If your toddlers are like mine, they want to snack constantly yet getting them to eat something convenient and nutritious is a challenge. Rather than take the easy way out and feed my toddlers a steady diet of mac n’ cheese I asked MamaDoc Dr. Wendy Sue Swanson, a pediatrician, mother to two, and Chief Medical Officer at SpoonfulONE for some advice.

Dr. Swanson shared some of her favorite, nutritious, high-protein toddler snacks that your little one will love. You can feel confident about as a parent because they are the same snacks Dr. Swanson fed her own toddlers.

In general, there’s a lack of diverse foods in baby and toddler foods on the market,  so finding a variety of healthy snacks is your toddler likes is important. When thinking about offering a snack, Dr. Swanson advises parents to do their best to keep the sugars low and the protein levels high. She suggests offering lots of diverse colors and textures. According to Dr. Swanson, offering a diverse diet doesn’t just ensure your toddler gets the nutrients they need, it also lowers the risk of developing a food allergy.

photo: Vitolda Klein via Unsplash

Here are Dr. Swanson’s top 10 snacks for toddlers:

  • Hummus and veggies are a great source of fiber and protein. Try carrots, cucumbers, bell peppers, and tomatoes for variety.
  • Make a smoothie packed with fruits and maybe even a handful of spinach for vitamin K. This is a great way to introduce foods with new colors and flavors that are easy to love.
  • Cube up some turkey meat and cheddar cheese. Turkey meat and cubed cheese are also known to be great snacks for toddlers’ oral health. This is a great alternative to cracker-like snacks (think Goldfish) that get stuck in toddlers’ teeth and can lead to tooth decay.
  • Peanut butter or any nut butter with apples is a great choice. We know that babies and toddlers need to be introduced to nuts early and often to reduce food allergy risk. This yummy option makes it easy.
  • Black bean quesadillas are easy to make and can be served warm or cold. What kid doesn’t love a quesadilla? Build on the food they already love and add black beans for protein and fiber.
  • Plain, full-fat yogurt with berries makes a great toddler snack. Yogurt is one of the best sources of probiotics and live cultures, which are friendly bacteria. Top with some berries and maybe even a bit of honey once Baby has reached 1 year. (Honey before age 1 is not recommended due to botulism risk.)
  • Protein-filled pancakes are a great way to sneak in an extra nutritional punch to this staple of toddler diets. Kodiak Cakes are a great choice because their mixes are packed with extra protein and can be combined with an egg and milk to add in even more, but you can also make protein-packed pancakes yourself by using ground-up oats in your mixture.
  • Banana slices with peanut butter on top is always a hit because it is a more sweet snack or treat. It also helps toddlers work on their pincer grasp skills.
  • Eggs are a safe go-to for a toddler snack. Kids definitely can have a preference when it comes to eggs. Try cooking them in a variety of ways: scrambled, hard-boiled, or poached until you find one they love. Eggs are a great protein source and most children love them.
  • Sweet potato fries are a great alternative to regular fries and the perfect finger food for kids of all ages. No salt needed!

Happy snacking!

—Jamie Davis Smith

 

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Right when you’ve finally mastered the art of milk feeds—bam! Solid food enters the chat. If you’re feeling a bit lost amid this parenting curveball, you’re not alone, but rest assured that we’re here to help. As a dietitian, I’ve pulled together a list of tips and tricks to make your transition while starting baby on solids a piece of cake (or a spoonful of mashed avocado). Hold onto your aprons; it’s time for a messy adventure!

1. Know when baby’s ready.

The first step is to wait until your baby is developmentally ready for solid food. Look out for the following signs of readiness, which usually pop up around the 6-month mark:

  • Baby can sit with minimal support
  • Baby has steady head control
  • Baby is super interested in food and watching you eat
  • Baby has mastered bringing objects to mouth

Keep in mind that the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends sticking exclusively to breastmilk or formula for the first six months so there’s no need to rush onto the solid food scene. Savor those cozy milky moments.

