I don't know about you, but I've found that getting nutricious food into a Knox's toddler belly to be somewhat challenging. Oh he's a great eater. It's just that the things
he likes aren't neccessarily the things
I like for him to have.
So I thought I'd share with ya'll some of my
Toddler Recipes that seem to please Knox AND Mommy. Please feel free to let me know what works for you and your kids. I'm constantly scrounging for new ideas :)
1.
Pitas
We've been on a pita craze lately because I've found they are
perfect for self-feeders. They stay together better than sandwhiches, making it easier for tiny hands to manage. And I love that I can stuff them with all of the little green things that Knox usually refuses to eat, top with a little cheese, melt, slice into wedges with a pizza cutter, and
VOILA! He loves them and has no idea that he's putting anything nutricious inside his belly :)
James and I are loving us some pitas too. Here's some of our families favorite ways to eat them:
- Spread hummus and drizzle a little honey inside and you've got a healthy snack for your toddler. (And you!)
- Pita pizzas. I try to keep some pizza
sauce (the kind in the
squeezie bottle) in the fridge for just this purpose. Top pita with sauce, your choice of veggies/meat, and cheese. Melt in microwave for a quick kid-approved lunch.
-
Sandwiches. Chop up lunch meat and spinach leaves together. Stuff inside pita along with a little grated cheddar. Melt.
- Burgers. We love burger night. And sometimes we'll love them on pitas. Just grill half-moon shaped burgers, stuff inside pita along with half a slice of cheese, melt in a 400 degree over for a minute or so. Then add your toppings of choice.
- Philly Pitas. (*Love*) Cook Philly
Cheesesteak Meat (found in frozen food section) with chopped onions and green peppers, and a little salt and pepper. Stuff pitas with meat mixture and then a half slice of
provolone cheese. Wrap each pita in foil. Heat in a 375 degree oven for about 10 minutes. Add mayo before devouring!
2.
Chicken
Another one of Knox's favorites. (And no, I'm not just talking chicken nuggets.) I like to keep a bag of Tyson's frozen tenderloins on hand at all times. You can get a big bag from Sam's for next to nothing. Whenever we're making chicken for dinner or piping up the grill for any reason, I always thaw out about 6 tenderloins for Knox. They only take about 10 minutes in warm water to thaw, and I'll usually throw them in some Italian dressing to marinade. James puts them on the grill and then Knox will eat on them for lunch all week! (And yep - sometimes I'll throw them in a pita!)
Yes, he
does love chicken nuggets. And yes, I
do keep them in the freezer because in a bind, they're quick and easy. But he really only has them about once a week, because I just feel that the tenderloins are just so much healthier, and I don't want him to grow up being one of those kids who refuses to eat anything but nuggets and
hotdogs.
3.
Cheese
Shredded. Slices. Strings. Knox is not picky about how he likes his dairy!
4.
Sneaky Cooking
As I've mentioned before - Knox hates all things green. But Lord knows I keep trying to give it to him. Subsequently, I've gotten pretty creative with my cooking. Lately I've been sneaking veggies into meatloaf, spaghetti sauce, homemade pizza, etc. I've also been known to douse greens in butter, sugar, cheese, you-name-it, in order to get them in his belly!
...I try to to let Knox eat just like us, so we don't rely on a whole lot of "toddler" foods, but there are a few products out there that we like to keep handy...
5.
Gerber Graduates Pasta Pickups
These are great for those nights when James is working and we're out of leftovers. I'll have a bowl of cereal and whip these out for Knox. I don't feel too terribly bad about giving them to him because they are stuffed with either beef or chicken and some type of vegetable (tomato, carrots, or spinach). And oh my he LOVES them. He starts hyperventilating when he sees me pull them out.
6.
Easy Mac
Baby boy loves his mac-n-cheese. And heck I can't blame him. I let him have some Easy Mac every now and then for lunch to go along with his chicken.
7.
Mini Lunchables
I recently found these at the grocery store and they have been PERFECT lunches for sending to MDO with Knox. They are smaller portions cut into mini pieces just right for toddlers. And since school doesn't like for the kids to have 'messy' foods, these along with a little box of raisins are just right. I stock up on them now because they're kind of hard to find. I guess I'm not the only Mommy who's loving them :)
