Well, I’m finally caught up on our vacation posts and I can get back to doing regular things like Toddler Food and Small Style posts – yay! It’s been a while and I have a lot share, so there will probably be a couple more of these coming very soon…

Breakfast // Cinnamon broiled grapefruit (surprisingly yummy!) Wholewheat walnut bread with all-natural peanut butter.

Breakfast // Wholewheat oat flax pancakes. Bananas and berries.

Breakfast // Strawberry flax smoothie. Mitten toast with all-natural peanut butter, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, and organic raisins.

Breakfast // Wholewheat oat flax pancakes with organic whole milk yogurt and fresh blueberries.

Breakfast // Organic o’s, homemade granola, toasted almonds, and banana coins.

Snack // Strawberries and a baby carrot straight from our backyard. ☺

Snack // Veggie-packed muffin.

Snack // Organic no-sugar-added mango. Unsweetened unsulfured apple rings.

Snack // Fruit cars.

Snack // Raw red onion pieces (not actually a snack, but the girl came back for handfuls of onion so many times while I was prepping dinner that I finally gave her a little bowl. So so so strange, this one).

Lunch // Organic veggie shell pasta and steamed veggies in a creamy garlic sauce.

Lunch // White tuna and old cheddar on multigrain flat bread. Steamed broccoli. 

{Picnic} Lunch // Fresh berries. Roasted red pepper hummus, veggies, and, and seedy flatbread. Watermelon chunks. Fresh pineapple. Rice seed crackers and old cheddar.

Lunch // Cheddar-broiled chickpea patty on a multigrain thin slider bun. Steamed asparagus.

Dinner // Roasted chicken. Organic veggie shell pasta and steamed veggies in a creamy garlic sauce. Spicy sautéed zucchini. Grape skewers for dessert.

Dinner // Brown rice roasted chicken casserole. Green salad with seeds.

Dinner // Homemade pizza. (Top: BBQ black bean with fresh avocado / Bottom: asparagus, feta, and turkey bacon)

Dinner // Turkey veggie stew.

Dinner // Barbecued chicken. Grilled asparagus. Baked potato. Peaches and cream corn on the cob.

Dinner // Chicken veggie soup.

Our 15th Toddler Food post…  Crazy!  Here’s this week’s question:

What are Gracen’s favourite foods?  I mean, things she’ll ALWAYS eat.

Good question!  While she eats almost everything, as she gets older, she’s definitely becoming more vocal about wanting certain things at certain times.  So although she may love bananas, she may not want a banana at the time you offer her one.

Here are the things she will almost never turn down: tofu cubes, steamed edamame beans, yogurt, watermelon, nuts, seeds, cottage cheese, crackers (especially these and these), energy bites, steamed carrots, avocado, frozen blueberries, granola, and freeze-dried berries.  Oh, and I mustn’t forget, what she calls ‘treats’… Organic, no-sugar-added fruit leather.  But who in their right mind would turn that down? 

Here’s some of what my munchkin ate this week…

Breakfast // Bear toast (squirrely bread, all-natural almond butter, banana coins, and organic raisins).

Breakfast // Breakfast burrito (flax wrap, scrambled free-range eggs, grated cheddar, and salsa).  Orange slices and banana coins.

Breakfast // Apple sandwiches.

Breakfast // Veggie quiche (artichoke hearts, asparagus, onions, sun-dried tomatoes, and mozzarella).  Roasted potatoes.  Fruit and cinnamon yogurt fruit dip.

Breakfast // Organic plain whole milk yogurt with homemade granola and freeze-dried raspberries.

Brunch // Multigrain french toast with all-natural almond butter.  Berries.  Turkey bacon.  Over-hard free-range egg.

Snack // Wild rice sticks and fresh pineapple.

Snack // Plain organic whole milk yogurt with berries.

Snack // White nectarine slices.  Energy bites (made this time with peanut butter instead of almond butter, raisins instead of large chopped nuts, and less than the 1/4 cup of honey/pure maple syrup we used last time).

Snack // Fresh raspberries.

Snack // Wild rice sticks and old-fashioned white cheese curds.

Lunch // Egg salad on multigrain flax bread. Steamed edamame beans. Berries.

Lunch // Burgoo‘s gooey cheese griller and sunset corn and chicken soup.  Steamed carrot coins and edamame beans.

 Lunch // Leftover salsa-baked chicken. Carrot coins and edamame.  Roasted red pepper humus and flax flatbread.

Lunch // Fruit salad.  Flax flatbread with roasted red pepper humus.  Veggie-packed muffin. Carrot coins and edamame (gheez – enough with these already!)

Dinner // Southwest turkey chili (with sautéed red, orange, and yellow peppers this time) and grated cheddar.

Dinner // Mediterranean green salad with avocado.  Corn on the cob.  Creamy dill potatoes. Salsa-baked chicken.

Dinner // Peanut chicken.  Steamed asparagus and carrots.  Sesame buckwheat soba noodles.

