Healthy lunch ideas for 18 month old. How to make healthy lunch for 18 month old is important when you have a toddler in school. Here are the most creative ideas on school lunches and best food recipes that will help you feed your kids easily, cheaply and healthily!

Are you looking for some healthy lunch ideas for 18 month old? You have come to the right place. You will find a list of easy and simple, inexpensive recipes for your toddler that is healthy, nutritious and delicious!

Healthy Lunch Ideas For 18 Month Old

From snacks to entrées, find recipes and tips on how to get your growing (and opinionated) little one to try new and nutritious foods.

Trying New Foods

Cooking ethnic dishes with mild seasonings is a great way to continue to expand baby’s palate. Toddlers at this age are usually still open to trying new foods—especially when they see the rest of the family eating the dish.The recipes included in this collection offer simple ethnic dishes with modifications to make them toddler friendly but still tasty to the rest of the family. These recipes include dishes inspired by favorite foods from around the world.

Pumpkin Dip

Toddlers love the “do-it-myself” aspect of dipping and participating in an activity they’ve seen older kids and parents do. Give them a bowl of tasty dip, and most children this age will eat anything you put in front of them from fruit and veggies to chicken and tofu. Don’t stop with ketchup though; use dips as an opportunity to get additional nutrients, protein, and fiber into baby’s diet.Canned pumpkin makes it easy to whip up this sweet dip. Make sure to purchase 100% pure pumpkin and not pumpkin pie filling.

For your toddler:
• Serve the dip with peeled apple slices, banana slices, or cinnamon pita chips.

Love Your Lima Beans Dip

Lima beans give this hummus-like dip a slightly sweet flavor.For your toddler:
• Serve the dip with tender raw vegetables like pea pods and cucumber halves or slightly steamed carrot sticks and broccoli florets.

Asian Peanut Dip

Adults can use extra dip as a spread for veggie wraps or sandwiches made with grated carrot, sliced cucumber, and lettuce.For your toddler:
• Serve the dip with tender raw vegetables like pea pods and cucumber halves or slightly steamed carrot sticks and broccoli florets.

Risotto Primavera

For your toddler:
•   Cook the vegetables 2 to 3 minutes longer.
•   Serve a spoonful of risotto and vegetables.
•   Cut the vegetables into bite-sized pieces.

Mediterranean Salmon Salad

Don’t let the word “salad” in the title deter you from serving this warm mix of pasta, salmon, and vegetables to your little one.For your toddler:
•   Omit the black pepper from the fish.
•   Toss a spoonful of hot orzo with a small handful of torn spinach until the spinach wilts and the mixture is cool.
•   Shred a small amount of salmon and add it to the mixture. Add olives and cheese, if desired.

Sweet-and-Sour Chicken

Introduce baby to the yummy taste of takeout food without all the extra fat. This homestyle sweet-and-sour chicken has a lighter, fresher tasting sauce than typical restaurant versions. Serve with steamed brown or basmati rice.For your toddler:
•   Omit the chile paste; adults can sprinkle red pepper flakes over their portions.
•   Cut a piece of chicken and a spoonful of vegetables into small pieces.
•   Serve it over rice in a small bowl or on a rimmed plate.

Chipotle Pork Soft Tacos with Pineapple Salsa

Pork, a common taco filling throughout Latin America, takes well to spices. When serving these soft tacos to younger children, spoon the pork and salsa into a tortilla, roll the tortilla tightly, and then cut it into small bite-sized pieces.For your toddler:
•   When making the salsa, cut extra fruit into small bite-sized pieces for baby.
•   Omit the black pepper and chipotle peppers; after removing the baby’s pork, parents can add peppers at end of simmering in Step 2.
•   Cut the pork into bite-sized pieces.
•   Serve the pork and fruit pieces as finger foods on a plate with a warmed corn tortilla

Pork and Squash Stir-Fry

Butternut squash is a unique addition to stir-fry that pairs well with Asian seasonings. Serve it over cooked rice or noodles.For your toddler:
•   Reserve 3 or 4 cubes of squash following Step 1.
•   Sauté 1 strip of pork in a separate pan until done.
•   Cut the squash into bite-sized pieces, and shred the pork.
•   Serve the pork and squash with rice.

Zucchini with Corn and Cilantro

For your toddler:
• Omit the black pepper; parents can it add at the table, if desired.
• Serve a spoonful as a side with any meat, fish, poultry, or tofu.

