Hi and happy Feel-Good Monday!
This is where we share our favorite tips, tricks, secrets, and ways to "think like a healthy person" so that you can find your own delicious path to healthy living.
"Feel-Good Mondays" are meant to help us get back into that place of feeling energized, nourished, and ready to take inspired action for the week ahead.
Two weeks ago we talked about breakfast ideas for notoriously-picky toddlers. This week, I’m continuing the theme of toddler-friendly meals by focusing on lunches and dinners.
Most toddlers I know end up snacking a fair amount through the day, which means they may not be all that hungry come dinner-time. No bother. As long as they’re starting their day with a healthy breakfast, enjoying a healthy lunch (see ideas below), and eating balanced, healthy snacks throughout the day, it’s fine for dinner to be on the lighter side. (Rest assured that if they’re not waking hungry throughout the night, then they’re eating enough.)
As we all know, what a toddler loves one day, they may look upon with disgust at the next meal. So I keep a rotating list of meal ideas that I go through regularly, trying to be flexible with Rye’s changing tastes and cravings. I recommend continuously introducing new, healthy foods and veggies regularly. Trying a new food can feel out of a child’s comfort zone, but if they’ve seen it a few times (and – most importantly – have witnessed you eating it), over time they usually come around to at least considering tasting it. Which is really all you can ask for in a two-year old!
Last week, Matt and I took Rye out for lunch to one of our favorite Indian restaurants. In true toddler form, Rye refused the familiar (and mild-tasting) potatoes, carrots, and peas that came in one dish (that I would’ve sworn he’d go for first) in favor of the spicy lentils and crunchy “dosa” (foods he had never seen or tasted before! Go figure.).
Point being, offer everything and give up expectations about what a toddler should/shouldn’t like. And try, try again – because you never know what those little hands (and bellies) will be reaching for, so be adventurous!
Toddler Meal Ideas
Wild Smoked Salmon: I cut up a few slices of this and serve it to Rye for quick, easy meals and he wolfs it down. Try to purchase wild salmon as it’s higher in omega 3 fatty acids (great for brain development!). It is salty, so I fill his plate with other, non-salted sides (fresh fruit or cherry tomatoes, etc).
Scrambled Eggs: I listed this as a great breakfast option last week and it does double-duty as a fantastic lunch/dinner idea, too. High in protein and easy for little toddler hands to handle, scrambled eggs appear in a lot of meals in our household.
Brown Rice Seaweed Noodles: These noodles cook in one minute (ONE MINUTE!) and Rye is super duper into them. Amazingly, the only ingredients are seaweed and brown rice. After cooking these noodles, I simply toss them with a little toasted sesame oil and sea salt and voila! Dinner is ready. (I usually serve with a little hummus, beans, or leftover meat on the side for some extra protein.)
Bean-Based Pasta: I am so grateful for trend of pasta made from lentils or beans, since it means you get a toddler-friendly food (like elbow pasta) combined with the healthy, filling-power of legumes. There are a ton of bean-based pastas out there, but we are particularly fond of Ancient Harvest and Banza in our house.
Caviar!: This isn’t so much a dinner “idea” as a meal “supplement.” Large wild salmon roe is easy for little toddler hands to handle and they’re packed with omega 3 fatty acids (plus a little vitamin D, making them a great winter food, too). I consider fish roe to be a toddler (and adult) superfood.
Meatballs: Mini turkey, chicken, or beef meatballs are usually a hit with kids. You can make a batch and freeze for easy meals throughout the week.
Roasted Chicken: Rye LOVES chicken thighs which is awesome, cause they’re so easy to make. I preheat the oven to 425, slather a little ghee and sea salt on the thighs, and roast for 30 minutes. THAT’S IT. And I make a bunch so that Rye (and Matt and I) have food for the week. High-quality rotisserie chicken can also make for a great grab-and-go option on busy nights.
Organic Deli Meats: Roast beef and turkey slices (or organic, grass-fed hotdogs) are a very quick, convenient meal option. I try to get them fresh from our local butcher shop, but health food stores carry good mainstream options, too. Cut them up and serve with some fruit or veg for a meal in under 5 minutes.
Hummus: Buy organic and serve with healthy crackers or cherry tomatoes for dipping. We all love these almond flour crackers in our house.
Beans: Strain a can of organic beans (Rye loves chickpeas and black beans in particular), rinse in water, and then heat with a little olive oil or butter and a touch of sea salt. Easy peasy.
In a future edition of Feel Good Monday, I’ll do a piece on how to get a toddler to eat veggies!
What are you feeding your kids for dinner? I’d love to hear from you on our Facebook page!
You can feel good every day. And we are here to support you.