Dinner // Mexican rice bowl (brown rice, sautéed onions and peppers, roasted corn, avocado, and salsa-baked chicken – goodness gracious – was I in a salsa chicken rut this week or what?!)

Another week, another Toddler Food post…  Enjoy!

Breakfast // Plain organic whole yogurt with hemp hearts, ground flax, and white nectarines.

Breakfast // Wholewheat flax crepe with bananas and all-natural almond butter.
Breakfast // Veggie parmesan scramble.  Hami melon.  Wholewheat oat pancake with all-natural almond butter.

Breakfast // Fruit salad.  Toasted Ezekiel hearts with all-natural peanut butter and Crofter’s Organic Just Fruit Spread.
Breakfast // Organic o’s.  Grapefruit sections.  Plain organic whole yogurt with Chia Goodness, pumpkin seeds, and sunflower seeds.

Snack // Rye crisp bread with all-natural cream cheese and avocado.
Snack // Endurance cracker.

Snack // Banana bites with all-natural almond butter and organic dried cranberries (from bottom left: raw sunflower seeds, unsweetened coconut, sesame seeds, raw peanuts).
Snack // No-salt-added chickpeas.  Endurance crackers with all-natural cream cheese and almond butter.

Snack // Cottage cheese.
Snack // Wholewheat flax crepe roll-ups (peanut butter and banana).

Snacks & Lunch // Larabar.  Wholewheat flatbread sandwich with all-natural peanut butter, seeds, and raisins. No-salt-added chickpeas. Orange pepper slices.  Purple grapes. Pecan, cranberry, and pumpkin seed trail mix.  Freeze-dried raspberries.
Snacks & Lunch // Multigrain breadsticks.  Endurance crackers. Cheddar cubes. Mixed dried / freeze-dried fruit.  Carrot.  Wholewheat flax crepe roll-up with all-natural peanut butter. No-salt-added chickpeas.

Lunch // Creamy wholewheat spaghetti with fresh spinach and roasted chicken.

Lunch // Almond, apple, cranberry chicken salad on peasant farmer flax bread.  Blueberries.  Cheese.
Lunch // Spicy black bean pasta salad (brown rice flax rotini, no-salt-added black beans, red and yellow peppers, red onion, cheddar cheese, cilantro lime dressing, and chili flakes).
Dinner // Veggie peanut stir-fry on wholewheat pasta.
Dinner // Roasted chicken, avocado, spinach, and cranberry wrap.

Dinner // Chicken and bean burrito baked in tomatillo sauce with mozzarella cheese.  Mexican green salad with cilantro lime vinaigrette.
Dinner // Shrimp and veggie buckwheat soba noodle soup.

Dinner // Chicken, veggie, and wild rice soup.
Dinner // Turkey and spinach lasagna.  Green salad with feta and seeds.

Special drink // Vegan no-sugar-added chocolate mint smoothie.  (This was her first taste of anything remotely chocolate, and she was NOT a fan!)

Okay, so on to week 13 of Toddler Food…  This week, a fellow blogger asked:

Do you mind me asking how much you spend on groceries per week?

Ugh…  I don’t even know if I want to say in case it’s a ridiculously high number in comparison to other families!  Although it’s less than what we regularly spent in Kuwait (KD 50 – 60, which equals out to about $200), it does seem like a lot when taking into account our back-to-making-Canadian-dollars budget.  The answer is – we normally spend about $150 per week.  That’s for our little family of three and includes basic toiletries, cleaners, and some organic items (mostly for Grae).  About $110 to $120 of it is spent at a regular grocery store and the other $30 to $40 is spent at the market on fresh produce. Is it just me, or does that seem like a lot?  We have started regularly taking big stock up trips down to the States, which, although not good for our Canadian economy, do save us a pile of money (and filling up our tank while down there makes the trip even more worth while!), but I find a small cart full of ‘just the essentials’ here in Vancouver easily adds up to $100 or more. I don’t know, maybe it’s just me.

Anyways, on to what the little miss has chowed down on recently…
Breakfast // Breakfast banana split (baby banana halved vertically, 2 mini scoops of Greek yogurt, a drizzle of all-natural almond butter, a sprinkling of organic oats, and strawberries on top!)

Breakfast // Greek yogurt with Chia Goodness, banana bits, and cinnamon.
Breakfast // {Heart-shaped organic} egg in a {wholewheat multigrain} basket.  Banana slices and blueberries.

Breakfast // Cream of Wheat with Mama’s yogurt mix and whole organic milk.  Apple slices and a grape daisy (which very quickly became apple cars).

Snack // Red grapes.

Snack // Cereal mix (organic o’s, organic shredded wheat, jumbo raisins, and raw almonds).

Snack // Raw pumpkin seeds, raw sunflower seeds, and no-sugar-added freeze-dried raspberries.

Snacks & Lunch {on the go} // All-natural brown rice sticks.  Raw cashews.  Organic apple chips.  Veggie sandwich on artisan multigrain (all-natural cream cheese, fresh spinach, and avocado). Blueberries.  Steamed edamame. Organic no-sugar-added fruit leather.

