Ingredients:
1 lb ground turkey
1 whole egg or 2 egg yolks, beaten
1/2 cup pureed carrots
1/4 cup applesauce
1/4 cup unprocessed natural wheat or oat bran
1/4 cup bread crumbs
pinch of basil
pinch of garlic powder
Place ground turkey in a large mixing bowl.
Add the egg/yolk, carrots, applesauce, spices, bread crumbs and bran.
Mix well - If this mixture appears too dry, add more carrots or applesauce. If this mixture appears too wet, add more bran and/or bread crumbs
Place mix into a lightly oiled (olive oil) loaf pan and bake at 350F for approx. 45 minutes or until an inserted knife comes out clean. **You may wish to cover with foil to prevent the top from burning
When finished baking and cooled, remove loaf from pan and slice as you would for bread. Break into small bits for finger feeding or mash or chop gently
This recipe may also be made into "Turkey Sticks" for Toddlers and older babies who are able to handle more textured/chunky finger foods.
Variations:
Cook the ground turkey separately, add the other ingredients and puree
Broccoli & Cheddar Cheese Nuggets
Ingredients:
1 16-oz Package frozen broccoli, cooked, drained, and chopped
1 cup Seasoned bread crumbs (you could try using baby cereal if you want, we know it works well with "baby meatballs")
1 ½ cups Shredded cheddar cheese (please use real cheese and not a "processed cheese food" product. Try tomato & basil cheddar.)
3 Large eggs or 5 egg yolks -
Most pediatricians say it's ok to use whole egg in a baked good when baby is over 8-9 months old without allergies. We would recommend that you substitute 5 egg yolks for the whole eggs if serving this to those under 1 yr. Ask YOUR pediatrician.
Preheat oven to 375
1. Lightly coat a baking sheet with olive oil and set aside.
2. Combine all remaining ingredients and mix well.
*Add seasonings if you like - garlic powder, pepper, extra basil & oregano for example. Add a fruit or veggie puree to substitute for the eggs if desired.
Banana Pancakes
Ingredients:
1 or 2 ripe bananas (not overly ripe or mushy bananas)
Pancake Batter (try Hodgson Mills Buckwheat Pancake Mix.)
Slice bananas into coins or diagonally
Coat with pancake batter
Lightly fry in pan until golden brown
Serve as Baby Finger Foods for snack or at breakfast time
10-12 months and up due to possible texture issues - chop and dice if you wish to serve to 8-10 months old babies.
Buy wonton wrappers and fill them with various things:
Bananas & cream cheese: fill wontons, wrap shut, brush with butter and dust with date sugar.
Broccoli & cheddar: fill wontons, wrap shut, brush with butter
Eggplant & ricotta, wrapped and baked as the banana/cream cheese ones above.
Use your imagination and your child's favorite foods as fillings.
*These may be fried or baked. For those that may not be able to handle harder/rougher textures, these do not need to be cooked until crisp as a typical wonton would. Bake at 350F for about 15 minutes YUM...
Healthy SNACKS for Toddlers
Grated cheese
Cheese sticks
Yogurt
Popcorn (buy plain kernels in a bag & make it fresh instead of microwave bag popcorns)
Pretzels
Baked Cheetos (from Sprouts)
Cereal
Baked potato chips
Natural fruit roll-ups or leathers
Smoothies
Carrot sticks
Rasins
Hummus and crackers-
Pinwheel Platter
Cheese Slices
Veggie and Fruit sticks or slices
Turkey, Chicken Breast or other Meat Slices
** NATURAL ONLY - CHECK FOR PRESERVATIVES**
Lay meat slices on plate, top with cheese slices and roll into a tube.
Cut the "tube" into separate portions.
If appropriate, use colourful toothpicks to hold the "pinwheel" slices together.
Add sliced veggies and fruits to your pinwheel platter for colour and variety to tempt the toddler plate!
