One Week of Toddler Meals

I'm a member of a few Facebook mom groups, and I have several friends now with little ones, so I'm starting to get a sense of what moms worry about, what we think we could do better, and ways we can help each other. I have been leaning on my friends a LOT for support and encouragement regarding Marshall's sleep lately, and they have helped offer fantastic solutions. My parents say that my brother and I didn't really have much trouble going to sleep (you're welcome, Mom and Dad), so I've been turning to friends who have gone through some of the same rough nights we have. Their suggestions are all insightful and have helped us figure out the best approach to getting Marshall to sleep a little better. Over the last two weeks or so, Marshall's sleep has improved drastically (knock on wood), so I'm even more thankful to my awesome friends for their advice!

Sleep aside, we do feel as though Marshall has blessed us with a very easygoing personality, a fun social side that has him reaching for any adult willing to haul around 23 pounds, and a delightful willingness to eat virtually anything we offer him. I know from my friends and online communities that a baby who won't eat can be just as stressful as one who won't sleep, so I thought I'd pass along some ideas that have helped us.

First of all, before Marshall was eating solid foods, Terry and I both read French Kids Eat Everything, which is a fun book about a family from North America who moved to France and adopted the French way of eating. The book discusses ten "rules" for approaching meal times, and Terry and I both really liked the ideas set forth in French culture, such as providing lots of variety, making meals and quality time during meals a priority, and avoiding eating while multitasking, such as eating in front of the TV or in the car. (Granted, Terry and I definitely still eat dinners in front of the TV fairly often, but we're making progress on that one, too!) That book provided a lot of insight for us and allowed us to make some general decisions about how we would approach food with Marshall, so I recommend it!

I've talked to lots of friends and MyGym moms about what exactly to feed toddlers. I love getting ideas from other families about good meals to cook (especially quick, easy, inexpensive meals that everyone can enjoy), so I thought it might be helpful to write down an entire week of meals I fed Marshall. Here you go!

Tuesday
Lunch: Leftover rotisserie chicken, frozen peas, baked sweet potato mixed with plain applesauce and cinnamon, milk
Snack: milk, whole wheat bread
Dinner: ground beef, toast, avocado, green beans, pepper jack cheese, milk

Wednesday
Breakfast: toast, scrambled egg, two slices of peach

Lunch: avocado feta, whole wheat saltine crackers, grapes
Snack: milk
Dinner: ground beef, plain Greek yogurt mixed with frozen blueberries, peas, baked sweet potato mixed with plain applesauce and cinnamon

Thursday
Breakfast: toast, egg over hard, peach slices
Lunch: chicken, peas, feta, grapes, strawberries

Dinner: avocado-tomato-cucumber salad, brown rice

Friday
Breakfast: plain Greek yogurt, almond butter, blueberries
Lunch: fried rice
Dinner: brown rice, black beans, bell peppers, milk

Saturday
Breakfast: oatmeal with applesauce and almond butter, peaches, melon
Lunch: burrito: whole wheat tortilla, brown rice, black beans, avocado, plain Greek yogurt
Dinner: whole wheat pita pizza, milk

Sunday
Breakfast: scrambled eggs with spinach and cheese, pita, and melon

Lunch: edamame, carrots, radishes, corn, butternut squash
Dinner: grapes, chicken, avocado, pita, hummus, applesauce, milk

Monday
Breakfast: whole wheat tortilla with almond butter, banana
Lunch: grapes, broccoli, pita, chicken, milk

Dinner: sad gazpacho

Tuesday
Breakfast: scrambled eggs, pita, grapes

So there you go! One week of meals for our little guy. I'd love some ideas for easy, quick meals if you have any to share!