What's for Dinner? (And Breakfast, Second Breakfast, and Lunch!)

A couple of days ago I mentioned I wanted to do a post about some of the things the babies are eating right now.  This is not a complete list by any means, and these are just a few things I have stumbled upon in the few weeks we've been trying to incorporate more table foods into the babies' diet.  If I have featured them in this list it is because:  1. Both babies readily eat and enjoy these foods.  2. They are quick and easy to prepare.  3.  They are relatively healthy and I feel good about giving them to the babies.

Another quick note:  For the first feeding of the day at around 7 AM, they still just get 8 ounces of formula.  At the other three meals of the day (second breakfast, lunch, and dinner) they also get 4 ounces of formula mixed with 1 ounce of cow's milk in addition to any other foods I may serve.  They do not always drink all of their formula/cow's milk, much to my chagrin.

I make sure everything is appropriately bite size, and they pick up with their hands and feed themselves all foods set out for them with the exceptions of yogurt, hot cereal, and applesauce.

Breakfast Options

• Cheesy eggs:  I put a little Extra Virgin Olive Oil in the pan, scramble 2 egg yolks, grate cheese over the egg yolks, cook until cheese is melted into the eggs and the eggs are not too dry or too wet.  Then I break up into bite sizes and serve.  These are a daily breakfast staple for the babies.
• Plain Cheerios
• Yogurt (some flavors with whole grains)
• Hot Cereal with Fruit
• Cereal bars

Veggies and Fruits (Served at Second Breakfast, Lunch, & Dinner):

• Cooked peas, carrots, corn
• Fresh bananas, raspberries, blueberries (soon want to add strawberries and blackberries)
• Dole Mandarin Oranges in 100% Fruit Juice

Things that hide a full or partial serving of Veggies:

• Prego Veggie Smart Pasta Sauce:  Can serve over any pasta.  Has two servings of vegetables per 1/2 cup sauce.  No Preservatives, no added sugar.  Our babies love the taste. 
• Ronzoni Garden Delight Pasta:  This pasta contains carrots, tomatoes, and spinach.  Comes in several different pasta shapes, our babies really like Rotini.  I like to serve the noodles with a little Extra Virgin Olive Oil and real butter.  Sometimes with a little grated cheese melted in too.  
• Mott's Medleys Applesauce in Cherry Berry or Peach Apple:  Has 2/3 serving of fruit, and 1/3 serving of veggies!  Tastes great for kids and parents alike!  We usually eat at lunch time.  

Meat:

• Lunch meat (I try to buy Low sodium or No Preservatives options)
• Grilled Chicken Breast:  This type from Hillshire Farm cooks in 60 seconds in individual pouches, is 98% fat free, 120 calories per serving, and has 19 grams of protein.  Has 2 breasts per package.
• They recently tried and loved turkey meatballs that you buy pre-packaged and frozen for dinner at Nana's house, so I am going to buy some and see if they like them at home too on our next grocery store visit
• Last night they devoured chicken tenders and hamburger steak when we went out to eat at Saltgrass so I am going to have to find ways to incorporate these items into dinner times too

Whole Wheat or Whole Grain Items:

• Goldfish with Whole Grains
• Whole Wheat Ritz Crackers
• Cheerios

Miscellaneous:

• Jif Peanut Butter with Omega 3 and DHA and EPA:  Tastes just like regular peanut butter, but you get the added health benefits of Omega 3, DHA, and EPA.  I like to spread on the whole wheat Ritz crackers and break up in bite sizes for the babies to eat as a snack.  

I am still learning and trying out options as we go, but so far we have been very lucky that the babies seem to be open to eating a variety of foods.  Now if I can just get them converted to drinking cow's milk!