Here’s our 19th round of Toddler Food…  Crazy!  I got a question a little while ago, and I thought I’d share.

I know that your daughter eats healthy foods, but can you share your “food philosophy” when it comes to feeding her? What do you try to avoid? Does she ever get treats? If so, what?

This question kind of made me giggle because I can just see my brother and sister-in-law rolling their eyes as I explain what’s important to us when choosing what to feed Gracen.  Of course, I believe that every parent has the right to make the choices that they feel are best for their children, but this is a loose explanation of our ‘food philosophy’…

When it comes to feeding Grae, we quite possibly could be referred to as tree-huggin’ granola crunchers (yes, we’re those parents).  We do our very best to ensure that she eats nutritious, whole foods and balanced meals.  We try to avoid added sugar and added salt at all costs and choose organic products when we can.

Other than sugar and salt, we try to avoid pre-made and packaged foods that are often filled with preservatives, chemicals, colours, and ingredients that are hard to pronounce. We don’t do fast food and although we’ve allowed her to try organic fresh-squeezed juices a couple of times, we don’t normally do juice either (she’s not a fan, which makes this very easy).

On the topic of treats… Yes, Gracen certainly gets them! But here’s the thing… The word ‘treat’ is very subjective and can mean different things to different families.  It’s all about what you know well and eat regularly.  For Grae, treats include no-sugar-added dried fruit, freeze-dried fruit, healthy homemade popsicles, two ingredient ice cream, crackers, homemade muffins, no-sugar added fruit leather, blueberry milk (her regular milk with frozen blueberries blended in), and anything else that is sort of out of the ordinary.  While other kids may not consider these things treats, Gracen does because they are things she only has once and a while.

I hope that covers the question!  Now onto the food…

Breakfast // Zucchini fritter. Okanagan cherries. Banana almond oatmeal smoothie (with added chia).

Breakfast // Pumpkin pie steel cut oats with plain organic yogurt and crushed pecans.

Breakfast // Toasted wholewheat fruit and nut bread with all-natural peanut butter.  Red plum slices.

Breakfast // Banana walnut steel cut oats with organic whole milk.

Snack // Crispy asiago edamame beans.

Snack // Garden mint (yes, she eats it on its own – weirdo). Garden strawberries.

Snack // Berry yogurt popsicle.

Snack // Red plum slices.

Lunch // Chicken enchilada. Refried beans. Avocado salad.

Lunch // Egg salad on omega sprouted grain bread. Veggie almond Israeli couscous salad. Fruit salad with lime mint dressing.

Lunch // Organic veggie pasta with roasted red pepper sauce and freshly grated asiago. Crispy asiago edamame.

{A random} Lunch // Edamame beans. Avocado. Mary’s Organic Crackers and jalapeño jack cheese. Blackberries. Mini wholewheat flax pancakes. Walnuts.

{Picnic} Lunch // Apple curry tuna salad in a wholewheat wrap. Crackers and cheese. Snap peas. Apple and orange slices. Odwalla Superfood Smoothie.

Dinner // Herb encrusted chicken breast. Wholewheat gnocchi with roasted red pepper sauce. Stewed garlic spinach.

Dinner {on a very hot day} // Quinoa fruit salad with lime mint dressing. Fresh veggies.

Dinner {on another very hot day} // Veggie almond Israeli couscous salad.

Dinner // Turkey oat sliders with fresh avocado, onion, garden lettuce, and old cheddar.

Dinner // Barbecued chicken. Green salad with seeds.  Roasted peppers, potatoes, and onions.

Dessert // Two ingredient mango ice cream (made using the same technique as regular two ingredient ice cream, but with fresh mango and yogurt).