I hope this isn't a stupid question..

So I was thinking this morning about food and dd. And I was just wondering whether or not she's getting everything she's suppose to kwim? Like how do I know she's getting 'enough' of everything that she needs. She has vegies pretty much everynight. Whether it's pumpkin and sweet potato or mixed carrots/peas/corn etc. And then she'll have meat everynight with it. So she has mince one night if we have spaghetti um, then she'll have steamed chicken and some other nights she'll have tuna. But pretty much everynight she's having meat (cause I am not freezing her meals anymore, she's eating what dp and I eat) but I am just wondering whether she's getting enough nutrition. It's hard to know for me.

For Breakfast she has either Weetbix or Cornflakes or Toast with vegemite or jam.
Morning Tea she'll have some sultanas and a bikkie
Lunch she'll have either some Numberghetti (spaghetti numbers lol) or a sandwich (if she hasn't had toast that morning) or she'll have a little tuna and pasta cup
Afternoon tea she'll have either a yogurt with fruit cut up or salada's with penut butter on them
And then dinner as I said meat and some sort of vegies.

Feeding myself and dp is one thing, but I am really concious of what she eats. I dont' like her having sugar ( even though I know ALOT of mums put sugar on their dd's weetbix even at ava's age) I don't like her having salt. And she'll have a chocolate treat once in a blue moon (I am actually trying to figure out whether I should give her a chocolate muffin that I made last night) I just don't know how much is too much and how much is not enough kwim? This is probably not making any sense lol I just want to make sure she's getting a good diet kwim? Any help would be so appreciated!

It sounds like you're doing great - you've obviously put heaps of thought into it!

Sounds like a great variety & its great she eats her vegies & meat....this is a struggle we currently have with DS.

Just in regards to sugar/salt etc these are something I'm also concious of with DS. He's had very bad asthma so I look alot into what he's eating etc. There are lots of salt in many of the cereals including weetbix & corn flakes & many of the yogurts have a ridiculous amount of sugar in them.

As for the choc chip muffin etc, I my self & just IMO, at the end of the day anything homemade is better than the bought stuff.

im pretty sure its 3 serves of dairy(or is it 6), 2 fruit 5 veg per day
then 4 red meat 2 white meat 1 veg or fish meal a week

which weetbix are you using? as they are notorious for high salt content.
anything processed is generally higher in salt and sugar then what you would make your self.. so try and cook most of her foods.

Sounds like your doing a great job, i worry about variety for my 10mth old Ava (love the name ;-) ) but your lil one gets plenty of vegies, dairy etc so i wouldn't be too worried at all.

If she is happy, putting on weight and sleeping well then you can't ask for much more, if she was hungry or not getting enough then i'm sure she would tell you.
I have justed started giving Ava what we eat (no salt and less oil etc) and for her lunch etc we make mini pizza muffins every now and then for something different or tuna with rice etc.

Keep up the great work, sounds like you have it covered.

thanks girls :)

DouDou.. I use the baby weetbix wayyyyyyy less salt content. Dp and his mother reckon there was no difference until I showed them the difference in salt then they understood WHY i buy it

kristy-lee, Ithink for littleies it's only 2 vege and 1 fruit serve per day plus 600ml or it's equivalent of milk (for calcium). One serve is half a cup.
Darcy loves kid sized vegies like cherry toms, mini cucmbers (qurks), steamed patty squash, baby carrots etc and will often eat these as a snack.

It's hard isn't it? Especially if your child is a fussy eater. And coming up with new and healthy ideas, so they don't get bored is just as hard.

Cornflakes are okay (Just Right is better), but if I give them to DS, they're topped with banana and strawberries. Porridge with mashed banana and chopped date and the tip of a teaspoon of honey (not under 12 months) is a big hit in our house. DS also has Just Right and Sultana Bran and loves them. Rice Bubbles with fruit is his all time favourite!!! =D

Bread - try to use only wholemeal or multi-grain. White bread has very little goodness and hardly any fibre. Watch out with vegemite, as it's loaded with salt, so just a thin spread. And jam is just fruit and sugar, so maybe only once or twice a week.

A boiled egg with toast soldiers is also a favourite with DS.

Try making your own spaghetti and sauce for DD, as the tinned stuff is notorious for having high sugar levels and have unnecessary additives and preservatives. DS won't eat the stuff that comes in tins. There is a great recipe for baked beans on the Master Chef website... it's to die for!!! I've made it three times now and freezed extra in batches for lunches for DS. I was even able to make it in the slow cooker (set and forget) YUMMO!

Pasta and sauce is easy to make and you can freeze small batches for lunches. Spinach and cheese cannaloni is great for that too!

Rice dishes are great to make up and freeze. I've got a great recipe for a children's cheesy risotto. No salt and really tasty! DS gobbles it down and it's very filling.

Rice crackers (check packet for salt content) and dip (hummus etc) are great for snacks. We make our own cheesy bread sticks for snacks... great for DS and for us too!!!

I also make savoury muffins. My parents found me a second-hand muffin maker at a garage sale for $8. I've been baking up a storm ever since. Corn, cheese and chives are really yummy and super quick and easy to make.

On the kellogs website, there is a great recipe for "smart cookies" made with saltana bran, which are quite low in sugar and fat and are really yummy. They never last more than a day in our house. We add different dried fruits (apples & apricots) and nuts (over 12 months) to make them extra yummy.

Good luck! :)

Ooh, according the the Choice website (food for kids) Sultant Bran has quite alot of sugar in it :(

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Ooh, according the the Choice website (food for kids) Sultant Bran has quite alot of sugar in it :(

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Oh that's very disappointing to hear. :(