2. Master the schedule.

There’s no mom math more challenging than mastering your baby’s schedule—finding that sweet spot for solid food between naps and milk feeds is no easy feat! Our go-to suggestion? Aim to introduce solid food about 30-90 minutes before or after a milk feed. It’s all about finding the happy zone, when your babe is hungry enough (but not hangry!) for solids but not too filled up on milk. If milk is liquid gold, timing is platinum.

photo: iStock/LightFieldStudios 

3. Safety is key

While babies can enjoy most foods, there’s definitely a list of no-nos. Honey, for example, is off the table for babies under one due to the risk of containing spores of Clostridium botulinum, which could lead to infant botulism. Your in-laws may suggest mixing infant cereal into bottles for better sleep, but nope, that’s outdated advice because it’s a choking hazard. Plus, it’s important to learn the ropes of baby-friendly textures and shapes to minimize the risk of choking.

4. Offer the rainbow

Unlike the old-school approach of serving the same food for three days in a row, it’s totally OK to offer more variety right from the start. Introducing littles to different food groups—protein, fruit, veggies, grains—will expose them to a rainbow of color, nutrition, texture, and flavor. Trust me, grooming your future foodie is the ultimate goal.

5. Embrace the mess

Let those little hands dive into food fun! The mess isn’t just chaos; it’s an introduction to a whole new sensory adventure. Babies get to know the ins and outs of food through touch, smell, and, of course, shmearing it all over the place. It’s a helpful segue before taking that first taste plunge, so chuck the fancy bibs aside, strip them down to their diapers, and let the mess unfold! Tip: throw a splat mat or disposable tablecloth under the highchair to make clean up a whole lot easier!

Many new mothers should learn how to make easy organic baby food for their little ones. It can cut down on the food bill and is better for the baby. There are not any additives in the baby food and you know exactly what the ingredients are.

You can also make it match the tastes of your baby. Some little ones like a more robust flavor and some do not. Don’t worry, you’ll learn by trial and error as you go, and eventually you’ll hit on that perfect mix for your little one. In addition to all of the organic ingredients, one piece of equipment that is essential in making your own baby food is a blender.

Using A Blender

There are two different types of blenders you can use in order to make organic baby food. There is the standard jar type that sits on a stand with a container on top and the blades inside the container. You can also use an immersion blender, also called a hand blender or wand. A hand blender allows you to put the appliance right into the pot you are using to cook vegetables and blend them while they are hot. You can use a food processor but generally they do not puree the food smooth enough for a young baby.

Fruit Based Baby Food

Purchase ripe organic fruits like bananas. A banana can be just mashed up with a fork for an older baby learning to take in solids. It can be pureed easily with the best blender for a younger one. Mangoes are also great in the same manner. Some fruits, like apples, may have to be cooked down first for the child to eat. With apples, you should peel the fruit then core it and slice it into small slices. Put it in a pan with a little water or organic apple juice and turn on the heat. Continue heating until the slices become soft and mushy. You can add a little sweetener if you think the apples might be a little sour. Do not use honey as it could cause health problems (botulism, which is a type of food poisoning) in infants under one year. You can use just a tiny bit of sugar or add another sweet fruit like strawberries.

 

Vegetable Medleys

 

Organic vegetables make great baby food. You can steam different types of potatoes, carrots, or peas. Steam in a steaming basket until the vegetables are soft and getting mushy. Steaming the vegetables makes all the nutrients stay in instead of flowing away with the water you boil them in. Blend the vegetables adding a little bit of water if it needs to be thinned down.

Using Frozen Foods

If you cannot get fresh fruits or vegetables buy the organic frozen ones. You will have to either boil the vegetables or put them in a microwave until they become soft. Then puree them in a blender. Frozen fruits just need to be blended once they thaw and that’s it.

Meat Based Baby Food

If you eat meat you can also make meat product organic baby food by using organic meats. Take turkey or chicken and put it in a pan, bones and all. Then add water or, if you prefer, use a homemade stock to make it more flavorful. Boil until the meat becomes tender and falling off the bone. Remove it from the stove and let it cool a bit. Cut the meat into small chunks and add it to the blender. You can also add some of the water or stock to thin the mixture down. Simply repeat the same process if you want to use beef.

