Current Kiddie Eats at 4 1/2 and 2 {Munchkin Meals Link-up}

I have been terrible about taking pictures of my kids' meals this summer! It's probably due to the fact that we seem to always be in a hurry! After breakfast it's time to get dressed, brush teeth, make beds, and go to swim team or the gym, a play date, or the grocery store. After whichever morning activity we do that day, it's time to rush home for lunch or eat whatever I packed in lunch boxes (or occasionally get take-out). By the time dinnertime rolls around, I just totally forget to take pictures of the kids' plates!  I promise I've been feeding them, though! Check out Brittany's blog for some great ideas for feeding your kids. Thanks for hosting, Brittany!

Since my kids are 4 1/2 (oh my gosh!) and 2, their foods do not change much from month to month like they did from 9 months to 2 years old, so many of these meals may be repeats. 

Typical breakfasts: 

Greek vanilla yogurt with coconut chia granola

Oat Revolution instant strawberry oatmeal

Mini cinnamon raisin bagel with peanut butter and bananas

Waffles (homemade or frozen multigrain) topped with vanilla Greek yogurt and fruit

Typical lunches:

Skippy natural peanut butter and jelly on whole wheat bread with carrots and hummus

"Turkey rolls" rolled up deli meat with cheese stick and Pirates Booty cheesey puffs, plus berries

Pulled roasted chicken and hummus on whole wheat wrap with pretzel or pita crisps

Black bean, spinach, and cheddar quesadillas on whole wheat tortillas

Typical dinners:

Quiche

Stuffed shells

Grilled salmon and veggies with artichoke-kalamata-dill pasta

(This was actually my plate.)

BBQ chicken and sweet potatoes with green veggies

So that's really about it for my munchkins! I am blessed that overall they are good eaters. They do both have some quirky things that they refuse, for example, my son will not eat sweet potatoes in any form, and my daughter will not eat corn in any way!

I hope you all have a happy holiday weekend!

Do your kids have any foods that they absolutely refuse that you think they ought to like?

Have you "liked" Fruitful Family on Facebook?

Summer Eats {Munchkin Meals}

I'm linking-up with Brittany for another month of Munchkin Meals. Go check it out for lots of great ideas for feeding kids of all ages.

I don't know where you live, but here in East Tennessee summer arrived a few weeks ago! It has been hot! I've been spending lots of time letting my kids get wet. We have a plastic pool in our driveway; they love playing with the water hose; we go to the city pool; we splash in Dollywood's splash pad, and now Rush, my four year old, is in our city's swim club! Although we do occasionally spend an afternoon out, we try to do all of our activities before lunch. If we aren't going to the gym, we're going to swim club or a play date. Needless to say, quick and healthy snacks and lunches are a must since we are in the car a lot from morning until lunchtime. 

So this month we are sharing our current favorite summer eats, mostly pool and car-friendly. ;)

I have already done a snack-themed munchkin meals post, so some of these things may be repeats. But we're always trying new things too, so hopefully this won't be too boring. 

Breakfast: approximately 7:15 

Peanut butter on whole grain Eggo waffle (or homemade frozen if I have any) or whole wheat bagel

Snack: approximately 9:30

Anything in our Squooshi reuseable pouches (applesauce, yogurt, pudding) or granola bar of some kind in the car

Lunch: (between 11:30-12:00)

If we are home: Brittany's corn dog mini muffins from the freezer with carrots and hummus, plus fruit

If we are out: peanut butter and jelly with Pirate's Booty cheesy puffs and banana chips and an apple. 

Rush (4), Lottie (2), and Cousin Ella

Snack: approximately 4:00

Smoothies or homemade fruit bars (sharing the recipe soon). Here's a sneak-peak of our mango-raspberry bars. 

Dinner: approximately 6:30

Nothing new or exciting to share, but their favorite meal this week has been broccoli-cheese soup. 

I don't have many pics of meals or munchkins eating, so I'll share some photos of munchkins having summer fun!

Have a great summer with your munchkins!

Loving Lately {Munchkin Meals}

It's Munchkin Meals time! I am excited to read all the other kiddie-food ideas in the link-up on A Healthy Slice of Life. 

I have felt at a loss this month as to what I should share about my four and two- year-olds' meals. So, I've settled on telling you some of our current favorites. Some are repeats, so I'm sorry if they're redundant. But I figure, hey, if a toddler likes something that much, it must be worth mentioning again. ;)

Favorite breakfast lately:

Anything paired with peanut butter and/or turkey bacon

Favorite snack lately:

Orange cream yogurt raisins, banana chips, and Strawberry Crunchies

Favorite lunch lately:

Any kind of wrap. Whole wheat tortilla smeared with hummus, topped with desired veggies (chopped to toddler-friendly size), roasted pulled chicken, deli meat, or vegetarian, and sprinkled with cheese of choice (if desired). 

Favorite dinner lately:

Quiche (no surprise around here). My kids would eat it every other night!

