Author Topic: Help! Family friendly quick healthy meals that baby can eat, too?  (Read 3528 times)

lifejoy

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I’m finding it a challenge! Trying to not make separate meals for my baby. Want her to start eating more food that we’re all eating. Scrambled eggs with chopped up spinach has been a great success but goodness I could use more ideas. Please and thanks! She’s 10 months.

Gin1984

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Re: Help! Family friendly quick healthy meals that baby can eat, too?
« Reply #1 on: June 03, 2018, 09:07:07 AM »
Chopped up fruit with some of what your eating can help.  Our ten month old does not eat what we are eating, but she eats some of what we do, just differently and smaller.

Millennialworkerbee

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Re: Help! Family friendly quick healthy meals that baby can eat, too?
« Reply #2 on: June 03, 2018, 11:12:47 AM »
If you are doing things like scrambled eggs and cut up pieces of fruit already you are already ahead of the game! At least in my opinion. Lots of people are still giving their baby puréed food at that age.

We’ve got a little guy who is about to turn 2. He isn’t the best eater (what 2 year old is?) but I think he does pretty good. The recipe weve followed for about a year now has been to serve whatever we are eating as plain as possible (leave off sauce or put in a dipping cup, separate out ingredients, etc). We add a fruit and a vegetable (like pieces of strawberries and cucumbers with dip) and call it a meal. When I was more organized, I did the chopping of the fruit & veggies on the weekend, so dinner prep was just a spoonful of whatever I prepared and then grabbing from the fridge.

We make a BIG deal out of any attempts to eat the actual dinner! I’d say he tried it about 75% of the time. He is still snacking a decent bit and I’m sure your LO snacks a lot too so it all rounds out for the day, even if they only eat the fruit at a meal.

lifejoy

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Re: Help! Family friendly quick healthy meals that baby can eat, too?
« Reply #3 on: June 03, 2018, 11:38:51 AM »
Chopped up fruit with some of what your eating can help.  Our ten month old does not eat what we are eating, but she eats some of what we do, just differently and smaller.

Oh totally. I am already giving her chopped up single foods, but I want to give her more combo foods that the whole family can eat like Dahl or soup or risotto or...?

That makes me feel better that your 10-month-old eats different foods than you. It’s a lot of work though!

lifejoy

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Re: Help! Family friendly quick healthy meals that baby can eat, too?
« Reply #4 on: June 03, 2018, 11:40:48 AM »
If you are doing things like scrambled eggs and cut up pieces of fruit already you are already ahead of the game! At least in my opinion. Lots of people are still giving their baby puréed food at that age.

We’ve got a little guy who is about to turn 2. He isn’t the best eater (what 2 year old is?) but I think he does pretty good. The recipe weve followed for about a year now has been to serve whatever we are eating as plain as possible (leave off sauce or put in a dipping cup, separate out ingredients, etc). We add a fruit and a vegetable (like pieces of strawberries and cucumbers with dip) and call it a meal. When I was more organized, I did the chopping of the fruit & veggies on the weekend, so dinner prep was just a spoonful of whatever I prepared and then grabbing from the fridge.

We make a BIG deal out of any attempts to eat the actual dinner! I’d say he tried it about 75% of the time. He is still snacking a decent bit and I’m sure your LO snacks a lot too so it all rounds out for the day, even if they only eat the fruit at a meal.

Soooo I don’t normally eat super healthy or baby friendly meals. What sort of family meals are you sharing with your toddler? I don’t want to share chips or ichiban noodles with my baby ;)

And I also eat a lot of salad but she only has two teeth...

A lot of my normal meals are not baby friendly.

CrustyBadger

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Re: Help! Family friendly quick healthy meals that baby can eat, too?
« Reply #5 on: June 03, 2018, 03:29:53 PM »
So...... what do you eat?    It sounds like ramen noodles and salad?

My usual advice is to "feed the baby what you eat" but if you aren't eating healthy food, maybe it would be good to start there by changing your meals?

