Make homemade fruit smoothies with yogurt, frozen fruit, 100% juice and ground walnuts. Any leftover smoothie can be used for homemade popsicles.
Our kids love applesauce squeezers and Stoneyfield organic yogurt squeezers frozen; a freezie pop without all the junk! Cut them in half so your toddler can hold one in each hand and parents won't have to push them up as often.
Make a Toddler Trail Mix out of Organic Raisins (non-organic raisins are among one of the dirtiest foods), Organic Chocolate Chips and Honey-Nut O's. Then put them in a Sip 'N Snak. They will think they are so cool.
Put organic applesauce and raisins on top of pancakes instead of syrup. Make a fruit face for fun!
Cut bananas into coins (or slice coins in half for smaller children), then let your toddler crush Honey Grahams in a baggie (you can even give them a toy hammer). Place the bananas in the graham cracker crumbs and let your toddler shake the bag to coat them.
If you're having a difficult time getting your toddler to eat yogurt, try letting him/her crush a couple Animal Cookies in a baggie and let them sprinkle it on top of the yogurt. Or they could use the yogurt as a dip for fruits.
Add pureed baby food like sweet potatoes or blueberries to pancake mix or oatmeal for that extra boost of anti-oxidants. They don't even know it's there.
Use a food processor or grinder to finely chop peppers, mushrooms and other veggies so you can add them to pizza sauce, spaghetti or other casseroles.
Choose natural peanut butter.The ingredients should be peanuts and salt. Ask your pediatrician at what age children should be before they try peanut butter.
Read all food labels. Most foods marketed towards children are made up of artificial ingredients and preservatives. Don't buy foods or snacks containing high fructose corn syrups, hydrogenated oils, gmo's (gentically modified ingredients), MSG, artificial flavors/colorings and preservatives.
Use real maple syrup.It is usually 18-25% pure maple syrup. Commercial syrup is HFCS (high fructose corn syrup) and caramel coloring; which isn't syrup, is it?
Make sure your toddler has a fruit or vegetable at every meal and for one or two snacks. The goal is 5-9 fruit/vegetables servings a day.A serving is typically 1 Tablespoon of food per year of age.For example, a serving of applesauce for a 3 year old is 3 Tablespoons. It's surprising what some kids will like if the food continues to be offered.
Put one food at a time on your childs tray or plate. Start with the pureed or chopped vegetable, then the meat/protein and grain and lastly the fruit. Your child will learn to like a wide variety of vegetables this way.
Make your job easier by cutting pancakes, pizza, waffles, etc. by using a pizza cutter.
Give your toddler small portions. A big plate of food can feel overwhelming to small children.
Kids can really fill up from milk. Let them take a few bites of their meal before giving them their milk.
