Blueberry Banana & Yogurt – a smoothie or a popsicle for baby? You decide

Jul 18, 2010 Breakfast, Dairy, Fruits and Veggies, New Baby Food Recipes, yogurt

 Well we’re officially on a smoothie kick in my house.  The best part about smoothies is that you can turn them into whatever you want them to be! 

Blend it up and drink it, freeze it for popsicles, add it oatmeal in the morning, let baby practice with a spoon, or use it as a “dip” for baby’s finger foods!   Don’t forget to look at the pretty color it makes before you consume it!

For this I used:
1/2 pint fresh blueberries (washed and picked through for stems)
1 medium banana (peeled)
1/4 cup golden flax meal
1/2 – 3/4 cup of plain whole milk yogurt

Toss it all into a blender and Viola, eat, drink, freeze or dip.  Hints for dipping – raw bagel (good for those teething),  teething biscuits, tofu cubes, pancakes or waffles… Your ideas?

Allergy Alert – Dairy

Related Wholesome Baby Food pages:
Flax for Baby
Blueberries for Baby
Bananas for Baby
Introducing Yogurt

Tags: bananas, blueberries, smoothies, yogurt

Quick & Easy Cheesy Veggie or Apple Quesadillas

Apr 28, 2010 Baby Food Recipes Updated, Dairy, Finger Foods, New Baby Food Recipes

When my kiddos were able to handle lots of texture (about 9 months), I began making them quick & easy cheesy quesadillas.  These quesadillas were great for them to gnaw and suck on.  It was rare that they “bit off more than they could chew” due to the overall size and texture of the quesadilla.  Please be sure to keep an eye on your baby whenever feeding her large sized foods!  This is a great way to use up any extra food cubes that may be hanging back in your freezer!  This is also a healthy snack food.

Ingredients
1 large whole wheat or plain flour tortilla
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 or 2 thawed cubes of pureed veggies or mashed veggies

Directions:
Spread the veggies over the tortilla and then toss on the cheddar
Bake or broil until cheese has melted [If broiling, watch carefully as cheese may burn quickly!]
You may also warm in the microwave, on a glass plate, until the cheese is melted at 25 second intervals

Once the cheese is melted, fold the tortilla in half and then press the contents throughout so that they fill the tortilla.  Allow to cool a bit and then serve straight up!

Variations – use applesauce instead of veggies, keep the cheese.  You could also add some shredded chicken.

Allergy Alert:  dairy, wheat

Activia and Toddlers – Thank you Danone!

Jun 26, 2009 Dairy, Dangerous Food Items, Friendly Baby Food Advice, Nutrition

I’d like to send kudos to the folks at Danone/Activia for being so responsive to the inquiry about Activia and Toddlers.   Their PR guy Michael was very helpful and responded quickly and thoroughly.  It’s nice to know that this company cares about it’s consumers concerns!  Below you will find the statement from Danone/Activa about feeding kiddos age 3 and under Activia:

Maggie,
Per the message I left for you in response to your question, the change in the Frequently Asked Questions on the Activia web site in the USA was made as part of a routine update to ensure consistency and accuracy. Like any yogurt, Activia is suitable for the whole family and can be included as part of a balanced diet. However, for children under age 3, as with all matters involving a child’s diet and health, we recommend you check with your child’s pediatrician.

Each child develops differently, so the transition to solid foods may occur at different times for babies of the same age. Most babies can begin solid foods by 4 to 6 months. Whole cow’s milk is not recommended before 12 months because of digestive difficulties and it lacks certain nutrients that are important for a growing infant.

Always consult with your baby’s health professional to determine the most appropriate age to introduce yogurt. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that most babies can begin consuming yogurt at around 6 months.

Infants need more energy and fat because they are growing rapidly at this stage. Pediatricians recommend that children 12 to 24 months consume whole milk rather than skim, 1%, or 2% milk. Yogurt made with whole milk, such as Dannon’s Natural Plain Yogurt is a good choice.

As children get older, they don’t require as much fat within their diet. After the child’s second birthday, fat intake can be reduced gradually until it makes up about 30 percent of the total daily calories. Dannon makes products with additional nutrients appropriate for this age group such as Danimals Crush Cups and Danimals Drinkables.

As noted in our original post about Activia and Toddlers, and as recommended by Danone/Activia, always consult with your pediatrician about foods for your little one.

Tags: Dairy, toddlers, yogurt