Fresh vegetables would be hard for a baby.  She could eat mashed up avocados.

A typical family meal for us would be, say, sauteed chicken breast with lemon; egg noodles; sauteed kale.     You could slice some of the chicken breast then mash it up with a fork to be mushy; add a little olive oil or butter to make it moister if need be.  Mash up egg noodles separately or together with the chicken.  Chop the sauteed kale finely.  All of these things a 10 month old could eat.  You could mix them together and make tiny meatballs out of them too.

Another good meal is a baked potato.  Grown ups eat the baked potato; scoop the potato out for the baby and add some butter, cheese etc.

If you are eating a pasta dish like lasagna or spaghetti, you can put 1 cup of it through a potato ricer (or again, just mash it a little with your fork.)  That's gonna be a messy meal though.

Rice is a very very very messy meal for a baby.  Rice will get everywhere! 



CrustyBadger

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Re: Help! Family friendly quick healthy meals that baby can eat, too?
« Reply #6 on: June 03, 2018, 03:33:22 PM »
Another favorite baby meal was sauteed fish (like salmon or tilapia) with maybe rice or cous cous, and some asparagus.  You can feed your baby the fish but screen VERY carefully for little bones.  Mix the fish with the grain to make little balls and the baby can feed herself the fish as finger food.   If the asparagus is steamed until mushy she can even just gnaw on the stalks a little.   Or chop it up.  Asparagus can be a little stringy so might be better to chop it up.

lifejoy

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Re: Help! Family friendly quick healthy meals that baby can eat, too?
« Reply #7 on: June 03, 2018, 05:04:39 PM »
Another favorite baby meal was sauteed fish (like salmon or tilapia) with maybe rice or cous cous, and some asparagus.  You can feed your baby the fish but screen VERY carefully for little bones.  Mix the fish with the grain to make little balls and the baby can feed herself the fish as finger food.   If the asparagus is steamed until mushy she can even just gnaw on the stalks a little.   Or chop it up.  Asparagus can be a little stringy so might be better to chop it up.

I love the fish/grain balls idea!

We eat like college students. And then also salads. So we’re definitely making an effort to have healthier baby meal ideas.

lifejoy

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Re: Help! Family friendly quick healthy meals that baby can eat, too?
« Reply #8 on: June 03, 2018, 05:22:33 PM »
We eat things like sandwiches, hamburgers, hot dogs, soup, salad, cereal. Not ideal for babies. All ideas are much appreciated!

Freedomin5

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Re: Help! Family friendly quick healthy meals that baby can eat, too?
« Reply #9 on: June 03, 2018, 05:31:44 PM »
She DD was that age, we ate a lot of chicken and veggie soup. Take the carrot/potato/pumpkin/etc our and mash it with a fork before feeding it to DD. Also congee - DD got congee with a bit of puréed veggies/meat, adults got congee with non-puréed veggies and meats. Omelettes were also popular. And fruit.

CrustyBadger

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Re: Help! Family friendly quick healthy meals that baby can eat, too?
« Reply #10 on: June 03, 2018, 07:04:45 PM »
If salads are a big part of your meal repertoire, you could adjust somewhat for the baby.  Raw vegetables are too hard to chew right now, but some raw fruits might be OK -- very soft pear slices (skin removed), grated apples, ripe peaches (again remove the skin at first), blueberries and avocados and so on.   Also you could hardboil an egg for the salad, and serve the baby chopped egg.  Shred a hard cheese like colby, cheddar, pepper jack etc. as a topping.

Serve the salad and some bread for yourself for dinner, and just the toppings for the baby.

Cottage cheese mixed with soft fruits would be a good meal for a baby, and you could have a salad with the fruit as a topping.

