# I need cheap, easy, vegetarian, toddler-friendly lunch ideas!



## littleteapot (Sep 18, 2003)

I'm so stuck on what to feed my two year old for lunch! She doesn't talk, so she can't tell me what she wants, and even if she could I don't know that I'd figure it out.

Right now we're not eating particularly wonderful lunches. We don't often do fake meats, so once a day is a little much for us...
I usually just end up cutting her up tons of fruit and some noodles. But I need protien too since I'm pregnant.
Leftovers is a no-go.
Any veggie families who can lend some ideas??

Help!


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## lisalou (May 20, 2005)

I'm not a vegetarian but I realised my daughter's favorite lunch is - whole wheat pita with hummus. She loves the garlic lovers. You can buy hummus for fairly cheap and make it for even cheaper. I often will also roast or bake a sweet potato, some baby carrots and a couple of parsnips with olive oil and thyme to last most of the week and serve as a side to lunch.

If she'll eat rice you could do lentils and rice with some cucumbers and yogurt as a side.


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## GeezerMom (Apr 7, 2005)

My dd likes kidney beans & couscous. To give the beans some flavor, I cooked them w/tomato soup.


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## VikingKvinna (Dec 31, 2003)

Check out this thread in the Nutrition and Good Eating forum. Lots of wonderful ideas for toddler-friendly foods.

HTH!
~Nick


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## hottmama (Dec 27, 2004)

I've been feeding Julian organic soups lately- he likes split pea, minestrone, and the vegetable kind with letters. It's so easy, and split pea and minestrone are pretty high in protein. Add a sandwich, and it's easily 20-30 grams of protein in a meal. Julian likes fake grilled cheese (veggie slices are one of his favorite foods), PB + J (of course), and fake deli meats (and I always put a load of baby spinach on too).


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## allismom (Nov 28, 2004)

We are not vegetarian either, but some of these may suit you. I am not sure 'how' vegetarian you are (my sister is a vegetarian but not a vegan), so take what you want and leave the rest!

Tofu slices ('meat') and cheese sandwiches
egg salad sandwich or just a hard boiled egg
cottage cheese
lots of macaroni and cheese - she loves them. the health food store now has the equivalent of the 'Easy Mac' single servings
sometimes i make homemade mac n cheese.....add any veggie you want, grind it up to disguise if need be!
jelly sandwich with soy butter
soups - tomatoe with fishy crackers floating in
salad - she loves to dip lettuce and carrots in dressing
yogurt with fruit
applesauce
homemade smoothies
pizza - add any topping!


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## rainbowmoon (Oct 17, 2003)

ohh great thread! my ds is only 14mo but already a big eater so I'm always looking for ideas!

his fav lunches latley are;

egg salad sandwiches
bean/cheese quesadillas
mac and cheese (I make alfredo w/ elbow macaroni and mix in veggies)
english muffin pizzas
leftover spaggetti
beans and rice

today I'm making him sweet potatoe fries and refried black beans.


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## ent_mom (Aug 30, 2004)

I second the lentils and rice. I just put both in my rice cooker with water, come back a bit later and ta-da! Lunch for both of us! My daughter (16 months) loves it.


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## rachdoll (Aug 18, 2003)

Buckwheat noodles (soba - an asian noodle, I think) are high in protein. Might be pricey, though.

Black eyed peas are cheap cheap, and cook quickly (as far as beans are concerned, that is - about 1.5-2 hours). I add garlic powder, salt and chile powder to mine.

We love corn tortilla quesadillas, too. Especially with thinly sliced tomatoes and advocado inside.

DD will eat a hard boiled egg any time of the day. And yogurt, too.


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## kavamamakava (Aug 25, 2004)

Tortillas are easy to work with in the microwave or on the stove top.
Bean and cheese burritos
Peanut (or almond) butter and jelly sandwiches
Asian noodles with broccoli and peanut sauce
Quesadillas
Wraps - rice, left over dinner veggies, cheese, dressing, lettuce
Mini pizzas - slice of bread, cheese, tomato, garlic salt. Broil for a couple of minutes.


