20 On-the-go Snacks For Your Baby/Toddler

A reader was asking me the other day what snacks are good for on-the-go (other than crackers). Here are some on-the-go snack options for when you can't or don't want to sit down with a knife and fork to feed them. As always, some of these items are for older toddlers or babies with more teeth so make sure you know what your child can handle. *A couple of these ideas do require using a spoon to feed your child (or for them to use one, if they can) or might be a bit messier - but they can still work for on-the-go if you are stopping to eat too.

1. Crackers (they are a good option! :o)) or pretzels
2. Dry cereal
3. Dried fruit - raisins, banana chips, dried apricots, etc.
4. "Pouches" of applesauce or other mixed purees - go for something organic, no sugar added, like one of these: Happy Baby Organic, Ella's Kitchen, or Plum Organics
5. Homemade muffins, bars, breads, etc. (those recipes ARE coming, I promise!)
6. Homemade "trail mix" (ex. dry cereal, raisins, any other dried fruits baby likes/will eat, a few chocolate chips, pretzels)
7. Banana (for when your baby can take bites), blueberries, cut up grapes or other fruits that don't brown easily.
8.  Frozen peas (they will defrost the longer you travel, but that doesn't matter!)
9. Peanut butter sandwich or cold grilled cheese (for when your baby can take bites)
10. Cooked pasta
11. Black beans
12. Healthy homemade pancakes (recipe coming soon)
13. Carrots, peppers, or other veggies (either soft cooked or if they can handle it, raw). You could bring a dip too, if you want*

If you want to take a cold pack:
14. Cheese
15. Yogurt*
16. Bagel & cream cheese
17. Hummus
18. Little meatballs
19. Leftovers*

20. Or, if your baby/toddler does well with drinks in the car you can make a smoothie for them like this one.

Fall Recipes: Banana Bread

Banana Bread
Adapted from Cooking Light's Banana Bread Recipe.

1 c. all-purpose flour plus
1 c. wheat flour
(or 2 c. white wheat flour)
3/4 t. baking soda
1/2 t. salt
1/2 c. sucanant (or other sugar)
1/2 c. applesauce
1/4 c. butter, softened
2 large eggs
1 1/2 c. mashed bananas (~3)
1/3 c. plain yogurt
1 t. vanilla

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350°.
2. Combine the flour, baking soda, and salt, stirring with a whisk.
3. Place sugar, applesauce, and butter in a large bowl, and beat with a mixer at medium speed until well blended (about 1 minute). 
4. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. 
5. Add banana, yogurt, and vanilla; beat until blended.
6.  Add flour mixture; beat at low speed just until moist. 
7. Pour batter into an 8 1/2 x 4 1/2-inch loaf pan coated with cooking spray. Or divide into muffin pans or mini loaf pans.
8. Bake at 350° for 1 hour (for loaf, 20-30 mins. for muffins or mini loaves - check them often until you know how long they take in your pan & oven!) or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes in pan on a wire rack; remove from pan. Cool completely on wire rack.

Fall Recipes: 14 Snacks Using Apples

Apple bread

1. Applesauce
2. Apple slices and peanut butter
3. Soft-cooked apples and pears (really good with plain whole milk yogurt)
4. Oatmeal and soft-cooked apple chunks
5. Apple "sandwiches" (slices of apple with fillings inside - peanut butter, cream cheese, slices of cheese, etc. I first saw the idea here.)
6. Ants on a circle(?!) instead of ants on a log. The circle being apple, of course!
7. Apple and cheese slices
8. Apple chips
9. Apples and dips*
10. Cream cheese filled apple halves (cut an apple in half, scoop out the seeds in the middle and fill with some softened cream cheese)
11. Baked apples (I'm looking forward to trying out this recipe)
12. Apple bread*
13. Apple muffins*
14. Apple fruit salad (Apple being the star of the seasonal fruit salad. Or to make it more fun, take out the center of an apple and serve the fruit salad IN the apple. For older toddlers/kids, of course.)

As always, use discretion with the ideas - some are appropriate for babies, some for young toddlers, and some just for older toddlers.

*Apple bread and muffin recipes as well as dip ideas are coming soon!

Peanut Butter

Peanut butter is a staple for children and adults alike, providing a delicious and nutritious option that very few people dislike. The nutritional value of peanut butter is great - it is a high in protein, contains "good" fats (aka no cholesterol - just healthy monounsaturated and polyunsaturated. In fact, studies have been shown that peanut butter may in fact lower your bad cholesterol levels while maintaining your good cholesterol levels), and is high in fiber. Pb also has B vitamins and vitamin E, is high in antioxidants, and good news for adults - it is said that eating nuts in general (including pb) twice a week makes you less likely to gain weight than someone who doesn't eat them. There are many diseases that pb has been shown to help fight against such as - heart disease, Alzheimers, cardiovascular, and even cancers.