Fruit Salad
Dice Apples, Peaches, Bananas and Grapes (halve or quarter grapes as needed)
Arrange fruits on a plate around a small bowl of plain, spiced or flavoured yogurt for dipping.
Stuffed Apples
1 large or medium apple - cored but not peeled
Stuff apple with peanut butter, raisins, wheat germ and drizzle with honey, top with crushed granola
Dig in with a spoon or have fun trying to eat with your hands!
You may wish to microwave the empty cored apple for a few seconds to allow it to soften a bit.
Ants on a Log
Celery sticks filled with either
peanut butter, cream cheese or hummus
and topped with raisins, apple dices, seeds, nuts, banana dices etc..
These are great snacks for Toddlers! Many toddlers will just eat the "filling" and the raisins, which is just fine! Ensure what you add is appropriate for your Toddler
Applesauce and Graham Crackers
Graham Crackers
Natural Applesauce
Cinnamon
Raisins
Wheat Germ
Mix cinnamon, wheat germ and raisins into the applesauce. Spread over the graham crackers. Use any type of fruit purée you wish!
Using low salt saltines, low-salt Ritz, pita bread slices, or plain rice cakes as your cracker base is just as good!!
Yogurt Cereal Bars
2 cups corn flakes - 3/4 flour - 1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon - 1/2cup butter or margarine
1 cup flavoured yogurt (banana/strawberry etc..) - 1 egg slightly beaten
2 tablespoons flour
Preheat oven to 350F
Combine cereal, 3/4 cup flour, sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl.
Cut in butter or margarine until coarse crumbs form.
Press 1/2 the mixture firmly into the bottom of a greased 8inch square pan.
Mix yogurt, egg and 2 tablespoons flour in another small bowl.
Spread over cereal mixture in pan and then sprinkle the remaining cereal mixture on top
Bake for 30 minutes or until golden brown; cut into bars when cooled.
Courtesy of Stonyfield Farms Yogurt
Stackables: Use cookie cutters to cut slices of lean deli meats and reduced-fat cheese into fun shapes, then set out on plates with whole-grain, trans-fat-free crackers, and let your toddler create her own stacks to munch.
Toddler Trail Mix**
granola
peanuts
raisins
dried fruits
cereal rings (Oatie Os, Cheerios, Gorilla Munch, Barbara's Puffins etc. )
carob or yogurt chips
roasted soy "nuts"
** Mix only those food items that you find appropriate for your Toddler**
Homemade Jigglers
2 cups fruit juice of your choice (100% Natural Fruit Juice Only!)
3 tsp powdered gelatin
1/4 cup small cubed fruit of your choice
Place 1/4 cup of the juice in a cup; sprinkle gelatin over juice.
Stand cup in a small pan of simmering water, stir until gelatin is dissolved.
Stir gelatin mixture and fruits into remaining juice in a medium bowl or square/rectangular pan.
Refrigerate until firm.
Scoop into a cup or cut into shapes to serve. Let your Toddler help with the cutting of the shapes!
Break out the cookie cutters and make this a Toddler activity!
DIPPIN SAUCES
Peanutty
1 part plain or vanilla yogurt (1/4 cup)
1/2 part peanut butter (4 tablespoons)
honey to drizzle on top
Blueberry Yogurt Dip
1 part plain or vanilla yogurt (1/4 cup)
1/2 part blueberry puree or 100% natural blueberry preserves (4 tablespoons)
honey to drizzle on top
Appley-Yogurt Dip
1 cup plain or vanilla yogurt
1/2 cup Natural applesauce
Mix yogurt and applesauce and dip in your favorite fruits - some Toddlers even love this for dipping veggies!
