Easy, quick, toddler approved recipes

[FrenchToast]

Please share any go to recipes for toddlers. I'm feeling stuck in a rut. Lots of pasta, w/ a protein, usually chicken and a veggie lately.
Thanks!

[Id rather be outside]

I am also struggling to find more good toddler recipes.  The food combination you mentioned happens often around here!  Sometimes with potato instead of pasta for variety, ha!  I also like doing breakfast for dinner like a veggie omelette with toast/muffin or french toast with unsweetened apple sauce for dipping and berries. 

If there is time another dinner we like is cubed sweet potatoes and red lentils in the slow cooker.  I just set it on low until the lentils are done (maybe 4-5 hours) and then stir in some coconut milk to make it smoother.  If I have tomato paste to use up I also put that in at the beginning, but it's fine without it.  I serve it over rice or millet, keeping it plain for the toddler and adding curry powder to ours.

Toddler also enjoys a plate with bread, hummus, cherry tomatoes, some cheddar cheese chunks, and a green frozen veggie like broccoli or green beans.  Don't do this often because we try not to do a lot of salty things or dairy, but it gets eaten up super quickly!

When there is time to cook ahead these recipes have been awesome for stocking the freezer:

- Pumpkin pancakes (no sugar) https://brooklynfarmgirl.com/pumpkin-baby-pancakes-recipe/
- Pumpkin Muffins (no sugar, think I used applesauce instead of the maple syrup) https://www.pbfingers.com/whole-wheat-pumpkin-muffins/
-Greek Turkey Meatballs (I use parsley insted of mint because I always have bad luck with fresh mint going bad) https://wellnessmama.com/4678/greek-meatballs/
-Meatloaf made in muffin tins.  Used a regular recipe but used oats instead of breadcrumbs and sugar free ketchup.

Would love to hear what works for others!

[dragoncar]

^all of that sounds good

we don't have any go-to stuff yet, except for guacamole which the little guy can't get enough of (hopefully that endures)

[reeshau]

One miraculous dish we found was a chicken stir fry.  We were initially surprised he liked it at all.  (his favorite is a thai peanut sauce) But once he found a few favorite things in there--initially cashews and water chestnuts, then it was a medium to introduce new things, particularly green vegetables.  We would go around the table and call out something to eat:  "chicken bite!"  "snap pea bite!"  "water chestnut bite!"  He participated, since he got a turn to make us eat something; and he had to eat our bites to get another turn.

[chemistk]

It all really depends on what your kid likes or doesn't like.

Our older son (4.5) will eat almost everything we put in front of him. His first favorite dish was curried chicken+lentils, and since then he's been eating whatever my wife and I have been eating. He always hated baby food and just about demanded to be fed our meals even as an infant, so we made them easy for him. He'll try something at least once, and if he doesn't like it, it's an honest dislike. His favorite food (when asked) is mushrooms, I kid you not.

Our younger (2) is the most stubborn eater in the world. We did about the same things we did with his brother, and for a while he would eat most things. Over time, he's decided he just doesn't like anything. He went from eating curry, stir fry, fish, soup, etc. to nothing. He used to love ice cream and now won't touch the stuff. Most maddening child because he'll just simply not eat at all until he has an opportunity to have one of the few things he does like.

So for us, we make a lot of family meals that we anticipate our toddler will eat that have as many things hidden in them that he won't eat.

Some of the winners:

-Low carb (cali or broccoli crust) pizza
-Meatloaf (with >1 cup of finely chopped veggies hidden inside)
-Low carb (bean/lentil/soy noodle) pasta
-Baked salmon
-Soup + grilled cheese (younger son won't eat the soup though)
-Taco bowls (kinda like Chipotle - protien+veg+carb+toppings)
-GF chicken nuggets + veggie 'fries'

We also have a lot of dinner staples that our older son will eat and that we stick in front of the toddler (crossing our fingers that this time he'll try it). If toddler refuses to have a single bite, we'll give him a piece of fruit or something later just to give him calories.

Anything that can be cooked or finished in one pot is what we tend to gravitate towards - chili, curries, stews, stir fries, etc.

[Kmp2]

This has worked well for us:

-Lentil patties/cakes/muffins
- fritters/latkes (that is shredded veggie/potato patties with egg and flour fried or baked)
- yogurt and granola, yogurt popsicles, frozen yogurt
- baked sweet potato (I store small prebaked ones in the fridge and then just peel them and give them to him)
- mini muffin like frittatas, quiche etc.
- meatballs (I like to swap half the meat for beans or lentils/grains)
- mini pizzas on buns/toast/english muffins


Our now 17 month old mostly eats what we eat, but I like to have the above in the fridge/freezer for when he refuses to eat what we're having (or if I made it too spicy, and even adding yogurt doesn't work - oops!) Although I sometimes deconstruct his - like if we have a salad or stirfry I leave his in parts undressed, whereas I mix ours together with the sauce/dressing.

