Knowing what foods to include in a healthy meal plan for your toddler can seem difficult but really it is easier than you think. Below is a guide to the five food groups; a portion guide and some recipe suggestions to help make your meals more appealing to your toddler. These are just a few suggestions to make meal planning a little easier. All of these meals are nutritious and intended to feed the whole family. All meals are relatively cheap and easy to prepare. Many of these foods can be pre made and kept in the fridge/freezer to heat up later. The snacks are easy to package for outings.

 

The Five Food Groups

  • Fruit.
  • Vegetables.
  • Dairy
  • Protein.

 

 

Food Portion Guide

Fruit:

  • 1 medium piece – apple, banana or pear
  • 2 small pieces – kiwi fruit, apricot, plum
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons of sultanas
  • 4 pieces of dried fruit –

 

Vegetables:

  • 1 potato
  • 1/2 cup (75g) of cooked vegetables; peas, carrots, beans
  • 1 cup of salad, tomatoes, lettuce, etc

 

Protein:

  • 65-100g chicken/meat
  • 80-100g of fish fillets /tuna
  • 2 small eggs
  • 1/2 cup of cooked dried or tinned beans – lentils, kidney beans, baked beans
  • 1/3 cup of nuts – (beware of allergies)
  • 1/4 cup of seeds – such as sunflower or sesame

 

Grains:

  • 2 slices of bread
  • 1 medium bread roll
  • 1 cup of cooked pasta, noodles or rice
  • 1 1/3 cup breakfast cereal
  • 1/2 cup muesli

 

Dairy:

  • 1 cup of milk
  • 200g of yoghurt
  • 40g of cheese

 

 

Snacks

 

Fruit as a snack through out the day:

  • Dried apple and banana chips
  • Fruit and Nut Mix
  • Diced fruit
  • Ready made toddler canned fruit
  • Fruit and Jelly

 

Meat and Vegetables as a snack

  • Veggie sticks with cheese spread dip
  • Carrot and Cheese Fingers with sultanas
  • Ham, cheese, grated carrot and lettuce fingers (sandwiches)
  • Grated raw carrots and cheese sandwiches
  • Tinned Toddler meals
  • Salad

 

Meals

Meat and Vegetables as a meal

  • Mashed potatoes with cheese (add a small drop of food colouring to make it fun)
  • Mashed potatoes with mashed veggies and egg to make veggie patties
  • Sliced meat sandwiches
  • Veggie Pie
  • Grated veggies, meat, baked beans and gravy makes a great stew
  • Roast veggies, meat, gravy
  • Baked Beans on Toast
  • Meat Pie
  • Bubble and Squeak (mashed left over veggies- fried)
  • Veggies Burgers
  • Home made hamburgers with salad
  • Fried rice
  • Stir fry
  • Veggie Soup
  • Tomato Soup with cheese on toast
  • Spaghetti

 

Breakfast

  • Boiled eggs  and toast soldiers
  • Cheese on toast
  • Cereal with milk (avoid sugary cereal)
  • Baked beans and eggs with toast
  • Ham and Cheese toasties

 

Drinks and Desserts

Milk Drinks and Desserts

  • Fruit Smoothies
  • Frozen fruit pieces (great for hot weather)
  • Apple and rhubarb Pie
  • Apple Pie
  • Fruit and Ice cream
  • Fruit slices
  • yogurt with fruit
  • Fruit salad with custard
  • Ready made tinned toddler fruits
  • Fruit custard
  • Fruit juice

You may also find interesting:

  1. Introducing Solid Foods To Infants
  2. Best Baby Finger Foods
  3. What to Feed Babies With?
  4. Introducing Solid Food To Baby
  5. Baby Formula Feeding Guide

Filed under: Feeding & Nutrition

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