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## StephanieK (Aug 28, 2003)

Not Veggie ourselves but here's one of my sons faves:

I can organic tomatoes
I can organic beans
frozen or fresh mixed veggies of any sort
veggie broth, mybe 1/2 cup

Throw in blender and blend until desired consistency. We like it almost smooth.

heat in a pot as soup (top with cheese), or add to quesadilla for a snack!

Steph


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## MaryCeleste (Jun 11, 2004)

We're not veggies either, but my daughter loves tempeh. You can cube and steam it, or make a spread to go on toast or veggie sticks. If the store-bought kind is too pricy, it's not too hard to make your own (you'd need to buy the culture first).

Also, there are lots of toddler-friendly ways to cook eggs, such as soft-boiled with toast, scrambled with veggies & herbs, or in a frittata.

Another quick, high-protein dish is tofu pudding -- just whizz it with your choice of flavorings (carob, banana, vanilla, maple syrup, etc.). Yum yum.


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## EmmalinesMom (Feb 9, 2003)

Oh, we love tofu pudding! Yum!









Lunch is never a big deal around here. We do tons of fresh fruit, especially now in the summer, veggie slices, cheese, either alone or on toast or crackers, mini-pizzas on tortillas or english muffins, beans and rice, quesidillas/burritos, sesame sticks, nuts (she was eating cashews like cereal the other day :LOL ), noodles with either marinara, butter and herbs, grated cheese, etc, a bagle with cream cheese and/or fruit spread, and sometimes scrambled eggs. (You can get organic, vegetarian fed hen eggs at most grocery stores.)

We've been known to make an entire meal of popcorn.







:


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## musingmama (Oct 31, 2004)

wow, lots of great replies!
yeah my ds loves lentils and rice,
pasta and fake meatballs (trader joes has a great kind if you have one near by!)
black beans and rice
quesidillas
potato salad
baked tofu (we marinate firm tofu in braggs liquid aminos(like soy sauce w/o the wheat) and then bake for a while til a little crispy
hummus and pita or crackers
spring rolls
vegetable and bean soups

hmmm well thats all i can think of now!


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## Dal (Feb 26, 2005)

I'd check about how much protein you are getting to see if you might be more worried about it than you need to be. Most North Americans consume far more protein than is necessary. Do you personally know anyone who has been diagnosed with a protein deficiency? There is a bit of protein in just about everything we eat and that helps too.

Does she like scrambled tofu?
For a fast lunch, we open a can of spaghetti sauce and puree it with veggies and lentils or t.v.p.; it can be served over couscous to make it really fast. He hardly ever turns down spaghetti.
Soy shake: Simon loves to stick the fruit into the blender, we're going to get some flaxseed oil to add. Currently we use frozen bananas, frozen berries, and chocolate soy beverage (So Good is our favourite)
Chopped up YVES veggie dog dipped in ketchup
Licks burger
Steamed veggies (or canned if we're really busy or I'm feeling especially lazy)

Simon enjoyed some of this today:

Chickpea Broccoli Couscous Burgers
By jermama (McDougall board)

1 c. couscous cooked (I use whole wheat couscous)
1 1/2 c. broccoli florets
2 tsp. veggie broth
1 c. onion, finely chopped
2 tsp. cumin
1 can garbanzo beans, drained
1 Tbsp. tahini (I usually just use a dab)
1/3 c. bread crumbs (can use Ezekiel bread, I use corn meal often too)
Salt, garlic powder

Steam broccoli. In skillet, heat broth over medium heat. Add onion. Stir in cumin. Cook. Remove from heat. In food processor, combine cooked couscous, broccoli, onions, chickpeas and tahini. Process until well mixed. Can add salt and garlic powder.
Line a baking sheet with foil, spray w/nonstick spray. Shape mixture into patties and dust with breadcrumbs. Bake 40 min. (I turn them once).
Serve on rolls -- great with Dijon mustard!

