Transitioning from full time milk to full time food has been a trip. I’m sure it’s all relatable. I don’t need to go into detail? Parts of it have been great, fun, easy, exciting. Other parts have been messy, confusing, anxiety-provoking.
The worst part, for me (after the gagging and choking scares, obviously), has been thinking of new recipes she enjoys that are also nutritious.
Here are the 3 I’ve landed on that are SO simple:
2 Ingredient Pancakes:
This is a recipe I’ve been using loooong before pregnancy. It just happens to be perfect for toddlers too. All you need is:
1 Banana
1-2 Eggs
Directions:
Mash up a banana with a fork into a large measuring cup, add 1-2 eggs, mix with fork until smooth.
I decide on the egg number based on the size of the banana.
Big banana = 2 eggs. Smaller guy = 1 egg.
You can trial and error the ratios to match what you and your baby like!
I pour SMALL pancakes onto my warm pan at medium heat (larger pours are harder to cook evenly for a seamless flip) and I use butter on the pan for less stick and a lil salt.
I sometimes add a drop of vanilla extract and/or berries to the mix.
MIX N’ MATCH OPTIONS:
Shredded apple (using cheese grater) + egg
Mashed strawberries + oat flour + egg
Creamy Vegetable Pasta Sauce (with any pasta!):
Toddlers seem to be in agreement about pasta and I am thrilled to be parenting during the time of chickpea, rice noodle, gluten free, and generic pastas. We have so many options and I am here for it. Mix that in with THE best pasta sauce options of all time and you’ve got yourself nutritious, delicious option every single week for your little. Here’s the sauce:
What you need:
Any veggie you want! I like carrots or broccoli most for this.
Cream cheese
Parmesan cheese
Directions:
Chop up and boil your veggies until they’re easy to break apart with a fork
Strain (save some of the water) and put in a blender
Add a scoop of cream cheese
Add a scoop of parmesan cheese
Blend. If too thick, add some of the water used to boil veggies.
TASTE TEST. Add cream cheeese, water, or cheese according to your taste test.
That’s IT.
I always make extra sauce and freeze it in small containers so it’ll last longer. That way I can make a little pasta at a time, add the fresh sauce, and not worry about needing to feed it to Skye too many times in a row or throwing a ton away.
Here’s one of the pasta brands I love. It’s organic, woman owned, and packed with protein:
THIS ONE IS CHEFS KISS, YOU GUYS,
It’s easy to experiment with and personalize. It’s something you can batch and freeze. AND your toddler will looooove it. I’ll give one recipe and then suggest some ways you can add to that.
What you need:
Sweet potatoes
Broccoli
Parmesan cheese
Bread crumbs (I like italian)
Directions:
Peel, chop and boil the sweet potatoes with the chopped up broccoli.
Once soft (easy to poke with a fork), strain and put into a mixing bowl.
Use a fork to mash up and soften.
Add some parmesan cheese and bread crumbs (I dont measure because it makes cooking less enjoyable to check in with amounts the whole time, so experiment with portions!).
Preheat oven to 350f.
Take out small chunks of your mixture and shape into cute tots!
Spray a flat pan with oil, place tots on, and bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes.
MIX N’ MATCH OPTIONS:
Potatoes, broccoli, cheese, mashed sardines, bread crumbs
Carrots, potatoes, cheese, boiled & shredded chicken
Broccoli, peas, cheese, sausage
Sweet potatoes, spinach, cheese, bread crumbs
The world really is your oyster here! You can boil and mash up SO MANY veggies. And it’s easy to add from there. I keep the baking temp and time relatively the same.
You can also freeze these for up to 6 months if you want to batch cook and make different kind to thaw out for three day periods.
I always throw away what Skye hasn’t eaten after 3 days in the refrigerator.
Eating when we’re out and about:
We’ve dialed this one in all thanks to pouches and french fries. But mostly pouches.
On days I know we’ll be out of the house for a bit, I try to make sure she’s properly fueled BEFORE we leave, that way we’ve got time to peacefully be out. I bring 1-2 pouches. There are studies that how how eating purees aren’t as filling for as long, so I try to be aware that even though it might be sufficient, she won’t always be satiated by them for as long as hard food. I DO keep things like rice cracker teethers, puffs, and melties.
My favorite pouch company is Serenity Kids — for quality ingredients, few ingredients, having little to no sugars or sodium, and ethical production. Most other companies have long ingredient lists which I dont trust or understand. They’re packed with sodium and sugars. And usually dont have enough fat or protein for me to think, “this is worth it!”
So — Serenity Kids is my go to!
WITH THAT SAID —
Fed is best. Convenience matters. Money can sometimes be tight!
My favorite alternatives are:
Peter Rabbit pouches
Sprout pouches
I also love topping into a restaurant and getting her sweet potato fries! Regular are fine too but I, personally, find sweet potato fries to be 298374X yummier and I think Skye is right there with me.
THAT’S IT!!!
Happy eating!
xoxox
Chelsy
