When I was little and my Mother couldn’t deal with making us dinner, we would head to McDonald’s. I was never a burger girl. No, I loved 
chicken nuggets with all the sticky, sugary sauces. When I think about 
all the artificial fillers that go into them and how many boxes I ate 
over the years, it makes me want to gag. 
I still love chicken nuggets, and didn’t want to deprive Kenya of the pleasure of them, but I wanted to make a healthier version 
that everyone in our family would love.
 I had a ton of fun testing this to find the perfect easy recipe. I 
wanted them to have tons of flavor without being fried or packed with 
salt.
By buying organic, free range chicken (Rosie’s is my favorite), 
you’re making a gourmet nugget for the family. 
My husband doesn’t eat chicken, but he’s also my most honest tester. 
When I tell you he scarfed these up at dinner last night, I could only 
smile to myself in delight. Between him and Kenya, they disappeared 
immediately.

My favorite avocado lady at the farmers market has been selling mangoes lately. They have a gorgeous color and smell like heaven. I let them ripen a day or two until they’re soft, but not mushy. When you cut into them the meat is almost neon yellow.
Mango is rich in the antioxidants beta-carotene and vitamin C, which boost your little one’s immune defenses. They are perfect for toddlers to eat, cut up into small pieces or to enjoy in this mango creamsicle. For breakfast, dessert or even frozen and served like a sherbet for toddlers.
Last night my husband used it as a dip for cut up fruit. See, even the big kids like it.

Kenya has had an unusual transition from purees to solids. Sometimes 
he only wants solids to feed himself and other times he only wants purees for me 
to feed him. This recipe is for one of the first solid foods I fed him 
and he loved it. It was especially fun for him to feed himself the 
tiny pieces of vegetables, grains and meat (delicious and good for fine motor skills!). This is also a great dish because it contains a vegetable, protein and several grains.
As I’ve written time and time again, I’m a huge fan of Trader Joes when it comes to food shopping. The prices are usually lower than most 
stores, they carry a huge array of organic products and items that are 
very kid friendly. The Harvest Grains I use here are healthful, 
fast and easy to cook. Sometimes I cook them longer then the package 
calls for so the grains stick together. Kenya really likes to take a handful when he feeds himself. He always looks at me like he’s so proud to be part 
of the process.

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I couldn’t resist the gorgeous pineapple I found at Trader Joes this morning. There’s nothing more fragrant then slicing a ripe and juicy pineapple. Pineapples are rich in Vitamin C and in the plant enzyme Bromelain which helps breakdown protein in the body, thereby aiding digestion.
This cooling smoothie is delicious for babies to eat with a spoon, for toddlers through a straw or as Kenya did by dipping his fingers right in a licking the smoothie off his little digits.
*When you slice the pineapple, remember to cut out the “eyes” (the little brown pieces all over the pineapple).

Several years ago I went to Chile. What a magical country. The food 
was so complex and interesting, yet simple and delicate. I was really 
fascinated to find that many of their dishes are inspired by Peruvian cuisine. 
I try to expand my horizons (and my son’s palette) by researching what other cultures feed their babies and toddlers. 
There’s a peruvian dish called Espesado de Lunes and it uses some of 
the ingredients listed below. The sweet from the corn and squash mixed 
with the earthy flavors of the cilantro, garlic and onion create a truly unique flavor. I’ve fed 
Kenya this dish two days in a row alongside a piece of white fish that 
I sprinkle with herbs and steam. I’m dying to try a version of this for my adult friends as well. Wouldn’t this be a gorgeous dinner 
party entree with a light piece of grilled fish on top? For now, Kenya gets to have his own baby version of a private Peruvian dinner.

Parents always complain to me that they can’t get their kids to eat broccoli. Still, I try to find new ways to use it in recipes, because broccoli is not only packed with beta-carotene, folic acid and vitamin C, it’s a fun food for toddlers to pick up.
Kenya loves holding the little “trees” and munching off the tops and then making his way down the stalk. Instead of “sneaking” or “hiding” it in your kids food, let them know how good it is for them. Eat some yourself and show them how much you love it or try dipping in hummus or another spread. Or try this recipe. It is such an All-American dish. It’s one of those comfort foods that’s actually kind of healthy (minus the cream sauce in the adult version, of course).

It’s funny to me how one day Kenya has no interest in a certain food and the next he can’t get enough of it. Two months ago, right after his 1st Birthday, I made him an omelette. I had seen my friend Diane giving one to her son and he was lovin’ it. That afternoon, I made a gorgeous fluffy omelette for Kenya, cut it into pieces and put it on his tray. He proceeded to hold it in his hand and drop it on the floor, piece by piece. Considering the fact that he loves egg yolks, I was kind of shocked. Yesterday, I decided to give it another try. Kenya couldn’t chew fast enough. He loved it. He was singing to the omelette, dangling it into his mouth — it was cracking me up. For parents with finicky eaters, this will hopefully be a home run and it’s also a good lesson that if your little one doesn’t like something, you can always try it again at a later date. Sometimes you just have to let their palettes develop at their own pace.
Eggs are a wonderful source of protein, Vitamin A and iron. If you serve the omelette with a Vitamin C food such as kiwi, your baby’s body will absorb the iron more readily. You can even finely chop vegetables or add a little cheese as I did to give it more flavor.