Snacks & Lunch {on the go} // Avocado.  Organic apple chips.  Peanut butter and oat cracker sandwiches.  Almonds and walnuts.  Strawberry slices.  Carrot.

Lunch //  Homemade creamy tomato basil soup (made with pureed red lentils for added protein) with homemade wholewheat croutons, fresh parmesan, and herbs.

Lunch // Chickpea patty with parmesan and avocado on a multigrain bun.  Grapefruit sections.
Lunch // Mexican rice bowl (brown rice, no-salt-added black beans, corn, and tomatillo sauce topped with cheddar, avocado, and fresh cilantro).

Dinner // Homemade tomato and brown rice {medley} soup.  Curried tuna salad (low sodium white tuna, green apple, corn, green onions, curry powder, black pepper, and just a touch of olive oil mayonnaise) on fresh garden greens (leaf lettuce, spinach, and beet greens). 
Dinner // Red coconut curry with steamed veggies and roasted wild haddock on organic wholewheat couscous.

Dinner // Chicken cashew stir-fry with black bean sauce, wholewheat noodles, and fresh cilantro.
Dinner // Tomato, spinach, and orzo soup with fresh parmesan.  Multigrain bread sticks.
Dinner // Red chicken curry with steamed veggies and egg noodles.

Here it is…  Round 12 of Toddler Food.  I received a question/comment from a reader this week and thought I’d share.

I’d love to see the inside of your fridge and cupboards with all of the food you make!  Which items do you always have on hand (for each food group if you don’t mind)?

I feel like there are a ton of essentials we always try to keep on hand, but we buy many of them in bulk, so they’re not all things we buy each week, which makes grocery shopping a lot easier. Okay, here goes…

Fruits – Bananas, apples, frozen berries, canned no-salt-added tomatoes, avocado, and no-sugar-added dried fruit.

Veggies – Onions, carrots, fresh or frozen spinach, frozen peas, frozen corn, and fresh herbs.

Dairy – Whole organic milk (for Grae), skim milk (for Mama and Papa), plain organic whole milk yogurt (for Grae), vanilla greek yogurt (for Mama and Papa), old cheddar, and all-natural cream cheese.

Proteins – Chicken breasts, ground turkey, all-natural peanut butter, all-natural almond butter, almonds, walnuts, pumpkins seeds, sunflower seeds, ground flax seeds, canned no-salt-added beans, organic quinoa, and  frozen edamame beans.

Grains – Wholegrain seedy bread, healthy seedy crackers, wholewheat pasta, brown rice, organic no-sugar-added cereal, old-fashioned oats, and wholewheat flour.

Fats – Olive oil.

Oh.  And tea!  I have no idea which group it belongs in, but we always have tea in the house.  A pot of tea at the end of the day is pretty much a nightly tradition around here.

With that, here are some of the things our little lady ate this week:

Breakfast // Chia Goodness made with whole organic milk.  Strawberries, blueberries, and apple slices.

Breakfast // Organic eggs scrambled with garlic, sun-dried tomatoes, mozzarella, and herbs.  Toasted Sovital bread drizzled with olive oil.  Watermelon sticks.  Strawberries and blueberries.

Breakfast // Wholewheat oat pancakes drizzled with all-natural almond butter.  Banana slices.

Breakfast // Organic shredded wheat cereal with bananas, strawberries, and whole, organic milk.

Snack // Frozen organic blueberries (one of the easiest and most loved snacks in our house).

Snack // Banana bites (clockwise from left: almond butter and raw sunflower seeds, almond butter with brown rice crisps and raisins, peanut butter with unsweetened coconut, peanut butter with homemade granola).

Snack // Stovetop-popped popcorn.

Snack // Apple slices with all-natural peanut butter and organic oats.

Lunch // Wholewheat noodles with steamed veggies, tofu, black bean sauce, and sesame seeds.

Snacks & Lunch {on the go} // Tofu cubes.  Energy bites.  All-natural turkey, spinach, and avocado on Sovital bread.  Satsuma sections.  Cheddar slices.  Baby banana.

Lunch // Organic wholewheat elk pasta with parmesan, avocado, and garlic.

Lunch // Spinach and tortellini soup with veggies and multigrain breadsticks.

Dinner // Corn on the cob.  Roasted cajun chicken.  Brown rice medley with black barley and daikon radish seeds.

Dinner // Homemade wholewheat thin crust pizza (on left: BBQ chicken with roasted red peppers, red onions, and herbs, on the right:  roasted zucchini, red pepper, yellow pepper, artichoke, broccoli, red onion, and sun-dried tomato).

Dinner // Creamy baby potatoes with fresh dill {from our garden!} Roasted carrot. Steamed beets.  Roasted chicken.  Fresh corn {off the cob}.

 

Dessert // Refreshing watermelon ice pop.

Dessert // Mango smoothie popsicle.