Crock-Pot Bread Pudding
4 cups French bread cubes, toasted - 2 1/2 cups milk, scalded, cooled slightly
2 eggs, beaten - 3/4 cup sugar - 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon - dash nutmeg
dash salt - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract - 2 tablespoons melted butter
1/2 cup raisins, optional (chopped apples are great too!)
dessert sauce or whipped cream for garnish
Prep:
Lightly butter the slow cooker then add bread cubes. In a small bowl, whisk together the scalded milk, eggs, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, vanilla, and melted butter. Pour milk mixture over the bread cubes then add raisins, if desired. Gently, using a large spoon or spatula, press bread cubes down into mixture so all bread pieces will soak up milk mixture. Do not stir. Cover and cook on LOW setting for 5 to 6 hours, until bread pudding is set. Serve - with Frozen Vanilla Yogurt!
QUICK -N- EASY Smoothie
1 cup 100% nothing added fruit juice
1 cup plain, vanilla or fruited yogurt (not with fruit on the bottom!)
Place yogurt and juice in lidded container/cup and shake until mixed well
Pour into Toddler's cup
Frozen Ban-ola
1 medium sized banana - peeled
1/2 cup crushed granola
plain or vanilla yogurt (blueberry yogurt is yummy too!)
Dip banana in your choice of yogurt
Roll banana in crushed granola
Place in freezer bag and freeze. May be eaten without being frozen also
The Glorious Divided Dish (or the Mighty Muffin Tin)
1 divided dish, divided plastic storage container or muffin tin
diced fruits or diced veggies
yogurt dip
pita chips or toast points
Fill the compartments of your divided dish/container or muffin tin with the above ingredients and leave out on the table- ensure this is in easy reachable access to Toddlers.
Rice Cake Fiesta
Rice cakes are great grazin' foods and they are available in whole grain, unsalted versions too!
Prepare rice cakes with your Toddler's favorite spread or dip. Grate an apple, carrot and/or other fruits and veggies over the rice cake. Colour and taste to tempt the Toddler to slow down and refuel!
Cracker Smackers
Whole grain crackers - unsalted
Toddler's favorite spread or dip (we like peanut butter for this one!)
1 grape or 2 raisins or 2 Cheerios or 1 cube of cheese
Spread dip or spread on the crackers and top a cracker with 1 grape, another cracker with 2 raisins, another cracker with 2 Cheerios and yet another cracker with 1 cube of cheese. Make as many of these as you feel your Toddler will eat. It's the variety that will catch her eye and tempt her to at least nibble each cracker.
Cottage Cheese Dippers
Cottage Cheese
Fruit Dices
Whole Grain Bread Sticks or Toasted Pita Chips
Blend cottage cheese with dices of peaches, dices of pears or blueberries in a small dish. Arrange cottage cheese blend on a larger dish and ring with bread sticks or pita chips. Place the arrangement in a larger bowl that is filled 1/4 of the way with ice cubes. Have your Toddler help with the ice cubes and tell him how the ice cubes will change when the Grazin snack is ready to be put away. This will keep outside the fridge for approx. 1 hour.
When you clean up, talk to your Toddler about how the ice has melted and turned back into water. Science and grazing together!