Our other favourites have been mentioned.


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## littleteapot (Sep 18, 2003)

Thank you ALL! These are great ideas!

Dal - I occassionally look back and count my protien in the day. I'm pregnant, and I'm having a UC/UP so I am keeping track. On average I get 50-60g, sometimes more, rarely less. Everyone screams at me to eat double that, even though I know vegetarians use protiens more efficiently...
Sometimes it's difficult for me to eat good amounts of protien due to nausea, so I try to have high protien "main meals" when I actually AM hungry. By doing this, I get my average.


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## kavamamakava (Aug 25, 2004)

When I was pregnant I tried keeping it around 70-80 grams of protein. Lots of foods have protein. A serving of oatmeal has like 4 g.
Are you familiar with the Brewer Blue Ribbon Baby pregnancy diet?


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## OakBerry (May 24, 2005)

We're not vegetarians but one of our favorite lunches is cut up carrots, red peppers, grape tomatoes tossed with white beans (or pink beans) and olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Ds usually eats a big bowl of this, along with a slice of wheat bread and a piece of cheese for lunch. Nice and easy for hot summer days.


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## Pandora114 (Apr 21, 2005)

Try Falafel

I think *now please correct me* it is

minced chick peas *not like to a pulp, there are some bits left KWIM?*

mixed with garlic, and parsley, and onion powder, and whatever kind of seasoning you find appropriate, formed into balls, then either deep fried *ack!!* or stuck in a REALLY high temp oven to make em real crispy. You can serve it in a pita pocket with some Taziki and hot sauces, and a Lettuce/tomato/cuke salad mix.

You can feed the Falafel balls to your DD "naked" with some pita bread on the side if you want.


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## BlueStateMama (Apr 12, 2004)

DS lives on edemame (lots of wonderful soy protein there.) I buy bags of the frozen shelled ones and put a handful in boiling salted water - 2 min. boiling, turn it off and let them sit 2 minutes...today he had an organic yogurt, edamame, watermelon, and some slivered almonds.


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## littleteapot (Sep 18, 2003)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *kavamamakava*
When I was pregnant I tried keeping it around 70-80 grams of protein. Lots of foods have protein. A serving of oatmeal has like 4 g.
Are you familiar with the Brewer Blue Ribbon Baby pregnancy diet?

Ugh. I hear people talk about it, and they list off all the food they have to consume. I'm about 105lbs soaking wet. I just can't eat that much.


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## Yin Yang (Jul 9, 2003)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Pandora114*
Try Falafel

I think *now please correct me* it is

minced chick peas *not like to a pulp, there are some bits left KWIM?*

mixed with garlic, and parsley, and onion powder, and whatever kind of seasoning you find appropriate, formed into balls, then either deep fried *ack!!* or stuck in a REALLY high temp oven to make em real crispy. You can serve it in a pita pocket with some Taziki and hot sauces, and a Lettuce/tomato/cuke salad mix.

You can feed the Falafel balls to your DD "naked" with some pita bread on the side if you want.


i think it's garbanzo beans, but anyway. I made it yeasterday for myself and it was good but dry. I had to dip it into salad dressing. It was spicy too, and my DS hates anything spicy.


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## Pandora114 (Apr 21, 2005)

Garbanzo beans are the same thing as chick peas. Just depends where you live on how they are called.

the good think about falafel is that you can season it with whatever you wish, you can omit the curry powder, or add more, or whatever. I just like mine with garlic, parsley and onion powder.

And they are supposed to be dry because they are traditionally served with Taziki sauce *Yogurt + Cucumber + Garlic sauce it's really yummy*


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## Yin Yang (Jul 9, 2003)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Pandora114*
Garbanzo beans are the same thing as chick peas. Just depends where you live on how they are called.

the good think about falafel is that you can season it with whatever you wish, you can omit the curry powder, or add more, or whatever. I just like mine with garlic, parsley and onion powder.

