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I try to do a variety, but she has her favorites that she will always eat (yogurt, applesauce) so those are almost always on the plate.

I try to avoid the starches as much as possible because when they're around they'll become more than 1/3 of her meal. So when I'm in charge, we eat fruit, veg, meat, dairy and legumes in equal parts. DH is a carb fiend so she eats plenty of toast, crackers and cereal with him IMO.

We aim for fruit, veggie, protein, and carb at each meal. Sometimes we don't get them all, but we do our best!

The plates I use for LO have 3 compartments so he gets 3 options! Usually a protein, grain or pasta, and vegetable or fruit.

@daniellemybelle: I misspoke! We have all of the above but definitely not at every meal. Throughout the day or week it balances out.

I usually do protein, veggie/fruit, and a grain/pasta/starch with each meal. It doesn't always happen but it is my goal. She doesn't always eat it, she's on a veggie strike right now, so I've been hiding those in stuff along with making her take her 2 bites.

Breakfast every day is yogurt or waffle + fruit. Morning snack is usually veg/fruit melts. Lunch is protein + veg + fruit. Afternoon snack is a pouch + some sort of dry snack she can run around with (cheddar bunnies, dried peas snack, dried beans snack, etc). Dinner is whatever we are eating but I usually add another veggie. We don't eat a lot of cooked veg for dinner ourselves so dinner might just be like, fajitas and chips/salsa. I'd give her the meat and peppers (which she doesn't like that much) + make her a veg she likes. Sometimes she gets fruit with dinner, sometimes not.

I don't make a point to give her grains all that often. I guess I don't feel like they are really necessary to her diet? I mean she gets a waffle e/o day. And if we have something like pasta for dinner then she obviously gets that. But I don't specifically make her a grain product for lunch and dinner.

we just give him what we are making for ourselves, it usually contains a grain, protein, and a fruit OR veggie (rarely both). Some nights though we just do whatever is easy like getting pepperoni pizza take out!

In general I try to have protein or dairy, a vegetable, and fruit, at lunch and dinner at least. Breakfast is almost always yogurt and cereal and fruit. Lunch and dinner vary but generally I offer a vegetable with the protein or cheese, then nearly always I give her fruit because she loves t and will always eat that. But plenty of times I don't have an easy vegetable ready and I don't feel like figuring something out.

I never worry about making are to have a grain with a meal since so many snacks are carb heavy anyway- like I'm not stressed if she just has hummus and veggies at dinner since she probably has crackers for snack.

Oh and when we are out I almost always give her veggie/ fruit pouches in addition to whatever she's eating. At least then she is getting something healthy along with the less healthy kids food.

No. I try, but she eats what she eats. I decided early on that food was a fight that I just wasn't willing to have. She has a few go-to items (PB&J, etc.) that I'll make if she just refuses to eat dinner, but that's it. I recently discovered that she likes red bell pepper so I cut up a ton of it, but that was apparently so last week.

Our pediatric nutritionist said we should aim for a balanced weekly diet - that way, picky days will balance out.

@AmandaB8: yup, that's what i aim for too. A balanced weekly diet. I would say 85% of the time our meals have protein, veg and carb/grain. Grains are a great way for my child to eat protein and veg they might otherwise refuse. I never separate food into compartments. I feel that promotes pickiness.
This week overall they've had eggs, fish, chicken, pork, rice, rice noodles, Tortilla shells, pasta shells, broccoli, peas, Edemame, corn, beef, grapes, bananas, oatmeal, cereal (granola and Cheerios). Not counting school lunches. Not a bad weekly combo imo!

for lunches at school yes--a fruit, veg, meat, cheese and grain at the very least. other meals, not so much.

I don't think about it too much-we eat balanced so I know that trickles down to her. I usually offer a variety and she eats what she wants. But sometimes I just throw peanut butter in a bowl with a spoon and call it a day she's also old enough to ask for specific foods for snack, and as long as it's healthy, she can have it

When we are home yeah. And I make it easy. Frozen veggies, fruit...not that tough to add. But tonight he had some hot dog and a pretzel at a baseball game (and a banana before we left). And lately he only wants carbs all the time which makes it hard.