[pinit]I used to know how to cook. And, then I met my husband. Soon after that, I discovered he is a master chef and could put any restaurant out of business with his amazing culinary skills. So, after a couple years of indulging in the amazing meals he prepared, I conveniently forgot how to cook. Seriously…forgot how to cook. Like I could butcher a tried and true Pinterest recipe any day. And, I have many times.
But, then Eli came along and I had an intense desire to feed him only foods that contained some sort of nutritional value. (Hence, no mac and cheese. See my post, “A Different Child“. ) Now, I’m not perfect, as you’ll see in my below pictures. But, I do my best and I’ve come to realize that I can cook for him…. IF it is Boiled or Baked. 😉
That being said, this post is to offer my favorite mommy friends helpful suggestions on healthy food to make for your darling little babies and/or toddlers. The list below is inspired by a friend of mine who is a Wellness Coach, that will soon be joining us as a Guest Blogger. Yay!! And, there are also some items that simply came from scouring the grocery store over and over again, looking for healthy options. 🙂
The #1 thing to remember when buying food to prepare is to always buy organic whenever possible. Who wants to eat their Spinach and Sweet Potatoes with a side of Pesticide?! Yuck! Fresh is best, but I must admit, fresh organic produce is not always the easiest to come by where we live. So oftentimes, I will buy frozen. Now, that being said, there are some items that I buy conventional. Ever heard of the “Clean 15 and Dirty Dozen”? Perhaps I’ll write a post on it soon.. Either way, here we go!
Vegetables
Spinach- Fresh or Frozen (You’ll find the best deal on fresh at SAMS)
Kale- Fresh or Frozen (Ditto above)
Carrots- Fresh (Organic)
Avocado- Fresh (Organic or Conventional)
Squash- Fresh Acorn or Butternut (Organic or Conventional)
Sweet Potatoes- Fresh (Organic or Conventional)
Tomatoes- Fresh (Organic)
Peas- Frozen (Organic)
Fruits
Apples- Fresh or Unsweetened Apple Sauce (Organic)
Blueberries- Fresh or Frozen (Organic)
Strawberries- Fresh or Frozen (Organic)
Pears- Fresh (Organic)
Bananas- Fresh (Organic or Conventional)
Peaches- Fresh (Organic or Conventional)
Plums- Fresh (Organic or Conventional)
Protein/Carbs
Quinoa- (Organic)
Lentils- (Organic) – Best deal is a Walmart. See pic!
Brown Rice- (Organic)
Gluten Free Waffles (Non GMO at least)
Eggs- (Organic and Free Range) See pic for the Best brand on the market! I’ve only found at Walmart so far.
Snacks
Organic Rice Cakes- See Pic!
Gluten Free Rice Puffs- See Pic!
Food on the Go
Organic Food Pouches – See Pic! These have been a life saver to me when eating in a restaurant or if we have been out longer than expected and we get into lunch or dinnertime. There are many different brands, so always read the ingredients.
So, now that we have a good starter list of foods to prepare. Whatever do we do with them? Well, remember the title of the post… Boiled or Baked? That’s the extent of my cooking. Either boil it or bake it, then throw it in the Magic Bullet and Voila! You have pureed food, packed full of nutrition for your cute little baby! And, as they grow older and are being introduced to finger foods, you’ll notice most items on the list can just be cut up into little pieces after they’re cooked.
Happy Cooking! 😉 And, remember…
Healthy Food= Happy Baby=Happy Mama!!!
