food for a two year old

[old-wos-is-name]

Hi All,
We have a bit of a dilemma. we baby sit for two days a week, and need some healthy food ideas for a 2 year old. Her parents shun chips and pizzas etc because of salt and fat content, and we seem to be stuck with fish fingers and jacket potato's, they favour pasta, ugh, no flavour in that at all.( and no goodness no doubt) ideas please.
Thanks,
Alf.

[Anngel123]

sorry...no flavour in pasta????? you aren't supposed to eat it on its own. They whole point is to have a flavourful sauce with it. My children used to love spag bolognese, which is basically mince with onion and tomato cooked for a long time with then added a bit of basil (dried is fine). If you want garlic add this right at the end of cooking the onions before browning the meat. Then add the tomatoes. Cook for an hour on slow simmer. Taste and add a little pepper. Put with brown spaghetti (that should please the parents). If the sauce tastes a bit bland add some tomato puree. You can't beat a good stew at this time of year. Most important thing for the healthconscious is to leave standing for a while and take all the fat off. Tuna with rice, peas and sweetcorn. If you make a white sauce and add tuna you can add this to pasta as well as an alternative to rice. Good luck!!

[sherrardk]

Just give the little one what you are having (presuming you are not eating pot noodles). Potatoes, vegetables, ham and cheese sauce, cooked dinners, soup, bread and cheese, anything really. Do you need lunch and tea ideas? All mine (aged 11 to 3) sat down and scoffed steak and jacket potatoes on the weekend.

[annie0000]

Kids that age need fats in their diet as long as they are coming from healthy sources. Nothing wrong in a bit of pizza especially homemade. Pasta with tomato based sauces, toast with sardines or salmon, scrambled eggs are good. Mine used to like a little buffet plate at lunchtimes - some little cubes of cheese, ham, mini tomatoes, pieces of orange and apple and raisins with little triangles of toast or bread or crackers. tuna mayo with pitta bread, houmus. Nothing wrong with mince and tatties, or soups with bread, fish cakes, beans are pretty healthy. Cooked chicken breast with noodles flavoures with a little butter and soy sauce, macaroni cheese, cottage pie, lasagne etc.

[Meg888]

I always fed my daughter whatever we had, but I'd lay off the salt in the cooking process. I also used to make loads of veg for the sunday roast, then blend it up and freeze it. I'd then use it through the week for her lunches and serve it with a quick cheese sauce and some bread.

[johnk]

Children need more fat than adults to grow. I wouldn't worry about the odd plate of chips but do keep the salt down.

[redcrx]

soup and a a nice roll
wraps with melted cheese in
tuna sandwiches
baked potato and cheese / tuna
pasta with cheese, ham, tuna, sweetcorn etc in

these are a few of the teas that my daughter gets at nursery. they also have fresh fruit and veg (ie carrot sticks, mini tomato, cucumber etc) with them.

why not make a cheats pizza with half a roll, tomato puree, ham, cheese etc and sat under the grill for a bit.