[FrenchToast]

Thanks for all of these great suggestions. I've made turkey meatballs a few times and often my little one hasn't been impressed, the greek version sounds tasty though! The stir fry is a great idea, I'll have to give that a try. It's so obvious but I've never thought to make that.

[acepedro45]

Having toddlers help with very simple meal prep is a great way to get them excited about eating food they might normally scorn.

There are also lots of good lessons to be learned (here's how we measure liquids, this knife is sharp so we must be very careful) along the way.

[formerlydivorcedmom]

On busy days when I didn't have time to cook -
1)"peanut butter party".  My kids LOVED this.

Everyone got a giant glob of peanut butter and a wide variety of things to dip in it. 
Fruits - including bananas, grapes, apples, strawberries and blueberries, raisins
Veggies - Carrots and celery
Carbs - crackers, tortilla, or small pieces of toast
Dessert - marshmallows or small chunks of chocolate

2) Simple wraps.
a) tortilla + peanut butter + really tiny chunks of apple + granola
b) tortilla + slice of cheese + a few slices of pepperoni [one child would add lettuce.  another added a bit of tomato sauce]

When I had more time to cook -
1) enchiladas
2) enchilada soup [3 cups chicken broth + 20 oz red enchilada sauce + browned chicken chunks + 1 sauteed onion + 2 T garlic + slices of tortilla]
3) Chicken and broccoli in a sauce made of cream of mushroom + parmesan cheese over macaroni.  I told my picky child this was a special kind of mac and cheese and he believed me.   [He would not eat the same meal when served over any other noodles]
4) Quesadillas (you can hide some veggies in them)
5) Chili [2 loved this; the 3rd did not]

[jpdx]

Why does your toddler require special recipies? My toddler just eats whatever we eat and I assumed that was the norm.

[dragoncar]

Why does your toddler require special recipies? My toddler just eats whatever we eat and I assumed that was the norm.

Mostly he complains about the derivative nature of my deconstructed classics and uninspired plating.

[former player]

Why does your toddler require special recipies? My toddler just eats whatever we eat and I assumed that was the norm.

Mostly he complains about the derivative nature of my deconstructed classics and uninspired plating.

Tell him it's an essential part of his life preparation for school, college and work canteens.

[minimustache1985]

TBH my toddler (recently turned 2) gets a lot of hot dogs and leftover Mac n cheese when he refuses to eat what we are eating.  Frozen green beans and baked sweet potatoes too, but those I at least feel good about him eating.  We end breakfast and lunch with a fruit, and dinner with either a string cheese or Cheerios depending on if he has already had cheese that day.

Things he will eat basically are meats simmered in sauces so that they taste more like the sauce than meat.
Chicken Tikka Masala- requires a few minutes prep marinating and comes together quickly on the stove in the evening.
Thai peanut chicken- sauce is primarily peanut butter and coconut milk along with some things like lime juice and sesame oil, and I bake it in the sauce.
Crock pot Mongolian beef- sauce is equal parts water, low sodium soy sauce, and brown sugar, with garlic and ginger added to taste.  Coat meat strips in corn starch and cook on low for 4-8 hours depending on beef cut, adding some veggies closer to the end.
Tacos- he just eats the meat and I cut up avocado for him with it, seasoning is the fajita seasoning from budget bytes.
Breakfast for dinner- scrambled eggs, peanut butter on toast or bagel, or oatmeal with peanut butter stirred in.
Grilled cheese- he doesn’t go for the tomato soup anymore but we do and it’s a quick easy meal everyone likes.

[Aelias]

Seconded quesadillas!  My seven year old is the picky one, but he’ll eat quesadillas with corn and beans all day long.  Also raw veggies with guacamole or hummus. And Mac & Cheese or fettuccine with veggies mixed in.

[mavendrill]

We make sweet bread almost every week in the winter.  First my 3 year old loves m making it, and both her and her 1 year old sister love eating it.
We start with your basic fruit bread base, then add whatever blended fruits or veggies are handy ( late fall so much cheap butternut squash).  Also food coloring, so they can have purple bread or orange bread.

They go crazy for it.  Not the healthiest, but it's not endless pasta with white sauce.