TODDLERS MEALS: THE MANY FACES OF THE BRAT DIET (AND SOME EXTRAS)

Toddler meals on dry, lactose-free diet

Meal ideas for a plain diet

How many variations of toddler meals can two parents come up with to fight upset tummies? Here’s what we came up with during a week on the BRAT diet (for those still wondering if I’m referring to my kids, I promise it stands for Banana, Rice, Applesauce, Toast), plus some chicken and lactose-free dairy.


The challenge: to get inventive! Think shapes, hidden ingredients, varying forms of the same foods.

Meals with BRAT (banana, rice, applesauce, toast) and protein

BANANA: Whole banana, sliced banana, banana sandwich

RICE: Rice mixed with minced chicken or grated lactose-free cheese, rice on applesauce, applesauce on rice

APPLESAUCE: Stewed apples, applesauce sandwich, applesauce in a bowl as dessert, applesauce with rice

TOAST: White bread as is, toasted, cut into fun shapes 

CHEESE: Lactose-free sliced cheese as a side, grated on top of rice, melted in a sandwich

CHICKEN: Chicken in the oven with minimal oil then chopped to varying degrees for each meal, minced chicken fried in a tiny bit of oil