Snacks for Toddlers

[Sixty Second Parent]

Toddler Hors d’oeuvres are my favorite kid’s snacks, because they are so nutritious and easy to make. They are actually more than snacks – serve them with a fruit or a vegetable and they make a meal. You can make a whole batch and refrigerate or freeze them, then thaw when ready to serve.

Fresh Fruit Hors d’oeuvres

• 1 cup of ripe mashed banana, or some mashed avocado or other mashed fruit
• ½ cup nuts chopped finely (as long as no allergy)
• 2 teaspoon honey

Do not cook. Form into balls (they will be very soft) and refrigerate or freeze

Sweet Potato Hors d’oeuvres

Mix together:

• Flesh from 2 cooked sweet potatoes
• 1 beaten egg
• 2 tablespoons milk

Form balls and roll in ½ cup whole wheat bread crumbs (or wheat germ)
mixed with ½ teaspoon fresh finely minced parsley.

Bake or fry, making sure that egg gets thoroughly cooked.

Variation: Use 1 cup canned pumpkin or cooked carrot puree instead of pureed sweet potato

Raw Grated Carrot Hors d’oeuvres

Mix finely grated raw carrot with cottage cheese, mashed tofu or yogurt cheese until good consistency.

Form into balls.

Do not cook

Variation: Use raw broccoli instead of carrots, or any other raw vegetable.

Egg Burgers or Mini-Balls

• 3 hard-cooked eggs, mashed
• ½ cup cooked brown rice or other whole grain
• 4 tablespoons mayonnaise
• 1 teaspoon finely diced onion
• ½ cup whole grain cornflakes, pulverized in blender

Mix first four ingredients and shape into 4 burgers or other shapes, or make mini-balls. Roll in cornflakes to coat.

Bake in pre-heated 425 degree oven on greased cookie sheet for 10-15 minutes until browned.

Burger shapes can be served on whole grain buns or bread.

Honey Wheat Germ Balls

• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• ½ cup toasted wheat germ + about ½ cup of additional toasted wheat germ
• ½ cup vegetable oil
• 1/3 cup honey
• 1 beaten egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

Mix all ingredients well and roll into balls.

Cover balls with wheat germ by rolling balls in shallow dish with the ½ cup of additional wheat germ.

Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes, watching so they don’t burn!

By Ruth Yaron - Ruth Yaron is the author of the best-selling guide for feeding baby and toddlers Super Baby Food.

[Tarryn Poulton]

These are great ideas - thanks! I'll need to try them soon!