Pregnancy And Baby Care Articles Toddler Meals

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In case your little one is fussy when it comes to eating, you can work around it, by following a few simple tips. For starters, bear in mind that kids get put off by foods that have a strong aroma or taste. Therefore, it is best to first start off with mildly flavored foods, before introducing the ones with a stronger smell or flavor.


Another important aspect of toddler-friendly meals is that the food should be cut into bite-size pieces, so that your little one can feed himself. While arranging your child’s food on the plate, do ensure that the different items do not touch one another; most kids seem to get put off by that.

When cooking for a toddler, you should make sure that the food looks and sounds interesting otherwise you may have a hard time getting him to eat, no matter how healthy his meal is. You can easily find such recipes for picky toddlers through books and online website. Given below are 5 recipes for picky toddlers that you may want to try at home -

Bull's Eye

Ingredients

• 1 Egg
• 1 Slice of bread
• 1 Teaspoon butter
• Salt to taste

Method

• Make a large hole in the bread slice, using a glass or a bowl.
• Butter both the sides of the remaining bread.
• Place the buttered bread on a heated frying pan
• Cook one side of the bread for a minute or so, before flipping it over.
• Break an egg right in the middle of the hole, sunny side up
• Sprinkle the salt on the egg before covering the pan with a lid.
• Let the egg cook on low heat till it is set and the underside of the bread is golden brown

Serve the dish after allowing it to cool for a few minutes

Baked French Fries / Finger Chips

Ingredients

• 2 Medium potatoes, cut into wedges or thin chips
• 1 Tablespoon olive oil
• Salt to taste

Method

• Take a large bowl and pour the olive oil into it
• Add the salt and mix both the ingredients well
• Toss the potatoes with the olive oil so that all the strips/ wedges are properly coated
• Place the potatoes in a single layer on a baking sheet
• Let the fries bake in a preheated oven for about 20 minutes
• Flip each wedge over with a wooden spoon or spatula, so that they don’t burn
• Once the fries are crisp, take them out of the oven

Allow the fries to cool for about 5 minutes, before serving them

Angel hair pasta with vegetables

Ingredients

• 1 Ounce angel hair pasta
• ½ Teaspoon crushed garlic
• ¼ Cup onions, finely chopped
• ½ Cup carrots, chopped or grated
• ½ Cup broccoli, chopped
• 2 Teaspoons olive oil
• 4 Cups water
• Salt to taste

Method

• Take a large pot and boil the water in it. Once the water is boiled, add the pasta
• Let the pasta cook, till it is soft. Drain the excess water and keep the pasta aside
• Heat the oil in a large skillet and add the garlic and onions
• Let these ingredients cook for a few minutes, till the onions turn transparent
• Add the carrots and broccoli and cook them for another 5 minutes or so
• Sprinkle some salt and mix all the vegetables thoroughly, before adding the pasta

Allow the pasta to cook for a few minutes, before serving it.

Chinese Chicken Fingers

Ingredients

5 Pieces of boneless chicken, cut into thin strips

1½ Tablespoons brown sugar

½ Tablespoons olive oil

¼ Cup light soy sauce

Salt, to taste

Method

• Take a large mixing bowl and pour the brown sugar, olive oil, soy sauce and salt in it.
• Mix all the ingredients well
• Add the chicken strips to the bowl, so that each strip is well coated with the sauce
• Leave the chicken aside, in the sauce, for about 10 to 15 minutes
• Bake the chicken in a preheated oven, for about 20 minutes or till its juices run clear.

Let the chicken cool before serving it.

Berry Blast

Ingredients

• 300 Grams fresh berries, washed
• 250 Ml fruit juice (preferably apple or orange)
• 2 Tablespoons sugar
• 8 Popsicle molds

Method

• Place the berries, juice & sugar in a food processor and blend all the ingredients together
• Pour the smooth mixture into the popsicle molds, filling them to the top
• Put the molds in a freezer and leave them there overnight
• Dip the mold in hot water for a few seconds, before pulling the popsicle out

These recipes not only appeal to most kids, they can be quite healthy, if followed correctly. However, it is best to check with a healthcare expert, before adding any of these foods to your toddler’s diet for the first time.

Spanish Chicken Paella

Ingredients

• 2 Cups short-grain white rice
• 1 Whole chicken, divided into sections
• 4 Cups chicken broth
• 2 Cloves of garlic, crushed or diced
• 1 Large tomato, finely chopped
• 1 Capsicum, sliced
• ½ Onion, finely chopped
• 10 – 15 Saffron threads
• 3 – 4 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• Salt and pepper to taste

Method

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees
• Heat about 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large (preferably cast iron) skillet
• Cook the chicken, till it is brown on both sides
• In another pan, heat the chicken broth on a low flame, till it begins to simmer.
• Add the saffron threads to the warm broth and let it simmer for a while
• Take another stainless steel pan and heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in it
• Sauté the onions for a few minutes before adding the garlic and capsicum
• Let the ingredients cook for a few minutes and then add the tomato
• Allow the tomato mixture to cook for a few minutes till the juices have reduced
• Add the rice to the cooked tomatoes and sauté all the ingredients for about 5 minutes
• Pour in the broth, one cup at a time. Let the broth cover the rice by a quarter inch
• Keep stirring the ingredients so that all the flavors are evenly distributed
• Sprinkle some salt and pepper to taste and give all the ingredients one good stir
• Place the cooked chicken on top of the rice and put the dish in the oven
• Bake the paella for 20 minutes or till the rice absorbs all the broth
• Remove the dish from the oven and leave it aside to cook for a few minutes

Serve it hot, directly from the pan

Greek Chicken

Ingredients

• 1 Chicken (4 pounds), diced into pieces
• 3 Cloves garlic, crushed
• ½ Cup olive oil
• 2 Lemons, juiced
• 1 Tablespoon fresh oregano, chopped
• 1 Tablespoon fresh rosemary, chopped
• 1 Tablespoon fresh thyme, chopped
• Salt to taste

Method

• Take a glass dish and pour the olive oil, garlic, oregano, rosemary, thyme and lemon juice into it.
• Add the chicken pieces to the mixture and coat them thoroughly
• Cover the dish with some cling wrap and place it in the refrigerator
• Allow the chicken to marinate in the spices overnight
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees
• Grease the grill grate lightly, before placing the chicken on it
• Cook each side of the chicken for about 15 minutes, or till the juices run clear

Serve the dish while it is still hot.

Muffins

Ingredients

• 2 Cups self-rising flour
• 1 Egg
• 1 Cup sugar
• 1 Teaspoon vanilla extract
• ¾ Cup milk
• ½ Teaspoon salt
• 1/3 Cup vegetable oil

Method

• Preheat the oven to 180 degrees C
• Line one 12-hole muffin tray with muffin paper liners
• In a large mixing bowl, combine the sugar, flower and salt
• Take another bowl and mix the egg, milk and oil in it
• Slowly, fold the wet ingredients into the dry ones till they are just combined
• Pour one-third of a cup measure into each muffin liner and smooth them over
• Place the tray in the oven and bake for about 25 minutes.

Allow the muffins to cool for at least 10 to 15 minutes, before serving them.

Homemade fish sticks

Ingredients

• ¾ Pound cod fish fillets, cut into 1 inch strips
• ½ Cup all-purpose flour
• 1 Egg
• ½ Cup breadcrumbs
• ½ Teaspoon paprika
• ½ Teaspoon lemon pepper seasoning
• ½ Teaspoon salt
• Cooking spray, butter flavored

Method

• Take a shallow bowl for combining the breadcrumbs with the seasonings, i.e., paprika, lemon pepper and salt
• In another bowl, beat the egg well and leave it aside
• Pour the flour in another shallow bowl
• Dip individual fish strips in the flour first, then the egg and finally in the seasoning
• Place the seasoned fish on a baking sheet that has been greased with cooking spray
• Spritz the fish with butter flavored spray
• Bake the sticks at 400 degrees for 10 to 15 minutes. Do turn the fish once in between.

To check if the fish is cooked, see if it flakes easily, with a fork.

Veggie biscuits

Ingredients

• ¾ Cup milk / Soy milk / Almond milk
• 2 Cups flour
• 4 Tablespoons margarine
• 1 Tablespoon baking powder
• ½ Teaspoon salt

Method

• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees
• Take a large mixing bowl and pour the flour, baking powder and salt in it
• Add the margarine to the dry ingredients and blend it in gently, using a fork
• Once the mixture breaks down into tiny particles add the milk
• Continue stirring the ingredients, till they begin to cling together
• Sprinkle some dry flour onto a bread board and turn the mixture out on to it
• Knead the dough well for around 2 minutes, till it becomes smooth
• Add more flour if the dough becomes too sticky
• Use a rolling pin to roll out the dough to ½ inch thickness
• Cut round shapes out of the dough, using a mold
• Place these biscuits on a cookie sheet and bake in the oven for about 10 to 15 minutes

These biscuits are best served hot, with some butter or gravy.

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