I recently went on a family vacation to Hawaii. I arrived in Kauai with dreams of making exotic dishes full of new and interesting ingredients. Kenya and I had a blast going to farmers markets every other day all over the tiny island. The locals told me to get there right when the markets opened and they weren’t kidding. I got to one market at 2:15pm (it opened at 2pm) and they were already sold out of several foods. What they did have though, in abundance, were the sweetest, juiciest and ripest mangoes, papayas, passion fruit, limes and “apple” bananas (a smaller, more dense banana that has a faint taste of, you guessed it, banana). As Kenya and I walked around the markets sipping coconut water (high in potassium and mineral content) right out of whole coconuts, we salivated at the macadamia and coconut baked goods, pink oyster mushrooms that looked like shells and other unusual fruits and veggies such as jack fruit and bread fruit. It was awesome!


Mangoes and papayas are both rich in beta-carotene and along with pineapple they’re all loaded with vitamin C. Recently back home, I’ve been buying passion fruit from our local farmers market for Kenya’s dessert after dinner and he loves them. They’re actually quite easy to find in most groceries, too. Just look for a shriveled, heavy, bright yellow or purple fruit (when it shrivels up s when you know it’s ripe). When you cut into it, passion fruit is loaded with sweet/tangy juice similar to the taste of guava with little edible seeds that are packed with vitamin A, potassium and dietary fiber. Kenya likes to eat them straight out of the shell, but they could also be sprinkled on yogurt or added to something like this fruit salad.
And trust me, the lemon or limes make this tropical fruit salad truly extraordinary tasting.

Tropical Fruit Salad (Makes 10-12 Toddler Servings)

1 Cup Mango, peeled and cut into bite size pieces
1 Cup Papaya, peeled, seeded and cut into bite size pieces
1 Banana, peeled and sliced into bite size pieces
1 Cup Pineapple, peeled and cut into bite size pieces
2 Tbsp Lime Juice (you could also use lemon juice)
1 Passion Fruit, cut in half and use only the juice and seeds

1. Place the first 4 ingredients in a large bowl.
2. Sprinkle the juice and toss in the passion fruit seeds all over the fruit salad.
3. Toss to combine,
4. Serve.

I still can’t believe that we’ll have fresh peaches at the farmer’s market until early November. Its kind of crazy, but I cherish every minute of their presence. Since we literally buy them by the crate from my favorite purveyor, Tenerelli Orchards, I’m always trying to come up with new and delicious recipes for the entire family.
Most fruit crumble recipes have so much sugar it makes my teeth ache just thinking about it. This recipe has NO sugar and only calls for 1 tablespoon of my favorite kid friendly sweetener, agave nectar. Agave nectar is low on the glycemic index, so you can serve it after dinner and know your little one won’t be wired on sugar. This is also a perfect sweet dessert for the entire family since it’s super healthy and loaded with oats and flaxseeds giving it a nutty flavor.
Kenya especially liked having his own ramekin. After it cooled, I handed it to him and he gave me a big bright smile. It was like he just won the peach crumble grand prize (and he ate every last bite)!

Fruit Crisp (Makes 5 individual ramekins)

2 Ripe Peaches, diced (you could also substitute pears, apples, strawberries or other fruits in season)
1/3 Cup Oats
1 Tsp Flaxseed
1/4 Cup Flour
2 Tbsp Butter, chilled
1 Tbsp Agave Nectar

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Divide peaches evenly between 5 dishes.
3. In a mini food processor, combine the oats, flaxseed and flour.
Pulse to combine.
4. Add the butter and pulse until butter is in small pieces (you don’t want it to turn into a dough, so make sure to just pulse the ingredients).
5. Add the agave to the crumble and pulse once or twice, just to combine.
6. Place small clumps of the crumble on top of the ramekins.
7. Place the ramekins on a sheet tray and bake for 20-25 minutes.
8. Remove from the oven and cool.
9. Serve.

When Kenya was 8 months old and teething non stop, I started giving him these whole wheat mini bagels. I would keep a few in a zip lock bag in my purse, in the car, and in the house for those times that I knew his little hands wanted something to hold to help soothe his gums. Somedays I could tell his gums were itching so much that he would rub the bagels on them until the dough was super soft.
Teething or not, bagels are a great first food for babies going beyond solids because they can gnaw on them at their own pace.
At my local Trader Joe’s, you get 18 “edible teethers” for $2.29 a bag which is a pretty good price. I realize that many people don’t have Trader Joe’s which is a total crime — Trader Joe’s, open more stores! — but there are lots of other companies such as Lenders and Sam’s
Bagels that sell mini bagels. Even better they contain no artificial colors or flavors, so you know you’re giving your little one a wholesome first food.

I have to admit that one of my pet peeves is when my car transforms into a garbage can. It’s tough, though, when you’re on the go and want your little one to have a snack for the wrappers, napkins and crumbs not easily find their way onto the seats and floor.
I’ve always been a fan of rice cakes because they’re healthy, crispy and delicious. They’re great to top with all kinds of jam, almond butter or just some avocado slices, but even plain they’re yummy too. Kenya and I were rolling through the aisles of Whole Foods the other day and came across Kamut Cakes, a divine twist on these favorite of my snacks. “Put the brakes on, Kenya! Oh my goodness, wow!” These Kamut cakes are slimmer then your typical puffy rice cake and have an intense nutty aroma. They contain no sodium or preservatives and are higher in vitamins, minerals and amino acids than commercial wheat. The first week I bought them I was making all of our friends and their kids try them! (When I get passionate about a product, watch out!)
So now I buy bags of these by the truck load and always keep one pack in the car for a “no mess snack” for Kenya….and me!