Dietary assistance, kind internet!

[ailbhe]

We need help! Linnea and I are bored with our lunches. We need food that takes no cooking (well, boiled eggs are ok) and is easy to eat. If it can easily be taken on outings in a lunchbox for up to 6 hours, so much the better.

She will eat cooked tomatoes, but not raw. She will not eat oranges, mandarins, satsumas. She will eat bananas by the crate. She likes rice cakes but not if they have anything on them. She loves eggs.

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Go on then.

Comments

[ellipunk.livejournal.com]

If boiled eggs are ok then how about pasta? I'm thinking of pasta salads specifically..
Grapes are also good and apple slices.

[hypatia.livejournal.com]

things I used to use were cherry tomatoes, grapes, soft fruit in season especially berries, half lemons and limes, hard fruit with leatherman, raisins, figs, apricots, dates and other dried fruit ready to eat. 'sticks' of carrot/cucumber/babysweet corn/green beans/mange tout/celery/peppers/courgettes/cheese etc depending on time of year and child preferences. If dairy cheese is still a problem then soya or goats or sheeps cheese (feta particularly) may be options, I used these a lot for milk sensitivity in both. They seemed to be ok with buffalo mozarella as well. They both liked those little chunks of marinated tofu and pieces of smoked tofu. Chunks of coconut block (the type you buy for cooking). Small sushi with tofu or veg in without the pickles. Little stuffed vine leaves, felafel, spring rolls, olives, slices of tortilla, mild samosas and bhajis and pakoras, cold tempura, fingers of pizza, mushrooms a la grecque (#1 used to nick mine outrageously), little lentil cakes, nutmix balls, little quiches or slices thereof, savoury or sweet tartlets, spanokopeta pieces, antipasto such as roasted artichokes, peppers,mushrooms, tomatoes in oil. Rice cakes, pieces of rye bread, tortillas, pitta breads, marmite sandwiches, tubs of hummus, guacamole, pesto, aubergine, tzatziki and other dips and pastes and pates or just olive oil (flavoured or not) - mostly buyable or easy to whizz up in a blender (just have a wet cloth handy as well) and cold baked beans... They liked toasted bread with stuff spread on it even though it was cold - cut up into little pieces. Cornbread. Oatcakes. Nut butters (they particularly liked cashew) and tahini paste, little pots of fromage frais/soy yogurt. small biscuits and pieces of cake, enriched breads such as chollah/raisin bread etc. Halva. Peshwari naan (yes honestly and they still love naans of all types). Pieces of 'cheesecake' which can also be made from tofu if cheese is out. Little tubs of leftover cold pasta, rice or couscous mixed with whatever fruit and veg or sauces are convenient. Nuts and seeds depending on age. cold new potatoes (can also be leftovers and with/without mayonnaise). Plus of course the eggs and bananas and a load of stuff I've forgotten. Most of these can be home made (often in a batch for freezing or a couple of days, or quickly with a blender - I am not a kitchen slave but I was picky about what they ate) but also bought ready made. Plus point to home blended dips is that you can make weird combinations they like rather than choosing from presumed likes. Banana, yogurt, tahini was popular, as was banana, yogurt, strawberry and mint :)
Tempeh is often popular with toddlers, mine didn't care for it.

Very useful items were insulated food bags (more easily available now than then I think) and small 'tupperware' pots/containers. The combination of bits and pieces means its easy to feed offspring the more calorie dense foods and yourself a higher proportion of the less calorie dense. Olive oil and tahini type products are a quick way of boosting the fat content for children. I also found that smoothy type drinks can easily be made energy dense. I got a load of ideas for baby and toddler food from Rose Elliot and Sarah Brown - the former being the most practical but a lot of it was simply adapting my own food into small pieces and the parts which could be eaten cold - picnic foods really.

Not sure what the best meat/fish options are for this age.

[ellipunk.livejournal.com]

::boggle::

I think you may have a few ideas there Ailbhe!

[therealocelot.livejournal.com]

Beans tend to go over well - easy to cook, easy to pick up, tasty, and (depending on how you cook them) relatively unmessy.

[rivka.livejournal.com]

I've been having food cravings that represent a weird throwback to childhood: peanut butter and raspberry jam sandwiches. At least four times a week, for lunch.

You could tell yourself that you were exploring the exotic cuisine of a foreign culture.

PBJ

[ailbhe]

No, I too know what happens if you bring peanut butter and jam sandwiches to school wrapped in cling film (um, plastic wrap) and then put your geography book on top of them. It's not as bad as what happens if it's yoghurt, but it's not pretty.

And then allow your classmates to see you eat them anyway. I was a social outcast for a *reason*.

I ate tons of peanut butter and jam while Linnea was still exclusively breastfed. But I think she may be too young for peanuts yet, given her known intolerances. I'd need to look it up.

Have you tried peanut butter and banana? Jam and banana? Mmm. I must try all three. Soon.