491145 Tue Feb 19 09:52:36 -0800 2008 29 31 Home Cooking 0 3412959 i'm watching my 18 month old niece for another week or so...any suggestions on meals for her? i've been feeding her fruit, yogurt, and she really seems to like steamed brown rice...but she won't eat sliced ham, or shredded chicken..i'm getting concerned that she's not getting enough nutrition from just the formula, rice, fruit and yogurt...any suggestions? incidentally, when her parents are taking care of her, she'll eat almost anything so i'm not sure what to do...also, i have a large amount of potatoes and stew beef that i'd like to use... help? Tue Feb 19 09:52:36 -0800 2008 56183 soypower 1 3412991 Our 15 month old daughter eats whatever we eat including: steak, chicken, corned beef, lasagna, spaghetti & other pasta dishes, crab legs, shrimp, fish, soups, cheeses, bbq ribs, mashed potatoes, etc. We also give her some baby food as part of her diet(mostly fruits and vegetables), but whatever I am cooking she is all over that. Tue Feb 19 09:57:33 -0800 2008 3412959 26725 swsidejim 2 3413048 that's normally how my niece is, but she seems to have become very picky with me... Tue Feb 19 10:11:14 -0800 2008 3412991 56183 soypower 3 3413074 thats too bad. Now that our daughter has tasted adult food with flavow she wont eat the gerber meals anymore, jus the fruits, and veggies as I stated above. Tue Feb 19 10:15:16 -0800 2008 3413048 26725 swsidejim 1 3413033 An 18-month old should be able to eat most anything as long as it is not too hard or too spicy. If you have stew beef and potatoes, make a beef stew. add lots of veggies for more nutrition - carrots, green beans, parsips, turnips, etc. Also she probably is going through an independence thing and likes to "do it herself" rather than being fed. Try steaming carrot sticks, green beans, cauliflower, broc. etc. until just tender enough to be finger foods. If necessary, serve with ranch dressing to dip. Scrambled eggs with some red peppers and a little onion can also be seen as finger-food to an 18-month old. Also try deli turkey slices, cheese, whole grain bread as a "deconstructed" sandwitch. Or make sandwitches with soft foods and cut them in small fun shapes. Homemade mac and cheese made with whole wheat pasta might work. Also just pasta and tomato sauce. Tue Feb 19 10:08:18 -0800 2008 3412959 136893 Springhaze2 2 3413211 Variations on mac 'n cheese seem to work well with my bunch...tuna casserole comes to mind. Unfortunately what an 18mo old likes one day they might not like the next... just keep trying :) Tue Feb 19 10:40:54 -0800 2008 3413033 138472 maplesugar 1 3413045 Tofu can also be a good for small ones -marinated or even just plain for some. I really wouldn't worry about it though. She gets protein from the yoghurt and formula, vitamins and a little fiber from the rice, vitamins and fiber from the fruit. She is fine. Kids often go through this picky eating stage and most docs say don't stress. how nice of you to watch her! She might enjoy some peas, roasted carrots, sweet potatoes, pureed carrots or sweet potatoes, golden beets, pasta with cheese, scrambled eggs with cheese, roasted potatoes or mashed potatoes, quesadillas... Tue Feb 19 10:10:19 -0800 2008 3412959 15001 jsaimd 2 3413870 My 17 month old particularly like peas, corn, roasted baby carrots, cauliflower, grape tomatoes (cut up). Scrambled eggs is also a good suggestion. My son isn't a big breakfast eater, but he loves scrambled eggs. The yogurt that he can drink with a straw is a big hit too. Quesadillas are another good idea. And both of my kids love meatballs. You can buy some frozen ones (I buy turkey meatballs) and just heat a few at a time. They love 'em. Tue Feb 19 13:05:32 -0800 2008 3413045 10205 valerie 1 3413758 I buy Greek yogurt to feed my baby granddaughter. It's higher in protein than the regular kind, and I mix it with baby food (she especially likes pears). I also put a piece of bread topped with cheese in the toaster oven and broil it a bit till the cheese is melted. I remove the crusts and cut it into bite sized pieces. But as another posted said, what works one day doesn't always work the next. These kids keep us on our toes! Tue Feb 19 12:41:15 -0800 2008 3412959 17930 rmperry 1 3413814 My son likes avocado. And dipping broccoli "trees" in mayo. Tue Feb 19 12:52:29 -0800 2008 3412959 13185 staciefo 1 3414026 When my son was starting to eat meat, we had great luck with meatloaf. Ina Garten's turkey meatloaf, to be precise. He liked the soft, moist texture and the sweetness of the ketchup on top. http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,,FOOD_9936_21615,00.html I cut the recipe in half. And, he has always loved chunk-fried potatoes. Boil peeled and 1" chunked potatoes until tender, drain, and fry in bacon