I’ve been munching on these tasty fruit and veggie treats for years. When I used to travel for work non-stop and knew there weren’t going to be many healthy snack choices where I was going, I would toss a container of these in my bag. The different varieties they have are endless!
Just Fruit sells salad, corn, cherries, mixed veggies, bananas, peas and soon. This is another one of my favorite on-the-go snacks because they don’t make a mess, they don’t spoil like fresh fruit and veggies do and their packed solely with what they advertise, “just fruit” (and vegetables). Some fruits and veggies are crunchy and some are squishy, but their deliciously intense taste comes from the concentration of the natural flavors during the dehydration process.
When I was trying to photograph them for the picture above, Kenya almost had a conniption fit waiting for me to finish so we could dig into them. We sat on the floor and opened the containers one by one tasting each flavor. He was so funny commenting on each one. Thank goodness for stores like Whole Foods and our local health food store which carry
these yummy yummies!

Wheat berries. Are they wheat? Are they berries? Well, as the name implies, they’re kind of both. Wheat berries are a delicious member of the grain family.
You rarely see them in restaurants or at the market, but health food stores carry them and they’re great for kids. They’re so easy to prepare and really delicious. I love feeding Kenya different types of grains and I have to say that these are one of his favorites.

Wheat berries, also called groats, are whole wheat kernels that have not been milled, polished, or heat treated. They’re brown, nearly round in appearance and have a robust, nutlike flavor. They usually take over an hour to cook, but you can reduce that time if they are presoaked.

When you mix them with the dried fruits and celery in this recipe, it takes on a sweet crunchy texture which in my experience, babies love. He’s not the only one in our family, though. I usually grab a cup when I’m exhausted and need an energy boost. See, this is a great recipe for everyone!

Wheat berry Salad (Makes 6-8 Toddler Servings)

1/2 Cup Wheat berries, soaked for 8 hours or overnight if possible
1/2 Cup Apple, peeled and chopped
1/3 Cup Raisins
1/2 Cup Celery, chopped
1 Tbsp Orange Juice
1 Tbsp Olive Oil

1. Bring 4 Cups of water to a boil in a large pot. Add the wheat berries, cover and reduce the heat to a simmer.
2. Cook for 1 hour or until wheat berries are tender to the bite (it make take over an hour, so just keep testing them).
3. Place all the ingredients in a food processor and pulse until fine pieces remain.
4. In a bowl, throughly mix the wheat berries with the apple/raisin mixture.
5. Serve.

We have the most fantastic next door neighbors. Not only are they the 
most easygoing and kind people, their yard is essentially a farm. I get a 
phone call at least once a week asking me to come outside so they can 
hand me a grocery bag full of sweet peaches, bushels of delicious beets or in the latest 
case, a bag of perfectly gorgeous Fuji apples. The apples were like little 
gems, sweet and crunchy, not too big or small. For me, there is 
nothing like fruits and vegetables that you grow in your yard. This way you can be absolutely sure that there aren’t any harmful sprays or pesticides being 
used. My neighbors grow their food like this and so do I.
Apples are not only a rich in vitamin C and an excellent source of 
fiber, they’re also a favorite of Kenya’s. When he’s teething and 
doesn’t feel like having to chew, this recipe comes in handy because the apples get really soft. It is 
a real winner with him. When the apple bakes, the flavor intensifies giving it 
almost a caramel flavor. A perfect dessert for your little one.

Baked Apple with Cinnamon and Raisin (1-2 Toddler Servings or 3 Baby
Servings)

*recipe can be doubled, tripled and so on

1 Apple, cored
6 Raisins
1 Tbsp Apple Juice (you could substitute another tbsp of water for the
juice)
1 Tbsp Water

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Place the apple in a small baking dish.
3. Fill the center the the apple with raisins.
4. Mix the water and apple juice and pour over the center of the apple.
5. Bake for 55 minutes or until apple is fork tender.
6. Cool, peel off the skin and serve (alternatively, you could peel
the skin and puree the apple and raisins for babies 8-12 months old).

This is a perfect first food for a little one. I’ve been making it for 
Kenya since he started eating solids, but for some reason I forgot to put my recipe on 
weelicious. Applesauce is THE baby food standard. Inexpensive, 
healthy, sweet and complementary to so many other fruits and 
vegetables, apples should be one of the stars in your babies diet.
Full of vitamin C and fiber, you can make sauce from almost any kind of apple 
you can find, although Fuji’s and Gala apples are especially sweet and 
delicious.
I add a touch of cinnamon just to give it a little zip, but you could 
easily leave it out. Why spend more money buying jarred when you can make this in minutes?!


Apple Sauce (6 Baby Servings)

2 Apples, peeled and chopped into large chunks
1/8 Tsp Cinnamon

1. Place apples in a steamer pot over boiling water.
2. Cook for 2-3 minutes or until fork tender.
3. Place apples and cinnamon in a food processor and puree until smooth.
4. Cool and serve.

Thanksgiving is my favorite meal hands down. I’m not sure what I like better, though, the turkey or the fresh cranberry sauce. I actually started freezing the berries when they’re in season so I could eat it all year long. Cranberries are intensely sour, so I added some sweet potato and apple to balance the flavor and give it a little sweetness. This puree has protein from the turkey, beta carotene from the sweet potato and carrots, and vitamin C from the apple. I always trying to expand Kenya’s taste buds with spices, so I added the thyme. It was still missing something, though. The cinnamon gives it that last kick that makes this puree smell of a Thanksgiving feast, baby style of course.

Thanksgiving Dinner (15 Baby Servings, freeze 1/2)

1 Turkey Breast Tender (about 3/4 pound)
1 Small Sweet Potato, peeled and cubed
15 Baby Carrots
1/2 Cup Cranberries
1/2 Apple, peeled
1/4 Tsp Thyme
Pinch of Cinnamon

1. Place turkey in a steamer over boiling water. Sprinkle thyme over it. Cook for 6 minutes.
2. Add sweet potatoes, carrots and cranberries to the pot with the turkey. Cook another 6 minutes or until turkey is cooked though and vegetables are tender.
3. Cool turkey for several minutes, so the juices can redistribute and then cut into cubes.
4. Place all the ingredients in a food processor and puree. Add some of the water from the pot, a tablespoon at a time to make smooth.
5. Cool and serve.