After yet another pea hit the wall and I wiped mashed broccoli off my forehead, I wondered what had happened to my wonderful twins who ate everything I put in front of them. Meal time was now a full scale war; it was so bad that even my dog was running for cover. I was out of ideas and out of cookbooks. It was time to take stock; a meal time overhaul was long over due, but where to begin?
I piled the kids into the car and headed to our local supermarket. I walked aimlessly up and down the aisles looking for inspiration. As I dragged one kid screaming up the aisle and pushed the other one in the cart, inspiration was hard to come by. I gave up, and we all piled back into the car. On the way home, I passed a Trader Joe’s and remembered I needed to pick up some beer and wine for the weekend. Out of the car once more; one kid in the cart and one on the hip. As I wheeled the cart towards the alcohol section, my son pointed out a baby with a balloon. Of course he immediately wanted one. No sooner had I explained the store didn’t have balloons, than an associate poked his head around an aisle and offered to bring us one. “Make that two please!” Now with balloons in small hands, the little voices “Mama, go home” stopped. All was calm. This opportunity was too good to pass up, so I tried the whole inspiration thing again and surprisingly, not only was I inspired, but my cart was full of good things to eat. And the best news; all were antibiotic, artificial flavor and color free, but unlike shopping at WholeFoods, my purse was still relatively full. Now, if only they had double carts!
I am pleased to report, we now have a truce and mealtime has been restored to a civilized occasion. If you too find yourself in a full scale food war, I hope some of my suggestions below can bring peace back to your table.
Breakfast
Trader Joe’s Multigrain and Blueberry Waffles are all natural and really delicious served with fresh fruit and yoghurt. My husband and I eat them with warm berries and Vermont maple syrup.
Kashi Heart to Heart Cereal, as the name suggests, is great for your heart. Not just for kids, we all eat this cheerio-like mix with milk or dry out of the box. Serve with fruit or toast on the side.
Weetabix Organic Breakfast Cereal is another household favorite. I grew up on this stuff and like it with honey and warm milk. You can also spread jam, butter or any other topping on it and serve as a healthy snack.
An excellent beginner spoon food is One-Minute Oats cooked with half milk and half water. Add frozen berries and cook one more minute before serving. The milk makes the porridge creamy and the berries add a nice flavor. Add honey, syrup or brown sugar if you have a sweet tooth.
Lunch and Dinner
Spanakopita Spinach Pie is an easy way to build up those Popeye muscles. The whole family eats this for lunch and all my friends’ kids like it too!
Frozen Italian Style Meatballs take just a few minutes to heat and come in turkey, meatless and party size. Serve with veggies or cut up and mix with pasta or rice. The Italian style and party meatballs are delicious, but can be a little oily so I pat them with paper towel before serving.
Trader Joe’s Extra Firm Tofu is not my personal favorite, but my kids and their friends can’t seem to get enough. Cut them into small squares and panfry dry (no oil) until golden. Serve with a selection of veggies such as mashed yams or Trader Joe’s Sweet Potato French Fries (these are particularly delicious and you don’t feel too guilty eating them).
Making pizza with Trader Joe’s Pizza Dough is a fun way for kids to help make dinner. They can help you roll it out, spread on the sauce, and add the cheese and other toppings. My favorite is the herb and garlic dough, but my kids prefer the plain or whole wheat. This is another great dish for the whole family.
Instant Polenta is another excellent for spoon practice food as it is a little sticky and won’t fall off the spoon. For toddler fun ,you can bake it in a flat pan, then cut it into fun shapes and serve with a simple tomato sauce and veggies.
Trader Joe’s Chicken Drumettes have a cute shape and are always a favorite. They are made of all natural white meat chicken.
Trader Joe’s Cod Fish Sticks are another trusty favorite. We like these with Trader Joe’s Basmati Rice Medley and frozen or fresh veggies.