Healthy lunches for 22 month old

Tilly8 if you look at the top of the post all is revealed under acronyms, ?

Can I ask a bit of a dumb question - what do all the initials mean? DH, DGD, DGS, etc. Is the first D - "dear" or does it mean "daughter's"??

I used to make my GC savoury bread pudding with marmite egg, milk and cheese Annabel Karmel receipe. We loved it. Now thinking about it, I might make it for me tommorrow.

My children were brought up in the Caribbean where avocado is a popular baby weaning food. It is also referred to as “poor man’s butter” ?

My son was given all and anything and we lived in syria when he was 2 so quite mixed and he was fine. Then he got to the no no age and all the veg he had eaten quite happily was Yuk!! so I used to do a bit of kidology. On occasions I would insist that he ate a very small amount of veg , often happy to have raw carrot and celery strips , but always made my own soup and used to make a lot and freeze some . So as a great "treat" I would say ok you can have soup instead of veg today. He smiled and ate soup very happily feeling he had got what he wanted. I smiled and offered more if he wanted it and some home made bread. worked a treat for ages!! Now as an adult he eats a good mixture of veg and generally has a decent diet. I am also still very keen on making casseroles with loads of root veg in that I dont care of like swede or too much sweet parsnip on its own. In the casserole it adds bulk and variety but not the specific taste. Mind you I am mad keen on onions and would be stuck if there was an onion famine. Like them in casserole, raw, fried in a very little oil - think the taste totally different and love tomato and onion as a side salad with dressing.

I've never made 'special' lunches/dinners for children or grandchildren. They have exactly the same, vegan, allergy-free 'clean' items as the adults.

They do choose some weird snacks, though - peas and sweetcorn, kale and apple crisps, frozen banana and berry smoothie lollies, cold baked beans and cucumber ribbons!

My grandchild has what he calls a "cold dinner please." He has a plate of fruit, proteins which might be ham, prawns, smoked salmon, chicken and a small portion of crisps or crackers. He loves it. Unfortunately he doesn't eat many vegetables or proper meat but as many ASD only eat beige foods, we feel he is being quite adventurous so although we keep trying adding things to his meals, we don't make a fuss if he doesn't want them.

At 22 months a child can eat the same as you do. The child should be able to feed itself as well. Give a spoon but let child use fingers. Eating is more important than how they do it.

So did ours. Used to sit under his chair

Mashed potatoes and carrots was my little sister's favourite at that age, if she couldn't get her hands on chips.

What does he eat at home?

Esspee, until I got to your post I thought what hard work these people make and are suggesting for feeding this child. Not a baby and at that age should be eating anything and everything. Just a little portion of whatever the adults are eating should be fine. No need for anything special at all.

Make funny faces using finger foods such as cheese, cherry tomatoes , sliced apple, cucumber, bread sticks, sliced hard boiled eggs. My grandchildren loved these and liked to help make their lunch plate.

With eggs, make sure he's had them before or at least something with eggs in. It's a rare allergy but can be scarey if you are not aware of it.

Mini corn cobs or corn on the cob cut in half, is another favourite. You can dip the small ones in houmous or dippy things.

when my g.children were younger (not toddlers) I discovered that they would eat large amounts of salad PROVIDED each item lettuce, cucumber, tomatoes, celery, etc. etc. was offered in separate dishes, so that they could make up their own salad from these - similar to what they used to do in some restaurants. Was well worth the extra washing up.

A really special treat is scampi, cooked in the air fryer with skin-on wedges. Frozen peas are a favourite, so nice to pick up! As he loves loves these I sometimes make pea soup and add bits of ham, bread and cheese.
But the favourite is the little pasta shapes, Garofalo do toys, sun and moon. He'll eat anything with pasta!

Bankhurst

My DD used to tell her children they were having ‘birdie song’ and they sang it before eating bits of cheese, ham, celery, baby tomatoes etc with dips.
Birdie song? A little bit of this and a little bit of that!

I used to make fisherman’s soup - no fish but lots of other left over bits that my children had to fish for!

My DD used to tell her children they were having ‘birdie song’ and they sang it before eating bits of cheese, ham, celery, baby tomatoes etc with dips.
Birdie song? A little bit of this and a little bit of that!

My grandson eats things he won’t eat at home. From home made soup to fish cakes which are all a great way of hiding veggies but I also bought some food cutters so he will have train shape toast or fish cakes carrot mice etc a child will eat anything if you make it fun even make smoothie Lollys

When there was a glut of courgettes I made a huge batch of courgette pancakes ( more rissole type things) for two families. The little ones were at the vegetable-spurning age but they devoured those, and asked "Nanna, how did you make them so delicious?"

I also smuggle vegetables into Bolognese, chopped or minced. They like sweet corn and peas, and everything else takes on the colour of the mince.

And definitely cucumber - sticks or slices. I put these out while I'm preparing the meal.

Yes V3ra that is something we must remember. Also with Easter coming up if grans give the odd treat those lovely little mini eggs with the crunchy shells shouldn't be given to young children either.

Some super suggestions here ?

Can I just say that food safety recommendations now are that for young children, foods such as sausages, grapes and tomatoes (basically anything with a skin) are cut lengthwise into quarters first, then across if necessary.

We have home made soup and a sandwich, apple, orange, grapes. DGS2 has bits of all of this. DGD loves cucumber sticks and carrot sticks (raw) as well. It's easier to give a variety of what you are having.

My twin 2year old GC love mash...so I use broccoli and cauli with a few potatoes...add a drop of milk and some pepper. Top with beans...yum.

Sorry - he!