Pasta, Potatoes, and Yogurt for Babies

Here is an excellent question I recently received:

Dear Mommy Plus Two- I hope you don't mind me asking you a few more questions... So, my little guy is now 8 months and the baby food recipes are getting a little bit more substantial (but enjoyable). Many of the recipes call for yogurt, potatoes and/or pasta. So, for yogurt and pasta (stars), do I just buy the general "people" kinds? Are there certain baby yogurts to mix in? I know my pediatrician said he could have food with milk products, but just not actual milk... Also, I have seen potatoes on the "dirty dozen", so I am assuming I should go organic for those. So far, I have only found organic sweet potatoes, but I will check the farmer's market tomorrow. If you have used organic potatoes, where have you found them?
Thanks again for your time, Cate

 My answer is based on my research, my personal opinions and my personal experiences. I do not represent any company or product.

Cate,
I don't mind you emailing, calling, texting -- I love talking about little ones -- I am glad my research can help another mommy out. Really -- anytime. As far as pasta, I would use any tiny pasta you want. The stars are good for you to feed the baby. If you want your son to practice feeding himself, I would buy a bit larger pasta –penne or small farfalle (bowties) -- the stars are too hard to pick up, and he will not be able to use a spoon at first. I would put some butter and Parmesan cheese on the noodles -- he'll love it.

As for the potatoes -- If you are just doing potatoes as a side, I would stick with organic sweet potatoes like you have been doing. They have more vitamins -- and he'll move on to white potatoes as he gets older -- everywhere you go out to eat, there are white potatoes. If he is still eating pureed food, this is how I would make the sweet potatoes. Wash them, stick a few holes into them, place them on a baking sheet. Bake at 400 degrees for 45 minutes to an hour (until fork tender). Once cool enough for you to handle, peel skin off, and puree (might have to add a touch of water if it is too thick). Then you can serve some to your little one and freeze the rest in ice cube trays. Once it is frozen, pop them out and store in a freezer Ziplock bag.

But when you want to move on to pieces of potato for him to feed himself (I am not sure if he is there yet), I would roast the potatoes. My kids are 3 1/ 2 and 2 and they still love these. I even make them for family dinners – adults love it too. Wash the potatoes, peal them, wash them again, cube into bite sized pieces, place some tin foil on a baking sheet (for easy clean up), place potatoes on foil/ baking pan, drizzle with olive oil, dash of salt, dash of cinnamon spice, and maybe even a bit of maple syrup (organic grade B Trader Joe's house brand—it’s the best). Mix potatoes with your hands to season fully. If you are not sure you want to try cinnamon and maple syrup, you should know they are both good for you and help to make the potatoes super tasty. Maple syrup contains manganese - good for antioxidant defense. Roast potatoes in a 400 degree oven for 30 to 45 minutes, until fork tender. He will be able to feed himself these super yummy potatoes.

One last note about potatoes. If you are using potatoes in a recipe and not as a side, the recipe is probably calling for a non-sweet potato -- a white potato. I would buy organic white potatoes. I have found them at Whole Foods. If you are looking for a great recipe for lentils and potatoes, I can share that with you -- just let me know. I would also say – look at my blog entry that highlights the chicken soup recipe. This was a staple for my children. I always had ice cubes of chicken soup on hand. I would toss 4 cubes in a bowl and microwave them – instant homemade soup for dinner. I made my regular recipe – but for the kids I would really dice up the chicken, potatoes, and carrots.

As far as yogurt, I would not buy baby yogurt; there is usually too much sugar. I would buy organic, plain yogurt. I love Brown Cow yogurt (you can find it at Whole Foods). Little guys can eat the full fat version. Another brand that is a bit easier to find is Stonyfield. I would go with plain yogurt. There is plenty of time in your little one's life to eat fruit sweetened yogurt. I figure you cannot go backwards; after you eat fruit yogurt or vanilla yogurt, you cannot teach someone to eat plain. Both of my kids loved plain -- they don't know the difference when they are young. Now they eat flavored yogurt, but I still feed them plain because I don't want them to lose the taste for it and you can always add some fresh or frozen blueberries. Yogurt is such a good source of dairy and protein. My daughter has never been a big cow milk drinker -- so yogurt has always been a source of dairy for her.

Hope that helps – once I get to talking about feeding the little ones it is hard for me to stop. If you have any other questions, let me know – I love sharing. Happy Eating Baby Guy.

Yogurt Treats for Kids and Yourself

I have always liked yogurt. But since I have had kids, yogurt has become my friend.  My go to item.  My kids are 3 and 1 and they view yogurt as a treat.  Even plain yogurt.  I know what you are thinking.  I am a cruel mom who doesn't give my kids ice cream and REAL treats.  But that isn't the case.  But I have saved yogurt as a treat and haven't let them know that I change up the presentation on them all the time.  Sometime they eat straight from a bowl, butttttt other times I freeze it in different ways.  And presto I have a new treat.


Frozen Treat #1: Yogurt Pops

I bought these fabulous little jewel pop forms made by Tovolo. You can buy them online, at Land of Nod, or from Sur La Table -- or I'm sure you can find them all sorts of other places.  I fill them with yogurt, and they freeze perfectly.  The kids love going into the freezer and asking for "pops" - so cute that is what they call them.