Top 10 Food Ideas For Your 18 Months Baby

If you plan to introduce new food ideas for an 18 months baby to ensure their proper growth and development, you have come to the right place. As children grow, their tastes and preferences change. Therefore, you should introduce a variety of food to fulfill their growing nutritional needs.

Children can eat almost all foods except those that may cause choking hazards at this age. So, you can offer them three meals and two wholesome snacks to ensure they stay healthy and energetic.

This post provides you with tips on making mealtime enjoyable for your 18-month-old baby.

Tips To Increase Appetite:

Now is the time when growth takes a backseat in children. So expect some more crankiness during eating. They develop reduced appetite as they are keener to explore new skills. Let them eat whatever they like and demand food when hungry (1).

Try to follow these simple tips to increase your toddler’s appetite:

Never serve fruit along with a meal. Try to give them cut fruits around 2 hours before the main meal.
Do not feed him different kinds of foods one after the other. Let your toddler walk or play enough before coming to have his food. It will make him drained out of energy, and he will feel hungry.
If a toddler states they are not hungry, listen to them. You do not have to run their appetite as per the clock.

Below are the best food for 18 month old baby:

1. More Table Foods:

Eighteen months is the time to introduce him to more table foods than fluids. You should have started encouraging your child to drink milk from a cup instead of a bottle by now. Drinking milk from a bottle leads to excessive milk consumption which can lead to tooth decay, iron deficiency, inadequate or excessive weight gain and anemia. If it is tough to wean him from the bottle, offer him water and not milk in the bottle.

2. Encourage Playtime With Food:

Even the fussiest eaters will find it fun to eat food if you let them play with it. Keep aside the fear of the little one messing up your dining area. You can clean it later and still be content because your child has eaten well. Avoid food battles and let him enjoy his meal in a calm and pleasant environment. Even if she eats a little, try to emphasize on the quality of food she takes and not the quantity.

3. Fruits And Vegetables:

The little one needs to eat at least 1 cup of fruit and 1 cup of vegetables every day. You can make it more nutritious by making assorted combinations. Do not puree or juice the fruits, a whole fruit is anytime more nutritious with a great amount of much-needed fiber. Simply cut them into bite-sized pieces and watch them pick the colorful morsels into their mouths one by one.

4. Protein Needs:

An 18 month old will need 2 ounces of protein per day. You can try including in her diet any foods made with poultry, seafood, beans and peas, soy products, nuts, and seeds. The ideal choice would be to pick from lean or low- fat proteins.

5. Grains:

The child needs a minimum of 3 ounces of grains per day. More of whole grains in a diet , makes it better. Cereals low in sugar and high in fiber will be better choices. This is just appropriate for a 18 months old baby food.

6. Fats And Sugar:

There is no specifically recommended quantity of fats and sugar intake. However, it would be fair enough to offer approximately two tablespoons of fat and 2 to 3 tablespoons of refined sugar to be consumed per day.The types of fats can include ghee, oil, and butter.

Sugar can also be given in the form of jaggery, a better choice by grandmas. Fats should be consumed in moderation as already some usual foods contain invisible fats. Excessive fat intake can impair the absorption of important nutrients like calcium in your child’s body and can also contribute to the risk of obesity later in life.

7. Dairy Products:

In a day, two servings of any one of the dairy like milk, curds, paneer or pasteurized cheese can be given. You can even whip up dairy in the form of Chickoo shake, strawberry yogurt, fig and apricot cream cheese or cheesy corn.

8. Mask Foods:

Take care to cook only those dishes your toddler will enjoy eating. She should be a really choosy eater now and you can’t simply stuff foods in her mouth just because they are nutritious. So, now is the time for you to learn the art of masking foods. Mix few of her favorite ingredients into a less-loved veggie and make a delicious dish. For instance, offer her a carrot cake instead of the boring-looking carrot cubes.

9. Offer Meal Time Surprises:

Invite your toddler to the dining area by occasionally revealing him new surprises in the form of some attractive plates and spoons. If you can get for her plates with her favorite cartoon characters on it, she is sure to enjoy the meal time.

10. Children Tend To Imitate:

Children are one of the best imitators. Set a good example in yourself by showing them how you are eating fruits and vegetables of all kinds every day. Tell them a healthy diet is the secret of the energy you radiate. Always be careful not to show any dislike towards food in front of your child. They can be easily influenced! (2) Do refer a 18 month old baby food chart if you want.

