Lollyellen
03-03-2009, 08:56 AM
Here's some stuff my toddler (and older kid) enjoys for lunch...Be sure to add your ideas, too!
"Silly noodles" - Ramen noodles. Charlie loves these things, and heck, I used to, too...so its a fun excuse to eat it again!
Toothpick lunches (or you can substitute pretzel sticks) - cube up different kinds of cheeses, lunch meats, pickles, fruits like watermelon, cantelope or other "easily spearable" fruits. Teach your toddler to "stick" the food with his/her toothpick. Dessert can be "fondue-party-like" mini-marshmallows or strawberries or pound cake or bananas dipped in melted chocolate!
Fried egg sandwiches
Mac & cheese with Ranch style beans - not really "fun" but I'm kind of in the mood for it right now, so I thought I'd mention it. :lol:
PB&J tortillas (or PB & honey)
Make your own pizzas - or bagels with pizza toppings.
Take whatever lunch you fix outside in the backyard with a blanket and find a fun picnic spot. Bring books to read in the shade afterward.
Have a dip taste-test.
One of our favorites - Crab dip and with crackers (Sam's favorite - that spicy crab dip you can get in the specialty deli section at the grocery store...in fact, the school counselor at his school nicknamed him "Crab Dip" because she'd always try to scam some of his crab dip from him! :lol: ) He likes it with Triscuit crisps. Serve with fruit on the side.
Add sprinkles to your child's favorite kind of yogurt and dip apples, bananas, pineapple, or strawberries into it.
Here's one I saw in a magazine the other day: Boil (or use leftover) filled tortellini. When cooked, I would toss them in a little butter and salt or seasoned salt as well. Spear them on a toothpick, alternating with cherry or grape tomatoes, and cubes of mozzerella cheese. Provide your child's favorite salad dressing as a dipping sauce.
In the fall, we like to make sweet potatoes or acorn squash halves (topped with butter and brown sugar or a few marshmallows) and turkey sandwiches - or just cut-up turkey slices. Serve with canned cranberry sauce.
As I mentioned above - have "taste tests". It will encourage "adventurous eating". When I taught preKindergarten, frequently, I would bring different kinds of one type of food to class...For example on "Milk taste test day" I brought regular whole white milk, skim milk, chocolate milk, goats milk (OMG, revolting, by the way, but fun to watch kids be 'brave abd adventurous' and try it)...it was a fun experiment and everyone always enjoyed it. Of course, we'd tally up our responses to each kind of food or drink on a big sheet of paper. Other taste tests could be different kinds of cheeses, pastas, vegetable dips or dressings (dip carrots or celery into them and
call the vegetables your "scientific tools" to help you in your experiment), use your creativity!
Not really "lunch" so much, but could be a part of lunch or a healthy snack - devilled eggs! I was so surprised that both of my kiddos loved them, the first time we made them. Now Charlie (my toddler) just eats the white part, but Sam (my older kiddos) and his best friend who is over here often, love making them and eating them. Good high-protein snack!
...More to come!
"Silly noodles" - Ramen noodles. Charlie loves these things, and heck, I used to, too...so its a fun excuse to eat it again!
Toothpick lunches (or you can substitute pretzel sticks) - cube up different kinds of cheeses, lunch meats, pickles, fruits like watermelon, cantelope or other "easily spearable" fruits. Teach your toddler to "stick" the food with his/her toothpick. Dessert can be "fondue-party-like" mini-marshmallows or strawberries or pound cake or bananas dipped in melted chocolate!
Fried egg sandwiches
Mac & cheese with Ranch style beans - not really "fun" but I'm kind of in the mood for it right now, so I thought I'd mention it. :lol:
PB&J tortillas (or PB & honey)
Make your own pizzas - or bagels with pizza toppings.
Take whatever lunch you fix outside in the backyard with a blanket and find a fun picnic spot. Bring books to read in the shade afterward.
Have a dip taste-test.
One of our favorites - Crab dip and with crackers (Sam's favorite - that spicy crab dip you can get in the specialty deli section at the grocery store...in fact, the school counselor at his school nicknamed him "Crab Dip" because she'd always try to scam some of his crab dip from him! :lol: ) He likes it with Triscuit crisps. Serve with fruit on the side.
Add sprinkles to your child's favorite kind of yogurt and dip apples, bananas, pineapple, or strawberries into it.
Here's one I saw in a magazine the other day: Boil (or use leftover) filled tortellini. When cooked, I would toss them in a little butter and salt or seasoned salt as well. Spear them on a toothpick, alternating with cherry or grape tomatoes, and cubes of mozzerella cheese. Provide your child's favorite salad dressing as a dipping sauce.
In the fall, we like to make sweet potatoes or acorn squash halves (topped with butter and brown sugar or a few marshmallows) and turkey sandwiches - or just cut-up turkey slices. Serve with canned cranberry sauce.
As I mentioned above - have "taste tests". It will encourage "adventurous eating". When I taught preKindergarten, frequently, I would bring different kinds of one type of food to class...For example on "Milk taste test day" I brought regular whole white milk, skim milk, chocolate milk, goats milk (OMG, revolting, by the way, but fun to watch kids be 'brave abd adventurous' and try it)...it was a fun experiment and everyone always enjoyed it. Of course, we'd tally up our responses to each kind of food or drink on a big sheet of paper. Other taste tests could be different kinds of cheeses, pastas, vegetable dips or dressings (dip carrots or celery into them and
call the vegetables your "scientific tools" to help you in your experiment), use your creativity!
Not really "lunch" so much, but could be a part of lunch or a healthy snack - devilled eggs! I was so surprised that both of my kiddos loved them, the first time we made them. Now Charlie (my toddler) just eats the white part, but Sam (my older kiddos) and his best friend who is over here often, love making them and eating them. Good high-protein snack!
...More to come!