Toddler Food Parents Will Actually Eat Too
Photos: Lauren Volo
When my daughter was a baby I made my own baby food out of love, of course, but also revulsion. I couldn’t stomach the idea of feeding her pureed vegetables, meat, or chicken out of jars. I would never eat that stuff; why should she? Instead I made most of her food myself, and I realized that it was so easy — whether it was blending up single ingredient purees to start, or later adapting our meals to serve her as well. I wrote Real Baby Food to inspire other parents to give their babies a delicious start in life. It’s a collection of recipes, but also a guide for feeding babies and toddlers (with meals and snacks that parents will actually enjoy too). The book provides info on food allergies, feeding vegetarian and vegan babies, avoiding excess sugar, and how to cope when kids get choosy.
Curried Cauliflower and Chickpeas - This is one of my favorite recipes in the whole book! It’s ideal for slightly older babies who are ready for a little more texture and flavor. Plus, it’s a recipe that can stay with your child as she grows. Make the dish as instructed, add an egg, some breadcrumbs, and some salt, form it into patties and sauté until golden. Great for toddlers, sure, but full disclosure, my husband and I love them.
Makes about 3 cups
Ingredients:
½ cup low-sodium chicken broth (or vegetable broth or water)
½ cup water
4 cups cauliflower florets (about half a head)
1 cup canned chickpeas, rinsed and drained
½ teaspoon mild curry powder
1. In a medium saucepan, bring the chicken broth and water to a boil. Add the cauliflower florets and the chickpeas. They won’t be covered by the liquid. Cover the pan, reduce the heat
to medium-low, and simmer for 8 to 10 minutes or until the cauliflower is very tender. Cool slightly.
2. Sprinkle in the curry powder. With an immersion blender, food processor, or knife and fork, mash the cauliflower and chickpeas until you get the desired consistency for your baby.
Age It Up: For a delicious snack or lunch for kids and grownups of all ages, add a beaten egg, ½ teaspoon salt, extra curry powder to taste, and enough panko for the veggies to come together. Form into cakes and sauté in olive oil until golden brown.
Nutrition per serving (¼ cup): 63 calories; 3g protein; 1g fat (0g sat. fat); 12g carbohydrates; 3g fiber; 1g sugars; 140mg sodium; 24mg calcium; 0mg iron; 232mg potassium; 25mg Vitamin C; 8IU Vitamin A
Maple Graham Animals - Sure, you can buy animal crackers, but this version is low in sugar, and you can pronounce all of the ingredients. Babies love gnawing on these adorable cookies, and toddlers welcome them in a lunch box or as an afternoon snack with milk. If you don’t have animal cookie cutters, use any small cutter, or just slice the dough into small diamonds or squares before baking.
Makes about 60 small crackers
Skip the trans fat and high-fructose corn syrup found in many processed animal crackers. Mix up this lightly sweetened whole-grain dough instead and cut away. Animal-shaped crackers are cute, but little circles and stars also delight.
Ingredients:
½ cup whole-wheat graham flour or whole-wheat flour
½ cup all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon cinnamon
¹/8 teaspoon salt
¼ cup unsalted butter, softened
2 tablespoons milk
2 tablespoons maple syrup
1. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the two flours, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Using an electric mixer, beat in the butter, milk, and maple syrup just until a stiff dough forms.
3. Sprinkle a clean work surface with flour. Transfer the dough to the work surface and roll it out to ¼-inch thickness. Using small cookie cutters (about 1½ inches wide), cut shapes from the dough and place them on the baking sheet. Re-roll and cut the remaining dough. Bake for 12 to 14 minutes or until golden brown.
Make Ahead: Keep the animal crackers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to five days.
Nutrition per serving (6 crackers): 93 calories; 1g protein; 5g fat (3g sat. fat); 12g carbohydrates; 1g fiber; 3g sugars; 31mg sodium; 21mg calcium; 1mg iron; 66mg potassium; 0mg Vitamin C; 143IU Vitamin A
Saucy Meatball Sliders - These pint-sized sandwiches may be the definition of a “crowd-pleaser”. My daughter is a carnivore at heart, so meatballs are always welcome at our table. I’ve made them in every possible permutation, but this recipe has become our favorite. It’s perfect for little hands, but I’ve also served these sliders to great acclaim at grown-up parties. Use a homemade tomato sauce or, in a pinch, sub in a high-quality jarred marinara.
Makes 12 sliders (6 servings)
Everyone loves a pint-sized sandwich, especially when it’s as savory and saucy as these sliders. These meatballs are also crowd pleasers atop pasta.
Ingredients:
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 egg
1 lb. ground turkey, preferably 94% lean
¼ cup panko
¼ cup ricotta
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
¾ teaspoon Italian herb blend
¾ teaspoon salt
Freshly ground pepper, to taste
1 batch Go-To Tomato Sauce, warmed
12 slider buns
1. Preheat the oven to 450°F. Grease an 8 x 8 baking dish with the olive oil.
2. Crack the egg into a large bowl, and beat it with a fork. Add the turkey, panko, ricotta, parsley, Italian herb blend, salt, and pepper to taste. Mix with a fork until the ingredients are evenly distributed.
3. Form 12 meatballs and place them in the baking dish in rows, shoulder-to-shoulder in a grid. Bake for 10 minutes.
4. Pour the tomato sauce over the meatballs and bake for an additional 15 minutes or until the temperature on an instant-read thermometer reaches 165°F when inserted into the center of a meatball.
5. To serve, place a meatball and about a tablespoon of sauce on each slider bun.
Nutrition per slider: 287 calories; 18g protein; 14g fat (6g sat. fat); 26g carbohydrates; 2g fiber; 8g sugars; 705mg sodium; 102mg calcium; 3mg iron; 445mg potassium; 11mg Vitamin C; 1084IU Vitamin A
