For the sake of those around us and the ones coming up, ladies, I am requesting a list of foods, whatever you've come up with, that replaces those over-priced "Graduates" and toddler foods. I'm looking for your cheapest conversions, because no HOM can afford to serve those "Lil Entrees" 24/7.

For instance, my 1yo like the Graduates breakfast bars...is there a brand or something you do that can replace these cheaper and at a larger quantity?

I serve old fashioned oatmeal and even add my leftover baby cereal just to use it up...just the right consistancy to pick up (chopped raisins/fruit are good to add).

I need some ideas/cost saving help and I cant be the only one...thanks...JMiller6

Jesse 18yo and a HS grad!! wow...do I feel old...
Carli 14yo
Christie 13yo
McKenna
Cody and
Cailey 1yo

We use regular Nutra-Grain bars bought in bulk at Costco.

You can buy mini-raviolis and tortalinis (sp?) to replace the Pasta Pick-Ups. But the biggest thing I do to save money is to feed them whatever we are eating. I did that from the start (leaving out the obvious no-nos). I also serve them canned fruit in fruit juice instead of all fresh fruit (for pears, peaches, oranges, etc). And, I do not give them juice at all. They drink only milk and water. I do it for health reasons, but it saves $ too.

Paula

Paula P-F

Nutrigrain bars--my babies love them and they dissolve easily. Cheerios, wheat pasta, they can pretty much eat anything that is soft and mooshed up--grean beans, peas, low sodium lunch meat etc.

I make different kinds of pancakes--High protein, I have recipe if you need it. If you look in the larger grocery stores you can usually find a multi-grain or whole wheat pancake mix. Multi-grain bagels.

Just remember to keep everything in small manageable pieces and don't give them alot at once they might shove it all in their mouths.

First of all, I'd like to second what everyone here has been saying - feed them what you feed the family. It's cheaper and gets them eating with the family. The foods are better for them also. Those Gerber toddler foods are loaded with sugar and all. Yuck!!

As for different pancakes, check out my recipe for Pumpkin Pancakes that I posted in the recipe section here a while back. You may need to check archives, I don't know. It's been a while. My kids LOVE them. I use a homemade whole wheat pancake mix now, though (white flour is evil), and it works pretty well. Still trying to perfect the taste - the whole wheat flour can be pretty overpowering.

Julie

wife to Ted ("The QuadFather")
mother to 2yo (29mo.) bbgb:
Stosh Alon
Noach Ari
Rivkah Ivanova
Nuriel Alexander

"The 'hard' is what makes it great." -- Tom Hanks in "A League of Their Own"

Julie
single mom and BRAND NEW NURSE!

Stosh Alon (B)
Noach Ari (B)
Rivkah Ivanova (G)
Nuriel Alexander (B)

Mine loved the canned green beans--the "cut" type. They are soft, grabbable, and easy to fix! We used to carry a can (and a can opener) in the diaper bag for outings. We used the hard plastic scoop bibs and put their food in the pocket! Worked great.

Mary Jane

and honeybees--
Chloe (8)
Hannah (6)
angel Kate Eliza
Abby, Matthew, and Olivia (2 1/2)

Mary Jane

and honeybees--
Chloe (11)
Hannah (9)
angel Kate Eliza
Abby, Matthew, and Olivia (5)

I buy the Walmart brand of frozen veggies (green beans, peas, spinach) and it is so much cheaper than canned or name brand. I try to use fresh when I can but it gets so expensive. Now if I can only get them to use a spoon...

Kim, Mom to
Logan Kenneth "I wish I were an only child"
Erin Louise "I love my brothers!"
Connor Andrew "I've gotta keep moving"
12/12/02 33w5d

Kim, Mom to
Logan Kenneth - Our future bull rider
Erin Louise -Our future ballerina/cowgirl
Connor Andrew - Our future artist

Quaker breakfast bars = Graduates breakfast bars
little hotdogs = vienna sausage
jar of peas and carrots = fozen carrots and peas

I purchase fruit in the glass jars and veggies for the most part from the freezer section. I had a Prof. tell me that the Aluminum from the canister seeps into the food...aluminum is linked to Alzheimer.

