Macaroni & Cheese

What kid doesn't love macaroni and cheese?  I grew up eating the stuff from the blue box, but only as a side dish.  I remember going to a friend's house and having her mom serve mac and cheese for dinner. 

With nothing else. 

I asked where the broccoli was.  I can already see my toddler following in my footsteps.  Rather than go the super-easy route and feed him the blue-boxed stuff, I buy whole wheat mini pasta shells and make a mild white cheddar sauce to go over them.  Mix in a little broccoli and some ground turkey and voila!  You've got tons of fiber, folic acid, protein, vitamins and calcium all in one bowl.

Pasta

Speaking of pasta, it's my go-to food for my son.  On bad teething days or picky-eater days when I can't get a thing into his belly, he will almost always eat pasta.  I've started to have fun and get creative with this, his favorite food.  Whenever we try a new shape of pasta, he's a little skeptical, but once he takes a bite and recognizes the taste, he's sold.  Try giving your little on some orzo cooked in chicken broth with green peas, julienned carrots and corn.  This is a great side dish or main course.  You can also make beautiful pasta salads with familiar flavors like mozzarella cheese and olive oil or jazz things up by adding chickpeas or black beans. 

Chili

If your toddler is one of those kids who isn't into meat, try making some vegetarian chili.  You will obviously want to take it easy on the spices, but you can certainly load it up with beans, which have huge amounts of protein and fiber, and tomatoes, which are so very good for us all.

Other Comfort Foods

One of my goals as a mom is to encourage my son to eat what we eat.  I was so happy when he started to transition from baby food purees to table food.  I want him to get used to the flavors we use in our cooking and to be able to share a meal with the whole family.  I absolutely do not want to raise one of those kids who has to have a completely separate meal prepared just for him. (Unless, of course, he develops food allergies.)  Fortunately, my son likes foods his dad and I love, such as olives, hummus and garlic bread. 

Go Easy on the Spices!

One major adjustment that we make now, while he's so young, is to leave out the super-hot spices in our son's portion of dinner.  This means setting aside some taco meat before adding the hot stuff or making him a smaller pot of chili without cayenne pepper.  Eventually he might develop a taste for hot foods like his dad and me, but for now, we keep it a little more bland for him. 

Let Them Help 

When preparing your favorite comfort foods, encourage your kids to help you in the kitchen.  Tell them stories about when your grandma made this dish for you when you were a child.  Share a family secret or two with your toddler. (Kids just LOVE secrets!)  Let them know that they are not just eating any ordinary plate of food, they are enjoying a family tradition.