Meal ideas for 1 year olds

Way back in 2006, when my twins were one year old, I polled the mother of twins group for meal ideas for one year olds. I was in a rut, and I got lots of suggestions so I compiled them all together. Here they are! I didn't try all these with my kids so I can't vouch for all of them, but it's certainly a big list to get you thinking.

Feel free to add your own ideas in the comments, or if you're an author here, write your own post on the topic. It's so easy to run out of ideas or get stuck with the same few meals, especially with kids who are just learning to eat table food.

Hope this gives all you parents of younger kids some good ideas. And looking this over, there are a lot of ideas to try with my 4 year olds! Maybe I'll get them to try something new :)

Veggies:

Beets. I know, crazy! We just buy the canned, sliced kind. I rinse them with hot water which not only heats them up a bit, but gets rid of the MESSY red juice.

Veggies sautéed in salsa. Go figure - the kids ate some cauliflower.

Black beans & rice. I make it on the mushy side and dice up onions, garlic & red bell peppers.

Plain black beans, you can always run them through the blender and puree them and add a little bit of quinoa, which I do to much of their food.

Sweet Peas

Spinach pancakes and broccoli pancakes sold at whole foods and in most stores - Dr. Pragers I think they are called

Avocado

Fresh asparagus and green beans

Steamed carrots, zucchini, etc.

Baked or boiled squash/or sweet potato

Millet and cauliflower mash- good way to get whole grains and veggies in

Mashed potatoes

Cucumber

Well cooked beans- doesn’t have to be just black beans

Coconut cucumber soup

Nori- melts in mouth

Pieces of veggie burger

Spreading pureed broccoli on cheese sandwiches under the cheese

Broccoli (chopped or trees) and cauliflower

Cooked squash cubes

Sweet potato fries from Trader Joe's

Cooked carrot/potato/other root veggie chunks

Cannellini beans, green beans (canned cut or fresh cooked), garbanzos, black-eyed peas

Zucchini pancakes

Fruits:

Cut up watermelon, cantaloupe, or honeydew melon

Small pieces of melon or bananas

Kiwi

Steamed apple or pear

Grapes - peeled and quartered or halved

Apple sticks, whole apples, peels removed

Frozen berry mix (from Trader Joes)

Cherry tomatoes sliced tomatoes

Grains:

Whole grain slices of bread or pita

High quality dry cereals

Cooked whole grains like brown rice, quinoa, kasha (toasted buckwheat, not “kashi” the brand), etc.

Toast with hummus

Multi-grain waffles

Pancakes, toast (cut into quarters)

Croissant toasted

Crusty bread bagels/mini-bagels (frozen for teething)

Cheerios, Rice Crispies

Rice cakes, small graham crackers

Bread pudding

Biscotti

Quesadillas (bean and cheese, salmon and hot pepper cheese, veggie)

Pizza with ricotta, mozzarella, tomato sauce; cut

Eggos (with cottage cheese, cream cheese, cinnamon and sugar, or jam)

Polenta

Tortilla rollups (mix together cream cheese, mild salsa, and shredded cheddar. Spread thinly on a tortilla, roll up, and refrigerate for at least one hour. Then cut into coins

Pasta:

Puree black beans with red bell peppers, onions, garlic, etc. and add it to macaroni

Trader Joe's whole wheat couscous - takes 5 minutes to make and goes with everything

Small pasta. Like tiny O's and boiled it with red sauce and melted cheese and peas

Penne with trader joes (or any brand) spinach and artichoke dip on it

Spaghetti (or ziti or whatever pasta you want) is also a good, filling way to give them lunch or dinner---add some sauce if they'll eat it, if not, try it plain or with a little butter

Macaroni and cheese---what would kids be without that staple?

Fusilli long noodles cut up

Farfalle macaroni

Tortellini ravioli

Sticky rice

Meats/Eggs/Protein:

Scrambled eggs with cheese and grated carrots. Same goes for omelets.

