meal times are quite busy now with having two kids to feed. with toddler snacks in between there, it's like I'm feeding kids allll.day.longgg. which quite literally, I kinda am. cause when you also add in nursing the baby...
BUT hello, I love food too, so I get it ;) and being a dietitian, I try so hard to be giving my kiddos wholesome, healthy food that is nutrient dense.
tanner is now eating three meals a day so when it's time to eat for harper, it's also now time to eat for tanner. so that makes for me spending A LOT of my day in the kitchen. I honestly don't mind much, cause again, I'm a dietitian (I've actually still got that active license even as a stay at home mama now) ;) so food is where it's at for me!
feeding two babes who are at two different stages can seem tough. like there is so much food to prep. I try my best to keep it simple.
here are a few things that we do & a few food ideas that we've found to work well.
(keep a lookout- I'm planning to do a post on 'meal' ideas for each age here in the near future) :)
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Tanner: (age 8 months):
for my ease, tanner eats when the rest of us eat. I also believe it's important to include everyone at meal time (even the baby). so much can be taught just through them watching us and I try my hardest for all meals to be eaten at the table with the tv turned
off.
this guy likes to be able to chew (gum) ;) his food so purees are out. giving him small, bitesized pieces is what he's been liking best.
each time tanner eats I try to have it include either a fruit or veggie paired with either some dairy or a whole grain.
simple foods that have been working well as of late: avocado, raspberries, banana, kiwi, whole wheat bread, whole grain cheerios, string cheese, plain whole milk greek yogurt.
how cute is this 'bear plate'!! nuby is one of my favorite baby brands. I've mentioned their sippy cups before (in our
7+8 month favorites) and how they just DON'T leak!! they have so many other great products too, like this
sure grip miracle mat. the fun colors, and the bear shape of the plate will bring more fun for tanner as he gets older too. and I just know the suction holding down the plate will become so wonderful as tanner enters the 'throwing everything on the floor stage' ;)
(we'll likely have to get ourselves another shape of the plate being that the ears of the bear make it a little big to suction tightly to our particular highchair tray). it still does the job for what we need now!
and I can't get over the cuteness of the bear face :) harper loves it too!
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Harper (age 2.5):
harper is a good eater and always has been. I am ever so thankful for that!
there have certainly been exceptions, but she eats all meals at the kitchen table and when it's meal time, that's what we're there to do. we try to limit the playing and distraction around her. of course we still try to make meal time fun and enjoyable, but also keeping it focused. harper eats whatever brandon and I eat. I don't make special food for her.
common foods:
--breakfast items: eggs, toast, fruit, oatmeal, peanut butter toast, greek yogurt
--lunch items: sandwiches (pb&j, turkey&cheese), meat + cheese + whole grain crackers, cucumber + carrots, apples, breast meat chicken nuggets
--dinner: whatever I've made for dinner that night. that's what we all have :) too much variety and things to mention here!
snacking:
harper generally has a snack between breakfast and lunch and then sometimes after nap, before dinner. depending on what time she wakes and when we're eating. I try to limit any snacks after 4:30pm.
--common snacks: string cheese, granola bar, whole grain goldfish, popcorn, cut fruit, carrots or pretzels + hummus, apple sauce pouch (from costco with no added ingredients), '
milk pouches' (from target), chocolate milk (made with carnation instant breakfast)
this
nuby snack n' sip cup is fun for harper. she loves her 'owl cup' so much. and it makes it fun for her to drink (even just plain old water) ;) out of it. and to make it extra fun for her, I can fill the top of her cup with her snack. her favorite to fill it with is goldfish :) but it's also just as easy to add in some cut fruit, whole grain cereal, or dried fruit. it's fun for her too, so it makes eating a healthy snack that much easier. and the best win for mama- it does not leak!
I've teamed up with Nuby to give away one of their cute bear character sure grip miracle mats! head over to my instagram (
@brittneyhjelseth) to enter! giveaway runs tuesday, march 28th through friday, march 31st. the winner will be announced by monday morning!
open to US residents only.
**I received these items for a review, but all opinions are my own :)