Although peanut butter has these great values to it, you need to be careful which peanut butter you get as there are many that have sugar, salt, and oils added, which negate its value and can be the catalyst for other problems. For example, partially hydrogenated oils are added to many peanut butters to prevent the natural separation of oils - partially hydrogenated oils are trans fats. Natural peanut butter is the way to go, it's worth that extra step of needing to stir it. (Tip: store your unopened pb jars upside down, it will help when you go to stir it.) Really, the only ingredient you want in peanut butter is peanuts.

Here are some facts/information on various brands of "natural" pb:

Skippy "Natural" PB:
Added Ingredients - sugar, oil, and salt

Jiff "Natural" PB:
Added Ingredients - sugar, oil, salt, and molasses

Peter Pan "Natural" PB:
Added Ingredients - sugar, oil, and salt

Look on labels to find a peanut butter whose only ingredient is peanuts or, if you need a bit more flavor those with only salt as the additional ingredient. (Ex. Trader Joes unsalted or salted peanut butter or Whole Foods 365 peanut butter) Or, if you feel adventurous you could make your own! Here is a tutorial on how to make your own pb from Joy the Baker - based on all the information above, I would recommend choosing roasted unsalted peanuts and salting to flavor, if needed.

Flavor Your Oatmeal

Oatmeal is a great breakfast (or lunch, or dinner!) for your child. To mix it up some, here are some flavor suggestions/add-ins (the chunkier add-ins are for your toddler, and the purees are for baby and toddlers. Obviously, still be careful about choking with you give your toddler):

Soft seasonal fruits like:
- peaches
- nectarines
- plums
- blueberries
- bananas
- raspberries

Soft cooked/roasted fruits like:
- soft cooked apples & cinnamon
- soft cooked pears & apples
- roasted strawberries

Purees:

- pureed pumpkin
- applesauce
- prunes

Or:

- raisins
- whole milk plain yogurt
- apple or pear butter
- apple and peanut butter
- frozen berries (defrosted, or for your older toddler who is still teething - the frozen berries might be nice for them to chew on)
- low sugar jam/jelly

Or if you want to go sweet:
- brown sugar
- maple syrup
- honey**
- chocolate chips

Spices that go well with oatmeal: cinnamon, nutmeg, and vanilla

Mix and match add-ins. For example: applesauce and raisins, yogurt and blueberries, strawberries and banana, banana and chocolate chips, pb&j, etc.

You can also go more savory with oatmeal and are up for trying out some more adventurous options, here are some suggestions:
- pureed vegetables
- cheese
- chopped up ham
- chopped up vegetables
- egg (hard boiled chopped up, fried, or scrambled)
- avocado

**remember to NEVER give honey to a child under the age of 1

Fall Recipes: Slow Cooker Applesauce

In a couple of weeks we're going to an orchard to pick apples and we are looking forward to all of the apple recipes we'll be making. One thing I like to do every year is make applesauce and I normally do a couple of batches in the slow cooker in addition to the stove-top to make life a bit easier!

Here are the instructions for making applesauce in your slow cooker!




 1. Wash, core, and roughly chop the apples.
*You can peel them too, but there are so many good nutrients in the skin and once you've pureed it there isn't a difference in the texture - if you want chunkier applesauce, you may notice a texture difference then. But, if you're not sure how you feel about it, add in that extra step and peel them.
2. Put apples and 1/2 c. water in the slow cooker.
3. Add cinnamon and brown sugar, if you want (this can also be done with the whole batch to taste after mashing/pureeing the applesauce, or with individual servings)
*I don't have measurements for adding these as I don't do it!
4. Cook on low 4-6 hours, until tender, stirring every once in a while (when you stir it you may notice it needs a bit more water, go ahead and add a little if needed)
5. For smooth applesauce: puree with handblender or in a food processor. For chunkier applesauce: mash with potato masher or fork.

You can then freeze, can, or just go ahead and eat it all.

Fall Recipes: Apple Chips

As fall is coming, I thought this would be a great recipe to share. The apples get nice and crunchy, you don't need any sugar... a little cinnamon is nice, if you child likes that flavor but they are good without as well.

1. Preheat oven to 200.
2. Core the apple and slice thinly (if you have a mandolin this would be a great time to use it!).
   *If you think it will take you a while to slice the apples, or if you are doing a large batch of apples prepare a bowl with water and lemon juice to stop them from browning, about 1T. lemon juice to 1 c. water works. Just make sure to shake off the excess liquid before putting them on the sheet trays 
3. Put the apple slices on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper or a silpat.
4. Sprinkle with cinnamon (opt.)
5. Bake for about 2 hrs. (flip after 1 hr.)
   *Depending on how thick/thin you slice them it might take a bit more or less time. I'd suggest checking on them periodically, especially towards the end of the 2 hrs.

