Picky Toddler Problems

When I was little I was SO picky.  I was once quoted for saying "I don't like apples in my applesauce!"  (Does anyone really like chunky applesauce?!)  Anyway, you know what they say....what goes around comes around!  These days I have the pleasure of trying to plan meals for my little picky toddler!  He used to be a great eater and seemed to like everything (except meat).  Then one day he decided he hated pretty much all vegetables.  I'm lucky because he still likes all of the delicious foods like fruits and dairy.  I'm not quite sure how he's my son though because he's very picky about his carbs!

I try to include a variety of food groups into each one of Carson's dinners: protein, grain, fruit/veggie, dairy.  Check out these suggested servings:

{via}

We usually let Carson try what I've made for us, but a lot of times he doesn't like it and it's easier to just make a toddler meal for him.  When he's bigger I'll work on expanding his taste buds to include "big kid" food! :)

Here are some of my quick go-to foods that I like to keep on hand when I need to throw together a fast toddler dinner:

Protein
As you can see, the only real "meat" is fish.  Funny because I personally hate fish!  I've tried all kinds of real meat with Carson and he will NOT eat it.  I even tried mixing real meat with fake meat and he picked out the real meat and threw it on the ground!  Self proclaimed vegetarian at 15 months, I suppose.  Anyway, the vegetarian section at our grocery is where you can find us most weeks.  I like that I can get Carson's veggies and protein in by serving veggie burgers or veggie "chicken".  He loves the Morningstar Chik'n nuggets (and chik'n patties - grilled or breaded) as well as just about any brand of veggie burger.  I did find he prefers the "grillers" variety over the more gourmet like black bean burgers, haha!  Like I said, SO picky!  Another way I get protein in is peanut butter.  He LOVES the stuff.  I usually serve it for lunch but sometimes he gets it for dinner.

Fruits/Veggies
We always have fresh fruit and he eats it with lunch and dinner daily.  He isn't a big fan of any melon, but likes just about everything else.  Some of his favorites lately include bananas, strawberries, and nectarines.
As far as veggies, I get those in with the veggie burgers/chik'n a lot of the time.  If not, I always have some food pouches in the cabinet.  Carson still gobbles these up most of the time and it makes me feel less guilty about the veggies I serve him that are often left untouched [or thrown on the floor for the dogs].

Dairy
Carson drinks organic whole milk with his dinners but sometimes I add a little extra dairy to his day.  I have to be careful not to over-do the dairy because it definitely upsets his tummy.  For extra dairy Carson loves the Stonyfield Organic yogurts.  Some of them even have veggies in them - bonus!  He also loves cheese sticks which are great for on-the-go meals!

Grains
 One of Carson's favorite carbs is definitely Annie's mac'n'cheese!  The funny thing is that he will ONLY eat the bunny pasta.  I've tried the shells and even the traditional elbow noodles and he won't eat them!  Such a goof.  I have to agree though, shapes pasta just tastes better! :)
I also make sandwiches for Carson using Brownberry whole wheat bread.  This is what our whole family eats so it's easy to keep it fresh in our kitchen.  I've tried using tortillas to make little quesadillas and fun roll-ups but Carson would rather just eat the tortilla plain.

Any tips on expanding your toddler's palette?  

Anyone else have a vegetarian toddler?! 

I'm linking up today: