I need suggestions for healthy carbs for a younger toddler. DD is 13 months and loves fruit and meat. I'm struggling to find carbs that she will eat. She loves graham crackers and mac and cheese, but that's not super healthy and any more than a tiny bit of cheese makes her constipated. We've had a little success with plain oatmeal, but she will only eat a tiny bit. And I've been hesitant to try rice because she's so easily constipated. Any suggestions? Thanks!
ETA: she's never been into anything sweet potato or beans, but I keep trying. She did once eat roasted spaghetti squash.
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I don’t think there are unhealthy carbs for a toddler. If she likes Mac and cheese but the cheese causes problems, what about noodles with butter and maybe just a sprinkle of cheese, or some kind of veggie sauce - tomato, or you could try puréed carrots loosened up with some butter. Rice cakes, crackers or bread sticks, toast?
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I agree with the previous post. Also at that age we had to give DD some sort of prunes every day, otherwise everything would make her constipated. So prune puree mixed with apple sauce, stirred in oatmeal, or even spread on toast. Or some prune juice in a smoothie.
For another mac and cheese sub try making a sauce with butternut squash. You can mix in just a bit of cheese, if you want, but you don't have to.
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Carrots, beets, turnips, butternut squash are yummy roasted. Lentils are my kids’ favorite. Also refried beans. We are mostly grain free as a family and it has been good for all of us. If she’s eating fruit she is probably getting the carbs she needs from that.
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Quinoa, farro, beans-black, pinto, chickpea, navy, etc., brown rice
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Try some cinnamon in oatmeal! And/or mix fruit in
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I agree with others—if she likes Mac and cheese why not other pasta dishes? Our DD loves pasta with anything but especially meat sauce (I make bolognese, but I’m pretty sure any meat sauce would work). We also do whole wheat bread with hummus or peanut butter and starchy vegetables like steamed carrots and parsnips are favorites. She’s also really into pinching quinoa, which was hilarious when it was new. She was cold on oatmeal too until we stared mixing in a little applesauce and cinnamon.
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Smoothie pops? I blend oats or cooked oatmeal into smoothies and I'm sure a bit of squash or other cooked veggies would work too. Then freeze in a popsicle mold.
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Oatmeal muffins can be loaded with all sorts of good things.
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Thanks, everyone! Lots of good ideas here. I keep forgetting about toast. We've done some with a thin smear of peanut butter because pb is a favorite, but it's hit or miss. I think I have to keep reminding myself that most things are hit or miss with a toddler
I think we'll try oatmeal muffins, noodles with some squash puree with a little cheese, and hopefully some lentils out of homemade soup.
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@catgirl: Thanks! She had been eating a lot of cheese and pouches with banana, so we cut out most of that, but it's still an issue. I keep thinking we're doing something wrong, so it helps to hear that some kids are just more prone to constipation.
@Baby Boy Mom: Thanks for the reminder that fruits are carbs, too.
@karenbme: How does your DD eat the noodles with meat sauce and quinoa? Fingers? Off a fork? I'm totally fine with a mess, but I want to make it worth it -
@Chuckles: My son is 4.5 and has been on daily Restoralax since he was a year, whereas my 6 year old has never had problems. Some kids just have a harder time!
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@Chuckles: pears always worked really well for us for constipation, more reliable even than prunes! Fresh or pouches, both always did the trick.
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@Chuckles: pasta she eats with her fingers, but is also starting to take fork bites. We usually undress her before and then go straight to the tub because it gets MESSY. Quinoa she can eat with fingers, too, because it’s clumpy, but we also feed it off a spoon sometimes when we want to be fast and/or clean. The mess actually isn’t that bad when she self feeds quinoa, there are always stray grains, but they brush off/sweep up easily.
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@Chuckles: have you tried any other toast toppings? My daughter loves hummus on bread and I have a friend whose daughter loved avocado toast so much they had to hide the avocados when she was little. We’ve also done cream cheese and berries on toast with good results (still messy though).
I think we'll try oatmeal muffins, noodles with some squash puree with a little cheese, and hopefully some lentils out of homemade soup.
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