A baby can eat a grilled cheese sandwich.   cut it into thin strips and then cut again the other direction to make tiny squares.  It becomes finger food!  Just watch carefully that the baby doesn't cram her mouth full of sandwich before swallowing as it could become a choking hazard.  You can add some sliced ham to your sandwich at first then try it for the baby!  Or grilled avocado and cheese.

Other sandwich ideas for a baby's meal: 

http://blog.homemade-baby-food-recipes.com/seven-simple-sandwich-ideas-for-baby/

lifejoy

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Re: Help! Family friendly quick healthy meals that baby can eat, too?
« Reply #11 on: June 03, 2018, 08:35:51 PM »
Soft salads is a great idea. Tonight she enjoyed watermelon feta mint salad :)

Congee would be great, too!

She likes avocado sometimes. And she loves broccoli cheddar tots! And sweet potato “fries”.

Keep the ideas coming :)

CrustyBadger

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Re: Help! Family friendly quick healthy meals that baby can eat, too?
« Reply #12 on: June 04, 2018, 04:11:46 AM »
Soft salads is a great idea. Tonight she enjoyed watermelon feta mint salad :)


Sophisticated baby!!

Oh I wish I had a baby to feed again!

lifejoy

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Re: Help! Family friendly quick healthy meals that baby can eat, too?
« Reply #13 on: June 04, 2018, 10:35:55 AM »
Soft salads is a great idea. Tonight she enjoyed watermelon feta mint salad :)


Sophisticated baby!!

Oh I wish I had a baby to feed again!

That’s so funny - I will have to keep that thought in the forefront of my mind. Too often I am thinking, “omg I can’t wait until I don’t have to make baby foods anymore!!” Lol

The mind is a mysterious beast eh.

mxt0133

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Re: Help! Family friendly quick healthy meals that baby can eat, too?
« Reply #14 on: June 04, 2018, 11:17:36 AM »

That’s so funny - I will have to keep that thought in the forefront of my mind. Too often I am thinking, “omg I can’t wait until I don’t have to make baby foods anymore!!” Lol

The mind is a mysterious beast eh.

Luckily my wife taught me that lesson early with my first born.  He learned to walk but was constantly asking to be carried.  I had no issue doing it if he was tired but stared getting irritated when I knew he just wanted to be held.  I wanted him to "grow up" until my wife pointed out that my son will eventually stop wanting to be carried someday.  From there I tried to cherish all the times he asked to be carried even for a brief period.  He is seven now and I am the one who ask to if he wants to be carried, haha.


kimmarg

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Re: Help! Family friendly quick healthy meals that baby can eat, too?
« Reply #15 on: June 04, 2018, 11:56:07 AM »
We’ve got a little guy who is about to turn 2. He isn’t the best eater (what 2 year old is?) but I think he does pretty good. The recipe weve followed for about a year now has been to serve whatever we are eating as plain as possible (leave off sauce or put in a dipping cup, separate out ingredients, etc). We add a fruit and a vegetable (like pieces of strawberries and cucumbers with dip) and call it a meal.

This is about why I do. "Deconstructed Hipster-toddler" is what we call it.  E.g family has quesadillas, toddler has plain tortilla with cheese and side of peppers and chicken.

For more baby ago noodles was a huge hit. Also lentils puree to near mush. Mashed potatoes, yogurt, rice in all forms. Fried rice is a good hit for everyone right now. 2 year old eats it and I add soy sauce after her share.  Tofu is good and smooshy for all ages. Sweet potatoes, black beans are good.

Basically I'd make what you want and feed the baby the 'ingredients' so a bit of plain bean, plain rice, plain whatever. Also realize baby doesn't know what a steroptyical meal is and won't care.


reeshau

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Re: Help! Family friendly quick healthy meals that baby can eat, too?
« Reply #16 on: June 04, 2018, 03:05:34 PM »
Deconstructed food is a good way to go.  It's discussed in another thread, but establishing the expectation of family meal time, eating the "same" thing, will pay off down the road.

