Toddler meals - starch

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is making me wonder if I don’t give enough to my older preschooler.

I think today he had:

B: Scrambled eggs, 1/3 croissant with jam, strawberries

Greek yogurt with peanut butter and grapes

L: leftover chicken nuggets, breakfast leftovers

Popcorn, maybe a few crackers

D: Chicken bone broth with chicken wontons and veg like broccoli, edamame, corn, carrots

Apricots

I guess today was fruit heavy.

I actually think this looks great.

We’re in a big refusal stage so I would be delighted if my toddler ate that menu!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Do you offer your toddler a starch at every meal? Just curious - I was shocked to read on the teen forum that one parent only offers a starch for dinner a couple of times every week and it got me wondering whether I give my young child too much of it and I’m creating bad habits.

No. It’s not necessary. She was happy with just scrambled eggs and few spoonfuls of yoghurt this morning. But other mornings she just gets puffs which are primarily carbs. She is also still breastfeeding. Daycare food is more protein and fat heavy. (Avocados, meat, yoghurt, leftovers, etc.)

I don’t think it’s bad to offer a toddler carbs every meal. Probably one of the reasons I don’t is that I’m gluten free and that has shifted my meals away from carbs and I don’t have the time/energy to make extra carbs just for her. (She does get gluten containing foods though but only when it’s not too much extra work.).

Ugh writing this makes me feel like a lazy parent.

PP, you’re doing great. Every family/kid eats differently!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Do you offer your toddler a starch at every meal? Just curious - I was shocked to read on the teen forum that one parent only offers a starch for dinner a couple of times every week and it got me wondering whether I give my young child too much of it and I’m creating bad habits.

No. It’s not necessary. She was happy with just scrambled eggs and few spoonfuls of yoghurt this morning. But other mornings she just gets puffs which are primarily carbs. She is also still breastfeeding. Daycare food is more protein and fat heavy. (Avocados, meat, yoghurt, leftovers, etc.)

I don’t think it’s bad to offer a toddler carbs every meal. Probably one of the reasons I don’t is that I’m gluten free and that has shifted my meals away from carbs and I don’t have the time/energy to make extra carbs just for her. (She does get gluten containing foods though but only when it’s not too much extra work.).

Ugh writing this makes me feel like a lazy parent.

I don’t eat a lot of grains but carbs and starches don’t have to be gluten/grain. For my kids I give what I’m eating plus a piece of fruit or other easy carb like can of beans. Also I will just microwave a giant sweet potato and keep it in the fridge and give chunks of it with some meals. Those are all easy adds.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Do you offer your toddler a starch at every meal? Just curious - I was shocked to read on the teen forum that one parent only offers a starch for dinner a couple of times every week and it got me wondering whether I give my young child too much of it and I’m creating bad habits.

No. It’s not necessary. She was happy with just scrambled eggs and few spoonfuls of yoghurt this morning. But other mornings she just gets puffs which are primarily carbs. She is also still breastfeeding. Daycare food is more protein and fat heavy. (Avocados, meat, yoghurt, leftovers, etc.)

I don’t think it’s bad to offer a toddler carbs every meal. Probably one of the reasons I don’t is that I’m gluten free and that has shifted my meals away from carbs and I don’t have the time/energy to make extra carbs just for her. (She does get gluten containing foods though but only when it’s not too much extra work.).

Ugh writing this makes me feel like a lazy parent.

I don’t eat a lot of grains but carbs and starches don’t have to be gluten/grain. For my kids I give what I’m eating plus a piece of fruit or other easy carb like can of beans. Also I will just microwave a giant sweet potato and keep it in the fridge and give chunks of it with some meals. Those are all easy adds.

Also - not saying you can’t just give yogurt/eggs now and then if it works. Just that in general, a protein fat and carb at every meal (and snack) is the best way to eat for balance of blood sugar, nutrition, hormones, etc. Over time. So it helps to have easy ways to add carbs that you might not otherwise have on the plate.

[Anonymous]

Most meals I offer protein + starch + veggies. Some nights we skip the starch altogether, or integrate it somehow with the protein + veg (like beef stew or a mac & cheese with peas mixed in).

[Anonymous]

I really don't think too much about it because I generally just give her what we're eating. Sometimes there's starch, sometimes not.

[Anonymous]

I just feed my toddler what we eat. However, she doesn’t seem to like rice or potato or pasta. She always leaves those on her plate and eats the meat/fish/veggies/cheese. So I doubt she is getting enough starch. She does eat a lot of fruit though so hopefully that helps.