♥

Our little lady seems to be on an eating binge these last few days.  If we didn’t know her better, it’d almost be alarming.  She piles away huge portions of food during her snack and meal times, and then just after we get her hands and faced washed, she’s asking for something more.  It’s quite amazing, actually.  She’s like a bottomless pit.  Luckily, we know that she goes through these stages every now and again.  She eats everything in sight for about a week, and then everything suddenly levels out and goes back to normal again.  Here is some of what she ate the past week:

Breakfast // Organic Greek yogurt with bananas, blueberries, strawberries, and a sprinkling of chia.

Breakfast // Multigrain bagel with all-natural cream cheese and avocado.  Strawberry slices.

Breakfast // Wholewheat oat waffle with Greek yogurt and fresh blueberries.

Breakfast // Toasted wholewheat cinnamon raisin bagel with all-natural peanut butter, banana slices, and organic raisins.

Breakfast // Toasted Sovital bread (dark 11 gain rye) with olive oil and avocado.  Cottage cheese.  Blueberries.

Snack // Homemade pita crisps.

Snack // Energy bite.

{Outdoor Picnic} Snacks // Watermelon slices.  Energy bites.  Blueberries.

Snack // ‘Lulu Mix’ ( pecans, walnuts, almonds, pistachios, pumpkin seeds, organic raisins, organic cranberries, organic corn puffs).

Snacks & Lunch {on the go} // Watermelon chunks.  Blueberries.  Apple slices.  Mozzarella slices. Mini turkey and oat meatloaf.  Veggie penne noodles.  Raw almonds.  Avocado.

Lunch // Veggie sandwich on Sovital bread (all-natural cream cheese, cucumbers, spinach, avocado, and red onion). Steamed edamame.  Blueberries and strawberries.

Lunch // Grilled {all-natural} turkey, mozzarella, and spinach on chia bread.  Orange slices.

Lunch {on the go} // Turkey and oat meatballs.  Cheddar cubes.  Carrot coins.  Strawberry slices.  Avocado chunks. Veggie penne noodles.  Multigrain flatbread.

Lunch {out with Mama on Mother’s Day} // Bradner Farms Flatbread Pizza (organic free-range chicken, nut-free pesto, roasted red peppers, and red onions) from the Rocky Mountain Flatbread Company.

Lunch // Tortellini Salad (all-natural cheese tortellini, avocado, sun-dried tomato, artichoke hearts, toasted pine nuts, olive oil, red chili flakes, and freshly-ground pepper).

Dinner // Quinoa bowl (organic quinoa with spicy piri piri sauce, sautéed red onions, red peppers, and yellow peppers, grated mozzarella, and avocado chunks).

Dinner // Baked vegetable ziti (veggie penne, zucchini, broccoli, spinach, homemade tomato sauce, ricotta, and mozzarella).  Mini turkey and oat meatloaf.

Dinner // Seedy turkey and oat burger topped with fresh veggies and cheddar on a multigrain flatbread bun.

Dinner // Teriyaki chicken on sticky rice (a special treat).  Steamed edamame.  Steamed broccoli.

Dinner // Chicken roasted with garlic and fresh rosemary.  Roasted carrots, baby potatoes, and beets.

Dessert // Healthy{ish} strawberry rhubarb crisp.

Dessert // Yogurt berry pop.

{A Special} Drink // Frothy raspberry milk.

Breakfast // Pepper-enclosed organic egg.  Fresh mango.  Toasted chia flax bread with olive oil.

Breakfast // Banana nut breakfast couscous (organic wholewheat couscous, milk, walnuts, bananas, vanilla, and cinnamon).

Breakfast // Wholewheat oat waffles with greek yogurt and fresh strawberries.

Breakfast // All-natural shredded wheat cereal with unsweetened coconut and raw sunflower seeds (Miss G’s choice of toppings).

Snack // All-nautral wild rice sticks.

Snack // Homemade energy bite.

Snacks & Lunch // Freeze-dried berries, dried mango, and dried banana.  Mango cashew trail mix. Cucumber and red paper strips with homemade tzatziki. Quinoa bites.  Baby banana.

{Stroller Fitness} Snacks & Lunch //  Mary’s Organic Seed Crackers.  All-natural banana chips.  Cranberry pistachio trail mix.  Steamed edamame beans.  Mango chunks.  Almond butter, organic oats, and organic raisins on chia flax bread.

Lunch // Curried chickpea salad on grilled chia flax bread.  Avocado chunks.

Lunch // Chickpea salad wholewheat wrap.  Banana slices and apple chunks.  Watermelon cubes.

Lunch // Creamy tuna and herb wholewheat fusili.

Dinner // Homemade chicken, brown rice, and veggie soup.  Cape seed roll grilled with mozzarella and herbs.

Dinner // Wholewheat spaghetti with turkey tomato basil sauce.  Roasted spaghetti squash with parmesan. Steamed beets.

Dinner // Roasted veggie pesto pizza (sundried tomato pesto sauce, zucchini, orange pepper, red onion, and mushrooms with mozzarella and feta).  Banana almond oat smoothie.

