Food My Toddler Ate + Toddler Feeding Tips

Life with a little one is a whirlwind right? Now, I have one rule before you head into this post. Please keep in mind that not all little ones are the same and anything my toddler is doing that yours is or is not, is not cause for judgement. This post is a reflection of what has worked in our house, and is a share of research I’ve done on my own as a new mom in hopes that it is helpful to others.

As I write this post, my son is 21 months. We started him on solid foods at 6 months using the baby led weaning method. At the end of this post I’ll share some resources we used to learn how to navigate that process from then until now.

Tips on Feeding Toddlers:

1. Explore All kinds of Foods & don’t give up on foods they reject – Explore a wide variety of food! Studies show that babies who are introduced to a wide variety of flavors and textures are less likely to become picky eaters. If they don’t like a certain food, try serving it in a different way (cutting it differently, mashing it up (if that is an option),etc). An example of this in our house is a quesadilla. When I cut it into wedges, Charlie won’t touch it. When I cut it into little squares he gobbles it up. Making it fun (using shapes, etc) can help too!
2. Lead by Example – Sitting down and eating at the same time as your toddler, showing them how you are eating, what you are eating & engaging with them during meal times can peak their interest in foods.
3. Allow Them to Get Messy – Let your baby play and explore, and yes, get messy. They will be happier eaters for it and getting messy affords fantastic development opportunities
4. Stick to a schedule – Consistency and routine are important to children at this age. Also this can prevent ongoing snacking that make cause them to not be hungry at meal time
5. Don’t overload the plate – Toddlers can get overwhelmed by too many choices. Keeping the plate simple and inviting will help them welcome the choices you offer.

Another disclaimer: patience is key. Some meals these have worked great, other meals all hell has broken lose. Just know that It’s our job as parents to present the food & environment, it’s the toddler’s job to eat it. One piece of advise I received early on, was that just like us – kids are hungry some days more than others. Don’t be quick to be discouraged when they don’t eat much of a meal. Kid’s are more intuitive in their bodies than most adults and they will eat when they are hungry, and stop when they are full!

What our current Feeding Schedule Looks like

When we stick to a consistent schedule, we have much better luck with meal time. Anytime I don’t have food ready by 5:30 for dinner, Charlie usually has to have some type of snack- but I try to keep in minimal like an apple sauce pouch or some fruit.

7:00 – Breakfast

9:00 – Snack

11:30 – Lunch

Post Nap: Snack

5:30: Dinner

How to Plan Meals for A Toddler

Our Toddler eats what we eat. The only difference in the meals my toddler eats vs my husband and me is that I serve it to him in a different way.

With every meal, the goal is to serve him:

• Protein
• Fat
• Fiber
• Greens/Vegetables
• Grains

So Let’s get to it. Here are some examples of what my toddler ate this month.

What My Toddler Ate this month.

Below Each graphic I’ve linked the recipes for as many of the meals I had.

Chicken Enchilada Skillet – I used jarred enchilada sauce & added frozen sweet potatoes + raw spinach for some added veggies | Spanish Rice | Mashed Potatoes | Green Beans | Creamy Chicken & Wild Rice Soup

Crockpot Chicken Taco meat: 1-2 lbs chicken breast + 1 jar of salsa or 1 pkg taco seasoning + 1/2 C water for 6-8 hours | Chicken & Broccoli Stir Fry

Roasted Stuffed Spaghetti Squash | Parmesan Chicken Patties

Cauliflower Thins are from Trader Joes | Vegetable Curry

Easy Toddler Snacks

For Snacks, I try to do reduce the packaged foods but it’s definitely unavoidable at times. Below is a list of our go to whole food snacks, followed by packaged items that are made with good ingredients!

• Fruit & Raw Veggies
• Apples + Nut Butter
• Olives +
• Edamame
• Roasted Vegetables
• Sliced Bell Peppers & Hummus
• Whole Grain Crackers or Simple Mills Crackers with Hummus or Dip
• Grass Fed Cheese Sticks

For All My Favorite Toddler Eating Essentials, Check out this Post Where I share all our Non Toxic Toddler Dinnerware, Food Storage & More.