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.