Baby 101: Toddler Finger Foods (and Food Label Reading)

Feeding C is so different now that he can pretty much eat most of what we eat.  It's easier, in that I don't have to make separate food for him, but also a pain to cut up everything into little tiny bites (not to mention messier with how much ends up on the floor!)  

For the most part, C can eat whatever we're eating.  However, we normally eat salad with dinner every night, so I normally end up making C a different vegetable since he can't eat salad.  If I'm using frozen vegetables (like I typically do for peas, broccoli, green beans, etc.), I'll usually just steam 1 or 2 portions (to have leftovers for the next day) at a time; for fresh vegetables (carrots, cauliflower, butternut squash, etc.), or frozen vegetables that are the steam-in-bag variety (so you have to make the entire bag at once), I'll make a huge batch at a time, cut them into bite-size pieces, and freeze them in 4-ounce portions in these silicone ice cube trays.  

Then, I can just reheat a cube at a time, similar to how I did with his homemade baby food purees.  This freeze-and-reheat method also works great for black beans (which I cook in a Crockpot using dried beans to avoid the salt content of canned beans) or leftover rotisserie chicken.

I'm always curious what my friends are feeding their 1-year-olds so I can get more ideas!  Here are some of C's staples since about 11 months.  I feed C mostly plain foods (without sauces, cheese, or casseroles) because I want him to taste the food itself and not cover it up by hiding veggies in a casserole or pasta dish.

• Broccoli (steamed from frozen)
• Green beans (steamed from frozen)
• Peas (steamed from frozen)
• Carrots (cooked from fresh, then frozen in 4-oz cubes)
• Cauliflower (cooked from fresh, then frozen in 4-oz cubes)
• Butternut squash (frozen steam-in-bag, then frozen in 4-oz cubes)
• Sweet potatoes (baked and/or grilled until soft, then cut into bite sizes)
• Avocado (fresh)
• Grape or cherry tomatoes (fresh, cut into bite sizes)
• Black beans (cooked in crockpot from dried, then frozen in 4-oz cubes)
• Pineapple (thawed from Trader Joe's frozen pineapple tidbits - already perfect bite size!)
• Berries (fresh, cut into bite sizes)
• Peach (fresh, cut into bite sizes)
• Mandarin oranges (fresh, cut into bite sizes)
• Grapes (fresh, cut into bite sizes)
• Bananas (fresh)
• Watermelon (fresh, cut into bite sizes)
• Cantaloupe (fresh, cut into bite sizes)
• Unsweetened organic applesauce (I used to make this myself until I discovered it is actually cheaper to buy it and the ingredients are the same - apples and water)
• Whole milk mozzarella cheese
• Applegate Naturals deli ham (I used to use the turkey but now avoid it because it contains carrageenan - more on that below)
• Grilled or rotisserie chicken
• Hamburgers
• Meatballs (from frozen)
• Dr. Praeger's veggie burgers
• Dr. Praeger's fish fillets
• Grilled salmon (wild caught)
• Whole wheat pasta (with or without sauce; I read labels to find spaghetti sauce that does not contain any sugar or high fructose corn syrup)
• Whole wheat toast with peanut butter (I read labels to find peanut butter with no added sugar or oil - just peanuts and salt.  Our favorite brand is Laura Scudders)
• Scrambled eggs
• Homemade whole wheat oatmeal pancakes
• Fage 2% plain Greek yogurt (I do not give him the fruit-flavored kind because of the sugar content; he'll eat it plain - since he doesn't know there is an alternative - or sometimes I'll add applesauce and/or cinnamon)
• Organic whole milk

Reading labels

I try to avoid feeding C processed foods in general; for the exceptions, I always read the labels to make sure I recognize all of the ingredients (one reason I love Dr. Praeger's products) and there aren't any hidden sugars (peanut butter, applesauce, pasta sauce, yogurt, etc.)  

Via

Another ingredient I look for (and avoid) is carrageenan.  Carrageenan is a seaweed extract found in many food products for its gelling, thickening, and stabilizing properties; it is often found in dairy products and dairy replacements because it can mimic the full-fat mouthfeel.  Although its use is permitted by the FDA, many people experience gastrointestinal issues (gut irritation and IBS-like symptoms) resulting from ingesting carrageenan; since C is too young to tell me if his tummy hurts, I try to avoid carrageenan entirely.  It is hidden in lots of things I wouldn't have expected - almost all milk substitutes (almond milk, soy milk, coconut milk), infant formula, lunchmeat (even Applegate Naturals brand turkey has it), sour cream, and even toddler "training toothpaste".  

