Sunday, January 8, 2017

Meal Planning for a Young Toddler

I spent around six months seriously struggling with toddler meal planning. How I missed the convenience of purees! Batch cooking and then just selecting cubes to thaw for the next day's meals was so easy! I had already been incorporating finger foods into my son's diet since 7-months old. In particular, he'd not had frozen purees for breakfast since 9-months old. (Here's my Breakfast for Baby Post.) 

As he passed the year mark and grew ever more independent, I widened the variety of finger foods. I still incorporated pureed vegetables at snack time, see the snack section below, but fed finger foods and spoon fed solids (rice, oatmeal, etc.) at meal times. At 18-months he's now getting pretty good with using his own fork and spoon! The hardest part for me was searching for recipe ideas online. A lot of the posts seemed geared towards older toddlers, with items requiring utensils or taking big bites. 

Below are my stand-by items for making breakfast, lunch, snack, and dinner and also how I make my weekly meal plans.




A quick note on shopping...my son's meal plan changes depending on which store we go to that week. I seldom shop at multiple stores, I may pick up a few extra items at Super Target but only if I am already there to buy non-food items.


My husband prefers to shop at Sam's Club, where we can get large quantities of meat, fruit, and vegetables for extremely reasonable prices. Our local Sam's Club does sport a few organic options. Their 16 oz containers of Organic Baby Spinach are only $4.98! We usually go through two each week just making salads for our lunches. We can also get 16 eggs or a large bunch of bananas for under $1. I prefer to shop at Trader Joe's where there are many more organic options and a much larger variety of produce items. I also like Whole Foods, but it's not conveniently located to me and the prices on some items can be shocking! Since the end of my first pregnancy, we take turns with who does the shopping. I don't much like to go to the store so I am happy to let him go instead. 

My son is not quite a toddler yet in the above photo, oh my his face is so chubby there! But this is one of the few times he went to the grocery store and I believe the only time my husband took a picture. We really like the Infantino Shopping Cart Cover, it can be used in restaurant high chairs too. I paid around $15 for this pattern and we use it every time we go out. I just toss it in with the laundry afterwards and it washes up great.

A quick word on Organic... I'd like to feed my son all organic but it's significantly more expensive to make family meals from all organic items (my husband has a hearty appetite!) and for some items I cannot find an organic option no matter where I shop. I buy only organic milk and eggs, organic ground beef, organic tofu, and antibiotic-free ground pork. If we shopped at Trader Joe's the chicken is organic, from Sam's Club it is not. I buy organic vegetables (especially potatoes, zucchini, and apples) from Trader Joe's. Sam's Club is hit and miss with large bags of organic green beans but only non-organic broccoli and cauliflower. I find a large selection of frozen organic fruits and vegetables at Trader Joe's and Super Target and can find organic rolled oats everywhere. So in summary, my son probably eats around 50-75% organic. 

A quick word on non-GMO... Every item which is USDA Organic is also non-GMO, so if you buy organics you are getting non-GMO. But products labeled non-GMO are not organic unless they are also labeled USDA Organic. There is quite the movement against non-GMO, but crops have been genetically modified for over 100 years. I do not specifically choose non-GMO over a similar conventional product.


Breakfasts
Breakfast was the first meal I transited to finger foods. Although I miss mashing together egg yolk, avocado, and yogurt to make a simple breakfast, breakfast is one of the easiest meals!

I tried for years to make my own pancake and waffle batter from scratch. I had good luck with this Pumpkin Waffle Recipe and my son really liked it. But I finally discovered Whole Foods 365 Organic Pancake and Waffle mix. I'm happy with the ingredient list for my son and they make up perfect every time.


Main Items (choose 1):
Egg, scrambled or over-hard (1)
Waffle (1)
Pancake (1-2)
Chicken Sausage (1 large or 2-3 links)
Oatmeal with Fruit (1/2 cup cooked)
Overnight Oatmeal with Fruit (1/3 cup dry)
***My Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal Post has instructions for both stove top and overnight oats.

Side Items (choose 1-2):
Banana (1/2-1)
Plain Yogurt (1/4-1/2 cup)
Avocado (1/2)

Lunches
I try to not serve meat everyday at lunch, instead rotating in hummus, peanut butter, beans, or cheese. I recommend Wild Planet tuna for a safer tuna option, my son eats 1/3 of the can not more than once per week mixed with some mayo and mustard. I can find it at my local grocery store and Super Target. Either a fruit or vegetable has to make an appearance too.


