Cheap & Healthy Meal Ideas for 1-Year-Old Babies

Vegetable Frittata

• Eggs are an excellent staple when you're trying to serve nutritious foods on a budget. Eggs are a cheaper alternative to meat, providing 6g of protein per large egg, and contain important nutrients like vitamin E and folic acid. A frittata is a versatile way to serve eggs since you can put in almost anything your child likes. Simply beat three or four eggs with 1/4 cup milk, add shredded cheese and toss in the diced vegetables of your choice. Pour the mixture into a small nonstick skillet and cook over medium heat until the eggs have set. If the middle of the frittata isn't cooking quickly enough, stick the skillet inside an oven heated to 450 degrees F for seven to 10 minutes, or until cooked through. Slice the frittata into small wedges and serve.

Pasta

• Whole grain pasta provides filling fiber and protein, and its flavor is so basic that you can add almost any ingredients to please a picky eater. Choose pasta shapes, such as rotelle, rotini and elbow macaroni, which are fun and small enough for your child to pick up with her fingers. Then try different sauces and ingredients to see what she enjoys. Meat sauce is as simple as cooking ground beef, ground turkey or tiny pieces of chicken in tomato sauce. You can make a quick vegetable sauce by sautéing bite-sized veggies in olive oil and stirring in basil, oregano and Parmesan cheese. Another option is to make a cheese sauce by stirring 1 tbsp. melted butter with 1 tbsp. flour over medium heat until a paste forms, then add milk until the sauce reaches the desired thickness and stir in one or two handfuls of shredded cheese.

Sandwich

• Sandwiches are often overlooked as a healthy meal, but along with a serving of fruit or vegetables, a simple sandwich makes an inexpensive and complete meal for a young toddler. If your pediatrician has given you permission to introduce nuts into your child's diet, a peanut butter and jelly sandwich on whole wheat bread provides protein and fiber, and has a sweet and salty flavor that most kids love. Other classic toddler sandwich ideas include turkey and cheese or grilled cheese, but don't be afraid to offer your child something a little more unusual, like peanut butter and bananas or shredded chicken and mashed avocados. Be sure to cut the sandwich into bite-sized pieces before serving your child.

Bean Quesadilla

• Beans are loaded with protein and fiber, and they're one of the cheapest healthy foods at the supermarket. Beans may be notoriously unpopular among kids, but they're surprisingly adaptable, and introducing your toddler to beans at an early age can help her develop a taste for them. Try mashing beans with a fork and spreading onto half of a whole wheat tortilla; then sprinkle grated cheese on top, microwave until the cheese is melted and fold in half. You can also sneak some vegetables into the quesadilla by adding grated zucchini, carrots, squash or bell peppers.