Another thing I check labels for is dairy pasteurization; C drinks organic whole milk with his meals and I make sure it is pasteurized but NOT ultra-pasteurized.  For some reason, organic milk sold by the gallon tends to be pasteurized, while organic milk in the half-gallon-size container tends to be ultra-pasteurized (the label will specify which pasteurization was used).   The downside of pasteurized (rather than ultra-pasteurized) milk is that it doesn't have as long of an expiration date (~21 days) as ultra-pasteurized milk (~70 days).  C drinks almost exactly 1 half-gallon per week (2 meals per day on weekdays and 3 meals per day on weekends), so a gallon lasts us 2 weeks.  Ultra-pasteurized milk is heated to a higher temperature, which kills more bacteria (including good bacteria/enzymes), allowing it to last longer before expiring.  Ultra-pasteurization kills virtually all of the enzymes and bacteria to the point that the milk cannot even be cultured to make yogurt or kefir. It is commonly referred to as "dead milk", and, from the research I've done, pretty much negates the point of buying organic milk in the first place.

Dr. Praeger's Review - Perfect for Quick Baby/Toddler (or Mommy!) Meals

Note - I have no affiliation with Dr. Praegers and was not sponsored, compensated, or provided free product for this review.  This is strictly my own opinion of food products that I purchased of my own accord, with my own money, that I'm providing as a PSA for my busy mom friends :)

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Now that C is eating solids, mealtime just got more complicated.  In the days of baby food, it was easy to pop a few cubes of homemade baby food puree out of the freezer, warm them up, and presto!  Dinner!  

When I plan ahead, it's not much harder to prepare finger foods for C to eat for lunch or dinner than it was with the purees; on Sundays, I normally prepare all of his food for Monday and Tuesday, and on Wednesday, I prepare his food for Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday.  On the weekends it varies; often, he eats what we eat, or sometimes if we're going over to a friend's house (or if we're eating out somewhere that's not particularly healthy), I find myself needing to prepare a quick meal for Carter that we can take with us.  Similarly, in Blair's busy season (which was SEVEN MONTHS this year), he's not home for dinner so I don't cook ever as often, since it's just me and C.  I'm totally fine having popcorn or Greek yogurt for dinner, but I still want to feed C something healthy.  



THANK GOODNESS a mom friend introduced me to Dr. Praeger's!  I'm not advocating feeding your child frozen food for every meal, but on the whole I feel pretty good about this brand of frozen products.  So far C has loved every single thing we've tried (and I have too, since I try everything before I feed it to him), and I feel good about the ingredients.  Dr. Praeger's slogan is "where you recognize all of the ingredients", which is HUGE for me as a mom.  I didn't feed C anything from a package until he was over 10 months old because I hate how "processed" most packaged foods are.  However, I read all of the ingredient labels on these products before I buy them and feel comfortable that they are made only of ingredients I recognize.  Granted, they're still processed, but at least they don't have any weird chemical-y ingredients....for a quick/convenient dinner option, it has to be better than Kraft Macaroni & Cheese or hot dogs :)

All of Dr. Praeger’s products are low in cholesterol, have no preservatives, no trans fats, no or low-saturated fats, and no MSG.  Many of their products are vegetarian, vegan, gluten free, and/or GMO Free.  They don't always carry them at your regular grocery store (Kroger doesn't carry any of their products; Tom Thumb and Target only carry 1 or 2 items, and not the ones I typically buy).  However, they usually carry them at Sprouts, Trader Joe's, and Whole Foods.  They are usually in the same freezer section as the other "veggie" burgers (think Boca Burger, Morningstar, etc.)

Here are our favorites:

California Veggie Burgers

"We put the carrots, zucchini and edamame right where you can see and taste them"

These are my favorite - I think they taste like the filling inside an egg roll (which is random).  Of all the veggie burger flavors we've tried, these cook up the most firmly in the microwave (they probably all do well on the stovetop, but some of the flavors get soggy in the microwave).  I've never been a veggie burger fan before, normally because they try too hard to mimic regular hamburgers.  These are nowhere close to that - you can actually see the chopped up vegetables in them (it looks, and tastes, nothing like a regular hamburger).  

Ingredients:
Carrots, onions, string beans, oat bran, soybeans, zucchini, peas, broccoli, corn, soy flour, spinach, expeller pressed canola oil, red peppers, arrowroot, corn starch, garlic, corn meal, salt, parsley, black pepper .

Kale Veggie Burgers


"Packed with quinoa, kale and 9 other vegetables, this is one great tasting burger."

 These are my 2nd favorite flavor of veggie burger and a good way to get in kale and quinoa!  I always read ingredient labels and often (especially on food marketed for babies/toddlers), I am frustrated by the fact that something will be labeled "kale and quinoa", but when you check the ingredients, the first ingredient is apples or pears (or anything other than what the label on the front says), because they're trying to make it more palatable for kids (aka sweeter).  I like that I not only recognize all of the ingredients in these, but that the first ingredient is ACTUALLY KALE! (since ingredient labels list the ingredients in descending order of predominance by weight - so the ingredient listed first is the highest ingredient).  These are slightly more soggy than the California burgers when cooked in the microwave (can't vouch for the stovetop version) but hey, what do you expect from cooked kale?

Ingredients:
Kale, cooked quinoa (quinoa, water), cooked brown rice (brown rice, water), expeller pressed canola oil, cooked millet (millet, water), onions, carrots, spinach, sweet potatoes, potato flakes, roasted corn, red peppers, water chestnuts, roasted zucchini, broccoli, rice starch, roasted garlic, parsley, salt, black pepper.

