Hey Everybody,

Nina's ability to eat food has been expanding and I am wondering if any of you out there have some good ideas for toddler foods/meals.  Basically I want to get away from the "third foods" and go on to more table foods/people foods.  Do any of you have meal suggestions that are easy to make and aren't that messy?  Thanks!

I would say pretty much give her what you make for dinner for your family!  Just make sure to cut things up into small bites, and don't give her the food the peds tell you to stay way from (peanut butter, honey, shell fish)  That also makes it a lot easier, because then your not making 2 meals! 

This is a site where they have differnt toddler foods and meal ideas for toddlers..

http://www.kidshealth.org/kid/recipes/index.h ...

 

My kids just started getting what we eat just as Jill said cut up into smaller pieces.. But, they don't alway eat what we eat so I was pretty excited when I found that reiipe site..

I am in the same boat as you. I can get her to eat the fruit and vegies from the threes mixed with cereal in the morning and afternoon, but at dinner we are struggling. Amber doesn't want me to feed her with a spoon, if I give her the spoon all she does is bangs it. Then I try to feed her with my fingers, well she doesn't want that either. But she will eat some of the food if I just leave her alone. She eats about 1/4  to 1/2 of what I give her with fingers only. I make soup and give her potatoes, peas, carrots, and chicken or beef. She prefers chicken though. My problem is that she eats so little and plays with most of it, and that takes her 45 minutes. Is this where she is suppose to be? How do you get her to use the spoon?

You daughter is reaching the next level of eating, by which she is trying to involve herself more in the process. She's trying to exercise her independence and she's learning cause and effect. "If I throw my food, this will happen, if I put food into my mouth, this happen, etc." During mealtimes, give her an extra spoon to bang around. It will help her to grasp the concept of a spoon, before you know it, she'll be sticking it in her mouth and trying to eat with it. just be patient and give it time. ^_^

Let her go ahead and make a mess, it's all part of her food experimentation.

Hey Everyone,

 I just wanted to post this reply to my own thread!  Tonight I gave Nina some chicken pieces and cut up green beans and just let her go to town and she did really well!  Then I just handed her a sippy cup with formula and she did that all by herself too.  It's like I didn't know what to do with all of my free time!  I am sad that she is growing up but happy that she has become more independent.  Sigh.  I hope your little girl is doing well, Dee! 

Your doing great! It's so fun to watch our kids grow and develop and learn new things! Parenthood is the best!

Shelice