Whole-grain tortilla chips topped with veggies, salsa, and shredded cheese, alongside guacamole for dipping
Apple slices with String Cheese or Peanut Butter (if your pediatrician says it’s okay to introduce peanuts to your toddler now)
Frozen no-sugar-added Fruit Bars with a glass of milk
Berries and Yogurt (low-fat)
Crinkle-cut Carrot "Chips" with Hummus
Whole-wheat pita-bread triangles or baked wheat crackers with melted reduced-fat cheese for dipping
Dip a banana in yogurt, roll it in crushed cereal, and freeze it for a tasty frozen snack
Whole-wheat tortilla chips with bean dip
Cottage cheese with cut-up peaches, nectarines, pineapple, or bananas
Whole grain, fiber-rich cereal with (or without) milk
Graham crackers with applesauce for dipping
Yogurt Smoothie- made with low-fat yogurt, milk, ice, and any fruit (toddler favorites include bananas, strawberries, blueberries, and cantaloupe)
Baked whole-grain crackers with almond butter, and four to six ounces of 100 percent fruit juice (you could also dilute the fruit juice in carbonated soda water to give your toddler a fizzy, fruity drink)
Canned salmon mixed with low-fat mayo and spread on baked whole-grain crackers or celery stalks
A graham cracker sandwich filled with a scoop of frozen yogurt and sliced bananas
A small baked potato with melted reduced-fat cheese and salsa
Graham cracker with low-fat cream cheese, along with four to six ounces of 100 percent juice (you might consider diluting the juice to make it last longer and to cut the sugar quotient)
Whole-grain pretzels
Soy crisps
Baked pita chips
Rice cakes with a slice of cheese
Cucumbers, celery, or red peppers with low-fat dressing for dipping Cherry tomatoes and cheese
Trail Mix-one cup of whole-grain oat cereal with 1/4 cup chopped walnuts and 1/4 cup dried cranberries for a healthy trail mix
Toasted Egg Smiles - Yummy and Fun Toddler Egg Breakfast!
Applesauce Pancakes
1 cup flour –
1/4 teaspoon salt –
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 tablespoon melted butter –
1/2 cup milk –
1 beaten egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla –
1 1/4 cups applesauce
Sift flour, salt and baking powder into a medium mixing bowl. Combine butter, milk and egg. Stir into dry ingredients. Add vanilla and applesauce; beat well. Spoon batter into a hot, well greased griddle, enough batter to applesauce pancakes about 4 inches in diameter. **Freezes Well**
Pumpkin Pancakes
1 C whole wheat pastry flour - 3/4 C unbleached white flour
1 Tbs baking powder - 1/2 tsp salt (I omitted)
2 tsp cinnamon -1/2 tsp ground ginger -1/4 tsp allspice - 1/4 tsp nutmeg
2 eggs
1 C pureed pumpkin or winter squash
1 tsp vanilla
2 C milk
3 Tbs canola oil
Stir (and sift) together all the dry ingredients in a med. size
bowl. In another bowl, beat the eggs with the pumpkin & vanilla.
Beat in the milk & oil until smooth. Add to flour mixture. Cook as usual!
Cornmeal Pancakes-
1 1/8 cups cornmeal
1/3 cup flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 egg, beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/8 cups low fat buttermilk
shake of cinnamon, nutmeg (optional)
Mix together the cornmeal, flour and baking soda.
Add the egg, buttermilk, vanilla and cinnamon (optional); stir until just mixed.
Pour by 1/4 cup into a hot pan.
Cook the pancakes until bubbles appear, flip.
Apple Breakfast Bars-
1 1/2 cups quick rolled oats
1/4 cup whole wheat flour
2/3 cup dates, chopped
1/2 cup walnuts, chopped
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 cup orange juice
1 1/2 cups raw apples, shredded
Combine all ingredients. Let stand 10 minutes. Press mixture into 8" x 8" baking dish. Bake at 375? until lightly browned, about 25 minutes. Loosen with spatula, and cut into bars while warm. Serve hot for breakfast or snack **Freezes Well**
Yogurt Parfait-Put whatever fruit you desire (strawberries, blueberries, bananas, etc), yogurt (vanilla, plain, strawberry), & granola in a cup (imitate the Mcdonalds yogurt parfaits). Kids will love the fun of eating out of a cup instead of a bowl with their spoon.
French toast: Make it with fiber-rich whole-grain bread rather than white, and mix the egg with low-fat or fat-free milk (a calcium boost). Instead of butter, spray the pan with healthy canola or olive-oil cooking spray. Top off the toast with sliced fruit, fruit preserves, or apple butter. To pump up the protein and calcium in this breakfast, make a French toast "sandwich" by cutting the piece of bread in half, then slipping a slice of reduced-fat cheese between the pieces as they cook.