Also, look at the sodium content no need to give your toddler a bad habit at this early age.


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thank you to everyone for helping and if anyone has more to add that would be great!! JM

I never used those Lil entrees, too costly for us too!
I let them eat pretty much whatever we eat but chopped in tiny bite size pcs. Here is a list of my trios foods;

Fresh fruits- bananas,apples,rapes,pears,peaches,ect..
Canned fruits- same as above, plus fruit cocktail

Fresh vegis- cucumbers,green peppers,red peppers,celery,ect..
Canned or frozen vegis-corn,cream corn,peas, green beans,carrots,
peas & carrots, sweet potaotes, kidney beans, garbonzo beans, baked beans, ect...

Frozen others- french fries,hashbrowns,tator tots, fish nuggets,chicken nuggets, meatballs,cocktail weinies, and some swanson or stoufers meals (dividing one between the trio)

Canned soups- campbells chunky style (cook, drain liquid ,serve chunks) My trio luv the chicken noodle or sirlion burger

Sandwiches- egg salad, chicken salad, tuna, peanut butter & jelly,

Any entrees that mommy and daddy eat like spaghetti, roasts, turkey, chicken,ect... all the sides too

Dairy- cheese cubes,yogurt w/fruit,cottage cheese, milk shakes w/instant breakfast added, ect..

Snacks- fruits,vegis,cheese,dried cereals,rasins,teddy grahms cookies,oatmeal cookies,peanut butter cookies, (cookies are a rare treat in our house)

others foods they like- deviled eggs, boiled eggs,fried or scrambled eggs, bagels,toast, sausages, baccon, waffles, pancakes (any variety),ect..

I think I covered most of it, try dips like ranch dressing,ketchup, mild sauces they can use to dip, its always fun. I also like to give them pickles with their sandwhiches just for fun and they like them too.

Things Ive tried but the kids cant stand are those spagetti Os,any sort of canned pasta they wont touch! I have one picky eater it took him along time to like eggs, but I didnt force it on him , I always served him but if he didnt want it , it was ok with me. He eventually tried them and liked them. Its funny to watch them smell things and try new things you may have to try over and over again before they try something.

Kim

Kim
Wife to Brian
Mommy to BBG @ 32.5 wks)

Just to add a few more: french toast sticks, frozen waffles, graham crackers, shredded cheese, french fries (baked or fried without salt)--I also put pnut butter and jelly on the sticks and waffles at times for extra calories.

Vickie
Mommy to Seth, Gabe, and Dani
BBG 11/17/01

I have found feeding my trips whatever I feed the family works best for me... I also try to imitate what is in those graduates.. like rice or noodles mixed with veggies and chuncks of chicken or turkey or chopped meat.. I just try to make a gravy that is a little thicker...

Katie B

jesse- try this kid freindly spagetti sauce. all five of mine have liked it from about one year.

1-1/12 pounds hamburger browned with 1/4 chopped onion and 1 clove crushed garlic.

drain off fat. add italian seasoning and salt and pepper to taste.

simmer 30 min.

serve over any kind of pasta.

i chop the everything together so the hamburger chunks are small and feed it at least once a week. good luck. terri

terri
mom to ian,wes,amelia (09/02)
leslie 12 years
micaela 9 years

My three are 91/2 months and have been eating what the family eats for about a week now. It is so much easier, I only have to cook once and do all the cleaning up once. Of course, I cut their stuff up really small. Some things that they like that haven't been mentioned

boiled potatoes/sweet potatoes
lunch meats
pasta with ricotti cheese
rice cakes (there are all different flavors out)
Puffed rice
pierogies


Diane
mom to
Nicole 5
Shane, Owen and Skylar 3/22/03

Diane
mom to
g 8/98
bbg 3/03