And they are supposed to be dry because they are traditionally served with Taziki sauce *Yogurt + Cucumber + Garlic sauce it's really yummy*


LOL
i had a feeling it was the same thing. :LOL

I bought a box of ready to make falafel so I did not choose the seasoning.








Next time I'l try different + the sauce you mentioned.


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## VikingKvinna (Dec 31, 2003)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Pandora114*
G

And they are supposed to be dry because they are traditionally served with Taziki sauce *Yogurt + Cucumber + Garlic sauce it's really yummy*

I usually serve mine with tahini sauce (tahini, lemon, OO, salt, pepper, garlic) and cucumber/tomato/sprouts. The veg really helps with the dryness, too.







Now I am craving falafel!

~nick


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## Pandora114 (Apr 21, 2005)

aah the mix..

To make it from scratch, take some cooked/canned chick peas and rough chop them in a food processor with a few cloves of garlic, some sprigs of parsley, and some chunks of onion and some extra virgin olive oil.

then form it into balls and deep fry or bake at a VERY HIGH pre heated oven, for crispness purposes,

To make Taziki:

Take some PLAIN Yogurt, then grate some cucumber in some cheese cloth, and squeeeeeeeeze the juice into the yogurt then stir in some finely minced garlic and some parsley and let it sit for a bit in the fridge

OR, you can buy it LOL


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## Yin Yang (Jul 9, 2003)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Pandora114*
aah the mix..

To make it from scratch, take some cooked/canned chick peas and rough chop them in a food processor with a few cloves of garlic, some sprigs of parsley, and some chunks of onion and some extra virgin olive oil.

then form it into balls and deep fry or bake at a VERY HIGH pre heated oven, for crispness purposes,

To make Taziki:

Take some PLAIN Yogurt, then grate some cucumber in some cheese cloth, and squeeeeeeeeze the juice into the yogurt then stir in some finely minced garlic and some parsley and let it sit for a bit in the fridge

OR, you can buy it LOL

Thanks!!! Sounds yammy!


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## Pandora114 (Apr 21, 2005)

I want a nice chicken shwarma, but I don't know the spices to put ON the chicken to MAKE it shwarma-ish. When I lived in Hamilton, I used to hit up this little Lebanese Joint that made the best shwarma, $5 got ya one LOL.


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## bu's mama (Mar 25, 2004)

Thanks to op for starting this thread & the rest of you mamas for all the great ideas. DD just turned 3 & has a diet limited to mac & cheese (annie's organic, but still), chicken, O's, and fruit. She used to eat a ton of yogurt but recently cut that out. I'm still nursing so I'm not so worried but I'd love to expand her diet. Thanks for all the great ideas.


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## Fairy4tmama (Sep 3, 2003)

Our Fave food right now is Avacado we eat it plain just cut in half and scoop, or mashed on a WW tortilla or piece of tost or begal. sliced up with eggs, used as a dip for every thing from chips to veggies ....mmmm I am starting to get hungry :LOL We also eat a ton of peanut butter but you have to consider choking risks there. We love penutbutter balls mix one whole jar of PB(well stirred and chilled ) with weat germ and honey untill you get a doghy consistancy and roll in to balls keep chilled, its a great Treat food but actualyvery good for you!


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## ayme371 (Jan 5, 2005)

I tried a veg. shepards pie. I steamed some fresh veggies and then mixed with a tomato base, added some lentils, put in a caserol dish and then topped with organic mashed potatoes and baked. Ds and I really loved it. I think next time I'll mix some cheese in with the spuds. The vegs I used are, corn , squash, zucchini, carrots and broccoli.


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## Pandora114 (Apr 21, 2005)

ok, the Quebequoise in me cringes at that.

Paté Chinois is

STEAK

Blé D'Inde

Patate

*sigh*

Popa from La P'tit Vie would have a corinary if he saw your recipe! LOL


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