{"id":21248,"date":"2014-04-03T07:32:45","date_gmt":"2014-04-03T11:32:45","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.ahealthysliceoflife.com\/?p=21248"},"modified":"2021-02-11T14:23:48","modified_gmt":"2021-02-11T19:23:48","slug":"7-time-saving-tips-for-feeding-toddlers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ahealthysliceoflife.com\/7-time-saving-tips-for-feeding-toddlers\/","title":{"rendered":"7 Time Saving Tips for Feeding Toddlers"},"content":{"rendered":"

Feeding toddlers can be messy and time consuming. Let these simple shortcuts make your life easier and save you time!<\/em><\/p>\n

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As the weeks tick down, I\u2019m spending a lot of time thinking about what life will look like with two kiddos and my conclusion is, I have no idea. But I do know that anything that makes life easier and saves time on those daily must-dos (like eating, bathing, clothing, etc), I\u2019m all about!<\/p>\n

Luckily Hailey\u2019s (2 1\/2) meals already come together pretty quickly- usually in less than 5 minutes. Having a hungry toddler around while trying to cook a meal is tantamount to trying to swim across a lake with a screaming 30 pound weight tied to your ankle. It ain\u2019t happening<\/em>. So, here are my favorite tips for making a healthy toddler meal come together more quickly\u2026<\/p>\n

1. Cook one extra the night before.<\/strong> Whether it\u2019s bean burgers, enchiladas, sweet potatoes, spaghetti sauce, whatever, once it\u2019s ready, tuck a little of it away in a container to use the next day for your child. Hailey\u2019s dinners often are a reflection of what David and I ate the night before. When 6:00 rolls around, I\u2019m always grateful to have a main dish ready to go for her, and simply fill in the gaps with simple sides.<\/p>\n

Pictured below: leftover turkey burger, edamame, baked sweet potato sticks.<\/p>\n

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2. Freeze batches of homemade breakfasts.<\/strong> I\u2019m usually an egg person, but whenever I make something like pancakes, French toast or waffles, I make a lot to ensure I have leftovers to freeze. To reheat, I pop them in the toaster and feel good knowing they were made at home with ingredients I trust and that breakfast is ready in 2 minutes.<\/p>\n

Pictured below: reheated homemade French toast with maple syrup and banana.<\/p>\n

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Find our favorite colorful dipping cups here<\/a>!<\/em><\/p>\n

3. Boil eggs for quick protein.<\/strong> I love that boiling a bunch of eggs before the week begins gives me a quick protein option for any meal that needs it. We eat them for breakfast, mash them into a simple egg salad on bread for lunch or create makeshift deviled eggs to go with dinner (Hailey loves deviled eggs- have your kids tried them?).<\/p>\n

Pictured below: Boiled egg with salt and pepper, red pepper strips, cheddar cheese, grape tomatoes with salt and pepper.<\/p>\n

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4. Mash instead of Bake.<\/strong> We love sweet potatoes. My favorite way to eat them is baked in stick form, but that can take 40 minutes, a luxury I don\u2019t always have. Instead, I\u2019ll save a baked potato from the previous night (or you can nuke one quickly in the microwave) and mash it with a little butter (I prefer Kerrygold) and real maple syrup (you only need a tiny drizzle). I guarantee it will be the first thing to disappear on your toddler\u2019s plate.<\/p>\n

Pictured below: Roasted chicken, steamed broccoli and mashed sweet potato with butter and maple syrup.<\/p>\n

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[Tweet “Feeding toddlers can be messy and time consuming. Let these simple shortcuts from @ahealthyslice make your life easier and save you time!”]<\/p>\n

5. Use all easy-to-grab foods with a fun dipping sauce.<\/strong> We use cherry tomatoes a lot. A lot. They are so simple and the organic version isn\u2019t too pricey for the use I get out of them. However, sometimes I feel a little bad when Hailey crawls up in her chair and sees the same foods repeated again and again. I solve this by offering a different dipping sauce to liven things up. Our favorites are ketchup (duh), tzakiki, hummus, salad dressing, guacamole, marinara and sometimes a cheese sauce (if I find time to make it).<\/p>\n

Pictured below: Leftover chicken, grape tomatoes, chickpeas, green beans and tzakiki sauce.<\/p>\n

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6. Use straight up leftovers.<\/strong> This one doesn\u2019t take much explaining, does it? Eat and repeat!<\/p>\n

Pictured below: Leftover spinach and ricotta stuffed shells<\/a> and steamed broccoli.<\/p>\n

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7. Don\u2019t forget about frozen vegetables.<\/strong> I won\u2019t say Hailey eats all organic, but she largely eats organic food. Buying frozen options makes this more doable. I find some frozen veggies get mushy when I try to cook them up fast, so instead I stick to my favorites: frozen edamame, frozen corn, frozen butternut squash (for mashing) and frozen peas. These all reheat in about 30 seconds in the microwave for a healthy, quick side dish.<\/p>\n

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For more kid friendly recipes and tips for feeding kids healthy foods, visit Munchkin Meals<\/a>!<\/p>\n

You may also like:<\/p>\n

10 Simple Meals for Toddlers and Preschoolers<\/a><\/p>\n

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and<\/p>\n

Four Ways I’m Handling My Picky Eater<\/a><\/p>\n

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Do you have any favorite tips to share for making meals in a hurry?<\/strong><\/p>\n

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