Healthy, Homemade Bars (& cookies)... for Tina!

Reader Tina wrote in asking, "Do you happen to know any recipes, or could you point me toward a site, for making bars/treats for kids.  I'm looking for some sort of granola bar or oatmeal cookie recipe.Kids love stuff like this, but the kind you buy are so full of sugar and who knows what

else."

I hope this info is helpful for you, Tina!

I don't yet have a granola bar recipe but here are two that I've been wanting to try - if you give them a go, let us know how they are!

1. Squash-based bars

2. Applesauce-based bars

As far as an oatmeal cookie recipe, I'm not really fans of oatmeal cookies, so I don't have one. But, some baking tips to make recipes healthier (you'll want to try them out to see how they work with your baking recipes):

- use whole wheat flour

- try using yogurt, pumpkin, bananas, or applesauce instead of oil/butter

- try using sucanat or honey for less processed/a bit healthier options for white sugar

- try using less sugar than the recipe calls for, or use applesauce or yogurt to replace some of it

I did find one oatmeal cookie recipe out there that could be a good healthy version: Banana Oatmeal Cookies.

Other options for replacing granola bars and the like for other easy and tasty snacks that kids like could be:

Muffins (like these)

Apple chips (core and slice apples, bake at 200 for about 2 hrs. - flip after 1 hr. - opt.: dust with a bit of cinnamon... full recipe coming soon!)

Banana bread

Whole Wheat Cheese Pretzels

Mini Oatmeal Pancakes

Recipes for some of these items will be coming in future posts! Most of them can be made in a toddler-friendly way as well. I will include that info in with those recipes. If you try any of these recipes, write in to let us know what you thought!

First Foods/Baby Purees

I don't agree with having baby cereals as their first foods but instead go for fruits and vegetables right away. Homemade baby food is healthier for your child, and is easier than you think. Just taking a little bit of time every few weeks to a month will provide you with what you need. Below are some methods and recipes to help get you started with some common fruits and veggies and a couple of combinations. It's best to get organic to give your children the best nutrition.

- For lumpier/more textured foods simply mash them with a fork or potato masher.
- For smoother foods, put into a blender or food processor and puree, adding water or milk (breastmilk) until the texture you desire is reached.

*A post on storage coming soon.

Sweet Potatoes (two methods):
1. Wash the potatoes but don't dry them, put them in your slow cooker and put it on low. Periodically check them - they are ready when they are soft enough to be mashed (time varies on size and number of the potatoes, but typically 4+ hrs.).
2. Bake at 400 for 30-60 mins., until soft.
Once cool, peel and mash or puree.

Squash (two methods):
1. Heat oven to 400. Cut squash in half, scoop out seeds, and place flesh side down (skin side up) in 1-2 inches of water. Bake for about 40 mins. until skin starts to "pucker" or get bubbles. Scoop squash out of the skin and mash or puree.
2. Wash and peel squash (its not necessary to peel once your baby is 8 months old). Steam until tender. Mash or puree.

Peas/Green beans:
Steam until tender. Mash/puree.
- Plunging hot cooked peas into a bowl of ice cold water is known to help make a smoother puree.

Carrots
Steam until tender. Mash/puree.
(Do not use the water you steam the carrots in to thin out the puree as nitrates settle in the water)

Apple/Pears
Peel, core, and chop fruit. Place in pan with just enough water to slightly cover apples. Boil/steam until tender; be sure to check on the water level and stir occasionally. Mash/puree.


Pumpkin and banana:
Blend 1 can of organic pumpkin with 1-2 banana(s) and enough water to thin it out.

Broccoli and apple:
Steam the broccoli and then blend with 1 chopped steamed/boiled apple. Have a ratio of about 2/3 veggie to 1/3 fruit (1/2 and 1/2 can also work if the mixture is too bitter for your child).

Spinach, peas and pears:
Steam the peas and peeled, chopped pears together. Blend with defrosted frozen spinach.

Serving Sizes for Your Child

Each child is different: some need more food, some less. Watch and learn your babies cues. This information should only be used as a guideline - a point of reference to get you started. I will note, though, that babies need less that parents usually think they do. 

I believe that more fruits and vegetables are always a good thing, and that they don't need quite as much grains and dairy. You will learn your child and know what they need. As they get older they will get better at communicating with you when they are hungry and when they are full. Try and give your child a variety of fruits and vegetables, let them try different textures and tastes. The more the try as a child, the more likely they will enjoy a variety of foods as they get older and become adults.

Babies:

As you start out your baby will have very little to eat... even as small as 1/2 Tablespoon. But as they learn to eat they will eat more. The good thing is that your baby will never let themselves starve... they will be sure to complain if they are hungry!

Most ice cube trays (if you're making your own baby food and freezing it in ice cube trays - a post to come soon about that!) make 1 oz. cubes. 1 oz. equals about 2 Tablespoons.

