Healthy Pickers: Feeding a Toddler

Okay, I am fully immersed in toddler world right now, and I have been taken aback by how picky my little one has become at meal times. Without the words to tell me what she wants, I find myself making several meals at a time in hopes of something satisfying her taste buds. While she'll still eat tofu and broccoli, her mood dictates when or why she'll eat these former favorites. Pureeing tofu with pesto seems to be okay sometimes, and I've starting making the most delicious edamame hummus that she likes. However, I'm blogging this blog to share a few of my healthy options I give Mylah that I'm pretty sure will appeal to the masses of toddlers out there who are just as (if not pickier) than my little girl.

French Toast: I take whole grain Cinnamon Raisin Ezekiel Bread, soak it in organic eggs for a good minute on each side, and then cook it in ghee. I put a little bit of PURE maple syrup (Grade B is less processed than A) and she LOVES it.

Blueberry Yogurt: While I'm sure I'm not the first mom to give her toddler yogurt, I just wanted to share my little secret. I buy "Nancey's Organic Whole Fat Plain Yogurt." In independent studies, Nancey's has been found to have the most active live cultures in it at the time of purchase. What I do is defrost some organic blueberries in the microwave for like 15 sec, then I add the yogurt and about 1/2 T of maple syrup. This is so much healthier than flavored, sweetened yogurt and Mylah LOVES it.

Turkey Sandwhich: Okay, so this may seem like a no-brainer, but the way I make this sandwich, she gets everything she needs for nutirents. For this sandwich, I use Sprouted wheat bread, avocado (smashed on one piece of bread) and Grapeseed Veganaise (spread on the other piece of bread). Then I put sliced free-range turkey and chopped left-over veggies (like broccoli, chard, whatever...). I cut little bite size squares and give her one piece at a time. Yummy!

Grilled Turkey Sandwich: Same idea as the one above, but I use organic mozzarella cheese and turkey with a little bit of veganaise, and then I grill it in ghee. This is a healthy take on an old classic.

Beans and Avocado: My baby likes flavor, so to get her to eat beans right now, they have to be sautéed with onions, carrots, garlic, cumin, parika, broccoli, and other veggies. She often likes cheese melted on it, and then I either cut avocado or make guacamole for her. This is a messy one, but I let her feed herself (right before bath time!).

Oatmeal: Another no-brainer, but here's what I do. I buy the quick cooking oats (their softer) and I cook them with raisins, cinnamon, and a little maple syrup.

Lentils and Goat Cheese: So I cook a bunch of lentils, and then I take out Mylah's portion and add garlic salt and goat cheese, mix it all together, and she really loves it.

This is what I've come up with so far. I'd love to hear other people's ideas on feeding picky toddlers.