Super Greens Veggie Burger 


"With 6 kinds of greens, quinoa, ginger and a hint of cayenne pepper, you’ll see why this burger is so Super."

These are pretty good but a definite 3rd because they are quite soggy when cooked in the microwave.  They were also my least favorite flavor of the 3 I've tried.

Ingredients:
Collard greens, cooked quinoa (quinoa, water), kale, swiss chard, turnip greens, mustard greens, spinach, expeller pressed canola oil, potato flakes, onions, apples, arrowroot, cooked teff (teff, water), parsley, roasted garlic, ginger, salt, hemp protein, black pepper, cayenne pepper, coriander.


My local grocery stores only carry 4 varieties of the veggie burgers, although the Dr. Praeger's website lists 10 flavors.  I have not purchased the 4th flavor that my store carries, the Black Bean burger, because the first ingredient (i.e., the largest ingredient) is "Non-GMO textured soy protein", not black beans (they are the 2nd ingredient, though).  I don't know what textured soy protein is but I'd rather stick with the ones that are made of vegetables and quinoa.

Lightly Breaded Fish Fillets

"Wild caught whole Pollock fillets lightly coated in seasoned breading."

I know, these are basically glorified fish sticks.  But at least they commit to what kind of actual fish it is (pollock), as opposed to "miscellaneous" and it's wild-caught (not farmed).  I cooked this on the stovetop and I'm pretty sure the fish inside the breading was raw until I cooked it (not pre-cooked like most frozen breaded fish).  They make an actual fish stick version, as well as a kids' version (shaped like fish), as well.

Ingredients:
Pollock fillets (wild), breading (unbleached wheat flour, yellow corn flour, corn starch, yeast, sugar, salt, dextrose, garlic powder, onion powder, spices), expeller pressed canola oil.

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That's all we've tried so far, but I've been impressed with the taste, quality, and ingredients on all of these products so far.  I'm surprised how many products they offer, looking at their website, since my stores seem to carry so few (or no) different varieties.  I'll be keeping an eye out for additional varieties in different grocery stores I visit, hoping to try a few more!

C loves these and will happily eat an entire veggie burger or fish fillet for lunch or dinner.  I normally serve it with some veggies on the side (avocado chunks or steamed green beans, carrots, or broccoli, which I always have in the freezer). 

Have you tried Dr. Praeger's products?  Let me know what you think!

From the Kitchen: Hearty Whole Wheat Oatmeal Pancakes (Baby-Friendly)

C LOVES pancakes and has since he was about 8 months old (when he started eating finger foods and not just purees).  I make them as healthy as possible (no sugar in the pancakes - when I'm making them for baby, that is - and no syrup with them), so they are very plain, but he doesn't know what he's missing and loves them anyway :)  These turn out super thick and fluffy, and have protein (from the Greek yogurt) and whole grain (whole wheat flour and oatmeal)!

I like to make them in huge batches and then freeze them; since Blair gets C ready in the mornings on the days I work (since I leave for work before C wakes up), he defrosts a couple of pancakes in the microwave for an easy breakfast for baby, along with some fresh fruit.  I like that this makes for a quick and easy breakfast without having to resort to store-bought frozen pancakes or waffles, which often have sugar and other stuff in them that I don't want C to be eating.  This way, I know exactly what is going into them!

This recipe makes 36 pancakes as written.  I normally double this recipe when freezing them.  If you're just making them for breakfast (or dinner!) and don't want this many, you should be able to divide all the ingredients by 3 to end up with a more reasonable 12 pancakes.

Hearty Whole Wheat Oatmeal Pancakes

Adapted from Sally's Baking Addiction

Yield: 36 pancakes

Ingredients:

3 cups whole wheat flour (I use white whole wheat)

1 1/2 cups quick cooking oats

3/4 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons baking powder

1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

3 eggs

3 cups milk

6 tablespoons packed brown sugar (if desired....I omit this when making them for baby)

1 6- or 7-ounce container (or approx. 3/4 cup) plain Greek yogurt (I used Fage)

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1.5 cups fresh or frozen blueberries (optional)

Directions:

Add all ingredients except blueberries (if using) to a large mixing bowl and stir with a metal whisk until just combined and no lumps remain.  If using, gently fold blueberries into the batter.  

Heat a griddle to 350 degrees (for standalone griddles) or medium heat (stovetop) and spray with cooking spray.  Drop approximately 1/4 cup of batter onto the hot griddle (my griddle can fit 8 at a time).  When the edges begin to appear dry, flip and cook on the other side until the pancake is cooked through.

If freezing, cool the pancakes on a wire baking rack.  Place small squares of wax paper between the pancakes and freeze in 2 stacks in a gallon-size Ziploc bag (see above).  To defrost frozen pancakes, microwave for about 15 seconds on each side (do not overwarm or they will become hard and tough!)