Toddler Meals // Breakfast

I must admit, for the breakfast shift I don't often opt for the most creative option, it's usually cereal or toast. But last week I picked up one of these convenient Nuby 'section plates' that are darn handy for  adding variety in at meal times.

I like to give Romy a couple of different things for lunch on her plate so she gets a little bit of everything & is more open to trying new foods. The past couple of mornings Romy hasn't really been too interested in her bowl of cereal, so this morning I did something similar to lunch and gave her a breakfast variety plate - which was a success!

Romy ate yogurt topped with a light sprinkle of muesli, a small handful of black currant weetibix & milk, banana fingers & orange slices. The last week or so Romy has been much more interested in fruit and has really taken a liking to orange slices. She still however will only eat bananas if they're cut into finger pieces rather than circles. Oh well, as long as she's eating them right?!

Toddler Meals // Little Lunch

I mentioned in the first Toddler Meals post I shared in August that Romy's nap time is smack bam in the middle of the day and she doesn't wake up until around 3.30pm, but  lately with this bout of teething I've been getting four hour naps out of her. So by the time sleeping beauty wakes up, it's actually not too far off dinner time. So we started giving her a 'little lunch' around 11-11.30 am, and a lighter 'lunch' after her nap. So basically she eats two small lunches & sleeps for 3+ hours - she really is living the toddler dream!

We're always up for trying different methods to try & achieve success at meal times, & currently the two-part lunch method is working best for us. Before we implemented the 'little lunch' - which is different from a snack - we were finding that after a long nap & a late lunch come dinner time Romy just wasn't overly hungry, and it was making us all frustrated. I really didn't want to accept that we had a fussy eater, because I think that you can get a little too deep into the 'fussy eater' hole and it ends up giving the 'fussy eater' power to pick and choose & ultimately they won't try anything new. So before we gave into that idea, we tried a different method & it was that simple. Now (most) evenings Romy will eat her dinner, which has taken a lot of stress out of the evenings. 

I know this looks like a lot of food to be 'little lunch' but it is actually only a small amount. On this little lunch plate is one slice of cheese cut into super small pieces, grated apple, a couple of strawberries cut into smaller pieces and a small slice of toasted homemade banana, blueberry & orange bread. 

And as you can see, the grated apple was not a hit. Romy cannot get her head around apple, every time she tries it she pulls this shocked look as though she is thinking, "what the heck have you given me!". Every. Time. So I tried a different approach and grated the apple to serve and she still wasn't sold on it. You win some you lose some right?

Toddler Meals // Lunch

Feeding a toddler can sometimes be a whole task in itself to cross off your to-do list, especially when your toddler happens to have a gourmet palette some days (but will eat whatever falls on the floor the next!). Their little tastebuds chop and change so rapidly part of the challenge is keeping up with it all. Some days Romy loves strawberries, and other days they're just an afterthought she turns her nose up at. So for Romy's lunches I make her up a mix of things for lunch that way she is bound to eat at least one thing!

A constant favourite of Romy's is ham, so you can guarantee that is in our shopping trolley each week as it seems to be one of the only meat items on her plate she will eat without questioning it. Next to ham on her 'foods I'll always eat' is peanut butter. More recently I started smearing medijool dates with peanut butter for Romy and she really took to it, so every couple of days this little gem makes an appearance on her lunch plate. Kale chips however will not be making another appearance anytime soon, it seems my little girl only likes the organic packet kale chips (which as tasty as they are, are also covered in flavouring) much to my dismay. 

I always have at least two types of fruit on her plate on offer, and unless its banana she really isn't too keen. According to some articles Luke was reading last week about fussy eaters, it can take up to 15 times for a toddler to be okay with a new food. We've given Romy five rounds with sultanas and she is just starting to warm up to them. Strawberries, bananas, super soft pears & grapes are about the only fruit she will eat. Oh, and mango come summer time. 

Romy's nap time is anywhere from 11.30.am - 12.30pm, so there isn't such a long gap in between meals or snacks I've started giving her a 'little lunch' around 11am which is a smaller version of the plate above, and I try and change it up every day so she can get the best of everything. And when she wakes up from her nap around 3.30pm I give the second part of her lunch which is usually a half sandwich and some yogurt to tie her over until we have dinner around 6. The better part of my day is spent preparing meals for this little bear, I swear!