This months Meal Plan includes 6 flavor rich and fun new recipes that will leave your baby drooling over ingredients like tofu, lentils, broccoli, basil, mangos and dried cherries. Not to mention, look at those brilliant colors!!! Green, bright orange, red, deep purple - oh my!! I don't talk about it enough, but serving baby bright and colorful purees is a great way to not only have and keep them visually interested in their food but it is also a way for them to learn how to associate bright and colorful food with yummy and delicious food. Colorful Food ---> Happy Baby Think about it this way, when was the last time you were super excited to eat a big bowl of beige flavorless soup? Ummm, like never! You want something colorful! You want something with flavor! You want it right now! A bowl of red lentil soup, orange carrot and ginger soup or even a green broccoli and leek soup. We all eat with our eyes. You want to eat something colorful, with flavor and with texture. Your baby ...
Meal Plan
Meal Plan for Babies – March
Now that my little baby Parker is eating up a storm, it's time for me to dedicate a couple hours this month making some delicious meals for her to eat that are actually meals, not just single purees that I mash together at the last second (check out what she has been eating here). Don't get me wrong, single purees are awesome but when baby starts to eat more then 3 ounces at a meal and 3 times a day, you have to put a little thought behind what you are making and feeding baby in order to ensure that she is getting enough protein, fiber and iron, and by a little thought I mean you make all of these recipes, follow the meal plan and then your thoughts can go into sometime more productive like thinking about working out in order to fit into this cute new dress. This months meal plan is great for babies 6+ months. If your baby is older and eating some solid foods alongside purees, no problem, serve any of these purees with a side of steamed vegetables (carrots, sweet potatoes and red ...
Meal Plan for Babies – December
Here's to hoping that you had a lovely Thanksgiving weekend and ate way too much pie, took at least one long nap, bought yourself something totally unnecessary but completely essential during the mega sales, played with your kiddos, didn't clean up your house except to wash a fork in order to eat more pie, left messes at other people houses, drank way too many glasses of wine and had some time to hang with your significant other. Wowza, that's a lot to do/not do during a long weekend. Bonus points if you didn't have an ounce of guilt for any of it. You work hard. You deserve to take a weekend and do whatever you want from time to time. Now to officially kick off the most magical month of the year, here is your December Meal Plan. Let's plan to make it all this week, so the rest of the month we don't have to even think about what we are going to feed baby. It will all done. Easy as that. Sweet Potato, Quinoa, Apple, Carrot Puree - This is one powerhouse of a puree! Protein, fiber, ...
Meal Plan for Toddlers – November
The Holiday season is approaching fast but before I let my little one dive head first into platters of pie, cookies, candy and anything and everything sugar related, I need to fill her up with some healthy veggies. This months meal plan for toddlers is loaded from top to bottom with healthy meals that are not only chock-full of colorful vegetables but are also toddler tested and approved. Now you can sit back, relax and have a sweet treat for yourself :) Vegetable Frittata - This dish is filled with tomatoes, red pepper and spinach and of course topped with delicious melted cheese. An egg dish that is great for breakfast, lunch or dinner. Green Apple Pie Smoothie - With the word 'pie' in the name, you are not going to have any problems getting your little one to drink this spinach (1 whole cup!!!), tofu and green apple smoothie! Plus, you won't even mind when they ask for seconds. Quick Beef and Barley Soup - Toddlers love comfort food and this warm filling meal is no exception. ...
Meal Plan for Babies – November
Apple, Blueberry and Broccoli Puree - A simple and delicious way for your little one to fall in love with the wonders of broccoli. Broccoli puree by itself can be a little intimidating because of it's intense green, earthy [or as I see it tree root and bark] flavor but mix it with some sweet apples and juicy blueberries and you will have a winner on your hands. I might just have found a way for even myself to get some broccoli in my diet. Leek, Sweet Potato and Cauliflower - A chunky puree loaded with leeks, sweet potatoes, cauliflower and chicken that will surely be a crowd pleaser for the little one. Would be great as a lunch or dinner puree with a sweet fruit puree for 'baby dessert'. Using cheese is optional and I suggest introducing cheese to your kiddo after 9 months of age. Cranberry + Pear + Cloves - A little tart. A little sweet. A whole lot of goodness! Nothing says this time of year like a big ol' heaping side of cranberry. This puree will let the little one join right in ...
Meal Plan for Toddlers – October
Cooking for toddlers can sometimes be a pain. Trying to think of nutritious meals that are easy and delicious for not only the toddlers but the rest of the family can be a serious challenge. Not to mention you want them to be filled with as many fruits and vegetables as possible yet in order for them to get eaten they can't have too many scary [really anything that is green or strange shaped] ingredients. These 6 recipes are some of my favorite Fall recipes for toddlers as well as the rest of the family. They have been road tested by picky kiddos and approved by even picker moms. Enjoy! Turkey + Sweet Potato Mini Shepard Pie - Kicking it old school with this classic Shepard's Pie. Filled with hearty veggies and topped with mashed sweet potatoes this recipe will soon be on your Fall rotation. Extras freeze well so you can have a quick meal during a busy week night. I love the idea of serving this with some warm homemade applesauce sprinkled with cinnamon. Leek + Asparagus + ...
Meal Plan for Babies – October
October is a transition month for your Meal Plan for Babies guide, it's still hot enough to let us use up the last of summer's ripe berries and our bounty of squash and zucchini but not cold enough to dive into the root vegetables and roasting of everything and anything [we will save that for next month]. Yellow Squash and Tarragon Puree - Vibrant Yellow Squash sautéed with zesty Tarragon and little olive oil to boost the healthy fat, I would recommend doubling or even tripling this recipe to last you the entire month. Love the idea of adding quinoa or ricotta cheese to this puree. Squash A Flower - Mango, Cauliflower and Zucchini - This colorful puree is full of vitamin C and has more potassium then a banana which is perfect to guard off the pre-season colds. Would pair this with roasted chicken, millet or even a thick goat milk yogurt. Green Bean + Parsley Puree - Easy to make and even easier for your little one to devour. This puree is smooth and tasty. Works well with steamed ...
Menu Plan for 12+ Month Olds
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Menu Plan for 9-12 Month Olds
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Menu Plan for 6-9 Month Olds
The other day I pulled out my daily menu plans that I had used for my little one and thought that it would be a great thing to share with you. Back then I was working full time so I struggled to keep track of what she had eaten at daycare the day before and what I needed to pack for her the following day so she was getting all the nutrients she needed. So I did what every normal person would do, I made a spread sheet of all the food she would have for the week. Does that make me sound crazy? Huph. I would come up with each plan the weekend before, usually after her bedtime while enjoying a nice glass of wine. I would see what I had in the freezer and fridge that was already prepared, make a list of other items I needed to make or pick up at the store and create a balanced plan. Spending 20 minutes one time a week made feeding my little one super easy to get all there food ready before 7 in the morning, all while knowing I was giving her a nutritious, balanced diet. So I used it like ...