For us, when our son was 2, we found the miracle of the stir fry.  He picks the sauce (loves peanut sauce!).  It has been a great platform to introduce new things--just add another ingredient to the known ones.  He may not eat it the first time, but eventually it will stick to the good stuff.  We also play a game where we all take turns to declare what we eat.  Of course, he goes with favorites, but if he wants another turn, he has to play along with mom and Dad's weird ideas.

CrustyBadger

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Re: Help! Family friendly quick healthy meals that baby can eat, too?
« Reply #17 on: June 04, 2018, 03:25:11 PM »
Soft salads is a great idea. Tonight she enjoyed watermelon feta mint salad :)


Sophisticated baby!!

Oh I wish I had a baby to feed again!

That’s so funny - I will have to keep that thought in the forefront of my mind. Too often I am thinking, “omg I can’t wait until I don’t have to make baby foods anymore!!” Lol

The mind is a mysterious beast eh.

Let me edit myself.

Oh, I wish I had a baby to feed again... **for a few meals**

lifejoy

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Re: Help! Family friendly quick healthy meals that baby can eat, too?
« Reply #18 on: June 04, 2018, 06:58:37 PM »
Soft salads is a great idea. Tonight she enjoyed watermelon feta mint salad :)


Sophisticated baby!!

Oh I wish I had a baby to feed again!

That’s so funny - I will have to keep that thought in the forefront of my mind. Too often I am thinking, “omg I can’t wait until I don’t have to make baby foods anymore!!” Lol

The mind is a mysterious beast eh.

Let me edit myself.

Oh, I wish I had a baby to feed again... **for a few meals**

Bwahahahhaa grandparenthood for the win! ;)

lifejoy

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Help! Family friendly quick healthy meals that baby can eat, too?
« Reply #19 on: June 04, 2018, 06:59:19 PM »
Deconstructed food is a good way to go.  It's discussed in another thread, but establishing the expectation of family meal time, eating the "same" thing, will pay off down the road.

For us, when our son was 2, we found the miracle of the stir fry.  He picks the sauce (loves peanut sauce!).  It has been a great platform to introduce new things--just add another ingredient to the known ones.  He may not eat it the first time, but eventually it will stick to the good stuff.  We also play a game where we all take turns to declare what we eat.  Of course, he goes with favorites, but if he wants another turn, he has to play along with mom and Dad's weird ideas.

Oh, good ideas!!

Thank night we enjoyed peas and melted cheese on brown bread. Yum! We both liked it.

CrustyBadger

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Re: Help! Family friendly quick healthy meals that baby can eat, too?
« Reply #20 on: June 04, 2018, 07:09:44 PM »
Peas, and melted cheese on bread?

Or, peas and melted cheese, on bread?

lifejoy

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Re: Help! Family friendly quick healthy meals that baby can eat, too?
« Reply #21 on: June 04, 2018, 07:13:32 PM »
Peas, and melted cheese on bread?

Or, peas and melted cheese, on bread?

Lol. Peas, and melted cheese on bread. But now you’ve got me thinking... ;)

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Re: Help! Family friendly quick healthy meals that baby can eat, too?
« Reply #22 on: June 04, 2018, 08:23:59 PM »
-make salad but baby eats the "toppings"- grilled protein, grated cheese, roasted veggies, avocado.  We did this a ton last summer.  Could do chicken or baby hamburgers.
-lots of soups.  Either thicker like a puree or lots of chunky soft veggies.  Not thin/broth based, too hard to eat.
-meatloaf or muffin tin meatloaf.  Beef or turkey, can mix in lots of veggies
-pasta. spaghetti and meat sauce.  pasta casseroles.  homemade mac & cheese.
-baby pizza- slice of bread with sauce & cheese
-oatmeal, overnight oats, apple pie oats
-smoothies
-scrambled eggs or omelet
-hummus & soft crackers
-pancakes, waffles with applesauce on top

I don't feed my kids much plain food (well until they becoming annoying picky 4 year olds...).