fat until golden and crispy on the outside. I grew up on these, too. yum. Tue Feb 19 13:40:57 -0800 2008 3412959 71240 jvozoff 2 3414249 she does really like fried potatoes and you just saved me from posting a question about what to do with a bunch of bacon grease i had leftover. thanks! Tue Feb 19 14:23:45 -0800 2008 3414026 56183 soypower 3 3414509 I apologize if this sounds critical... but it seems like formula, fruit, brown rice, and yogurt would be much more nutritious for a child than bacon grease and potatoes. Although admittedly the occasional unhealthy food isn't going to kill her. Tue Feb 19 15:36:02 -0800 2008 3414249 150115 Mellicita 4 3418250 In defense of the lowly fried potato (and myself): 1. Potatoes are highly nutritious (Vitamin C, potassium, etc.) and are great for little growing bodies. Leaving them in large-ish chunks helps to keep the nutrients from leaching out. 2. Toddlers need fats - and the small amount of bacon fat used to saute them is well within their daily requirements. I use maybe 1 tablespoon in a 10" skillet-full of potatoes. What is "unhealthy" for an adult may not be so for a toddler (e.g. whole milk). Wed Feb 20 14:51:46 -0800 2008 3414509 71240 jvozoff 1 3414637 It really depends on the kid. My child won't eat melted cheese - just cheddar, from the big Cabot block, in cubes (we've tried a lot of other stuff, to no avail.) Kids this age occasionally are great eaters but often are not. Don't worry; they really do get adequate nutrition from what seems to us to be a boring and one-dimensional diet. I also make fried rice - brown rice, eggs, scallions, soy sauce; lo mein (find a recipe & try it); scrambled eggs. She also eats hot dogs, used to eat fishsticks, and very rarely eats chicken. My personal feeling about feeding a child this age is not to go out of your way to make them things you won't eat - if they refuse the food, it becomes your dinner. So stick with stuff you like too. Incidentally, why formula? Most kids make the switch to milk at 1 year. Tue Feb 19 16:14:50 -0800 2008 3412959 121685 doc_k55 2 3414716 I wondered about the formula too,,,anyway my little one will eat everything in site for a few days then barely eat at all for a couple...he has always done that.or maybe she is missing mommy and daddy and the food thing is just her control? Tue Feb 19 16:39:21 -0800 2008 3414637 11854 LaLa 3 3415292 is it time for her to stop drinking formula? i remember reading that most babies stop drinking formula at about 12 months, but her parents insist that she won't go to sleep w/o a bottle before bed...but maybe they didn't realize they should replace the formula w/ milk? Tue Feb 19 20:07:43 -0800 2008 3414716 56183 soypower 4 3415335 She can have formula, it is just that you can switch to milk around 12 months. It is cheaper to buy milk so most people switch... bottles at bedtime is another story says the dentists out there...but that is not a chowhound topic. Of course, your job is to keep here alive during the time you have her, and you are feeding her well. I think my kids live on french fries and ice cream when they go see grandma and grandpa! Tue Feb 19 20:23:44 -0800 2008 3415292 15001 jsaimd 4 3415848 My understanding of the topic is that formula offers no additional nutritional benefits after 12 months and is not necessary. It's not harmful, as per jsaimd, but certainly not necessary. Prior to 12 months, cow's milk does not offer adequate nutritional benefits - breast milk or formula is best. After 12 months, while some continue to breast feed (again, a topic for another place - not here), those babies on formula are generally switched to milk due to the lack of benefit from the formula and the high cost of formula. But as her aunt & caregiver it's probably not something for you to worry about now - and might just be something that works in their household. Oh, and as for nutrition - my 20 mo daughter survived for the past 3 days on nothing more than milk, cheddar, and fruit. Go figure. I know I posted this before, but really, don't stress about the diet. Wed Feb 20 04:44:40 -0800 2008 3415292 121685 doc_k55 5 3416017 thanks so much for the advice...it's true, my only obligation i believe is to keep her alive and unharmed for the next week...and i think she just feels like being picky because she's with her auntie.. and i say that because we went to macdonalds yesterday and she ate all of her chicken nuggets. :o) Wed Feb 20 06:23:42 -0800 2008 3415848 56183 soypower 6 3416139 it happens to the best of us! Mine only eats french fries in restaurants. I hope to reform her diet as she gets bigger and speaks the same language as I do. Wed Feb 20 07:06:25 -0800 2008 3416017 121685 doc_k55 5 3419985 As the mother of a 22 month old, I know that it is easy to stress about this stuff - thanks doc k55 for the reminder not to do so! Thu Feb 21 06:55:46 -0800 2008 3415848 56762 LulusMom 1 3414698 Little cubes of extra firm tofu were always a hit w/our daughter (still are, and she's 4.5!) at that age. Scrambled eggs w/finely chopped (think whirled to bits in the mini Cuis.) broccoli and cheese too. Greek yogurt w/pureed blueberries (or whatever she likes/you have). Unsweetened applesauce. Chunks of turkey breast or chicken breast. I wouldn't worry too much though - she's probably "off" b/c you're taking care of her and not her parents - sounds like her diet is pretty good and she'll get back on track once her mom and dad are back on the scene again. Enjoy - that's a great age! Tue Feb 19 16:32:41 -0800 2008 3412959 11404 gansu girl 1 3415408 At the moment, my 22 months old LOVES whole wheat cous cous from Trader Joe's, steak (filet cut into small pieces), scrambled eggs with cheese, a variety of cereals, steamed broccoli, chicken soup with alphabet noodles and shredded chicken, string cheese sticks, different kinds of muffins (blueberry or pumpkin) and lots of fruit. she's probably getting adequate nutrition from what she is eating. don't worry too much. I have a 5 year old who only eats 6 different foods (plain hamburgers, purple yo kids yogurt tubes, pumpkin muffins, oats and honey granola bars, peeled gala apples and watermelon) and her twin sister eats almost anything. All 3 of my kids go through food phases. Kids are funny like that. Tue Feb 19 20:54:58 -0800 2008 3412959 11992 roxhills 1 3415704 Hummus is popular with a lot of kids, especially w/ pita dipped in. Mashed potatoes are great for sneaking in other "blend-ins" Oatmeal Salmon Croquettes Pot Pie Maybe add black or pinto beans to the rice, or will she eat other legumes like lentils or navy beans... Or, edamame - great finger food for kids. Eggplant Roll-Ups stuffed w/ ricotta for protein If you make mac'n'cheese, add some tofu to the sauce for extra protein, or just hide some chicken in there... Wed Feb 20 00:17:07 -0800 2008 3412959 15572 Emme 1 3419576 My 15 month old goes thru periods during which she snacks all day and eats meals well, and chubs up a bit. then she suddenly gets taller and her appetite reduces and all she will eat is yoghurt and rice. I just let her dictate how much she wants to eat and I don't force her because she appears to be perfectly healthy even when her appetite is down. i think her caloric needs are dictated by her growth spurts. when she is in her chubbing up stages, i frequently feed her: lentils cooked with vegetables and lightly seasoned, she eats many variations of this baby stir fried rice, rice stir fried with chopped up veggies with an egg scrambled in pasta string mozzarella cheese chopped up whatever we are eating if it isn't too spicy (we eat Pakistani food most days) Wed Feb 20 23:19:27 -0800 2008 3412959 118120 luckyfatima 1 3419977 I think the main thing is not to worry too much. If she normally eats a lot and isn't doing so now, she's probably just missing the norm of having her parents around. She won't let herself go hungry. Sounds like you're doing a great job. Thu Feb 21 06:53:37 -0800 2008 3412959 56762 LulusMom 1 3431057 Pasta, pasta, pasta! Seriously, my 20 month old will always eat noodles if everything else fails. Now I don't short-order cook, so she's usually stuck with whatever we're eating, but if I start to get concerned that she hasn't been eating enough I throw in a pasta dinner and I know she'll get her fill. Also quesadillas are a big hit, as well as anything with a dipping sauce. Also, kids this age are very particular about routine and having things "just so", so you may not be doing something "just right". ;-) Don't sweat it, she'll let you know eventually, hopefully. She definitely won't starve! Is she verbal at all? Because lots of times I have to remind my daughter, "use your words" please tell me what you want? Re: stew beef - one of my daughter's favorite meals is when I throw stew beef in the crockpot with Lipton onion soup mix and a can of cream mushroom soup, and serve over egg noodles. Health food? No. Chow-worthy? No. But very appealing to a toddler, apparently. Sun Feb 24 19:24:36 -0800 2008 3412959 28323 MrsCheese 1 3431514 You've gotten lots of great ideas here, so I'll just add one more: Beans. My daughter loved beans when she was younger (and still does, as a almost-3 year old). They are a great source of protein and toddlers like them because they can pick them up and feed themselves. Any kind are good: black, garbanzo, kidneys, cannelini, etc. Mon Feb 25 04:05:49 -0800 2008 3412959 24350 dexters 1 3977158 Has anyone checked out www.weelicious.com? They have hundreds of recipes and how to videos that are really cool. Thu Aug 21 20:25:47 -0700 2008 3412959 202351 zoememel