Egg muffin sandwich: Start with a whole-grain English muffin, add one scrambled egg, a slice of turkey ham, and top with your child’s favorite reduced-fat cheese, like Swiss, mozzarella, or cheddar. Bonus: no drive-through lines.
Pancakes: Choose a whole-grain or buckwheat mix. Or if you’re starting from scratch, replace a portion of the regular white flour in the recipe with wheat or oat flour. Add fruit or vegetables (like pureed pumpkin or sweet potato) to the batter. Top the pancakes with a spritz of low-fat whipped cream or fruit preserves and sliced fruit.
Fruity waffles: Start with whole-grain frozen waffles. Spread the waffles with fruit-flavored reduced-fat cream cheese, and then top with fruit slices.
Cereals: Reduce the sugar in your kid’s breakfast bowl by offering up Rice Krispies, Kix, or Cheerios (all low in sugar and fat, and high in fiber) in place of chocolate or fruit-flavored puffs/Krispies/Pebbles…or any cereal, for that matter, with the word "cookie" in its title. If your toddler refuses the cereal of your choice, help her transition to healthy cereal by mixing in a little of her favorite sugary cereal.
Breakfast pastry: Instead of doughnuts or Danish, toast a honey-wheat or berry-flavored bagel, then spread it with reduced-fat cream cheese or low-fat ricotta cheese, and top with fruit preserves.
Pumpkin bread: Pumpkin is a great source of Vitamin A, making pumpkin bread an easy, healthy toddler lunch idea which will allow your toddler to get their vitamins in a tasty way. You can also try banana or zucchini breads as alternate toddler lunch ideas if you're looking for some variety.
Blueberry pancakes: Toddlers love to feed themselves and this healthy toddler lunch idea will let them feel like a big girl or boy! Blueberry pancakes are easy to make, whether you use Bisquick or make your own homemade pancake batter, and are an easy way to introduce more fruit into your child's diet.
Pancakes with Chocolate Chips: Saying chocolate is enough to get your toddler to pay attention to his breakfast. Since pancakes contain milk and eggs, they are already rich in calcium and to make pancakes more healthy, add fruits and even nuts along with the chocolate chips. Also you can use cookie cutters to make pancakes in different shapes.
Strawberry Cream PinwheelsThis is a great choice amongst the many healthy breakfast ideas for toddlers. It is basically a whole grain tortilla with strawberries and cream cheese. Spread cream cheese on a small whole grain tortilla. Add sliced strawberries to give color to it. Roll it and cut it into pinwheels. If your kid does not like strawberries, then you can try this with blueberries or pineapples.
Rainbow Yogurt: Yogurt is a great choice for creating different toddler breakfast recipes. However, to make it more interesting and colorful, add your little one's favorite fruits. Alternate layers of yogurt with all kinds of fruits like berries, bananas, peaches, mangoes etc. You can also add granola bars or cereals for a crunchy taste. Creating this colorful and crunchy breakfast is sure to lure any kid.
*Fruits or veggies are great to add to any meal and very neccesary
Fruits: kiwi, pineapple, apples, bananas, tangerines, peaches, plums, papaya, star fruit, pomegranates, berries, watermelon, grapes, coconut, cantoloupe, mango, jack fruit, grape fruit (cut into shapes, homemade dried fruit, or at home: kabobs, smoothies, popsicles made from smoothies)
Veggies: spinach, cucumbers, cabbage, lettuce, carrots, celery, green beans, artichokes, cauliflower, broccoli, peas, corn, baked sweet potato fries, hash browns (all these w/ cheese or soy sauce or just plain)
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Pizza Parlor – Top whole-wheat English muffins with tomato sauce and mozzarella cheese and bake until the cheese is melted and bubbly. Try adding some small broccoli florets or red pepper chunks to the cheese; if you need to be sneaky, chop the broccoli into a pulp and hide it under the cheese. Serve with some green grapes. This meal is a good opportunity to let your toddler help cook, he could sprinkle the cheese or spread the sauce.
