Healthy foods for a toddler?

My son is 2 and has been quite picky lately at dinner. I need to get more veggies and meat into him. He will eat fruit all day if I let him and he doesn't eat junk food. He just really REALLY likes carbs! He will eat his pasta or potato and bread and then not anything else.

Any foods/recipes that your toddler loves? I am primarily interested in meats and veggies but am also open to other ideas.

I am also going to try to give him his dinner plate with no carbs and see what he eats of that first and then give him a small portion of our starch a few minutes later. Has anyone else done this? Did it help?

Thanks!!

The fruit is giving him the vitamins he needs...I used to make carrots and put a little brown sugar on them and a sliver of butter and my daughter loved them...I would also suggest that if he doesn't like meat to put some of the Boca soy bits in the food...he won't notice them...and he gets protein...then just steam and lightly season things like broccoli, green peas, limas, etc. and try a small portion out on him...if he like broccoli, for example, serve that to him a lot, as it is a vitamin pill on a plate...and let him eat the carbs, he needs energy...my daughter now eats things she hated as a toddler because I would give her a spoonful when I made the vegetable and tell her, just a bite, that is all and I won't make you eat anymore...so she learned to like most all of it...except okra...she hates that still...but the idea is to introduce a wide variety of foods, they don't have to love it right now...but later in life, they won't want to live on McDonald's like the rest of the country...they will still want variety...sounds like you are doing a good job...

There is a category for kids food on this link, hope this helps.

X D

Make the meal fun like a game. Have contest to see who eats there meat first. Also mixing foods together helps. I once dyed my toddlers whole meal green w/ food coloring to get her to eat. It worked great.

Sometimes kids will "trend eat".

I like your idea of holding back the carbs.

Try silly names for food or let him help you shop or prepair foods to spark interest.

Say do you want Shrek Pebbles (peas) or Golden Coins (carrots) tonight?

Try making shepherd's pie. It hides the veggies under a layer of mashed potatoes and some meat. My toddler loved it!

TODDLER TRAIL MIX

3 c. raisins

1 pkg. sunflower seeds, shelled and unsalted

1 bunch celery (optional)

4 red apples, med. to lg. size

Dice up cored apples, chop[ and dice celery. Mix with sunflower seeds and raisins. Makes a nutritious snack - it's sweet too!