Once in a while, when Kenya starts to go a little batty while I’m cooking in the kitchen, I’ll stop what I’m doing to make something with him. Even at 18 months it’s amazing how much he’s capable of doing. He can totally be my co-pilot on this recipe. He helps me peel a banana and plop it in the blender. Then, I’ll wash and scoop the avocado and yogurt into the blender and then let him press the buttons so he can watch it all mix together. His eyes light up so brightly at this culinary achievement. It’s amazing how including Kenya in the process makes him want to enjoy new foods and snack on healthy favorites. Even better, helping Mommy out in the kitchen chills him out a little and takes that crazy baby energy down a notch.
Bananas and avocado are not only monsters of nutrition, but they also make a creamy and delicious combination for babies and toddlers. Avocados are rich in the antioxidants beta-carotene and vitamin C and E while bananas are filled with magnesium and potassium. This puree is so thick and rich, I decided to get all fancy and call it a mousse — yes, we’re so fancy here at weelicious :).
I wrote that this recipe makes enough for 3 toddler servings, but after Kenya and I finished making this batch and dug the spatula in the blender for bite after bite, nothing remained at the end….except for the smiles on our faces.

Banana Avocado Mousse (3 Baby Servings)

1 Banana, peeled and chopped
1/2 Avocado, peeled and cubed
1/4 Cup Whole Milk Yogurt
2 Tbsp Rice Milk (you can also use almond, soy or whole milk)

1. Place all the ingredients in a food processor or blender and puree until thick, but smooth.
2. Serve.

Holy deliciousness! I was at the health food store and there was a 
plethora of fresh pineapple and papaya to be had. I knew Kenya would love the 
flavor of both fruits, but I wasn’t sure if he would jump at the chance to eat it in 
pieces. One trick I’ve learned is that if I include Kenya in the 
cooking process, whether it’s just letting him push a button or asking him to stir whatever I’m mixing, he ultimately wants to try 
whatever I make because he feels like he’s making it, too. And smoothies are a great way to get kids to eat fruit 
and yogurt without having to twist their arms.
Papayas and pineapples are both high in Vitamin C as well as 
containing enzymes that help break down protein in the body, thereby 
aiding digestion.
Just one taste of this luscious smoothie and Kenya was hooked. I filled 
up his sippy cup and moments later he was back for seconds.


Tropical Smoothie (Makes 8 Baby or 4 Toddler Servings)



1 Cup Pineapple, chopped

1 Cup Papaya, chopped

1/4 Cup Whole Milk Yogurt



1. Place the ingredients in a food processor or blender and puree 
until smooth.
2. Serve in a glass, bowl or sippy cup

Eggplants are all over the farmer’s market right now. Purple, black, white, lilac, white….the list goes on. I’m not sure why they get such a tough rap, but eggplants are one of those vegetables that seem too daunting to cook with at first glance. They’re beautiful, but what do you do with these big orbs?
Well, I could eat eggplant until I’m blue in the face. I love it in any form. Grilled, sauteed, roasted and, especially, pureed in baba ghanoosh, a dip popular in middle eastern cuisine. By modifying the traditional recipe slightly for a little one’s palate it’s a perfect choice to serve as a puree on its own for babies or as a dip with vegetables or baked pita chips for toddlers.
Eggplant can block the formation of free radicals, help control cholesterol levels and is also a wonderful source of folic acid and potassium.
This isn’t a typical baby/toddler food, but I think you’ll be shocked to see how much your little one will love it!

Baba Ghanoosh (Makes 4-6 Toddler Servings)

1 Eggplant
1 Tbsp Tahini (available at most groceries)
1/2 Tsp Lemon Juice
1 Small Garlic Clove
2 Tbsp Plain Yogurt

1. Place the eggplant directly on a burner of your stove top. Turn the flame of the burner to medium and place the whole eggplant on the burner.
2. Cook the eggplant turning every few minutes for 20 minutes or until the eggplant skin is blistered and slightly charred.
3. Place the eggplant in a zip lock bag, seal and let steam for 10 minutes.
4. Cool and peel all the charred skin off the eggplant.
5. Cut the pulp into chunks and place in a food processor with remaining ingredients.
6. Puree and serve.