Frozen Treat #2 Frozen Dots

Use a zip lock bag as a pipping bag. Place yogurt in baggie. Pipe nickle sized dots of yogurt on wax paper or foil that is on some kind of pan or flat plate that fits into your freezer. I use a 9 inch round cake pan because it fits into my side by side frig/freezer. Freeze your little dots.

Once frozen, peal them off and store in freezer.  When you give your little ones a small bowl of these frozen treats, trust me they will not notice or care that it is simply yogurt in yet another form. My guess is that you will even enjoy popping a few; I know I do.

Frozen Treat #3 Yoplait Whips

I cannot take credit for this idea.  Yoplait came up with it; I just listened and took the advice given to me from their commercials.  These are great frozen.  Just freezer and enjoy.

Successful Easy Meals for Kids using Veggie Burger

I know you have been there -- it is lunch time, and you aren't sure what to make the kids. This was one of my shinning mommy moments. So I thought I would share my great find, so my success can be your next success. The reasons this lunch was successful are it was fast, easy, I had the ingredients, it contained the elusive veggies, and ooooh did I mention -- they loved it. Now all of us have made a pizza on an English muffin before. The shinning mommy moment isn't the pizza; it is the addition of the veggies. Because of the texture of the veggies, the kids have no idea they are eating them.
Dr. Praeger's California veggie burger is the key to the story of my success.

Veggie Pizza

Ingredients
 • English muffin/ or bite sized pitas/ or a tortilla (switch it up - they are tots -they will think it is a different meal they love every time you make it)
• Pizza sauce
• Dr Praeger's California veggie burger
• Olive oil
• Mozzarella cheese

Directions:
Heat some olive oil in a small pan and warm California burger. As you are cooking the burger, break it up into a veggie paste consistency. Toast English muffin lightly because you are going to continue cooking it once other ingredients are on it, and you don't want it to burn. Kids usually don't like anything that has burned spots. Once English muffin is lightly cooked, add some pizza sauce, spread a layer of veggie mixture, and top with cheese. Heat pizzas in a toaster oven or your regular oven until cheese is melted. I hope your kids enjoy it as much as mine did. If you want to use the bite size pitas there is no need to warm them ahead of topping them.  If you want to use the tortilla, cook your pizza in a 400 degree oven for 8 to 9 minutes in order to get the tortilla a bit crispy.

I would also suggest using Dr Praeger's California burger in other ways. Get creative; this is an easy way to add veggie to many different meals. Another success I had with these veggie burgers is making a veggie tortilla wrap.

Veggie Tortilla Wrap

Ingredients:
• Tortilla
• Olive oil (you would be hard pressed to find recipes I put together without this golden liquid from heaven -- well, that is just what I call it)
•Dr. Praeger's California burger
• Cheese of your choice
• You could even use ham or turkey or any deli meat you like (if you want to add meat)

Directions:
Heat olive oil and California burger in a pan. While heating veggie burger break it up into a veggie paste consistency. Warm tortilla. Once veggie mixture is ready, it is time to put the wrap together. Take tortilla add cheese, meat if you want, add veggie mixture --- then roll the tortilla into an easy to eat kiddie wrap. It is yummy, warm, healthy, and filled with tasty veggies (with a texture that hides from the kids).

Lastly, I would say I have also been successful adding that same crushed up veggie burger to pastina (any kind of small pasta). I make the pastina. Once boiled and drained, I add a bit of butter, a dribble of olive oil, some Parmesan cheese, and the crushed up veggie burger. This adds some veggies to a simple buttered noodles and cheese lunch or dinner.

And the kids enjoy all of these variations to the veggie burger. It is very versatile -- I am sure you can come up with other ways of incorporating this easy to use veggie burger into dished you already make that need a little veggie addition. Oddly enough, I have never served my kids this veggie burger as a burger --- go figure. Now go out there and get creative with this veggie burger. Here is my veggie pizza cut in half and decorated to look like a monster.  Have fun with your kids food.

Making Baby Food

I made all my son's and my daughter's baby food.  I gave Aidan store bought peaches and apples once.  He wouldn't eat it.  I guess you just get used to what you get used to.  Madeleine has never tried purchased jar baby food.  Not because I'm one of those moms who cannot trust the baby food out on the market -- I know there are all sorts of natural organic choices.  But I just wanted to make it.  I loved making it for him. All kinds of veggies and fruits.  I also made chicken soup and lentil soup for some protein choices.  Now I have to say that I tasted all the food I have made, and I know that my chicken soup puree is better than the ridiculous excuse for chicken puree in the stores.

Making their baby food gives me a sense of accomplishment and pride.  My son is almost three and to this day I still make, store, and freeze extra applesauce, chicken soup, and lentil soup for him.  We usually have family dinners, but when my husband and I go out for dinner or don't feel like eating at 5:30 these frozen meals help me feed the kids when I am not sure what to give him for dinner. I can always defrost 7 cubes of homemade chicken soup.

Here is a picture of what the cubes look like in the freezer bags.  I have bags upon bags in my freezer. I will miss having these cubes for a quick meal for the kids.