The Kids Menu: the challenge of planning healthy menus for your children

Sigh. If only making “good choices” for your child’s nutrition was as easy as ordering the selections off the kids menu in a restaurant.

I’ve been reading several books on toddler food and they all agree that some of the foods that is marketed to children is actually not very nutritious. Since apparently I can’t believe the packaging in the grocery store either, I’ve been trying to educate myself on nutrition before I shop, including the current Department of Agriculture recommendations at choosemyplate.gov, especially the section for preschoolers.

Two books I have found useful as my own baby starts eating more food from the family table are:

• The Baby Food Bible by Eileen Behan
• The Yale Guide to Children’s Nutrition, edited by William V. Tamborlane, M.D.

From the popularity of the new children’s nutrition books at the library, I can assume that this is a topic of interest to other parents in our community.

Does anyone else have a favorite source of healthy kid-friendly recipes, or a favorite book title to share?