If you are worried about how much your baby is or isn't eating, call your pediatrician.

Generally a 6-8 month old baby would eat about these amounts each day:

1-2 Tablespoons cereal/grains
1/4 c. fruits (which equals to about 2-4 Tablespoons of puree) becoming  1/2 c. (4-8T)
1/4 c. vegetables (which equals to about 2-4 Tablespoons of puree) becoming  1/2 c. (4-8T)

Toddlers/Preschoolers:

According to the USDA (the creators of MyPlate):

Grains*: 

2-3 yrs. old	3 oz. equivalent
4-8 yrs. old	5 oz. equivalent

Fruits: 

2-3 yrs. old	1 cup
4-8 yrs. old	1-1 1/2 cups

Vegetables: 

2-3 yrs. old	1 cup
4-8 yrs. old	1-1 1/2 cups

Protein: 

2-3 yrs. old	2 oz. equlivalent
4-8 yrs. old	4 oz. equivalent

Dairy: 

2-3 yrs. old	2 cups
4-8 yrs. old	2 1/2 cups

* a "1 oz. equivalent"would be: 1 slice of bread, 1 small muffn, 1/3 cup dry oatmeat, 2 small pancakes, 1 cup cereal, 1/2 cup cooked pasta.

Coming soon...

Here is a glimpse at what is coming soon to the blog (in no particular order)...

Nitrates, Part 2
Serving Sizes for Your Baby & Toddler
Making Your Own Baby Food
Table Food for Toddlers
First Foods
Combating Constipation

I'll also be working on some more baby and toddler-friendly recipes.

If there is something you'd like to see me cover/research for you - let me know either with a comment or an email kidsfoodbydesign [at] gmail.com. 

Organic or Not

As the awareness of pesticides in fruits and vegetables has been spreading, the desire to give our kids the best they can have grows. Below is the list of the "Dirty Dozen" and "Clean Fifteen" to help you get started with making the choice between organic or not. Most of us cannot afford to get everything organic, as much as we'd like to. The "Dirty Dozen" list are those produce items that are known for having the highest levels of pesticide residue. There has also been released a list of the "Clean Fifteen", which are the produce that have the lowest levels of residue and so you do not need to buy organic.

These lists help as you start and try to buy healthier fruits and vegetables for your family.  To find more information on pesticides and the testing that has been done, go to the Environmental Working Group website: http://www.ewg.org/foodnews/methodology/.


 source: http://www.ewg.org/foodnews/

Frozen Yogurt Drops

I'd been seeing all over pinterest the idea of making frozen yogurt drops (not sure where it originated, but most/lots of pins go to here - the image is from that site also). It was such a good idea and so I adapted it for small toddlers. It's a quick and simple, healthy, snack and kids (young & old) love them. You can make them with plain yogurt (simply do steps 3 & 4 below) or take a couple of extra steps to give your child some flavor, fruit, and color fun!

Frozen Yogurt Drops

Whole milk plain yogurt
Fresh or frozen fruit

1. Put yogurt and fruit into blender or food processor.
2. Blend until smooth (depending on the fruit you use - i.e. raspberries - the fruit may not become completely smooth, but just keep it going until there are no chunks of fruit left).
3. Spoon (or put in a ziploc baggie and pipe) small amounts of yogurt onto a cookie sheet (you can make them in whatever size you like - I tend to do them about 1t. size).
4. Freeze until hardened and then remove from tray and place into a baggie.

These are great treats especially in summer when it is warm. Since it's just yogurt and fruit, I would do a serving size of no more than 1/2 cup (which is a serving size of yogurt for an infant/toddler). Make up a large batch and you'll be set for a while. You can also make several different batches and give your child variety, fun with colors, and introduce them to different tastes.
Do not use regular yogurt as they will be high in sugar (but you can of course make them for yourself that way!). You can also do this with yogurt like yobaby or yotoddler which will already be flavored for you.

Nitrates & Your Baby

Something that I knew nothing about until our first was ready for solid foods and I started research was nitrates. I knew that nitrates are naturally in some foods and that they are added as a food preservative into a lot of processed meats... I also knew that they are not good for you and that you should try and avoid them (I say try because these days with how processed food in America is, it is hard and expensive to do so).  As adults, unless you ingest unusually high amounts of nitrates, we aren't affected by it much.

Nitrates occur naturally in soil and also in some vegetables... most commonly: spinach, celery, beets, lettuce, broccoli, carrots, and cabbage. Spinach has the highest levels and with improper storage they can increase. As these occur naturally they are not a problem for adults, but for an infant starting on solid foods whose digestive system isn't "up to par" it can be a problem. Nitrate poisoning in infants is known as baby blue syndrome as it causes a lack of oxygen. There aren't many reported cases of baby blue syndrome (methemoglobinemia) but it is also commonly known that many cases are not reported. What does this mean for you and your baby?