Hamburgers/cheese burgers that have been grilled with BBQ sauce

Turkey meatballs from trader joes (cooked in the oven, not microwaved and cut into small pieces)

Toast with plain hummus or cream cheese

Bits of turkey or ham cold cuts

Cold cut and cheese pinwheels (layer a piece of cold cut and a slice of cheese, roll up, and cut into coins)

Raw or boiled tempeh

Baked tofu pieces

Stir fried tofu (cube tofu, stir fry with a small amount of olive oil and soy sauce and a sprinkle of powdered ginger and garlic powder)

Silken tofu used like yogurt with fruit pieces

Sweet potato and ground chicken balls

Spinach and turkey meatballs (Mix together 1.25 lbs ground turkey and half a package of thawed, drained chopped spinach, along with whatever else you normally add to meatballs, such as an egg, bread crumbs and seasoning. Form into meatballs and pan fry)

Any kind of fish, baked with herbs (I was surprised by how much they like fish - nice consistency)

Progresso chicken noodle soup (the one with the veggies and chunks of chicken) and drain the soup part from it---rinse it out in a strainer to get out the added salt----and put it on a plate and let them hand feed themselves that.

Chicken nuggets, cut up or whole (try frozen for teething)

Scrambled egg (or egg yolk)

Hardboiled egg (or egg yolk)

Frittata

Rotisserie chicken, cut across the grain

Salmon, cooked, flaked, or chunked

Egg in a Hole

Chicken melt sandwich (mix a can of chicken and some grated mozzarella, make a sandwich and grill. The cheese melts and holds it all together)

Dairy:

Piece of cheese toasted on bread

Yogurt smoothie with added nutrition - flax seed ground up, brewers yeast, egg yolk, carrots, etc.

Grilled cheese sandwich

Yogurt

Any cheese -shredded, cubes, or cut into sticks

Soft cheese spread on bread chunks

Cream cheese and jelly sandwich

Snacks:

Veggie booty

Nutri-grain bars

Whole wheat goldfish crackers

Snap pea crisps

Fig & Olive Tapenade

My friend shared this with me when I asked her for a crowd pleaser recipe for an appetizer party I was attending. Its YUMMY and a huge hit. I thought it would be a great addition with the holidays approaching! And, I am sure some kids will enjoy it, who doesn't like cream cheese and crackers.

1 cup chopped dried figs
1/2 cup water
2/3 cup chopped kalamata olives
1 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 cloves garlic minced
1tsp dried rosemary
1 tsp dried thyme
1/4 tsp of cayenne pepper
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
8 oz block of cream cheese

Add figs and water in a saucepan over med heat. Bring to a boil and cook until the liquid has reduced. Remove from heat and stir in oil, vinegar, spices, olives and garlic and mix well. Season with salt and pepper and cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours.
To serve spoon over cream cheese, top with walnuts and serve with wheat crackers.

ENJOY!

Oreo Truffles Again!

I made dhalpin's recipe for Oreo Truffles



Oh my, soooo good!

The boys had fun helping, mostly by sprinkling with Halloween sprinkles. I didn't freeze the insides before coating with chocolate...that was a mistake, as it was hard to get them dipped in the chocolate evenly. But they still turned out so delicious, that who cares if they didn't look perfect!

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So has anyone else tried any of the recipes people have posted here? Leave a comment and let us know what you thought!

I also tried dhalpin's recipe for Slow Cooker Breakfast Risotto with Apples. It was a HUGE hit with me and my husband, but my picky, picky, picky preschoolers wouldn't try it :( Oh well, more for us!

Mini Frittatas

My kids love eggs, so when I saw a recipe for mini frittatas in the Nov 09 issue of Parents magazine, I knew I had to try it! As an added bonus, these are easily customizable to meet your kids' picky tastes. Just add (or omit) whichever veggies you'd like.




Ingredients:

4 eggs (extra large sized...if using smaller eggs, I'd probably go with 5 eggs)
3 Tablespoons milk
1/2 cup shredded cheese (any variety you like...I used cheddar)
1/2 to 1 cup finely diced veggies (I used portobello mushrooms, garlic and leeks)
Salt, pepper, and any herbs you'd like for seasoning
Butter/oil for sauteeing and greasing

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease the bottom and sides of all 12 cups in a regular size muffin pan.

Prepare the veggies (either saute or steam...veggies should already be cooked when you add them to the eggs).

Beat together the eggs, milk, and any seasonings. Mix in the shredded cheese.

Spoon the egg mixture into the prepared muffin tin, about 1 to 2 tablespoons per cup.

Add veggies to each cup. Here's where you can get inventive...two can have leftover chopped broccoli from last night's dinner. Two can be plain. Two can have diced peppers and onion. Whatever people like and you have on hand/left over.

