10 Easy Toddler Meals for Busy Mommies

Toddlers can be so picky... One day they love a certain food and then the next day, they hate it! We started baby-led weaning my son when he was six months old. Because of this method, he eats like a champ and we have far gone left the puree meals behind. Here are a few things that are certain about toddlers and their meals:

• They love a variety of colors.
• They love simple things, mostly.
• They love familiar foods. It is ok to repeat. (You don't have to be a Martha Stewart here)
• They love what they can grab quickly.
• They love a variety of textures.
• They love a variety of tastes.

I wanted to share with you ten of my son's favorite meals. He is not picky, but there are foods that he absolutely loves to eat very often. I try to give him a bit of protein, dairy, carb, and either a fruit or veggie at each meal. His top foods?

• avocado
• string cheese (cheese in general, really)
• egg
• cheese
• carrots
• green beans
• chicken
• zucchini
• baked sweet potato fries

For my son's meats, I always bake them. I never ever fry foods for myself, so why would I ever dare give my son fried foods! For his veggies, I love steaming, baking, or roasting them. I cook them long enough for them to get soft or tender, but not too long or the nutritional value decreases. For his fruits, I try to aim for fresh fruits. Except, this week, when I sent my husband out to get items for this blog post, my husband got packaged peached instead of fresh peaches. Oh well. My son still devoured them. I just rather not do the packaged due to all of the high fructose corn syrup! My son drinks breastmilk, water, and one specific brand of Organic Apple Juice and Organic Grape Juice from a brand called R.W. Knudsen. It is NEVER too early to encourage good nutrition!! Meal #1: String Cheese Couscous (he loves the texture!) Baked Turkey Breast Meal #2: Green Beans Sweet Potato Fries Baked Chicken Breast

Meal #3: Avocado Eggs Oranges

Meal #4: Spaghetti Noodles with Meat Sauce Carrots Roll

Meal #5: Peaches String Cheese Eggs

Meal #6: Mashed Baked Sweet Potato String Cheese (he freaking loves this and loves to tear it apart) Baked Pork Chop

Meal #7: My homemade "chipotle bowls" are a hit with our son! Avocado Pinto & Black Beans Steak, Brown Rice, Shredded Cheese

Meal #8: Oatmeal Banana Waffles Peaches Black Forest Ham Homemade oatmeal banana waffles recipe:

• 1/2 banana
• 3/4 cup oats
• 1 cup coconut milk

1. Mix ingredients together by hand while your waffle iron is heating. Then waffle them up! YUMMY!

Meal #9: String Cheese (yup, again) Peas & Carrots Baked Chicken Tenderloin

Meal #10: Avocado Oranges Baked Chicken Breast (boy loves his chicken like mommy!)

These are just ten of the meals my son loves to eat! He loves other foods, too, that are not mentioned, but as you can see, there are some repeats and, quite frankly, repeats work when you are a busy mommy. Don't complain, be thankful for this!!! If you child loves some chicken like mine does, I suggest buying a rotisserie chicken from the local grocery store for $6 and making his meals (and yours) off of that for 3-4 days. Easy, cheap, and hassle-free. A lot of the time, my son eats what my husband and I eat. Most of the meals pictured here are lunches with some breakfast meals added in. Bottom line: Have fun! Experiment! Get creative. I post different meals as my son's taste buds develop :) Click the image below to follow along also for free diet and workout plans.