Mealtime Magic: Creative Food Ideas for Toddlers

When you cook with your toddler, they understand that healthy food comes from the foods we grow and make ourselves. These fun and easy food recipes below are perfect for toddlers looking to be a part of meal preparation. Parents and toddler are busy so enjoy the time well-spent creating in the kitchen.

For when you are on the move, parents can stick to healthy options with snacks for toddlers from Sprout Organic Foods. Their re-sealable pouches of Greek Yogurt and Superfruit Blends are perfect for traveling, play dates and back to school.

1) Cookie Cutter Sandwiches

Use cookie cutters to create “toddler-sized” sandwiches in a variety of cute shapes! This is an inexpensive and easy way to give your child’s PB and J a little more pizazz. It is also a great way to get your toddler excited about holidays and seasons, i.e.:  Snowflakes and Santa cut-outs in December, hearts in February, Apples for back-to-school!

Another option is to buy custom-made crust cutters that come in a variety of different shapes. These tend to be pricier than cookie cutters, but may conserve more of the sandwich as well.

2) Breakfast on a Stick

Take a wooden barbeque skewer and alternately stack whole-grain mini pancakes or waffles with fresh fruit, such as banana slices, apple slices, and strawberries, yum! Once you have stacked the skewer with yummy and healthy choices, use a sharp knife or kitchen scissors to cut off the pointed end of the skewer so your little one doesn’t poke themself! Popsicle sticks and wooden coffee stirrers also make great, child-friendly skewers.

3) Fruity Faces
Arrange different fruit pieces on a plate to make silly, smiley faces that your toddler won’t  be able to resist! You can also provide your little one with their own bowls of fruit and have him or her create their own funny faces. They will have a blast testing out all the different kinds of fruit as they make their own designs. Blueberries, chunks of cantaloupe, sliced bananas, kiwi, and apples as well as raisins work particularly well!

4) Paninis
A Panini maker is a great, low-cost investment, as everything looks (and tastes) better as a Panini! There is no end to the kind of recipes you can make in this sandwich pressing gadget, such as gooey grilled cheeses, toasted peanut butter and jams, pizza melts and more! Each sandwich comes out perfectly browned with lines across it, which can be very appealing to a discriminating toddler!

5) Eggs in a Nest

Do you remember this one from your own childhood? Take one piece of whole grain bread and cut out a circle in the middle. Melt some butter or olive oil in a pan and place the bread with the hole in it, along with the circle-shaped cut-out, into the pan. While the bread is grilling, crack an egg and drop it right into the circular hole in the bread.  Flip the egg/bread half-way through until cooked well on both sides. Top it with the circular bread cut-out and call it the egg’s “hat”. Definitely good for one toddler giggle!

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About Sprout Foods

Sprout Baby Food’s mission is simple: provide children, and the parents who feed them, with fresh and delicious whole foods that encourage happy and healthy eating. Founded in 2009, the entire product line is organic and features dishes and recipes created by renowned chef Tyler Florence, a 15-year Food Network veteran, author and father of three and one of Sprout Food’s founders. Using unique cooking methods and seasoning the recipes with gentle, beneficial herbs and spices, Sprout Foods has created tasty, unique, nutritious combinations that children – and their parents – love.

For more information, and to see the complete Sprout Food product line, please visit: http://www.sproutorganicfoods.com.