Toddler Meals: Part 1

Wow, it has been quite a while since my last post!  I've really missed blogging and I'm determined to keep up with it.  This post was inspired because Olivia recently turned one and she's loving feeding herself and interested in new foods.  I turned to Pinterest for some ideas and I came across a new-to-me blog, A Healthy Slice of Life and there are so many cute meal ideas aka "Munchkin Meals."  It's really important to me that Olivia receives the nutrition she needs and also to incorporate new foods into her diet, therefore, it's been really fun for me to put together her meals during the day.

While I'm preparing her breakfast, Olivia loves to play in her pack and play and I frequently hear her "reading" to herself and pretending to call her cousin Brynn on the phone. I think it's so cute that she's becoming such a funny, sweet little lady and maybe it's a mom fail but she is clearly picking up on things I do.Like talk to my sister all morning. My niece Brynn is almost 11 months and they are only 9 weeks apart and best friends.  It's so nice to have the babies grow up as close as sisters.  Anyway, back to breakfast.  She loves to eat scrambled eggs and I've been sneaking in fresh spinach and shredded cheese and she inhales them.  She also loves plain Cheerios and banana slices. 

Another breakfast she loves is french toast.  She's a carb lover just like her momma and we both love french toast.  I normally add a splash of vanilla, milk, and cinnamon to the egg mixture before soaking the bread.  Another favorite of hers is yogurt dots.  They are seriously the easiest thing ever to make.  I use Brown Cow plain yogurt (or any other organic) and put about 2 tablespoons of yogurt into a plastic sandwich bag. Snip the corner and squeeze out little dots on a waxed paper lined cookie sheet and freeze for at least three hours.  She is obsessed with them and it's a great way to incorporate yogurt into her breakfast without added sugar.  I've used blueberry yogurt, pictured below, and she loves that too.  I always give her fresh fruit as well. 

She would eat scrambled eggs and cheese at every meal if I let her, so I try to change it up a couple times a week.  This was super quick and she clearly enjoyed it - little jelly face!  Cream cheese and jelly toast with fresh nectarines and plain yogurt dots...  

I feel lunches are slightly harder to plan for, as sometimes we're out running errands, etc.  If we're home, I tend to warm her up some leftovers such as chicken or pasta from dinner last night with some sort of vegetable.  Since she's over a year old, she's allowed to have peanut butter.  Panic the first time she ate it! I made these cute little rolls ups with a whole wheat tortilla, natural peanut butter and banana slices with a side of thawed frozen corn.  Super easy and transportable. 

Another lunch idea is avocado, green beans, and chicken meatballs.  These little meatballs are so yummy I tend to share with her:)  Super simple to make:

1 lb. of lean ground chicken
1 piece of whole wheat bread soaked in milk
1 egg
Fresh, chopped spinach
Parmesan cheese
Sprinkle of oatmeal
Fresh parsley
Sprinkle of dried oregano

Mix all ingredients together and form into bite-sized meatballs. Bake at 350 for about 20-30 mins, or until golden brown.  They were so yummy and healthy! Also, perfect for freezing and popping a few in the microwave for a quick lunch or dinner.

I hope you found this post helpful to give you some ideas for your munchkins!  Please feel free to share your favorite toddler meals!