Dinner // Parmesan veggie quinoa bites.  Homemade tzatziki sauce.  Arugula and avocado salad.

Dinner // Veggie and shrimp stir-fry on buckwheat soba noodles.

Dinner // Southwest turkey chili with avocado chunks.

Dessert // Organic Greek yogurt with chopped almonds and organic dried cranberries.

{Fancy} drink // Citrus mint watermelon cooler.

Drink // Triple berry smoothie.

Here it is…  Our ninth instalment of Toddler Food.  Please don’t mind the fact that it looks as though I only fed my child lunch and dinner every other day this week…  I promise, she was well fed everyday!  The lack of photos means one of two things – either there were a lot of leftovers involved (very possible) or I simply forgot to take photos (very possible also).  Anyways, here’s a question I got from a fellow mommy this week:

Is there anything your baby doesn’t eat?  How do you handle it?

The answer is yes, there sure is!  It’s a strange one because it seems like such a kid / North American staple, but she does not like potatoes and has never liked them.  It doesn’t matter if they’re mashed, roasted, boiled, baked, or pan-fried, she puts them in her mouth, starts to chew, and immediately begins scraping her tongue off with her pudgy little hand.  So weird.  The other thing she really doesn’t seem to enjoy is raw tomato (I don’t blame her – I don’t enjoy them either! ☺)  She eats cooked tomatoes, tomato sauces and soups, but will always leave raw tomatoes on her plate.  I must say, we’re very lucky as those are really the only two things she doesn’t seem to like.

As far as how we handle it goes, I guess we kind of don’t “handle” it at all…  (Is that bad?)  If potatoes or raw tomatoes are included in the meal we’re eating, we put some on her plate, and let her eat as usual.  We may encourage her to try them if she’s tried everything else and not touched them, but in all honesty, we just kind of leave it.  If she eats them, she eats them, and if she doesn’t, she doesn’t.  (Again, this laid-back approach is very likely due to the fact that she’s a fantastic little eater and we’re never really worried about whether or not she’s getting enough nutrients / calories / vitamins / food groups.)

Here are some of the meals our growing little girl ate this week:

Breakfast // Wholewheat oat pancakes with stewed berries.

Breakfast // French chia and flax toast with berries and bananas.  Watermelon sticks.

Breakfast // Toasted Chia and flax bread with all-natural peanut butter and Crofter’s Organic Just Fruit Spread. Hard cooked organic egg. Fruit slices.

Breakfast // Breakfast banana split (banana, all-natural almond butter, plain organic whole milk yogurt, organic oats, organic raisins, strawberry slices, and a sprinkling of cinnamon).

Breakfast // Breakfast bagel (broiled cheese, scrambled organic egg, and avocado slices) with sliced strawberries.

Breakfast // Organic Greek yogurt with strawberry slices, mango chunks, and hemp hearts.

Snack // Multigrain Melba Toasts with toppings (all-natural cream cheese and avocado / garlic scape pesto and fresh grated parmesan / all-natural almond butter with hemp hearts, chia, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, and raisins).

Snack // Mango chunks and fresh raspberries.

Snack // Pistachio, pecan, walnut, and cranberry trail mix.

Snack // Organic crispy apple chips.

Snacks {on the go} // No-salt-added black beans.  Mozzarella cubes.  Pistachio, pecan, walnut, and cranberry trail mix. Homemade wholewheat cheddar crackers. Red pepper slices. Watermelon cubes. Apple slices.

Snack // Homemade wholewheat cheddar crackers.

Snack / Lunch {on the go} // Pistachio, pecan, walnut, and cranberry trail mix.  Red pepper slices and carrot sticks. Mozzarella cubes.  Roasted chicken and avocado wrap.  Watermelon chunks. Apple slices.

Snack / Lunch {on the go} // Cape seed roll drizzled with olive oil.  Baby banana. Shredded grilled chicken.  Steamed carrot sticks.  Pistachio, pecan, walnut, and cranberry trail mix.  Organic no-sugar-added fruit leather.  Homemade wholewheat cheddar crackers.

Lunch // Chicken, black bean, and veggie quesadilla with salsa, guacamole, and sour cream.

Lunch //  Leftover Sunset Corn and Chicken Soup from Burgoo.  Homemade wholewheat cheddar crackers.  Steamed broccoli and carrots.

Dinner // Cheddar and broccoli elk pasta.  Grilled chicken breast. Peas and corn.

Dinner // Sushi salad (brown rice, steamed carrots, edamame beans, nori, green onions, and sesame seeds) with grilled shrimp and avocado slices.

Dinner {out at Burgoo} // Gooey Cheese Griller on multigrain.  Sunset Corn and Chicken Soup with crema fresca and fresh cilantro.

Dinner // Rainbow cabbage salad (red pepper, carrots, yellow pepper, edamame beans, fresh herbs, purple cabbage, roasted sesame seeds, and Little Creek) with grilled garlic shrimp.

