Food ideas for a 16 month old???? Please help!

[figaromeetsmarie]

Hi! I need some "healthy" (well at least a little healthy) lunch/dinner items for a 16 month old. I want my grandson during the day and am out of ideas.
Any ideas that are not "prepackaged" foods??


Thanks so much

 

[TheDizMom]

what types of things are you doing now? That would help us give you new suggestions .

 

[thegrimdwarf]

At 16 months, your grandson should be able to eat whatever healthy foods you're eating for lunch and/or dinner. Fruits, veggies, whole grains breads and pasta, chicken, fish, yogurt, cheese - all good eats!

Grilled cheese sandwiches, cut small, always seem to be a hit with this age group. And soups - homemade, because commercial has way too much salt - but any soup with chicken, veggies, and pasta would be great.

 

[sahm1000]

For some reason, I love to feed small children! I guess because they will try anything and are adventurous if you allow them to be.

When my DD's were this age they ate a variety of things. I tried to stay away from overly processed foods since I didn't want their diet to be reliant on nuggets and hot dogs (although they loved and still love both of those!).

Some of my daughters favorites have been noodles of all shapes and sizes and with a variety of sauces, scrambled eggs, lunch meat, cheese, dips (both of my girls love ranch, salsa, guacamole and hummus) with a variety of veggies and pita bread, avocados, all fruits (bananas, strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, watermelon, honey dew, cantaloupe, grapes, cherries, peaches, kiwi) some veggies (green beans, peas, corn, asparagus, broccoli). Just make sure that everything is appropriately cut up for a 16 month old so that it isn't a choking hazard and that they don't have any food allergies. If you are unsure about whether they have tried a certain food introduce a new food and wait several days before trying another new food (that way you will know which food there is an allergy to if they have a reaction).

At this age kids don't know that they aren't "supposed" to not like certain foods (like veggies) and once you get them to like them they will always eat them. My girls are pretty adventurous eaters at the ages of 2 and 4. But like I said before I didn't just feed them "kid" foods, they ate what we ate for the most part and it has worked out pretty well for us! Good luck!

 

[dani blaski]

And he has been eating this since around a year old...
He LOVES soup! My DS is Polish, and he has a Polish babysitter. Both grew up with lots of soup dishes on a daily basis. My son eats fresh homemade soup everyday that she makes. And I can always get him to eat my veggie or beef stews. Chili, not so much!
He also likes meatloaf, mashed potatoes, baked potatoes, omelets, PB&J sandwiches, grilled cheese sandwiches.
I make homemade mac and cheese: whatever noodles you like, my son LOVES centanelli/ corkscrew. I add a little butter/margarine (1 tsp) to help coat the noodles. I add shredded cheese. I have also made this with sliced cheese. I prefer muenster and cheddar. I had chopped deli meat or whatever leftover meat I have--ham is great,esp with cheddar. Add the butter, cheese and meat while the noodle are hot. I can always get my son to eat this. I even add steamed, chopped veggies and can sneak them in!
My son will eat lots of fruit, yogurt. He really loves wheat crackers--triscuits, wheat thins! I buy the reduced salt of course. He even eats fruit salsa and low salt tortilla chips.
For breakfast he eats cheerios, oatmeal, or eggs.
hope this helps!

if you HAVE to use a prepackaged food this is the only one I use:http://www.gerber.com/toddlersite?tmsdir=food&tmspage=grad_lil.html&tmspromo=2

 

[NorweJenNY]

I'm not really sure what you mean by "prepackaged" ... I mean, the easiest things to do in Disney are to bring things like Cheerios, crackers, goldfish, dried fruits, applesauce, etc... all of which seem "prepackaged" to me.

Other than those things, I guess bananas were a favorite for our boys, but they can smoosh in a backpack and smell if you've got a half leftover. Though some fruit stands may have them available at the parks, so you don't have to tote them in. Maybe some other fruits would be doable... pears, watermelon, etc... my kids tended to prefer these softer fruits.

