Nutritious, Delicious Kid Friendly Food

Is anyone else sick and tired of feeding their kids, how do I put this, well, CRAP! Miss H seems to subsist on hot dogs, chicken nuggets, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, and "cheesy noodles." I try to get her to eat what we eat for dinner, but that doesn't usually go over well.

I know, I know. She is a toddler. She is too busy to eat. Pick your battles, etc., etc.

But guess what? I feel guilty about letting her eat that stuff. So I got a little motivated today to try out some kid-friendly nutritious recipes to try to get some vitamins in the little lady.

(Did I mention she has a hacking cough and a fever? This could be the reason for my motivation....)

I found these recipes in my baby cookbook, Baby Bites by Bridget Swinney.

First up I decided to try a Maui smoothie. Whenever I purchase a smoothie for my enjoyment, Miss H inevitably ends up drinking some all of it.

• 1/2 Cup pineapple packed in juice, frozen (I used one bowl of Dole Pineapple tidbits)
• 1/2 Frozen banana (I cut a whole banana up into slices and put it in a ziploc bag in the freezer)
• 1 cup plain yogurt (I used Vanilla flavored)
• Honey to taste (for babies older than 1 year)
• Blend all ingredients and serve.

Perfection! It was thin enough to sip through a straw, which Miss H loves. Chock full of Vitamin C, B12, B6, Riboflavin, and Zinc. How much did she eat? Two sips...

Next up, Oven-Fried Zucchini Sticks. When we lived in Colorado, I used to go to this restaurant that served Fried Zucchini. I am normally not a fan, but they were de-lish! So I decided to give this a try.

• 1/2 cup breadcrumbs
• 2 tablespoons Italian seasoning
• 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese
• 3 medium zucchini
• Milk or beaten egg yolk

1. Slice zucchini into rounds or long sticks. Preheat oven to 450. Spray cooking sheet with cooking spray.
2. Mix bread crumbs, Italian seasoning, and cheese together in large zipper bag.
3. Dip each zucchini slice in milk or egg, then drop into bag and shake until coated with crumbs.
4. Bake 10 to 15 minutes until tender and brown.
5. Serve with warm marinara sauce or ranch dressing.

They really tasted a lot better than they look! But how much did Miss H eat? None...

She fell asleep on the couch!

Maybe I'll have more luck when she isn't sick....

Erin