Toddler Meal Planning

[Southern Momma]

Originally Posted by Hungry Caterpillar Okay, I will post it when I devise it. Possibly later today. My general parameters are that I try to only incorporate meat into around two lunches each week, because my husband is really into meat and we tend to have it most dinners. My alone time with the baby is our non-meat time Back later

No meat is fine with me My DH is a meat eater and we have it for most dinners too. DD and I really don't like meat so breakfasts and lunches for us typically don't include it.

[Hungry Caterpillar]

Monday: Lunch - pinto beans, cheese, tortillas, cherry tomatoes (Breakfast will be Chobani yogurt and a banana)
Tuesday: Lunch - spiral pasta with tomato cheese sauce, steamed broccoli, strawberries (Breakfast will be scrambled eggs and toast)
Wednesday: Lunch - Toast with sunflower seed butter, banana, Chobani greek yogurt (Breakfast will be scrambled eggs and toast)
Thursday: Lunch - pinto beans, avocado, scrambled egg, steamed broccoli, strawberries (Breakfast will be Chobani yogurt and a banana)
Friday: Lunch - turkey, cheese, tomatoes, strawberries (Breakfast will be scrambled eggs and toast)
Saturday: Lunch - spiral pasta with tomato cheese sauce, cherry tomatoes (Breakfast will be Chobani yogurt and a banana)
Sunday: Lunch - odds and ends (We make a big family breakfast on Sundays, not included in shopping list below)

Snacks every day with be either a small blueberry muffin or cottage cheese with a spoonful of jam

To make:
* Crockpot pinto beans (1 lb dried pinto beans, onion, water to cover)
* Tomato cheese sauce (heat two cups milk, stir in 1 cup finely shredded cheese, add either two tbsp tomato paste or a half cup tomato sauce)
* Steam broccoli (I do a couple bunches of broccoli and then stir into pasta when heating up to heat through. It gets a little soggy but DS likes it like that)
* Blueberry muffins

Repurposing:
* The rest of the pinto beans will be refried and then put into the remaining tortillas with cheese and frozen for DH emergency breakfasts/lunches
* Tomato cheese sauce recipe tends to make approx six toddler meals. Divide into three portions. One to use this week, two others to freeze

Shopping List:
1 lb Pinto beans (I buy in bulk so I have these all the time, may forget to include in future shopping lists)
1 block organic cheese (Still have more than half leftover from last week)
1 package flour tortillas (this week they will all be used to stockpile freezer with leftover beans/cheese)
2 bunches organic broccoli
1 loaf organic oat bread
1 jar Sunflower seed butter (I have leftover from last week, will probably last all month or more)
1 lb spiral pasta (this is intended for a few weeks, actual amount TBD)
3 bananas
5 Chobani greek yogurts (one for lunch, three for breakfasts, one extra for DH if he wants one)
1 carton of organic eggs
1 package organic cherry tomatoes
1 package organic strawberries
1 organic avocado
1 jar tomato paste
1 carton organic cottage cheese
1 package blueberries (for muffins)

ETA: I should add that we keep oranges, apples, and whatever fruit is in season available. I didn't include those because they are either thrown in with snack, or eaten with dinner or breakfast. It's not formally planned. I was thrown off looking at my list just now, where were all the fruits and veggies? But they are around, just sort of extras.

[Southern Momma]

Awesome! Thank you so much!

[hbee]

This week I will be more hit or miss, I need to go grocery shopping.

Today I did scrambled eggs with ham and cheese for lunch, cheerios for breakfast and will do greek yogurt and peanut butter for a snack.

Next week:
Monday - turkey, apple, broccoli and cheese
Tuesday - hard boiled egg, blueberries, carrots and pees, noodles with tomato cheese sauce
Wednesday - turkey, apple, broccoli and tomatoes
Thursday - hard boiled egg, blueberries, carrots and peas, noodles with tomato cheese sauce
Friday - turkey, apple, broccoli and cheese

Breakfasts will be oatmeal with fruit or cereal, snacks typically greek yogurt with peanut butter, a peanut butter sandwich or cheerios/puffs/crackers or fruit.

[danner]

That's a nice thing you're doing Andrea. I think we do a lot of what you do, but with a pre-schooler and a toddler it's second nature to have this stuff around. It's not something you just "know" though, you've got to research it, learn it through trial and error, and rely on organized ladies like you to share your knowledge.

I have a vague idea of the nutritional profile of olives, probably fat and salt, but let me tell you, my kids love them. Olives of all kinds, not just the ripe ones. Even the frou-frou garlic and pimento stuffed my husband brings home. I believe foods like olives and hummus have expanded their horizons and made them more adventurous in what they will eat.

[GreyMum]

HungryCaterpillar - I'm reading this with great interest! Thanks for posting! May I ask -- where do you find jarred tomato paste? And, what do you do with the beans/cheese/tortillas -- do you make quesadillas?

Some great ideas in here. I will probably never be a meal planner, but you've given me some new things to try like the tomato cheese sauce!! Would love to see more photos too!

[GreyMum]

Double post.

[hbee]

We did the tomato cheese sauce (does this get kind of chunky?) and pasta, broccoli, blueberries and bread... of which she ate, practically nothing. Sigh. Lunch is not her favorite meal.

[Mac & Cheeses mom]

Omg!! I love you!!! I have a very picky toddler and trying to get we I eat drives me batty!!! I have started giving her smoothies with protein powder because it seem lunch and dinner are optional in her eyes.

I am so going to try one of the menus and see if it works this week!! Yay!!

[mommabullfrog]

Originally Posted by hbee I love the pizza idea!

An even easier idea (although more pricey) is a whole wheat pita, or the mini-pitas. You can put the sauce/toppings on and pop those in the oven as well!