My recommendation, and the recommendation of many pediatricians and nutritionists, is to hold off on giving these vegetables to an infant under the age of 8-10 months in large amounts. Given the variety of vegetables and fruits that can be given to your child, it shouldn't be much of a problem to avoid them until your baby is older.

The other place for nitrate poisoning that your baby is susceptible to is in drinking water (which most pediatricians recommend infants 6 months and old have some each day), mostly for those who have well water as most public water systems are regulated. If you have well water and are concerned, you can test the water - if it is indeed high (<10mg/L) then you should give your child other water to prevent illness (there is nothing you can do to treat the water - in fact, for example, boiling it actually increases the nitrate levels).

Banana Oat Muffins

I found this recipe via pinterest and have made it a couple of times (with my own adjustments). It's quick and easy and my daughter really enjoys them. I make them in a mini muffin tin and freeze them. Being mini muffins, they defrost quickly and are a good size for her.

Banana Oat Muffins
 
2 1/2c. oats (not quick oats)
6 oz. plain whole milk yogurt
2 eggs
3/4c. sucanant or sweetener of choice
1 1/2t. baking powder
1/2t. baking soda
2 bananas

1. Preheat oven to 400.
2. Place all ingredients in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth.
3. Spray muffin tin (or use silicone, etc.)
4. Divide batter and bake (20-25 mins. for regular sized muffins, 10-15 for mini) until toothpick comes out clean.

2012 Dietary Regulations

Now I don't subscribe to the government and the FDA/USDA knowing exactly what we need daily, food wise. Especially when you take into account what they are and are not doing with our food supply here in America. That is a whole other point, though (well, a whole lot of other points). But, I am impressed with the new food "pyramid" they put out.

What I love about it is that fruits and veggies are to take up half your meal. It just makes sense. There is someone who has a pinterest board committed to putting up meal ideas to fit within these guidelines. It's got some good inspiration, but doesn't always work for younger kids, like toddlers. Good ideas for down the road, though...

Green Smoothie

I took a recipe I found online for a green smoothie and adjusted it some. This smoothie can make for a great meal for a kid - it has fruits, veggies, and protein. I served this to my almost 2 year old the other day along with a couple of mini banana oatmeal muffins to give her the well-rounded meal (recipe coming soon).

Green Smoothie

1 c. frozen mango chunks
1 banana
1 handful spinach (or other green)
Whole milk plain yogurt

Combine ingredients in blender and puree. There is no measurement for the yogurt as I added some until the smoothie became - you guessed it - smooth. But, I wouldn't add more than a regular serving size of yogurt (1c. for a 1-3 year old). If you still need to "water it down" some, put in a bit of ice, water, or juice (whatever you feel comfortable with). I found though, that I didn't even need the full 1 cup serving. This makes for one large cup or two small ones (like the cup below).

My little girl used a spoon at first but then as it started to melt she started to drink it (she's learning to drink from a cup, so she's not great it yet and this thicker drink was good practice for her!).

Healthy Mac N Cheese

So, like most children, Evangeline LOVES macaroni and cheese. So, to make it a bit healthier I sneak veggies in there... three different ones to be exact. Pureed cauliflower has no taste when combined with anything that has cheese in it and pureed squash has such a mild flavor that it isn't really noticeable. I've made macaroni and cheese with cauliflower and squash in it and served it to Ryan and he didn't have a clue :o) I told him after the fact. I usually add some pureed carrots in too, Evangeline notices if I didn't puree it very well and there are larger chunks... but she just puts those to the side of her plate and isn't bothered by it.

Cauliflower has many health benefits but what I like is its digestive properties - being high in fiber is good for our little girl. The different kinds of squash have various health benefits and are all high in vitamins, but I like that they are low in calories - tons of health boosts for few calories. Winter squash are good for blood sugar regulation (and so diabetes prevention) and summer or yellow squash are known for heart, colon, prostate, and bone benefits. I think we all grew up thinking that carrots are good for your vision, but in reality there hasn't been much study into that - what they are known for are their high antioxidant nutrients and cancer prevention.

I make all of these veggies (and others) and then freeze them in these trays. I pop them out and store them in a zip lock baggie, ready in a serving size whenever I need them. Typically a 6-9 month old should have 3-6 oz. of fruits and veggies a day (and 6-8oz. for a 9-12 month old). Each of the "squares" from the tray are 1 oz. So 3 oz. of veggies are mixed into her mac n cheese. She doesn't usually eat ALL of the mac n cheese in one sitting, but it surely helps get those veggies into her - since she's not really a fan of any yet. Thankfully, she'll take fruit over pretty much anything these days (and we always mix one of these cubes into her applesauce).