Bake approximately 12 minutes, until eggs are set and lightly browned.

Stuffed Shells Florentine

Here's another recipe from mom of twins Alyson. Thanks, Alyson!

This recipe takes some time to assemble, but it makes a lot. It reheats well and freezes (uncooked) well. If you freeze it (or freeze half) in an oven-proof dish, you can bake it straight from the freezer.

Ingredients:
1 box jumbo pasta shells
3 T. olive oil
1 c. chopped onion
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 lb. ground chicken
salt and pepper
10 oz pkg. frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
15 oz. container ricotta cheese
3/4 c. grated parmigiano reggiano
2 eggs, lightly beaten
2 T. chopped parsley
1 jar marinara (Rao's and Gia Russo are both delicious)
1 1/2 c. shredded mozzarella

Directions:
1) Cook the pasta shells in salted water until quite firm, probably about 5 minutes (they will continue to cook when you bake the dish).
2) Meanwhile, saute the onions and garlic in the olive oil over medium-high heat until beginning to brown. Add the chicken, salt and pepper and cook through. Let cool.
3) Combine the cooled chicken mixture, spinach, ricotta, parmigiano reggiano, eggs and parsley.
4) Pour some sauce in the bottom of the dish to coat. Fill the shells with the chicken-cheese mixture and place in the baking dish. Drizzle sauce over shells and sprinkle on the mozzarella cheese.
5) If baking right away, bake at 400 degrees for about 20 minutes until cooked through and slightly browned. If baking from the freezer, bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes, covered, and 20 minutes, uncovered.

Roasted Chicken and Sweet Potatoes

This recipe was emailed to be by mom of twins Alyson. Enjoy!

I'm a big fan of roasting using a remote thermometer such as this one: http://www.williams-sonoma.com/products/sku5710116/?pkey=x|4|1||4|thermometer||0&cm_src=SCH). This recipe requires minimal assembling and, once it's in the oven, you can ignore it until the thermometer beeps. I've tried it with boneless chicken breasts. It's quicker, but not as tasty.

* Ingredients:
* 4 bone-in chicken breast halves (you can also use chicken thighs, legs, etc. weighing about 3-4 lbs.)
* 1 yellow onion, cut into wedges
* 2 sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
* 2 tablespoons olive oil
* 1 teaspoon kosher salt
* 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
* 3 tablespoons maple syrup (The real stuff, please! Honey probably would work well, too.)
* 6 sprigs fresh thyme


Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2) Put the chicken, onion and sweet potatoes in a 9x13 baking dish, add the olive oil, salt and pepper and toss. Drizzle with maple syrup and thyme.
3) Roast until the internal temperature of the chicken is 170 degrees. (If you only have an instant-read thermometer, check after 45 minutes.) I usually remove the chicken pieces and let them rest while continuing to cook the vegetables. If there is a lot of liquid in the pan, you may want to drain some off before continuing to cook the vegetables (helps browning).

Slow Cooker Chicken Curry and Veggies

We love curry and love this slow-cooker recipe. Tastes great for leftovers too.

Ingredients:
4-6 chicken breasts
1 can chick peas, rinsed and drained
1 13.5 oz of coconut milk ( full fat)
1 tablespoon tomato paste ( you can use sundried tomato if you prefer)
2 tablespoons Curry Powder
1 teaspoon Coriander
1 teaspoon Cumin
1 tablespoon of tobasco or hot sauce
1 teaspoon or tablespoon grated ginger ( use as much or little as you like)
2 sweet potatos,peeled and cut into 1 inch pieces
1 medium eggplant, cut up into 1 inch pieces ( i keep skin on)
1 green or red pepper, seeded and chopped into 1 inch pieces
1 onion chopped, yellow, vidalia or red
3 cloves of garlic, minced
salt & pepper
Brown Rice

Directions:

1. Add coconut milk, tomato paste, tobasco, curry, coriander, cumin, and ginger to bottom of slow cooker. Mix well.

2. Salt and pepper chicken and add to cooker and coat with sauce.

3. Pour chick peas, sweet potatos, pepper, eggplant, onion and garlic on top of chicken.

4. Cover and cook on high for 4-5 hours or low for 7-8 hours.

I serve over brown rice.

Enjoy!