♥

It’s crazy to me that this is the eighth Toddler Food post I’ve done…  Seriously, where has two months gone?! As they say, time really does fly when you’re having fun. Cheesey, but true.

On a different note, can you tell that we’re early risers and our house is still dark when we eat breakfast?  I have to apologize for all of the terrible morning photographs!  With summer on it’s way, hopefully that won’t be a problem for much longer.

Anyways, here’s a  look at some of the things our little doodlebug ate this past week:

Breakfast // Wholewheat flax pancake with plain organic whole milk yogurt, strawberries, and blackberries.

Breakfast // Avocado and cheese on sprouted grain sesame bread.  Fruit salad.

Breakfast // Baked blueberry and banana oatmeal with organic whole milk.

Breakfast // Toasted 12 grain flax bagel with all-natural cream cheese and avocado slices.

Breakfast // Multigrain french toast with almond butter.  Strawberries, blackberries, and black grapes.

Snack // Organic corn puffs, organic brown rice puffs, organic cranberries, and organic raisins.

{A Papa & Grae} Snack // Unsalted in-shell peanuts.

Snacks {on the go} // Raw almonds. Roasted garlic parmesan chickpeas.  Strawberries and blackberries.  Steamed edamame beans.  {Apple} LARABAR (one of our diaper bag staples).

Snack // Raw almonds.

{A Silly} Snack // Raw walnuts.  Black grapes.  Strawberry half. Cantaloupe slice.

Snack // Cheddar cubes. Raw almonds. Apple slices.

Snacks / Lunch {on the go and barely visible due to a sneaky little hand) // No-salt-added chickpeas.  Mary’s Organic Seed Crackers. Tofu chunks.  Organic no-sugar-added fruit leather. Red pepper strips.  Avocado half. Raw walnuts. Strawberry halves. Apple slices.

Snacks / Lunch {on the go} // All-natural peanut butter and Crofter’s Organic Just Fruit Spread on a cape seed roll.  Fruit salad.  Tofu cubes.  Red pepper slices and carrot coins.  Multigrain Melba Toasts.

Lunch // Veggie and quinoa soup.  Grilled mozzarella on seedy flatbread.

Dinner // Chicken and spinach lasagna.

Dinner // Warm chicken, grape, almond, and wild rice salad.  Spinach and avocado with Little Creek dressing.  Wholewheat pita.

Dinner // Wholewheat spaghetti with homemade roasted tomato basil sauce.  Edamame salad.  Grilled chicken.  Steamed beets.

Dinner // Turkey lasagna soup.

Dinner // White bean and arugula pasta salad (wholewheat fusilli, no-salt-added beans, arugula, feta, red onion, avocado, olive oil, and red wine vinegar).

Dinner // Wild rice with toasted almonds and grilled chicken.  Oven-baked parmesan zucchini chips.  Steamed broccoli with all-natural cheddar.

Dessert // Cantaloupe chunks.  Watermelon chunks.

Dessert // Banana almond flax yogurt pop.

Dessert // Plain organic whole milk yogurt with banana slices, organic oats, and raw sunflower seeds.

Dessert // Berry yogurt pop.

Here it is…  Our 7th round of Toddler Food.  I got this question this question from a fellow mama this week and I thought I’d share:

How do you get your little girl to eat everything on her plate?  Also, do you spoon feed her, or does she feed herself?

To be honest, the answer to the first question is we don’t. Instead, we let her eat as much as she wants to eat, and when she says she’s done, we wash her hands and face and then let her be done.  We’d rather her learn to listen to her body and stop eating when she’s no longer hungry than make her eat a determined amount of food based on what we think is right.  Now keep in mind that she’s a perfectly healthy little girl who has always eaten a variety of foods, gained weight well, and reached her milestones “on time”, so we really have no worries about her growth or development (I’m sure we may feel differently otherwise).  That’s not to say that we don’t do things to encourage her to eat good meals, because we definitely do.  Firstly, we try to make sure that she doesn’t snack all day long, thus making sure that’s she’s actually hungry at mealtimes (we normally stick to the routine of breakfast, morning snack, lunch, afternoon snack, and then dinner).  Secondly, we all sit down to eat together (when Brad’s home, otherwise it’s Gracen and I) and eat the same meals (no separate kid meals, thank goodness!)  Lastly, although we rarely have the TV on while Grae is awake, we make sure it’s off during meals and often listen to music instead.

As for spoon feeding her vs. letting her feed herself, she pretty much always feeds herself, even if it’s something like soup or yogurt.  She definitely likes to be independent (a like that started very early on) so she’s actually fed herself for a long while already.  Sometimes she uses a spoon or fork,  and sometimes she uses her hands.  We’ve embraced the fact that mealtimes are going to be messy and just let her do her thing and worry about cleaning up afterwards (on days where everything in a 5 foot radius is covered with quinoa, I remind myself that feeding herself is great for her fine motor development).  Of course, if she asks for help or needs assistance getting those last couple of bites, we help her.

