Toddler recipes – suitable from 12 months onwards

Proper nutrition is important for growing toddlers. In toddler recipes they will need 40 calories each day per inch of the child’s height. Toddlers need about 1000 calories a day for optimum health and growth. These calories should be in the form of fruits and vegetables, protein, dairy and grains.

Cream of mushroom soup

Makes approximately 4 portions. Suitable for freezing in single portion servings. Defrost and heat as required.
25g/1oz margarine
15g/ ½ oz plain flour
600ml/1pint baby’s usual milk
1 vegetable stock cube (N.B. Omit stock cube for children under 12 months.)
110g/4oz mushrooms, finely chopped
15ml tbsp fresh chopped parsley
pepper to taste

Place all ingredients except parsley in a pan.
Whisk continuously over a moderate heat. Bring to gentle boil whisking continuously. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Taste and season.
Remove from heat. Add parsley, puree and serve. A great, simple toddler recipe.

Beef and tomato casserole

5ml/1tsp olive oil
1 clove of garlic (optional)
90g/3oz minced beef
30g/1oz onion, chopped
300g/10oz tinned chopped tomatoes in juice
90g/3oz fresh mushrooms, sliced
1 tbsp dried mixed herbs
120ml/4floz water
240g/8oz potatoes, peeled, chopped and cooked
120g/4oz carrots, peeled, chopped and cooked
60g/2oz frozen peas

Fry garlic until golden brown. Add minced beef and onion and cook for 10 minutes.
Add tomatoes, mushrooms, herbs, peas and water. Bring to the boil and then simmer for 25-35 minutes.
Add the cooked potatoes and carrots to the sauce and blend to the consistency appropriate for your baby.

Sausage & bean bake

1 large onion, chopped
4 continental sausages, sliced
tblsp finely chopped parsley
240g/8oz can baked beans in tomato sauce
1 tblsp tomato paste
90ml/3floz cup water
1 stick of celery, finely chopped
30g/1oz green pepper, diced

Preheat the oven to gas mark 4 (180 degrees C, 350 degrees F).
Chop the onion and mix with the sausage and parsley in a large bowl.
Stir in baked beans, tomato paste, celery, green pepper and water.
Spread mixture into shallow, ovenproof dish.
Use a lid or cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes.
Remove lid or foil and bake for a further 15 minutes. Serve hot. Blend if required.
You could serve this dish with a crispy green salad and hot bread rolls. This is another popular toddler recipe.

Cod and vegetable supper
150g/5oz cod
420g/14oz potatoes, peeled and chopped
180g/6oz carrots, peeled and chopped
180g/6oz broccoli
120ml/4floz baby’s usual milk
½ tsp dried herbs
1 tbsp margarine

Steam the fish, flake and remove skin and all bones.
Boil the potatoes, carrots and broccoli.
Process all the ingredients to desired consistency together with baby’s usual milk, herbs and margarine.
Toddler Recipes Continued:

Chicken rice-a-roni

3-4 Bonless Skinless Chicken breasts
A box of Chicken flavored Rice-A-Roni, 6.9 oz box
2 tbsp. butter divided
1/2 tsp. Paprika
1/8 tsp. Black Pepper

Sprinkle chicken with paprika and black pepper, set aside.In large skillet over medium heat, melt 1 tbsp. butter, add chicken, cook 2 mins on each side.Remove chicken from skillet and set aside.

In same skillet, saute’ rice-vermicelli mix with remaining tbsp of butter until vermicelli is golden brown.

Slowly stir in 2 cups water and special seasonings, bring to a boil. Place chicken over rice. Reduce heat to low, cover simmer 15 minutes.

It is done when rice is tender and chicken is no longer pink inside. This is another popular toddler recipe.

Apple and bannana muffins

2¼ c. unbleached all-purpose flour
2 t. baking powder
½ t. ground cinnamon
½ c. sugar
¼ t. salt
2 T. ground flax seed (optional)
1 egg, beaten
1 c. apple juice
½ c. unsweetened apple sauce
½ c. canola oil
2 ripe bananas, mashed

Preheat oven to 350°

Lightly spray a nonstick muffin pan with oil, or use paper
muffin cups. Combine the flour, baking powder,
cinnamon, sugar, salt, and flax seed in a large bowl.
Add the egg, oil, apple juice, apple sauce, and
bananas, and stir just until combined. Spoon the batter
into the muffin cups (cups will be full). Bake for 35-45
minutes, until golden brown. A fun toddler recipe!