Circle Time – Warm up a tofu hotdog or soy corndog (found in the natural food section of your organic supermarket). Cut it into coins and add a dipping pile of ketchup. Now, cut up a banana, also into coins. This lunch is simple, but the circle theme appeals to toddlers as they are just starting to appreciate shapes.
Take a Dip – Cut a whole-grain mini-pita pocket into quarters. Add some baby carrots and apple slices to the plate. In three little bowls, add some dips that your toddler likes. Hummus is a good match for the pita, ranch or creamy Italian for the carrots and natural yogurt for the apples. Let the toddler decide which dips go with what, they may like the hummus on the apple. Double-dipping is OK!
Simple Sandwiches – This lunch is easy to prepare and can be used for road trips or park picnics. Start with whole wheat bread and fill based on your toddler’s preferences. Cream cheese and whole fruit spread works well for kids that do not likes sliced deli meat. Ham, turkey and American cheese slices are usually safe bets too. Serve with pear slices and celery sticks.
Mexican Fiesta – For this lunch, prepare a bean and cheese quesadilla for your toddler. Spray a pan with cooking spray. Put a tortilla in the pan and sprinkle liberally with Monterey Jack cheese. Now add either pinto, black or fat-free refried beans on top of the cheese. Put another tortilla on the top; flip the quesadilla so that both sides of it are brown and toasted and the fillings are warmed up. Additional fillings to add are corn, chopped tomatoes or left-over hamburger. Cut into little triangles and add a pile of mild salsa or guacamole if your kid likes to dip.
Macaroni Day – Prepare a package of all-natural white shells and cheddar cheese (or whichever macaroni and cheese is your family’s favorite). Mix in chopped broccoli, peas, corn, or zucchini for veggies. Add chopped pieces of tofu hotdog or leftover chicken for more protein. Serve with fresh or canned peaches (depending on the season).
Egg-It – Fry or scramble an egg. Put it on a toasted whole-grain muffin, pita or wrap with some melted cheddar or American cheese. If your kids like breakfast meat, add some turkey bacon or veggie sausage to the sandwich or on the side. Add pineapple or watermelon to the plate.
Healthy Chicken Fingers-
1 cup low fat yogurt
1 lb. chicken breast cutlets
1 cup bread crumbs.
Preheat oven to 400°F.
While oven is heating, dredge chicken cutlets in yogurt, then cover them completely in bread crumbs. Place on cookie sheet and bake until cooked through, approximately 7-10 minutes (depending on the thickness of the chicken). Serve with honey or other favorite dipping sauce.
Healthy French Fries-
2-3 washed sweet potatoes
2 Tbs. olive oil
Salt, pepper, or seasoning to taste
Preheat oven to 425°F. While oven is heating, slice potatoes into whatever uniform size you desire: wedges, french fries, quarters or eighths. Leave skins on for more nutritional value. Once potatoes are cut up, place them in a bowl and add the olive oil. Toss gently so that all pieces are coated. Then add your seasoning as desired. Now place potatoes on cookie sheet, spreading them out evenly. Bake for 20 minutes or more until they are browned on all sides, turning as necessary.
Macaroni and Cheese-
½ lb. whole wheat pasta, cooked
2 Tbs. flour
¼ tsp. salt
1 ¼ cup milk
4 oz. cheddar cheese
2 Tbs. grated parmesan cheese
In a saucepan over medium heat, mix milk, flour, and salt until it comes to a low boil. Stir in cheeses, whisking until the cheeses are well incorporated. Pour over cooked pasta.
Vegetable Lasagna-
2 c. part skim milk ricotta cheese
1 egg
Salt and pepper to taste
10 oz. frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
3 c. tomato sauce
4 oz. no boil lasagna noodles
1 ½ c. mozzarella cheese
½ c. parmesan cheese
Preheat over to 400°F.
Mix ricotta, parmesan, egg, and salt and pepper. Add spinach to the mix.