Food Ideas for an 18-month-old Baby

If your little one is 18 months old, he won’t be happy with his regular glass of milk and plain biscuits. At this age, your little tot wants more options in foods. As your little tot is growing up, his tastes and preferences will evolve too. He will be more than happy if you offer him a variety of foods. Introducing healthy snacks in his meal plan can go a long way in ensuring he meets his nutritional requirements as well as looks forward to mealtimes.

Video: Food Ideas for an 18-month-old Baby

Nutrient Requirements of an 18-month-old Baby

The nutrients your child will need at this age include the following. Make sure you make food which is rich in these nutrients.

Iron: It is important to include iron-rich foods in your child’s diet to ensure that his immune system functions normally. Include veggies like broccoli, spinach, and kale regularly in his meals.

Fats: Your little one’s appetite would not be as high as it used to be earlier. Hence, it is important to ensure he gets the right amount of fat on a daily basis. A couple of servings of butter is a good way to make that happen. You can also give him ghee or butter.

Protein: Protein is an essential nutrient for a growing tot. It is important for the good health of your child’s skin, hair, nails, muscles, and bones. So make sure you include protein-rich foods in your child’s snacks and lunch. Some protein-rich foods that you can give to your toddler include dairy products, eggs, meat, nuts, beans, etc. Giving these foods in the right quantity will meet his protein requirements.
Calcium: Calcium is important for the development of teeth and bones. Some good sources of calcium include dairy products, broccoli, kale, etc. Milk is important for a growing child, so include milk in your child’s diet. While whole cream milk is highly recommended, supplementary products such as cottage cheese or kefir can be good too.

How Much Food Does Your Child Need at 18 Months of Age?

The quantity of food a toddler eats around this age is comparatively lesser than what he consumed earlier. Therefore, it is necessary to match a calorie intake of about 1.2 kilocalories than focusing on the quantity of food.

Best Foods for an Eighteen-Month-Old Baby

If you are looking for options in foods for your baby, you have come to the right place. Include the foods suggested below in your child’s diet.

1. Milk

If you still breastfeed your child, then it is well and good. But once a day, you can give him cow’s milk. Milk is essential for the healthy development of teeth and bones of your child, so make sure your little one drinks a cup of milk daily. He should learn to drink milk as well as water from a cup instead of a bottle now.

2. Fruits

Including fresh fruits in your child’s breakfast is a great way to make sure his body gets the essential nutrients. Don’t refrain from giving dry fruits as well as they are healthy too. Once in a while, you can give fruit purees, but don’t give fruit purees or fruit juices on a daily basis as they are not high in fibre and won’t be beneficial for your child’s health. Give him cut fruits every now and then.

3. Vegetables

You must include veggies in your child’s diet. If your child doesn’t like vegetables, you can make finger food for him. You can make baked carrot sticks or mashed potatoes. Also, include leafy vegetables in his diet

4. Meat and Nuts

While this combination might seem weird, pairing both these foods together can meet your child’s protein requirements. You can give chicken or fish with soy chunks, sprouted beans, cashew nuts, and so on. You don’t have to do this everyday; having this combination every alternate day of the week should benefit for your child. But if you notice any signs of food allergy in your child, stop giving these foods together.

5. Bread

Avoid giving white bread to your kid as much as you can. Whole wheat bread should be your go-to option if you want to make sandwiches for him. You can also give him dry cereal or crackers instead of bread.

6. Ghee

Ghee is good for health and your child needs it in his growing years. So make sure you give him ghee daily. You can make parathas in ghee or even add it to khichdi. A dollop of ghee can be very nutritious for your child, so make it a part of his daily diet.

7. Jaggery

Instead of adding processed and refined sugar in your child’s food, add jaggery. Jaggery is good for health and can make anything taste delicious.

8. Water

We know water is not a food, but it is important for your child. Make sure that your little one drinks enough water daily. You can also give him other fluids. There are chances of your kid suffering from digestive issues and health problems if his water intake is not enough.

9. Cheese

Along with milk, you can also include other dairy products in his diet. Kids love to eat cheese and cottage cheese, so give these to your kiddo without worrying. Different varieties of cheese along with yoghurt provide probiotics and other nutrients that simple whole milk may not always do.http://advertisement

10. Whole Grains

The benefits of consuming whole-grain food items may not be visible instantly but they take place internally over time. Instead of giving him calorie-rich cereals or white bread, give him whole wheat bread or whole-grain cereals.