 

Spinach tortellini with broccoli and marinara

Favorite treat lately:

Edy's Outshine fruit bars

The weather has been summer-like over the last three days, so cold treats are a must! These use real fruit juice and the rest of the ingredients aren't too shabby. I definitely prefer making our own Greek yogurt bars, but right now I'm not making much time for homemade "extras" because we are still trying to sell our house. My "extra" time that I normally would use to bake or make fun treats is currently being used to de-clutter and deep-clean for potential showings. Not my favorite way to use my time, but it will hopefully pay off soon. We have a showing today at 5:00. :)

What's your favorite summer-time treat to give your munchkins?

Toddler Snack Ideas {Munchkin Meals Link-Up}

Nothing too exciting going on with Rush (4) and Lottie's (2) meals lately... they have been snacking like crazy though! Here are some of their favorites. [Some are packaged, others are semi-homemade, and some are totally homemade.]

Visit Brittany over at A Healthy Slice of Life to see some other great toddler food ideas!

Clif fruit rope

Fruit & cereal bars 

Peanut butter & berry granola bars from Olives and Wine 

Graham cracker with peanut butter and sliced bananas

"Snack packs:" baggies with raisins, almonds (or any nuts), Kashi chia-flax "cheerios," and maybe some mini marshmallows for a little treat.

Horizon organic vanilla and strawberry milks (We tried the Kroger Simple Truth, but once refrigerated, the flavor would not mix with the milk no matter how much we shook them; chunks of "syrup" were not toddler-approved.)

This one was non-refrigerated, so it was perfect for the little lady. :)

Mini-Muffins of any kind (just like their mommy)

I think these were cranberry-orange-oat. 

Applesauce pouches (We also have reusable pouches that we fill with homemade pudding and jarred unsweetened applesauce.) 

Hummus and veggies

Lottie just takes the whole container!

So, those are just a handful of the common snacks in our house. I don't know about your toddlers, but snacks are a big part of their diet, and I don't want to sabotage their health for convenience. I am always on the look-out for easy, healthful snacks. Hopefully, you got some good ideas here.

What are your munchkin's favorite snacks?

Tips for Getting Your Toddlers to Eat and Munchkin Meals

Hey y'all! I'm excited to be linking up with Brittany over at A Healthy Slice of Life again. If you've never visited her blog, let me just warn you: don't do it while hungry! Her food is drool-worthy for sure. She has also done a great job with her 2-year-old's eating habits. I know she would be happy to give you some advice on getting toddlers to eat well, but I thought I would share a few tips of my own: ;)

1. Feed your kids a variety of foods from the get-go. I'm talking about puréed foods. From the time you start adding fruits and veggies to your munchkin's diet, try different things often- never assume they won't like it. 

2. Feed them the same thing you eat at any given meal. If it's purée-able (I just made up that word), put it in your food processor or blender with a little water (to desired consistency) and offer it your child without saying anything like "I don't know if you'll like this." Obviously, as they grow, you can just cut up the food with a knife to appropriate bite sizes. 

3. Set the example. If your kids see you eating colorless meals or never see you eating veggies, they will not be so willing to eat them either. Talk with them about healthy food and how it helps them grow and prevent sickness. 

4. Never say "You may not like this" to your child (unless it's a food that could hurt them, like something loaded with raw jalapeños). I cannot stress this enough. If you seem hesitant, they'll hesitate too. 

5. Don't give up on a food. My kids are SO wishy-washy at times. The first time I made asparagus for my son, he loved it. The next time I offered it, he gagged! Both of my kids can't decide if they like potatoes (which is not a huge deal since I don't make them often). If you munchkin rejects something once, try it again in a couple of weeks; you never can predict a toddler's tastes. 

So, there's my bit of advice on toddler feeding. I know very well how unpredictable they can be, and that we cannot force anything on a toddler. But I also believe that consistently offering a variety of healthy and setting the example can help tremendously. 

Here are a few of my munchkins' (2 and 4-years old) meals lately:

Quiche

Here's a classic example of a child making a choice based on the parent's example: quiche is my husband's hands-down, number one, favorite food; and so it is my little guy's too! I usually make a very simple spinach-mozzarella recipe that's super yummy!

Recipe for two- pie crust

8 eggs

1 cup milk

2-3 cups fresh baby spinach, chopped

2 cups shredded mozzarella

Salt and pepper

Make the two crusts and press them into two pie plates. 

Whisk the eggs and milk with salt and pepper. 

Stir in the spinach. Pour egg-spinach mixture into the pie plates. Top with the shredded cheese. Bake at 350 F for about 45 minutes. Let the top get nice and golden-brown. Let cool for 10 minutes before cutting. 

Crockpot barbecue chicken thighs, steamed broccoli and sweet potatoes. 

Black bean and spinach quesadillas. 

Crockpot Red beans and rice with turkey sausage

Veggie-full meatloaf with mac n' cheese

Bob's Red Mill Vegi Soup Mix with turkey sausage and added veggies. 

Dessert: whole wheat waffle with chocolate peanut butter, sliced banana and chopped walnuts

So, there you have it! A peek into Rush and Lottie's meals. Thanks for stopping by!

Do you have a picky eater or an easy-to-pleaser?

What's your munchkin's favorite meal currently?