In an 8x8 pan, spread a layer of sauce on the bottom of the pan. Then place a layer of lasagna noodles on top of the sauce. On top of the noodles, spread 1/3 of the ricotta mixture. Then sprinkle ½ c. of the mozzarella cheese on top of the ricotta mixture. Repeat layering process, starting with the layer of sauce for two more layers. Complete lasagna by placing one last layer of sauce on top of one last layer of noodles.
Cover with foil and bake for 30-45 minutes.
Toddler Meatloaf-
1 lb. lean ground turkey
1 egg
1 package of Italian seasonings
½ c. ketchup
1 c. breadcrumbs
1 Tb. Olive oil
¼ c. onions, chopped
¼ c. peppers
¼ cup carrots (optional - for nutritional boost)
Preheat oven to 350°F.
While oven is heating, sauté onions, peppers, and carrots until tender. Put aside. Mix beef, egg, seasonings, ketchup, and breadcrumbs. Once fully incorporated, add the onion, pepper, and carrot mix to the beef mix. Once ingredients are thoroughly combined, form mixture into a loaf and place in a pan. Bake for 45 minutes or until done.
Pasta-
Toddlers and pasta are a good match. Most toddlers will eat pasta with or without sauce. Pasta is available in a variety of toddler-friendly shapes, making them more appealing. Tomato-based pasta sauce is a healthy topping. For more health benefits, puree cooked vegetables such as squash or carrots and stir it into the pasta sauce. Your toddler will get more vegetables without complaining. Butter and Parmesan cheese are alternative pasta toppings.
Tofu Nuggets
1 package firm tofu - 1/4 cup flour (more or less)
1 egg equivalent (2 whites or your favorite sub)
1 cup fine dry bread or cracker crumbs (mixtures are fun)
1 teaspoon garlic salt - 1 teaspoon paprika - 1 dash or a few grinds of pepper
Cut tofu into your favorite configuration (my toddler likes fingers).
Spread flour on a small plate or flat dish. Beat egg equivalent in a
shallow dish. Mix remaining ingredients in shallow dish. Turn each
piece of tofu in the flour to cover, then into the egg, then crumbs, and
then to the rack. Chilling will help to set the coating, but you can just bake right away. Bake at 350 degrees F
for 15-20 minutes until crisp. Serve with a dipping sauce
Quick Veggie Cheese Quesadilla
1 flour tortilla
2 slices of cheese
chopped cooked veggies
On the tortilla, spread out the veggies then cover with cheese slices
Bake or broil until cheese has melted
If broiling, watch carefully as cheese may burn quickly!
Stuffed Pitas
1 whole grain or oat bran pita pocket
Stuffing such as:
cheese, turkey, chicken, peanut butter-n-jelly, hummus, veggies
Cut off one "top" portion of the pita to enable opening
Stuff pita with your choice of ingredients
Warm in toaster oven or microwave if desired (when melting cheesy-veggie pita for example)
Serve with fruit slices, yogurt and drink
Pizza: Ladle tomato sauce onto a whole-grain bagel or English muffin, and sprinkle with reduced-fat mozzarella cheese. You can doctor the sauce by stirring in some vegetable purees for extra nutrients. Give it some zing by topping with slivered pineapple pieces.
Chicken nuggets: Swap regular chicken nuggets for soy chicken nuggets. Dunk them in low-fat honey mustard sauce and your kid may not even taste the difference. Or make your own version by dusting chicken pieces with whole-wheat bread crumbs, then bake ’em, don’t fry.
Hot dogs: Grill up a reduced-fat all-beef hot dog, turkey hot dog, or soy hot dog. Dress it up with your kid’s favorite fixings and she’ll swear it’s the real deal.
Cheeseburger: Make your own patties using lean (96 to 98 percent fat-free) ground beef or ground turkey. Mix bean puree or shredded beets, zucchini, or carrots into the ground meat to make patties even healthier. Top the patty with reduced-fat cheese. And for the tot who doesn’t cringe at the sight of vegetables, add some lettuce and tomato. Serve with a whole-grain bun and a side of oven-baked fries.