In my ongoing quest to find foods that are both healthy and easy for toddlers 
to hold themselves, I decided to make falafels for Kenya. The only 
trick to this dish is to make them suitable for his little taste-buds without having to fry them in gallons of oil like most falafel recipes call for.
Falafels are made with a base of garbanzo beans, a legume also known as 
chickpeas. Have you ever looked closely at a chickpea? Some say they 
look like a chick’s beak, hence the name. Beak or no beak, they’re a powerhouse of 
fiber. Fiber is an important part of a little one’s diet because it tends to fill them up longer then other foods, giving them energy to run around and 
play. Garbanzo beans are an excellent vegetarian source of protein and are 
high in calcium, magnesium and folate.
I also added a little yogurt dipping sauce alongside this recipe which boosts the nutritional content of the meal even more and adds a little fun for the kids. Now, if I can only 
get my husband out of Kenya’s food, which is slowly becoming “their” food. My husband figures that if what Kenya’s eating is super healthy, he wants to eat it too. Like father, like son. Or should I say, like son, like father?!

Falafel (Make 14 Mini Falafel)

1 1/2 Cup Chick Peas, cooked
1 Garlic Clove
1/4 Cup Onion, chopped
1/4 Cup Cilantro, chopped
3 Tbsp Flour (I used whole wheat, but you could also use white flour)
1 Tsp Baking Powder
1/2 Tsp Cumin
Olive Oil

1. Place the first 7 ingredients in a food processor and puree. Make sure the mixture is throughly combined. Scrape down the sides of the mixture as needed.
2. With moist hands (so the mixture doesn’t stick to your hands) form patties with about 1 tablespoon of the mixture and place on a plate while you form the remaining patties.
3. In a medium saute pan, heat around 2 tablespoons of oil over medium heat. You want the pan to have a thin coating of oil.
4. Add half of the patties to the pan and saute for 4 minutes on each side or until golden (you may have to add a little more oil if your pan get too dry).
5. Remove the patties from the pan and place on a paper towel lined plate (to absorb any extra oil).
6. Cook the remaining patties.
7. Cool and serve with yogurt sauce.

Yogurt Tahini Sauce (Makes a little over 1/2 Cup)

1/2 Yogurt
1 Tbsp Lemon
1 Tbsp Tahini (if your little one has a nut allergy, you could leave this out)

1. Place all the ingredients in a bowl and stir to combine.

I even surprised myself at how delicious this puree turned out. I had
5 people in the kitchen while I was making it and like good testers, we all took our spoons, tried a bite and in unison exclaimed, “WOW”! I don’t know whether Kenya was starving or just really loved it, but he insisted on eating an entire cup’s worth. There goes the theory that toddlers don’t like purees. Even though there’s no orange in the recipe, it totally reminded me of drinking an Orange Julius (a drink from a restaurant that I grew up near).
Since cantaloupes are 90% water, it’s nice adding banana and yogurt to give it a little extra body, rich flavor, and end up tasting like cream.
Cantaloupes are also a heavyweight when it comes to potassium and vitamin A. This is a perfect breakfast or snack food for the 10-12 month-old set or a great for dessert for a toddler (as Kenya so brilliantly demonstrated).

Cantaloupe Cream (6 Baby Servings)

1 Cup Cantaloupe, chopped
1/3 Cup Banana
1/4 Cup Yogurt

1. Place all the ingredients in a food processor or blender and puree
until smooth.
2. Serve.

The hardest part about making dips that are both flavorful and delicious is that they’re usually packed with mayonnaise and sour cream which are heavenly, but not very healthy — certainly not anywhere as nutritious as a rich avocado, which is a great substitute.
Avocados have the creamiest consistency for making a dip. They’re packed with the antioxidants beta-carotene and vitamins C and E. Even better is that you can add to this recipe virtually any fresh herb you can find. I have cilantro, dill and garlic chives growing like weeds in my garden, so that’s the combination that I used, but now that Kenya seems to want to eat this dip at every meal, next week it could be basil, parsley and tarragon.
No matter what vegetable you are serving, it will be a perfect match with this dip.