Flavoring

When the child gets older you can start adding some flavor to their foods. Use cinnamon or ginger with fruit based recipes. You can also add parsley, rosemary, thyme, and garlic with meats and vegetable based recipes.

Preservation

Here is a great way to preserve your organic baby food. Pour it in to ice cube trays and freeze it. Pop the cubes out and store them in freezer bags. Just take out what you need for the next day and defrost it. You can make large batches in your blender and just freeze it so you only have to make new batches every week or so.

How convenient, easy, and healthy! Your baby will love your homemade organic baby food!

 

Hello! I'm James from Chicago. I would like to share my know about best blender and fruit smoothie recipes for everyone.

Marin mommies know Pamela Fox very well from her Marin Mommies blog, a great resource for parenting forums and Marin news, and home of the Marin Daddy Blog. Here, Novato’s stay-at-home mom, Pamela,  shares her family favorites and mommyhood wisdom in 5 quick questions with Red Tricycle readers. Read on to go beyond Marin with Marin Mommy!

1.   What is your can’t-live-without baby/child product at the moment?

Our Kelty jogging stroller was our favorite baby item when we first got it, and it still is something we use frequently. We’ve probably put thousands of miles on our jogger. I really had no idea how much use I’d get out of it when we first got it. The ability to take it off-road when we wanted and to walk at a fast pace made us almost ditch our other fancy stroller entirely. It went with us on many of the hiking trails throughout the Bay Area and around our home. Both of my kids used it, and we still use it if my daughter gets tired when we’re on a walk.

2.   What piece of parenting advice did you receive before you had kids that proved to be completely useless?

When my son was teething, a well-meaning but otherwise clueless family member suggested dipping a pacifier in honey and letting him suck on that. Coincidentally, I had just read about how feeding honey to an infant under 12 months of age was potentially toxic (due to botulism), so I definitely didn’t use that advice!

3.   Where do you like to catch a bite with the little one in tow?

My kids love Taki Japanese Restaurant in Novato’s Pacheco Plaza. My son has recently become obsessed with sushi (although not the raw fish part), and it’s a fun place to visit: the owner often lets the kids feed the fish in the restaurant’s koi pond, and there are Japanese dolls, prints, and other objects to look at. They also like to watch the sushi chefs at work behind the sushi bar. Although they have a great kids’ menu, my kids often split a bento box. Taki gives you huge portions, and there’s enough food and variety there to make them happy. They also love the bowls of miso soup, and learning to use chopsticks.

4.   What’s the best thing about living in your neighborhood?

There are a lot of families in our neighborhood, so there’s always someone around for play dates, and we usually end up walking to and from school with a small group of kids and parents. Our neighborhood backs up to open space, so there are tons of hiking trails literally right in our backyard. There’s also a horse farm down the street, and my daughter loves to walk down there and watch the horses play in the field and practice with their riders.

5.   What’s your favorite local vacation or day trip?

For a weekend away with the kids, we love to head down to the little Monterey Peninsula town of Pacific Grove. There’s so much to do there: fantastic beaches, great parks, lots of family friendly events, and all of this in an old-fashioned small-town setting. The Monterey Bay Aquarium is a must-see, and it’s literally right on the border of Monterey and Pacific Grove, and we also love Asilomar State Beach for walking, tidepooling, and beachcombing. Make sure you check out the free Pacific Grove Natural History Museum, and the Monarch Butterfly sanctuary, where the butterflies gather for the winter. The trees there are covered with butterflies and it’s an amazing sight. Pacific Grove also has a ton of family friendly places to stay that are usually less expensive and more down-to-earth than the big hotels in Monterey. Try the cozy Butterfly Grove Inn, located right near the Monarch sanctuary, or the Bide-a-Wee Inn and Cottages, which has cute fireplace cottages that are both family and pet-friendly.