Spaghetti with meatballs: Cook whole-grain spaghetti, made from either whole wheat or other grains like spelt or quinoa. (Make it even more nutritious by using pastas fortified with extra protein and healthy omega-3 fats.) Or ditch the noodles altogether and serve spaghetti squash instead for an extra serving of vegetables. Add pureed squash or carrots to regular marinara sauce. (The tomato sauce hides the flavors nicely, and this is also a great way to use up leftover baby food!) Toss in some meatballs made of lean (96 to 98 percent fat-free) ground beef or turkey. And if you want to pack in even more nutrients, roll shredded vegetables into the meatballs. Your kid will never know they’re there.
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ADD INTEREST... http://www.twinportstoddler.com/whatsfordinner.htm
Stir interest in dinner by making your Toddler's plate more fun. Make a mashed potato snowman using an ice cream scoop to scoop 3 mashed potato balls - corn for eyes, string bean for mouth, carrots for buttons. Arrange the rest of dinner around the "snowman".
Serve your Toddler dinner on a colorful plate and arrange the food in a circle, putting your Toddlers favorite food in the middle.
Break out the dippin sauce during dinner time (try to encourage use of utensils with the older Toddler) and allow your Toddler to dip his foods.
Try these ideas as well to stir some interest in dinner!
NOODLE IT!
Few Toddlers will resist a plate full of noodles for a meal. Making some noodles to go with the family dinner may be just the thing to get your Toddler to eat her dinner.
CHEESE IT!
Grated cheese may be one of the best eating temptations around. Sprinkle cheese on your Toddler's veggies, rice, potatoes and noodles.
SAUCE/DIP IT!
Offer dips and sauces with your Toddler's dinner - tempting and very easy to toss on the table!
________________________________________________________________________Healthy Snack Makeovers
Soda: Fill a cup with 100 percent fruit juice, then add some seltzer or club soda for fizz. (Not only does this save your toddler from the sugar in regular soda, but it cuts the sugar in fruit juice too.)
Chips: Set out bowls with baked pita chips or soy crisps rather than tortilla or potato chips.
Cookies: Put out a dish of trans-fat-free animal crackers or graham crackers with a side of vanilla low-fat yogurt or creamy peanut butter for scooping. (Check with your pediatrician to find out when to introduce peanut butter into your toddler’s diet.)
French fries: Toss sliced new potatoes or sweet potatoes (with the skins on) in olive oil and your choice of seasonings (like sea salt, pepper, garlic powder, or parsley), then bake at 475°F for 35 minutes, turning occasionally so that the fries brown on all sides.
Sundae: Make a yogurt parfait instead of an ice-cream sundae using your child’s favorite low-fat frozen yogurt, chunks of fresh or frozen fruit (like strawberries, blueberries, or mangoes), and a dollop of fat-free whipped topping. Colored sprinkles make it festive and fun without adding lots of sugar.
Chocolate: Satisfy a budding chocoholic’s cravings without resorting to candy with some "trail mix" made with granola, dried fruits (like raisins, cranberries, blueberries, apples, or banana chips), mini fat-free pretzels, Cheerios, and a smattering of mini dark chocolate chips. (Dark chocolate contains more antioxidants than milk chocolate and doesn’t boost cholesterol.)
Cake: Serve slices of banana-nut, zucchini, or pumpkin quick breads instead of traditional cake. Or offer fruit-sweetened bran muffins in place of frosted cupcakes.
Milk shake: Blend a smoothie with low-fat yogurt and assorted fresh or frozen fruits. What if your child’s a chocolate lover? Blend low-fat chocolate ice cream or frozen yogurt, reduced-fat milk, and a bit of chocolate powder (which adds some calcium) with a little ice.
