Healthy lunch and snack ideas for 18 mth old and 3 yr old

[JulieNG]

I'm running out of ideas for snacks and lunch. Trying to not get them used to the same things and we are in a rut.
Breakfast my 3 yr old will only eat peanut butter and jelly, a smoothie with low-fat yogurt and fruit, and occasionally eggs and toast. Usually fruit too. My son is more flexible and will eat oatmeal, waffles, eggs, yogurt and fruit

Snacks are usually cheese sticks, fruit, yogurt, crackers. If we are out I'll give them cheese-it's or goldfish crackers.

Lunch is hard b/c they usually won't eat dinner leftovers. I'm find myself making mac-n-cheese too much (it's easy and they like it, but I'd like something healthier). PNB and jelly, sometimes turkey sandwiches, chicken. It's just getting really hard!!

Any great suggestions?

[Mama2boys]

pasta works great in our house and easy for both to eat. Also a thick stew with rice cooke din is normaly appreciated.

[Texomamama]

Ditto.  I read this email in the hopes I could respond to it, but I find myself at a loss.  Everytime I think of something, I look at your original post and realize "Oh, she listed that....".  First, kudos on breakfast.  Sounds like they get a good, balanced start to the day.  The only things I can add since I have had some success with them are:

Lunch:  turkey hot dogs (a little more healthy and less mystery meat), fish sticks (Gorton's makes a tilapia fs that does not use minced fish), soup (my 18 mo DD will still eat the Nature's Best organic soup).  

Snack: I can't think of any more than you listed.

Someone help us.....

[Mama2boys]

we do yogurt with honey or fuit for snack as well and essentially fuit. Sometimes a toast thrown in if DS is hungry.

I also sometiems use a pasta suace mixed with rice for lunch or soemthing so say dinner leftover sauce but instaed of pasta do rice.

Quesdillas are also fun for my LO and I can add in veggies and they are so easy and quick to cook.

From left over fo dinner make like a little burger or something for lunch as well.

we don't necessraily doa  alot fo vaiety of food but a variety of flavours IYKWIM.

[nona]

lunch - i almost always give leftovers from dinner. DS is usually not a picky eater though. however, he LOVES to make sandwiches or be a part of making his lunch - and i try to add spinach or tomato (better if he adds it).  as far as mac n cheese, i try to make one of the organic brands and add some chopped lunch meat or leftover chicken and some finely chopped up veggies. i also jazz it up w/ extra cheese like blue cheese, etc.  have you tried veggie burgers?  i'll also do pasta. oh, you could try english muffin pizzas (just add pasta sauce, cheese and veggies) and toast.  i have a good recipe for homemade chicken nuggets and fingers if you're interested. you can make a batch and freeze them.

snacks - this is hard, esp for "on the go".  the wholesome toddler food website has some good ideas for snacks (and lunch and dinner).  recently, i got together w/ some friends to swap toddler snacks such as wholewheat banana muffins, apple bars (from website above), orange cookies (from website above), oatmeal fruit bars. also, DS loves "bars"  - so i usually buy the kashi brand. half a bagel w/ cream cheese.  i have started cutting back though b/c DS def eats more lunch/dinner w/ less snacks. after nap, he got some chocolate pudding!  oh, you can also do a toddler granola - i put dried fruit, cereal (like O's or some cascadian farms brand), fiber one cereal (DS needs fiber), gerber yogurt melts, goldfish, etc.

[mum101]

mini pizzas are great, kids can help by adding ingredients. enourage all different vegies and limit the cheese though, otherwise the kids will only put ham and cheese on it!

lately we have been doing couscous and tuna salad things with cheese and avocado

english muffins or crumpets with cheese and vegemite, or avocado

a really thick pumpkin soup with wholegrain toast is lovely.

vegetable pancakes have been going down a real treat and very quick to prep up.

for snacks you could make avocado dip for crackers, or low fat cream cheese

[We Three]

Here's a great lunch that it's easy to sneak some veggies into!  Make some pastina,slightly more than half the box, and as soon as you put it into the boiling water, add about a half bag of fresh spinach. I cut mine up very small, and I use the baby spinach so it doesn't have the big stems. I cut it into pieces that are about the size of a postsge stamp (any bigger and my dd won't eat it). Add it to the water and cook both the pasta and spinach according to when pasta is done, about 4 or 5 minutes.  Strain when done, return to pot. Add a little butter and a can (or fresh) of petite-cut diced tomatoes.  Sprinkle with parmeasean or romano cheese....it takes less than 10 minutes to make and we all love it.  We sneak some leftover chicken in there if we have some in the fridge, too!


Also....Kashi makes a cereal called Mighty Bites.....it is really healthy, and really yummy...dd loves it with milk, but mostly she snacks on it dry. 

[JulieNG]

Thank you all for the great ideas.

[nona]

oh, sometimes we do the mini frozen waffles (whole wheat, etc) and then put different toppings likes PB & banana, pumpkin butter, cream cheese, etc.

[ConfusedMom]

DD loves cheese raviolis and we just buy a big packet from costco and I just hit them up with some sauce...
DD also likes stuffed potato paratha. You can buy them frozen from any indian grocery store ot you can make it at home too..

Meeta

[nona]

i was reading an article in parents or parenting about getting your kids to eat. one idea was to have your kids "fish" w/ pretzels sticks, cream cheese and gold fish. ie, stick pretzel in cream cheese and then try to pick up a goldfish. they have healthier examples but just an idea about making eating more interesting.

FWIW, my younger brother was a very picky eater (like PBJ only, etc) and now he eats everything. he is 30. so don't give up hope!