Whew!  Those were long answers for what seemed like fairly simple questions.  Anyways, on with some of the things Miss G ate this week…

Breakfast // All-natural peanut butter and bananas on toasted multigrain artisan bread.  Organic plain whole milk yogurt with Back to Earth’s Weeds & Seeds (buckwheat, hulled hemp seeds, sesame seeds, chia, dandelion leaf, plantain leaf, black currants, and cinnamon) and strawberries.

Breakfast // Organic plain whole milk yogurt with hemp hearts, chia, diced apple, dried organic cranberries, and a sprinkling of cinnamon.

Breakfast // Mango chunks and strawberry slices.  Cream of wheat with cinnamon and organic whole milk.

Breakfast // Avocado and organic egg scramble.  Sprouted grain sesame toast drizzled with olive oil.  Banana coins.

Snack // Apple cars (one of G’s favourites – she zooms them around until the wheels fall off before eating them).

Snack // Plain stovetop-popped popcorn.

Snack // Tofu cubes.

Snack // Walnuts. Almonds. Strawberry slices.

Snack / Lunch {on the go} // All-natural almond butter and bananas on multigrain artisan bread. Cucumber slice, orange sections, black grapes, and carrot sticks.  Cheese cubes.  Tofu cubes.

Lunch // Brown rice with spicy black beans and veggies, cheese, and fresh avocado.

Lunch // Homemade tomato basil brown rice soup.  Grilled mozzarella and pesto on multigrain artisan bread.

Lunch // Tuscan white bean salad (white beans, avocado, steamed beets, cucumbers, fresh parsley, fresh basil, grape seed oil, and balsamic vinegar).

Lunch {on the go} // Veggie sandwich (avocado, cucumber, spinach, and cheese) on sprouted grain sesame bread.  Mango cubes and strawberry slices.  Cheese cubes.  Carrot stick.  No-salt-added chickpeas.

Dinner //  Baked chicken and refried bean burritos.  Homemade guacamole.

{Breakfast for} Dinner (a while Papa’s working late special) // Veggie and egg scramble (organic eggs, zucchini, sun-dried tomatoes, onions, garlic, herbs, and mozzarella).  Carrot walnut pancakes with cinnamon yogurt drizzle.  Orange sections and black grapes.

Dinner {out} // Steamed nori.  Veggie roll.  Edamame beans.  Steamed broccoli. Green salad. Teriyaki chicken on rice.

Dinner // Veggie and bean pasta and cheese (Don’t see any veggies? The sauce is made with chickpeas, steamed carrots, onions, zucchini, garlic, cheese, herbs, and spices.  A great option if you need to ‘trick’ your kid into eating more veggies.)

Dinner // Corn on the cob.  Roasted chicken. Tuscan white bean salad (white beans, avocado, steamed beets, cucumbers, fresh parsley, fresh basil, grape seed oil, and balsamic vinegar). Veggie and bean pasta and cheese.

Dinner // Crusted baked tilapia.  Spinach fettuccine  with basil pesto and roasted pine nuts.  Steamed carrots and peas.

I’ve received some really good feedback about these Toddler Food posts, so I’ll keep them coming for the next little while.  There are two questions I’ve received several times each, so I thought I’d share the answers in case anyone else is wondering the same things…

Do you cook something new for every single meal / snack?

No.  Absolutely not!  We’re all about the leftovers in our house.  None of us mind eating the same thing two days in a row and it makes my job a heck of a lot easier, so I’ll often cook a big dinner in order to have an easy lunch the following day.  And as far as snacks go, there’s rarely any cooking involved.  I keep them very simple (or extremely simple judging by this week’s photos of orange slices and banana chips) and most often I can have a snack on the table in 60 seconds or less.

Where did you get Gracen’s vintage-looking Peter Rabbit dishes?

All of the dishes actually used to belong to Bradley when he was a little boy!  The ones that are date stamped are labeled 1981 to 1984, making them actual vintage by most standards, I guess.  I love the fact that our little lady eats off of the same plates that her Papa did nearly 30 years ago.

So with that, here are some of the things Miss G ate this week…

Breakfast // Wholewheat carrot walnut pancakes with all-natural almond butter and cinnamon yogurt drizzle.

Breakfast // Cream of Wheat with flax, blueberries, toasted almonds, and whole organic milk.

Breakfast // Plain organic whole yogurt with hemp hearts, chia, and fresh fruit.  Toasted seedy multigrain with a drizzle of olive oil and avocado slices.

Breakfast // Toasted multigrain artisan bread with all-natural almond butter, organic raisins, and raw sunflower seeds (a combo Grae chose on her own).  Mango cubes and strawberry slices.

Breakfast {a very lazy one at least} // Organic shredded wheat cereal with freeze-dried strawberries and blueberries and whole organic milk.

Easter Brunch // Fruit salad.  Blueberry bran muffin section.  Veggie omelet.  Roasted potatoes.

