lwfh lots of great ideas about eating here. I find that the main flashpoint of stress for me is if I don't have anything planned or prepared for DS's lunch and/or tea, because he has inherited the hangry gene from his dad and will go into sudden, starving rages that make it very difficult to get him fed. So on my days at home with him I always try and have a think the night before about what to give him, e.g. I often freeze small portions of stuff like pasta sauce, curry etc. for this very purpose, so I can get something out the night before and know that he's got at least one tasty home-cooked meal on offer the next day.
If there's one hot meal in the day I try and make sure it's lunch, as he's still got several hours of running around in the afternoon. DS loves: one-pot type meals (curries, stews, bakes he's mad for lasagne) which are handy for getting veg into him; couscous, which is usefully quick; he also likes fishfinger/mash/pea type meals, although can be more hit and miss with these.
I am lucky in that DS loves his food and will generally give most things a try, but he is as unpredictable as any 1yo and you do have to catch him at the right time i.e. not too tired or hungry. Ultimately I follow the sterling advice posted by (I think) seeker elsewhere on MN: my job as a mum is to provide a tasty and nutritious meal, not to make him eat it. If I offer and he doesn't want it for whatever reason, I just shrug and give him a bit of fruit or bread and butter or something.
A typical day might look like this:
6am: wake up, have milk and banana
7ish: breakfast - some combination of cereal (shreddies or weetabix etc.) or porridge with fruit, toast, fruit, yoghurt
10.30ish: snack - fruit, crackers with peanut butter
12.30ish: lunch - Tuesday's was a coconutty dhal with couscous, he shovelled in two bowls
1ish: nap
Afternoon: he might have a nibble on a snack, but isn't always bothered
5ish: tea - if he's had a cooked meal for lunch I don't feel too bad about giving a more snacky tea e.g. sandwiches, beans on toast, scrambled egg, hummus and dippy things etc.
6.30: drink of milk before bed (if he's been at nursery we also give him a snack, something like crackers or a banana)
At weekends I try and ensure that we all eat together as much as possible. He really enjoys this and has learned how to say 'Cheers' and clink cups before drinking
Something that all of my mum friends here have noticed about our LOs is that when teething, there is a definite retreat to familiar and softer foodstuffs. Stuff like dhal or rice porridge is useful in these situations.