Bannana Bread

A favorite recipe for banana bread that is nutritious as
well as delicious.

2/3 cup white sugar
¼ cup margarine, softened
2 eggs
1 cup mashed bananas (about 3)
¼ cup water
1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp baking powder
Optional: 1 cup chopped nuts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Beat the white sugar and margarine until smooth and
creamy.
Beat in the eggs, water and bananas with the sugar
mixture until well blended.
Mix in flour, baking soda, salt and baking powder just
until the mixture is moistened.
Spray one 9×5×3 inch loaf pan with a non-stick cooking
spray, pour batter in.
Bake at 350 degrees for about 60 minutes, or until top
is firm and golden brown.
Remove from pan; cool & slice.
1 Loaf, 12 servings.

3 great tasting smoothies – toddler recipes

Most smoothie recipes are pretty healthy and some toddlers are
pretty picky about flavors. Smoothies are very easy to make
and fun as you watch them being created right before your
eyes. Here are several nutritious and great tasting smoothie toddler recipes that kids will love.

Prepare several ripe bananas in advance by peeling and
cutting them each into 5 or 6 pieces and freezing them in a
freezer bag or plastic container. Wax Orchards makes a
nutritious cocoa spread without sugar using mostly fruit
concentrates and Dutch cocoa.

If there is no frozen fruit on hand (frozen fruits are great to stock up on for toddler recipes) add 6 ice cubes providing
that you have a capable blender for processing the ice. Most
newer blenders should be fine for the task and even have an
“ice crusher” setting or button.

Chocolate Banana Smoothie

1 cup 2% milk or Soy or Rice Milk
1 cup Low fat Vanilla Yogurt
1 Pre-frozen banana
1 tbsp. Wax Orchards Classic Fudge (or chocolate syrup)
Blend all of it in a blender until smooth

Peanut butter Chocolate Banana Smoothie

1 cup 2% milk or Soy or Rice Milk
1 cup Low fat Vanilla Yogurt
1 tbsp. Peanut Butter
1 Pre-frozen banana
1 tbsp. Wax Orchards Classic Fudge (or chocolate syrup)
Blend it all in a blender until smooth

Strawberry Banana Smoothie

1 cup 2% milk or Soy or Rice Milk
1 cup Low fat Vanilla Yogurt
1/2 Cup fresh frozen strawberries
1 Pre-frozen banana
Blend all in a blender until smooth and consistent

It’s easy and fun to experiment with smoothie recipes, but
having a base mixture of the milk, yogurt and banana is a sure
fire way to have an enjoyable one

Quick toddler recipes and ideas

Cheesy Eggs

Serve your toddler a half a cup of scrambled eggs with melted cheese, a slice of buttered toast and a serving of whole milk. Included with this meal would be half a banana, half a peach or a portion of pears. Whole milk is recommended for toddlers up to two years of age and 2 percent milk for toddlers over two.

Spaghetti

All toddlers love spaghetti even though they get messy using their hands to eat. A spaghetti meal contains carbohydrates, protein and fats in the form of the spaghetti noodles, hamburger meat, tomatoes and cheese. Add fresh fruit as a dessert and a serving of whole milk, and your toddler has a well-balanced meal.

Tasty Breakfasts

A tasty breakfast treat for your toddler may include a whole wheat pancake with syrup, yogurt and half a banana. If he doesn’t like pancakes, a sure hit with your toddler—even if he’s a picky eater—could be French toast sticks with a bowl of yogurt for dipping.

Chicken & Noodles

Homemade chicken and egg noodles or chicken and dumplings is an excellent way to feed your toddler a balanced dinner. Add carrots and peas to the chicken and noodles or dumplings, and you’ll be giving your toddler something to grow on that’s nutritious and delicious. Round off the meal with pears and yogurt and a serving of whole milk as a tasty dessert.

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