Main Items (choose 1):
Open Face Sandwich - whole grain bread (1) with hummus, peanut butter, or canned tuna 
***My thoughts on bread and making your own English Muffins HERE.
Grilled Cheese (1/2 sandwich)
Cabbage and Chicken Sausage
Spinach Pasta or Stovetop Mac 'n Cheese (1/2 cup)
Falafel Patties with Avocado Cream
Leftovers from Dinner

Side Items (choose 1):
Veggie such as Sauted Zucchini, Peas, Green Beans, Sliced Cucumbers (1/4-1/2 cup)
Fruit such as Sliced Grapes, Strawberries, Orange slices, Sauted Apples (1/4-1/2 cup)

Snacks
We tend to have the same snack most days. It's easy and I like giving extra vegetables. I never lie to my son about what's in his applesauce. I tell him, "Beets and Apples," "Carrots and Apples," or "Peas and Apples." I give him 2 oz veggie puree mixed with 2 oz of organic apple sauce. He loves it.

Snacks (choose 1-2)
Mini Muffins (1-2)
***My son still loves these Pumpkin Muffins for Baby
Applesauce with Veggie Puree (1/2 cup)
***Instructions for Beet Puree for Baby or Toddler
Plain Yogurt (1/4-1/2 cup)

Dinners
Most days we all eat the same thing for dinner. I try to keep some meals in the freezer for my son. I don't make separate meals to freeze, I just freeze leftovers. On occasion then, he will eat a frozen meal if I decide what my husband and I are eating is not a good option for him. I defrost my freezer meals in the fridge for at least 8 hours, so it does require some planning ahead.

My husband is a great cook and favors stir-fry options which he learned from his mother. He likes to make more than one dish, for example pork with broccoli and tofu with sweet potatoes and carrots. We eat stir-fry with brown rice. He likes to just buy whichever vegetables look good and then throw something together! I love when he does the cooking, but it makes it more difficult to meal plan. Below are some more structured main meal options. 

Main Items (choose 1):
Beef or Lamb Meatballs and Noodles with Tomato or Veggie Sauce
Oven Roasted Chicken and Vegetables
Shredded Chicken with Rice and Vegetables ~ Post Coming Soon!
Chili (non-spicy) with Rice
Stir-fry Chicken or Pork with Rice and Vegetables
Mexican Bowl - Quinoa, Black Beans sauted with Tomatoes, topped with Avocado and Cheese
Baked Salmon with Mashed Potatoes and Spinach
***Wild caught Alaskan Salmon has the fewest contaminants. It can be found frozen at most grocery stores. There is no USDA Organic standard for salmon.

Side Items (optional, choose 1):
Extra vegetable such as broccoli or green beans sauted in olive oil and garlic.

Meal Planning...

I like to plan in advance for the week's meals. I start on Saturday because that is our grocery shopping morning. I prefer to meal plan on the computer. I'm on the computer a fair amount during my day anyway and my handwritten meal plans end up very messy. I also try to update the meal plan if I make changes to it during the week, or add in if I didn't specify what vegetable we were having, etc.

I usually have yogurt, granola, and the other half of my son's banana for breakfast during the week. My husband doesn't eat breakfast during the week, he somehow fuels himself just on black coffee in the office and then still manages to run 3 miles during his lunch break. We both eat salads during the week for lunch. On the weekends though, we will often eat breakfast and lunch as a family.

Without further ado...here are 3 weeks of meal plans for my son. (F) indicates a frozen item, (L) indicates something leftover from a previous day that week, and (B) indicates something I cooked in bulk to freeze. The veggie purees mixed with the applesauce are all frozen. He drinks 2-4 oz whole milk with each meal/snack for a total of 1-2 cups per day and drinks water in between meals.

Week 1: Trader Joe's 
Saturday                                                                             
B: Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal, Banana
L: Spinach Pasta (F), Chicken (F)
S: Asparagus/Applesauce, Mini Muffin
D: Dumplings (F), pickled cucumbers
                 
Sunday                                                                                
B: Oatmeal (L), Banana, Yogurt
L: Fried Rice, Orange
S: Carrots/Applesauce, Mini Muffin
D: Spaghetti/Beef Meatballs with Veggie Sauce
                                                                                                 
Monday                                                                              
B: Pancake, Banana, Yogurt
L: Fried Rice (L), Zucchini
S: Beets/Applesauce, Mini Muffin
D: Spaghetti (L)
                                                               
Tuesday
B: Pancake (L), Banana, Yogurt
L: Hummus Toast, Orange           
S: Beets/Applesauce, Mini Muffin
D: Roasted Chicken, Potatoes, Acorn Squash
***We usually have roasted chicken on Trader Joe's shopping weeks because I can buy fresh organic there. I always freeze at least one little jar (4 oz) of chopped chicken for later use.