Avocado Herb Dip (Makes 1/2 Cup)

1 Avocado, peeled and pitted
2 Tbsp Mayonnaise or Vegannaise
2 Tbsp Plain Yogurt
2 Tbsp Herbs (I used cilantro, dill and garlic chives and a pinch of marjoram, but you could use tarragon, basil, parsley, or anything you enjoy)
1 1/2 Tsp Lemon Juice

1. Place all the ingredients in a food processor or blender and puree until smooth.
2. Serve.

I am addicted to Grape-Nuts and have been for years. There is something about the nutty, crunchy taste that I just can’t get enough of. Kenya is getting to the age where he wants to try everything he sees me eat. So when I pour my bowl each morning, he always wants to munch on a few. It became clear to me very quickly that he inherited my love for them. Still, I want him to have variety in every meal, so I decided to make him a Grape-Nut breakfast parfait. Sure I could just make him his own little bowl with milk and berries, but that could be a real mess. So I came up with this recipe that also gives him fruit and dairy in addition to the carbohydrate of the Grape-Nuts. This being the week of 4th of July, I incorporated a red, white and blue theme for the fun of it, but it’s great any day of the week.
I try to make this dish first thing in the morning, so that by the time Kenya’s ready for breakfast the Grape-Nuts have gotten a chance to soften up from the yogurt. Kenya has so much fun watching me take the spoon, push it deep in the glass and pull up a delectable, colorful bite of pure yumminess.

Red, White and Blue Parfaits (1 Toddler Parfait)

2 Tbsp Grape-Nuts Cereal
2 Tbsp Yogurt
2 Tbsp Raspberries, chopped
2 Tbsp Blueberries, chopped

1. In a small glass, place a tablespoon of Grape-Nuts.
2. Add a tablespoon of yogurt.
3. Add 2 tablespoons of chopped raspberries.
4. Add a tablespoon of Grape-Nuts.
5. Add a tablespoon of yogurt.
6. Add 2 tablespoons of chopped blueberries.
7. Serve.

As you may be able to tell from weelicious, I’m a huge fan of 
potatoes. They’re inexpensive and nutritious, and babies and toddlers, in 
my experience, love them.
When I was little, potato salad was one of 
my favorite foods. It’s really easy to make and even more delicious to eat. Potatoes are a great staple food because they’re packed with fiber, 
potassium, vitamins B6 and C. 
At our local farmers market, there is a stand that sells all kinds of 
different potatoes year-round. Blue, white rose, yukon gold, you name 
it, they have it. I thought it would be fun to make a salad with different color tubers. The eye appeal of food can be a big selling 
point for little ones and this colorful treat is a hit in my house.

Blue and White Potato Salad (6 Toddler Servings)

1 Blue Potato, cubed
1 White or Yellow Potato, cubed
1 Tbsp Yogurt
1 Tbsp Vegannaise or mayonnaise
1 Tsp Dill, chopped

1. Place the potatoes in a steamer pot over boiling water and cook for
3-4 minutes or until fork tender.
2. Mix the yogurt, vegannaise and dill in a bowl.
3. Once the potato had cooled, place them in a bowl and add the yogurt
sauce.
4. Serve.

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.

1 Mango, peeled and chopped
1/4 Cup Whole Milk Yogurt

1. Place the ingredients in a food processor and puree until smooth.
2. Serve.

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).

Pineapple, Banana Yogurt Smoothie (2 Toddler Servings or 3 Baby Servings)

1 Banana, peeled
1/2 Cup Pineapple, chopped
1/3 Cup Whole Milk Yogurt
1 Tbsp Wheat Germ

1. Place all the ingredients in a food processor and puree until smooth.
2. Serve.