Snacks {on the go} // Organic corn puffs, walnuts, dried apples, and organic dried cranberries.

Snack // Orange slices.

Snacks {on the go} // Avocado.  Carrot sticks.  Strawberries.

Snack // Multigrain melba toasts with all-natural cream cheese and cucumbers / strawberries.

Snack // Organic no-sugar-added banana chips (a new treat).

Lunch // Organic egg salad and red leaf lettuce wrap.  Fresh veggies and all-natural dip.

Lunch // Turkey avocado sandwich (all-natural low-sodium turkey breast, avocado slices, pepper jack cheese, red leaf lettuce, and cucumber slices on multigrain artisan bread).

Lunch {on the go} // Ravioli avocado pasta salad.  Organic cottage cheese.  Mixed nuts.  Apple slices and black grapes.

Lunch // Warm orzo salad (orzo, steamed asparagus, avocado, red pepper, green onion, black beans, cucumber, olive oil, and spices).

Lunch // Spicy black bean veggie soup with sour cream and fresh avocado.  Organic sprouted grain sesame bread grilled with olive oil and herbs.

Dinner // Wholewheat pasta with steamed spinach, roasted garlic, toasted pine nuts, and feta cheese.

Dinner // Authentic Italian ravioli with homemade tomato basil sauce and seedy turkey and oat meatballs.  Pan-seared zucchini with red peppers, onions, and cajun spices.

Dinner // Grilled wild Alaskan cod with garlic, onions, lemon, and fresh herbs.  Steamed carrots with olive oil and dill.  Mixed harvest grains (Israeli-style couscous, orzo, baby garbanzo beans, and red quinoa).

Dinner // Hot and sweet chicken wrapped in turkey bacon (G does not usually eat turkey bacon, but this was a celebratory meal after getting some good news earlier in the day, so we made an exception).  Red nugget potatoes with olive oil, sour cream, and fresh rosemary.  Steamed broccoli and asparagus.

Dessert // Berry yogurt pop.

Dessert // Whole organic yogurt with banana slices and all-natural almond butter.

Breakfast // Baked blueberry banana oatmeal with whole organic milk.

Breakfast // All-natural peanut butter and banana slices on a multigrain bagel.  Organic cottage cheese.  Fruit slices.

Breakfast // Cream of Wheat with walnuts, whole organic milk, and a sprinkling of cinnamon.  Apple slices. Fresh blueberries.

Breakfast // Wholewheat pancakes with all-natural almond butter.  Scrambled eggs.  Strawberry, kiwi, and banana slices.

Breakfast // Multigrain cinnamon french toast.  Plain organic whole yogurt with Back to Earth’s Weeds & Seeds (buckwheat, hulled hemp seeds, sesame seeds, chia, dandelion leaf, plantain leaf, black currants, and cinnamon).  Fresh strawberry slices.

Breakfast // Organic egg and pepper jack cheese on a wholewheat English muffin.  Strawberries.  Avocado slices.  Watermelon.

Special Drink // Blueberry milk.

Snack // Dried organic mango.  Dried organic banana.

Tea Party Treats // Raw almonds, walnuts, kamut puffs, and dried apple pears.

Snack // Apple sandwiches (all with all-natural peanut butter and old-fashioned oats, one with sunflower seeds and raisins, another with sliced almonds and dried cranberries, and the other with unsweetened coconut).

Lunch // Tomato spinach orzo soup topped with feta.  Tuna melt sandwich.

Lunch // Cheesy radiatore noodles.  Steamed carrots with olive oil and black pepper.  Edamame beans and green peas.

Dinner // Homemade chicken noodle veggie soup. Multigrain flax flatbread grilled with garlic and parmesan. Whole organic milk.

Lunch // Multigrain artisan bread with organic artichoke pesto.  Cottage cheese.  Veggies.  Apple chunks.

Lunch {on the go} // Grilled mozzarella and avocado on multigrain artisan bread.  Tofu chunks.  Carrot sticks.  Water melon chunks.  Strawberry slices.

Lunch // Mexican soup (harvest grains, black beans, corn, onions, tomatoes, jalapeños, and celery) with shredded pepper jack cheese, tortilla crisps, avocado slices, and a dollop of sour cream.

Dinner // Chicken, wild rice, and grape salad in multigrain flax pockets.  Potato wedges.

Dinner //  Wholewheat rotini with turkey tomato basil sauce. Roasted veggies.  Steamed beets.

Dinner // Mexican Harvest Grain Bowl.  Mixed harvest grains (Israeli-style couscous, orzo, baby garbanzo beans, and red quinoa).  Sautéed veggies (onions, celery, tomatoes, jalapeños, and corn).  Black beans. Shredded cajun chicken.  Fresh avocado slices.

Dessert // Watermelon.

Dessert // Plain organic whole yogurt with Back to Earth’s Weeds & Seeds (buckwheat, hulled hemp seeds, sesame seeds, chia, dandelion leaf, plantain leaf, black currants, and cinnamon).

Dessert // Banana almond yogurt pop.