Toddlers in the Kitchen

I haven't been working as many solids into Ava's menu as I think she's capable of, and have been looking for some more alternatives to the purees and cereals that primarily make up her diet. So I was very excited a local parents group hosted a baby/toddler cooking playdate. Yogurt parfaits and Puffs trail mix were on the menu.

I wasn't sure how Ava would handle it since she mainly causes mini catastrophes with food (she is a toddler, after all). But it was such a great way to venture out and let your little one try new foods without ending up with a pantry full of every flavor of Puffs and Melts under the sun.

This was such a fun experience for us, I thought I'd share some of the other ingredients available to us in the event you would like to get your mom friends and their toddlers together for a similar event.

Yogurt Parfait
Just layer any or all of the following into a plastic cup.

• Vanilla and/or strawberry yogurt
• Granola (Hawaiian granola is more fine than the Quaker variety and easier for smaller mouths with fewer teeth to chew)
• Cheerios (multi-grain)
• Raisins
• Banana slices
• Blueberries
• Grapes (pre-sliced in half)

Trail Mix
Pour a bit of any or each ingredient into a large mixing bowl and let your little one have loads of fun stirring it up with a wooden spoon. (Ava opted to just eat the snack directly from the mixing bowl, however, so another option is to just pour the ingredients directly into a plastic bag and shake.)

• Puffs in a variety of flavors (Happy Baby offers greens, apple, banana, sweet potato, and strawberry)
• Melts in  a variety of flavors (Happy Baby offers banana mango, mixed berry, and strawberry)
• Granola
• Cheerios
• Raisins

This snack, in particular, travels nicely when you're on the go.

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