 

[kidshop]

For some reason, I love to feed small children! I guess because they will try anything and are adventurous if you allow them to be.

When my DD's were this age they ate a variety of things. I tried to stay away from overly processed foods since I didn't want their diet to be reliant on nuggets and hot dogs (although they loved and still love both of those!).

Some of my daughters favorites have been noodles of all shapes and sizes and with a variety of sauces, scrambled eggs, lunch meat, cheese, dips (both of my girls love ranch, salsa, guacamole and hummus) with a variety of veggies and pita bread, avocados, all fruits (bananas, strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, watermelon, honey dew, cantaloupe, grapes, cherries, peaches, kiwi) some veggies (green beans, peas, corn, asparagus, broccoli). Just make sure that everything is appropriately cut up for a 16 month old so that it isn't a choking hazard and that they don't have any food allergies. If you are unsure about whether they have tried a certain food introduce a new food and wait several days before trying another new food (that way you will know which food there is an allergy to if they have a reaction).

At this age kids don't know that they aren't "supposed" to not like certain foods (like veggies) and once you get them to like them they will always eat them. My girls are pretty adventurous eaters at the ages of 2 and 4. But like I said before I didn't just feed them "kid" foods, they ate what we ate for the most part and it has worked out pretty well for us! Good luck!

This is pretty much what I do. I make whole wheat noodles or brown rice ahead and refrigerate or freeze so I can make quick meals when needed. It's super easy to bake a sweet potato in the microwave and cut it into chunks. That's one of my dd's favorites, along with rinsed canned beans (all varieties). She also likes hard boiled eggs, green peas (frozen, but thawed), kernel corn, and every fruit we've given her. She has just started to like raw carrots, red pepper and grape tomatoes too! I cut them into TINY thin slivers she handle (19 months), and she shovels it in. I like her to have a good variety every day.

 

[Kimmumum]

Don't forget....cottage cheese, avocadoes, apples dipped in peanut butter, perogies, cheese pizza cut into bits, hot pretzels, string cheese, yogurt, oranges etc

Even if you don't like certain foods make sure you let your kids try them.

 

[pooh4evr]

stay away from the peanut butte/ peanut products - he is still to young for that right?

 

[tiggger1]

stay away from the peanut butte/ peanut products - he is still to young for that right?

depends on who you ask...there are no peanut allergies in my family so my ped ok'd peanuts at my son's 16 month appointment

 

[dani blaski]

Yes my ped MD also OK'd peanut products--not actual peanuts. He does not have any allergies but the actual peanuts could be a choking hazard.

 

[cerberus]

IMHO, here is some food for thought....MANY things are choking hazards for toddlers. I am really surprised that a peds office would "okay" peanuts for a 16 month old, not for the allergy concern, but the choking concern. The ICU docs I work with would be shocked . Things such as grapes and hot dogs can be cut into small pieces; it is hard to "cut up" a peanut. I have seen several toddlers in the ICU on "breathing machines” with lung trauma due to choking on a peanut.

 

[cerberus]

Here is a chick strip recipe for you. Crush up corn flakes and add some paprika to taste. Whip some egg whites. Take strips of chicken and coat them with the egg whites and roll in the corn flakes. Bake in the oven on 375 for ~10 minutes.

 

[_queenie_]

Avacadoes are great, you can just slice them or make guacamole (with just a tad of spice), they're just such a nice, soft food for toddlers.

Surprisingly, my DS17's favorite food at that age was olives. He would take them and stick one on each finger, so cute. My DD13 was big on peppers, oranges and baked sweet potato fries (her ears actually turned orange, even today she is living proof that eating too much orange food can turn your skin color) and DD3.5 loved to take Pepperidge Farm snack sticks and dip them in hummus. She also liked to snack on the naan bread we'd get with our Indian take-out, which now you can buy at the grocery store.

I also have to reccomend oyster crackers, maraschino cherries, chunked up feta/goat/cream cheese, Stonyfield Farms or another healthy and the obvious cream of wheat. Can't say anything else at the moment, but I'll keep thinking.