Another mom was telling me about her daughter’s love of Trader Joe’s Freeze Dried Mangoes, so I went and picked some up a few weeks ago. I was pleased to see that there were no other ingredients besides “mangoes” in this treat! They have the consistency of Astronaut Ice Cream (if that means anything to you guys?!) Anyways last Friday I was at Trader Joe’s again and I noticed this time they had a lot more freeze dried fruit options – I picked up some blueberries, bananas, and strawberries in edition to the mangoes. Healthy treats with a long shelf life – not too shabby!
Yum Yum, Gimmie Some!
What are your favorite toddler and baby snacks from Trader Joe’s? Leave a comment and share with us!
Recently a mom told me that her daughter loved to snack on fig newtons and that that her pediatrician had recommended them as a healthy snack. I went on Fresh Direct looking for them, and I was happy to find that they had 100% whole grain Fig Newton Minis. They come in little packages, which I keep in my diaper bag. Cameron really loves them! I did a little research on figs, and I learned that they are indeed good for you.
A tasty treat mom approves of
Here’s some of what I found out:
The mineral content of figs closely resembles that of human milk
Figs are rich in both vitamins A, B1, B2 and calcium, iron, phosphorus, manganese, sodium potassium and chlorine
Figs are high in vitamin B, that is essential in the intestine regulation, the fig has a similar function in our bodies as cereals do;
Dried figs are rich in fibre, potassium, calcium, magnesium and iron
The fig is oxidant, laxative, diuretic, digestible and a blood cleanser
Figs excellent for the liver
Sounds good to me! Snack on, Cameron – snack on!
At Cameron’s 12 month check up I was talking to our pediatrician about how to get him to eat eggs. Sometimes he goes for scrambled eggs, and sometimes not…. She suggested trying french toast. For Cameron, it was love at first bite! A mom asked me the other day for my recipe. I don’t really have one (I never measure) but here is a rough estimate:
1 egg
1/2 cup whole milk
dash of cinnamon
pat of butter for in the pan
4 pieces of whole wheat bread
French toast and strawberries!
I whisk up the egg, milk, and cinnamon and then dunk the bread in for a few seconds on each side. Then cook in the pan with the butter until nice and brown on both sides. I always make extra (Cam usually only eats 1/2 – 1 piece per serving) and keep it in the fridge. It reheats well in the microwave. Serve the toast with fruit and a touch of maple syrup if you like.
Cameron loves eating organic YoBaby yogurt, and I love giving it to him – although I’m not crazy about all the sugar. The other day I was over at a friend’s house with Cameron and she told me that Fresh Direct now has YoBaby plain yogurt! I didn’t think that Cameron would go for the non-sweetened version, but he didn’t even bat an eyelash. So from now on at this house it’s YoBaby Plain from Fresh Direct, maybe with a little apple sauce or bananas stirred in.
YoBaby goodness without the sugar!
Brrr! It certainly feels like winter out – which makes me want to eat something nice and warm for breakfast. I posted awhile back about the Oatmeal that Cameron likes to eat that I make with Bananas. Now that he is drinking cow’s milk I make it with whole milk instead of water and we share it (he ends up eating most of it though!) I just thought I would highlight the post for my newer visitors in case you might have missed it. Stay warm out there!
Check it out : What’s Cameron Eating? – Oatmeal with Bananas and Cinnamon!
If you want to try something different, add applesauce, pureed pears, or pureed pumpkin to the oatmeal. It’s a great way to get some extra fruits or veggies in there. Also, oatmeal is an excellent source of protein – so this really makes a great breakfast!
Giving waffles to Cameron was an idea I got from Celia. The first time he tasted them, he pumped his fists in the air and grunted. It would be an understatement to say he was excited! Plus, mom sure doesn’t mind eating them too.
I toast them lightly in the toaster oven and put a little butter on to soften them up. I like to serve them with fruit pieces – either peaches or banana – but I’m sure whatever fruit your little one likes would work.
This past Saturday I got some peaches at the Fort Greene farmer’s market. They are finally becoming nice and ripe so I had one this morning and shared some with Cameron. I had tried giving him peaches a few weeks ago and he wasn’t very interested in them, but today he seemed to really enjoy it. I guess it’s important to remember to keep trying foods because something that wasn’t ok one day might be yummy the next!
When I was a kid my dad always used to make me cream of wheat – so it seemed like a natural choice when I was looking for things that I could eat along with Cameron. I’ve been making the Cream of Wheat with a little water and a little milk, as well as bananas, which add a natural sweetness. I add the bananas while the Cream of Wheat is still cooking – so it sort of dissolves right in there. Cameron loves it! Soon I’ll be giving it a try with some other fruits as well. Yum (for mommy and baby!)
Cameron LOVES his fruit – bananas, pears, mangoes, papayas…… keeping all his fruit in the house caused a problem – a fruit fly problem! So I went to gardeners.com and checked out their solutions. I bought the Fruit Fly Trap with a Ceramic Box and after a few days all the fruit flies were gone.
Fruit Fly Trap
For Breakfast I often give Cameron YoBaby Baby Yogurt (full fat) plus a mashed up banana and some other fruit additive – blueberries, peaches, pears….. He loves it, and I love knowing that it’s good for him!
