Normally they need about 5 "meals". This
can be breakfast,
snack, lunch, snack and dinner. Give small portions
(so they do
not feel overwhelmed). Provide nutritious snacks of fruit
or vegetables,
crackers and cheese, rather than cookies or other
less-nutritionally
dense foods. Never force them to "clean"
their plate.
Parents should provide the nutritious foods but the
child should
determine how much to eat.
Here is a list of
"finger foods" that are appropriate
for toddlers:
cooked vegetables like peas, beans, corn, carrots (in dices
or
sticks, not circles), brocolli florettes, green beans, water
chestnuts.
deli meats, thinly sliced in small pieces,
turkey is great.
cheeses--in strips, not
chunks.
fruit like apples in thin slices, pear, banana (not
in circles).
Do not try citrus until the child is a year and then try
only
in small amounts at first as many children have problems
with
citrus. Grapes can be given if cut in half and/or skinless.
macaroni (especially with cheese), but watch for spaghetti
or
other thin, long pastas. Other pastas like ziti are good
finger
foods.
breads and crackers.
potatoes and
sweet potatoes. Diced.
cooked rice.
cold cereals,
like Cherios, puffed rice or puffed wheat,
Kix,
Fruitloops.
Lunches are often hard to make interesting and nutritious. Children are inundated with TV commercials promoting "lunch" items. While on occasion these items are not bad, and if given along with other more nutritious foods can round out a child's daily calorie needs.
Younger children like surprises. Cutting sandwiches into different shapes can be fun. A deep cookie cutter works great for this. Be creative in using different types of bread to put the sandwich on, such as pita pockets, bagels, hoagie or sub rolls. Try a variety of sandwiches, such as using lean meats, cheeses, jellies, and of course peanut butter.
There are some really cute containers out there to pack kid's lunches in, such as some that are brightly colored, round, and divided into 3 sections -- one section holds 1/2 sandwich perfectly, and then the other two sections can be filled with grapes in one and goldfish crackers in the other (or what ever else the parent can think of).
Food coloring can also add some excitement. Peach yogurt, for example, can be made into just about any color that a child finds exciting, however, use the food color sparingly, as it does not digest and will color the child's stool very interesting colors as well.
Children like to handle their food, so pack finger-type foods that can be easily picked up and munched on. Baby carrots and other vegetables are great for this. But so are fruit slices, cheese cubes, and crackers. Avoid chips, as even the lower-fat varieties are pretty much empty calories.
For dessert, avoid the sugary, high-fat deserts. Yogurts, puddings, jell-o, fruit-filled cookies, and fruit-snacks are much healthier choices but can also be fun. Jell-o jigglers can be cut into a variety of shapes. Pudding, such as vanilla, can also can be colored, or chocolate pudding "mud" can have surprise gummy worms in it.
On colder days, spaghetti or soups can be a good alternative. If packing them for lunch, a wide-mouthed thermos works great.
Ask your child what he or she likes, make a list, and make sure at least there is one thing from that list in his or her lunch. But most of all: Be creative.