese scones/straws, veg sticks and healthy dip, (might want to steam if he's not great with crunchy stiff yet?), cooked chicken pieces cold with salady stuff, mixed with plain yoghurt,

sandwiches?

stuff

You'll find loads of ideas on babyledweaning.com for finger foods. At lunchtime dd usually has sandwiches and pieces of tomato, cucumber, radish etc. Same as me really.

For dinner pasta is quick and easy with bolognese, tuna, cheese, tomato sauce. Or fish/chicken/meat with new potatoes and veg (cut into fingers so he can feed himself.

Just give him what you have.
Easier for everyone.

"bolognese, tuna, cheese, tomato sauce." that was a selection of ideas rather than suggesting them all together on the pasta!!

thanks all, yes we have some AK books, but I'm needing a bit more inspiration than that now. I'd looked on the babyled weaning site, but hadn't got much further than the roasted squash and steamed veg chips etc. so will take another look ta.

The problem with giving him what I have is that I don't tend to eat that well at lunchtime anymore , so need inspiration for both of us for easy stuff. I really admire mothers who have everything so organised and have great nutritious meals that the baby can pick at, but that was the main reason BLW wasn't for us - toast or sandwich made night before when making DH's lunch for work were never that nutritious.

I'll have to make a supreme effort [sigh] and start being healthier and having more variety!

corn on the cob?

can you not freeze whatever you have for tea for him to eat the next day for lunch?

I am a bit rubbish at lunches too, but have loads of little freezer bags of curry / bolognese / sunday lunch etc that I can pop into the microwave for ds's lunch.

thanks hollyhobbie (I used to love her! i had a little denim bag and she sat in a pocket on the front!), I got some corn on the cob in tesco today, thinking I'd try that for lunch one day!
retbunny, thanks yes, I do tend to do that now for him, but feel it's getting a bit samey-samey, as the freezable stuff tends to be similar - roast dinner, mince based, fish pie, somethign veggie with cheese sauce.

Also, our microwave blew up a few months ago and we've not replaced it yet, so I have to make sure it's something I can heat up in a pan.

I think I'm probably making this more complicated than it needs to be

I feel so much better after reading your posts sparklyshoos. I used AK book for weaning as prior to having DS I had barely switch on a cooker!!
I've now turned into Masterchef (she lies). I'm still using the book and actually feel that I've learned how to cook good basic food as a result of using it. I do sometimes feel that what I serve up can be a bit samey as sadly I have absolutely no imagination. Feel happy enough though that I'm doing the best I can to get all the good stuff inside him.
I need to put a clothes peg on my nose as I serve him up a variety of AK fish dishes, but hopefully the end result will be a healthy wee boy.
For lunches he has wee portions of risotto from the freezer, sandwiches, filled pitta pockets, toasted cheese, scrambled eggs etc and seems happy enough with it.
Hope that helps. Reckon you're doing a great job!!

switched not switch! I start to twitch when I think of cooking.