These get nice and crisp, but you could pull them out a bit earlier if you'd like them to be a bit chewy. Store them in an airtight container or ziploc bag.

Breakfast Ideas

Here are some ideas to mix up breakfast in your house for your toddler:

Oatmeal (with or without fruit chopped up and added in, or purees for your younger one)
Plain Whole Milk Yogurt with fruit

Plain Whole Milk Yogurt with dry cereal (my daughter currently loves dipping things)
Cereal (like rice chex, whole grain cherrios, or Weetabix)
Toast with butter, peanut butter, mashed up bananas, cream cheese, or mashed avocado
Muffins
Eggs - scrambled or fried (with butter, if any fat is used to fry it). Add some grated cheese to the scrambled eggs to mix it up a little.
Smoothies (like a Green Smoothie - more smoothie recipes to come!)
Bagel & Cream Cheese
Pancakes (like these Banana Pancakes, or another healthy recipe)
Quiche
Banana bread (healthy recipe to come soon)
Cottage cheese and fruit
A healthier version of french toast, with applesauce to dip in

In our house, everyone gets some fruit with breakfast so if isn't with the item listed above, it gets added on the side.

Any one have other ideas to contribute to this list?

Combating Constipation

This post is appropriate after a post with a banana recipe. Once your baby is eating solid food, constipation can become an issue. If you are having a problem with constipation on your little one, here are some tips.

Foods to give:

Apricots, prunes*, peaches, plums, pears, peas, spinach

Foods to avoid:

Bananas, rice cereal, and applesauce

If you are giving your baby water, try getting them to drink a bit more.

Physical help you can give your baby: 

- "Bicycle wheels": laying baby down, move each leg like the baby is riding a bicycle. You can also do this to help baby with gas.

- Warm bath: a warm bath helps to relax the baby's muscles and so can help things get moving.

- Belly massage: gentle movements on your baby's belly can help.

*Prunes. A note on prunes:

These are highly effective for constipation. I call them the "Wonder Fruit" and keep them on hand always - the one jarred baby food I buy. I get organic jars and check the labels for added ingredients, etc. Usually, just 1/2 of a jar is enough to get things moving. If you give more than that, be prepared for an explosion!

Banana Pancakes

Kids and adults alike love pancakes. Here is a gluten-free, dairy-free, sugar-free quick and easy recipe for Banana Pancakes.

1 ripe banana
2 eggs

1. Mash 1 banana
2. Mix in 2 whole eggs
3. Cook

Simple as that! They taste like pancakes (albeit thinner pancakes) and don't have a strong flavor of banana. We had them just the other night for dinner and really enjoyed them. You could also make them in smaller, silver dollar size, and serve as a snack.

8 Ways to Get Veggies in Your Baby/Toddler

Some children love eating vegetables but a lot do not. There are lots of ways to get your older child to eat them, but what about your baby/toddler?

Vegetables are a key part to all of our diets, but particularly for our growing children. It is important to have them eat vegetables everyday (see how much here and here).

When your child is younger (baby, young toddler) and you aren't trying to make them eat their vegetables yet, or if you are trying to do that but can't win every battle (older toddler), here are some ideas on how to hide the veggies so they still get the nutrition they need!

1. Applesauce. Applesauce is a great carrier for pretty much any puree. Try doing a 2/3 vegetable to 1/3 applesauce ratio (a 50:50 ratio can work too).

2. Cheese & Cauliflower are friends. You can mask the taste of cauliflower with cheese. So add cauliflower puree in your mac & cheese, quesadilla, etc. 

3. Pasta Sauce. My daughter LOVES pasta sauce and doesn't notice if there is anything added to it as it has a stronger flavor. If we're having lasagna or spaghetti, I add pureed or minced veggies right into the sauce (certainly doesn't hurt for all of us to have some extra veggies!). I also have my daughter eat rice mixed with some pasta sauce so I add vegetables in with that too.

4. Baked goods. Muffins, pancakes, breads. We've all seen recipes out there for zucchini, broccoli, or carrots added into baked goods. I will have a few of these recipes to share with you in the future.

5. Dips. A 2 year old enjoys dips (warning: they can make quite the mess :o)). So you can give them a dip with veggies/puree mixed in for crackers to be dipped in. Or, they may even eat some veggies if they can dip them in cream cheese or peanut butter. Experiment and see what your child will do.

6. Flavor. Just like with adults, children like flavor. Cook your veggies with a little butter, or a little salt, add a spice, or combine them with other yummy foods, roast them in the oven.

7. Smoothies. Spinach or kale can be mixed into a fruit smoothie without adding any flavor. Take a bit of yogurt or milk, seasonal fruit, and them mix in some vegetables: broccoli, peas, avocado, carrots, and cauliflower all work.

8. Start them early. Get them used to the taste of a variety of vegetables when you are giving them baby food. There is likely to be some vegetable that they enjoy eating!