Wednesday
B: Egg, Banana, Yogurt
L: Grilled Cheese, Peaches, Zucchini (L)
S: Asparagus/Applesauce, Mini Muffin
D: Chicken and Veg (L)

Thursday
B: Mango/Peach Overnight Oatmeal, Banana, Yogurt
L: Spaghetti (L)
S: Carrots/Applesauce, Mini Muffin
D: Ground Pork/Tofu, Broccoli, Brown Rice

Friday
B: Egg, Banana, Yogurt
L: Pork/Tofu Meatball with Cabbage (F)
S: Zucchini, Mini Muffin
D: Pizza (Homemade)

Week 2: Sam's Club
Saturday                                                                             
B: Fritatta with Veggies, Chicken Sausage
L: Hummus Toast, Cucumber, Orange
S: Yogurt, Mini Muffin
D: Beef Stew with Carrots and Potatoes
                 
Sunday                                                                                
B: Fritatta (L), Banana
L: Toast with Tuna, Peaches
S: Yogurt, Mini Muffin
D: Beef Stew (L)
                                                                                                 
Monday                                                                              
B: Mango/Peach Overnight Oatmeal, Banana, Yogurt
L: Spinach Mac/Chicken (F), Cucumber
S: Beets/Applesauce, Mini Muffin
D: Lamb/Green Beans, Chickpeas/Tomatoes, Brown Rice
***I must have gone to Super Target this past weekend because that's the place I buy ground lamb.
                                                               
Tuesday
B: Egg, Banana, Yogurt
L: Cucumber with Hummus, Spinach Mac/Chicken (L)             
S: Asparagus/Applesauce, Mini Muffin
D: Lamb/Chickpeas/Rice (L)

Wednesday
B: Waffle, Avocado, Yogurt
L: Grilled Cheese, Orange
S: Mini Muffin, Banana
D: Beef Stew (L)

Thursday
B: Waffle (L), Banana, Yogurt
L: Pork/Tofu Meatballs and Cabbage (F), Peaches
S: Beets/Applesauce, Mini Muffin
D: Sausage/Green Beans, Mashed Potatoes

Friday
B: Egg, Banana, Yogurt
L: Spinach Mac (F), Pork Meatball (L)
S: Beets/Applesauce, Mini Muffin
D: Sausage/Beans/Potatoes (L), Spinach

Week 3: Sam's Club
Saturday                                                                             
B: Blueberry Oatmeal, Banana, Yogurt
L: Peanut Butter Toast, Orange
S: Applesauce, Cucumber/Hummus
D: Pork and Broccoli stir fry, Brown Rice
                 
Sunday                                                                                
B: Egg, Banana, Yogurt
L: Hummus Toast, Pears
S: Carrots/Applesauce, Spinach Mac (B)
D: Chicken/Potato/Carrot Curry, Coconut Rice
                                                                                                 
Monday                                                                              
B: Egg, Banana, Yogurt
L: Avocado Toast, Orange
S: Asparagus/Applesauce, Mini Muffin
D: Curry (L), Rice, Green Beans
                                                               
Tuesday
B: Mango/Peach Overnight Oatmeal, Banana
L: Spinach Mac (L), Chicken Sausage
S: Beets/Applesauce, Mini Muffin
D: Curry (L), Rice, Broccoli

Wednesday
B: Egg, Avocado, Yogurt
L: Spinach Mac (L), Chicken Sausage
S: Peas/Applesauce, Mini Muffin
D: Pork, Cabbage, Rice

Thursday
B: Mango/Peach Overnight Oatmeal, Banana, Yogurt
L: Avocado Toast, Orange
S: Peas/Applesauce, Mini Muffin
D: Pork, Cabbage, Rice (L)

Friday
B: Egg, Banana, Yogurt
L: Peanut Butter Toast, Peaches, Green Beans
S: Beets/Applesauce, Mini Muffin
D: Cauliflower Curry, Rice



I love new recipes! What is your toddler's favorite meal?





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