I need some help, gang. Anja has really slowed down her eating lately. She had been just wolfing down huge portions (yet somehow staying at 22 lbs) until this past week. I think it’s probably just that she’s getting pickier or that a growth spurt has ended, but I want to make sure that’s all it is, not that she is sick of the food I’m serving her. See, I think I’m in a bit of a food rut. So I need ideas! Here are a few examples of what she’ll get for meals.
Breakfast: Oatmeal, bananas and milk, almost every day
Lunch: Some sort of protein like beans, cheese, shredded chicken (rarely) or egg, yogurt
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Veggies like steamed broccoli, baked sweet potatoes, boiled carrots, cucumbers, peppers, mushrooms, etc.
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A fruit like pears, grapes, peaches/nectarines, clementines/oranges, etc.
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a whole grain like barley, bread, rice or pasta
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milk and water
Supper: Usually something like her lunches plus some of what we’re having, unless it’s too spicy
Snacks: Teething biscuits, Cheerios, fruit, water (not all at once, but a mix of these)
Soo….her meals are pretty a la carte. I’m not so good at combining all the things to make something more palatable for her. Suggestions? We don’t eat a lot of meat, so any vegetarian options are quite welcome.
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On a brighter note, here is my favorite Christmas decoration of my mom’s. My brother and I used to sit in front of it and “play” with the little figures (even though they’re attached), weaving stories and pretending they were walking up and down the lane to each other’s homes. It is very pretty lit up at night. I think I may have to fist fight him for it someday…
Minnesota Mom 
Ooh, love the village.
I got nothing for food ideas. I would chalk it up to growth spurt…you have tons of vareity in there. Roo is like that too. Somedays he’ll eat and eat and eat and then the next week he’ll nibble and be fine. (not as hungery)
I don’t think children than age can get bored with the foods you serve. They don’t really have a point of reference regarding what else is out there. For all she knows, the foods you serve are the only foods that exist. Greener pastures aren’t a possibility.
Sometimes, toddlers will go through phases where they barely eat. Look at the big picture over the course of a couple of weeks. She will probably have a few days when she eats very well, then she’ll back off. Kids that age eat intuitively, not because they SHOULD but solely because they feel hunger.
For a few more options, in case you are getting tired of serving the same things over and over: There are good, organic whole grain toaster waffles out there. With a little jam or some cinnamon, cut into little pizza wedges, this is a good breakfast option.
Lunches: I always liked serving my little ones chunky soups with most of the broth strained out. As they got older, I’d add more broth and a spoon. You can get all the elements of a nutritious lunch into one bowl, rather than spread out on a plate. Kids seem to like this.
And don’t be afraid to give her strong, spicy foods.
We just had our 2 year check up and I had the same concern. Our Dr. told us it was JUST FINE; as a matter of fact that if you average out your childs caloric intake, it may vary alot from day to day, but is quite consistent if you average it from week to week. The other thing I found out at our 18 month appointment was that otto was drinking tooooo much milk, which affected his meal time. Such a high learning curve this new mom!!
I just realized that your little snowflakes turn in the last direction that you move your mouse. Too cute!
That’s an AMAZING picture.
I’m sorry I don’t have any suggestions coming to mind right now. BUT, I know that the ladies at Mama Manifesto have a recipe section that I’ve found helpful. http:mamamanifesto.blogspot.com (the two women behind that blog are VERY health-conscious eaters.) That’s about all I got. 🙂
Emma loves nutri-grain bars for breakfast. She gobbles them up. I also like to make homemade waffles and pancakes and freeze them individually. Everybody likes those, both for breakfast and for lunch!
Cubed marinated tofu, applesauce, mashed potatoes – always a hit, and you can mash them with whole milk and butter if she’s a skinny mite – brown rice, and silver dollar pancakes (with a side of applesauce for dunking.).
I’m impressed with Anja’s diet! Our LG is a little carbo-girl. She doesn’t like much fruit and certainly not many vegetables – although ANYTHING tomato will go straight down the gullet without any hesitation. We do a lot of spaghetti and homemade veggie sauce for her. It’s not terribly messy because she’s now refusing to feed herself. Oh goodie.