What's On My Tot's Plate?

This new site has quickly become one of my favorite resources for all kinds of information and inspiration. There's something for everyone. One of their newest features is healthy foods for your tot.

Here' is one of Julia's (34 months) recent lunches...

She is a big avocado lover. I fed them to both my kids as infants. It is believed to be one of the world's perfect foods. And I love the way God packaged them- self-contained, perfect texture for all ages, ready to eat, full of healthy fats, and it even comes in it's own feeding dish :) I cut them in half and save the other half (with the pit still in) in tupperware for the next meal- that is if I didn't eat it myself. Now as she's gotten older she loves that she can scoop it out and feed it to herself.

The raspberries are one of her favorite fruits (along with blackberries, strawberries, and frozen blueberries). We buy ours at Costco and on more than one occasion she has eaten the entire container by the time we checkout! The cashier always asks why we're buying an empty one.

We are big fans of the Barilla Plus noodles. Neither of my children are big meat eaters. I love that they have enriched these with protein and omega-3s. They quickly became a lunch staple at our house.

The smoothie is one of my own concotions:

• 1/4c. Dole frozen wild blueberries
  
• 1 banana (overripe, I keep a bag of them in the freezer)
• 1/4c. frozen strawberries (or any other fruit- canned or fresh)
• 2T ground flaxseed (I love that Walmart sells the organic one now! Keep in the freezer.)
• 1/2c. Stonyfield vanilla yogurt
• 8oz water/ice
• 2oz pomegrante or orange juice
• 1 scoop fiber powder
• 1t probiotic powder (from a healthfood store), optional
  

It has been great for my kids as a quick breakfast on the go or as an appetizer while I'm making dinner. It packs a nutritional punch on many levels. My husband and I enjoy them, too. It also keeps well in the refrigerator- just shake before serving. It usually takes two meals for her to finish the cup pictured. (The cup in the picture is a Nuby, but I have snipped the inside of the spout to accomodate a thick beverage. My older son drinks it out of a Tupperware kids' cup with lid.)

The Dole frozen wild blueberries are great by themselves, too. My kids love to eat them, still frozen, with a spoon. They are a good fruit during the winter months when choices are limited. They have a very high level of antioxidants- 50% more than regular blueberries- and more than any other fruit!