Everyone always says that I have great eaters and it is KIND of true. They eat most things I put in front of them. Of course, they start with the meat or carbs but eventually they get to the vegetables. That being said, they are still toddlers, they are picky and funny textures like onions and peppers are an absolute no-go! So here are my tricks to getting some great nutrients into my little monkeys…
1. BLEND– I blend a lot! Soups, oatmeals, veggie burgers, smoothies. Up until recently, I always blended their oatmeals. Now that they handle textures a little better, I only blend if necessary but I use nut butters instead of nuts. I try to make textures smoother. They still taste the foods, they are just less lumpy and with toddlers and kids, it helps!
2. Soups are great. Sometimes I blend it so they don’t pick out the celery and onions but often I just let them explore and it usually works out well. Add a bean and a healthy grain with any vegetables you have in your kitchen and you have yourself a delicious soup!
3. Veggie burgers! Thank God for these. Between the amazing beans and veggies I can stuff in them, they are always a winner! Most of them need a food processor, I usually take it one step further and blend a little more. The consistency is almost potato-like and very smooth. Great protein and lots of vegetables they probably would never eat! Plus, I make a big batch for the week and freeze a few too!
4. Potatoes! Smooth texture and easy to make! My kids have sweet potatoes with almost every meal. Sometimes they are steamed but they also love them roasted! Make mashed potatoes from white or sweet potatoes. You can even add in pureed steamed cauliflower. Always a good go-to!
5. Avery’s Favorite Hummus and Guacamole are crowd pleasers in our home. Easy for fun dipping or to bulk up meals. If you use a store bought hummus, make sure you know the ingredients on the label and try for organic. However, my hummus takes 5 minutes to make and it tastes so much better than a pre-made version!
*BONUS*– Try implementing some non-dairy milks with great nutrition. The kids love my Creamy Coconut Milk and Delicious Almond Milk. We do not eat dairy. Especially in children, I find it to be very inflammatory and linked to eczema, ear infections, allergies and acne as Dr. Fuhrman discusses in “Disease-Proof Your Child“…although that conversation is for another day. I understand it may be hard to have your children adjust to it at an older age but it is always worth a try! Sweeten it up with dates or honey to help sway those little minds!
REMEMBER– If at first they do not like something, keep trying! Mash it up, mix it with avocado or something else they like and if that doesn’t work, try again another day!
Other recipes my kids love:
Black Bean and Corn Veggie Burger
Green Smoothie
Ramen Noodle Soup
Simple Chicken and Rice Soup
Simple Cream of What Buckwheat Porridge
Coconut Blueberry Popsicles
Banana Egg Pancakes
Yellow Vegetable Curry
Vegetable Mung Bean Soup
Awesome Turkey Burgers
Homemade Chicken Burgers
Vovo’s Famous Guacamole
In this photo, my kids are eating basmati brown rice, hummus, black bean and corn veggie burgers, steamed broccoli and carrots, avocado, whole wheat popovers and sole oreganata. I made these 5-minute popovers from 100 Days of Real Food and they loved them. I substituted almond milk and ghee. Plates were finished!
