I am having trouble getting my toddler to eat breakfast again. She simply just tosses food across the room. My five year old is not much better. There is lots of crying and frowning and refusing to eat.
In my endless quest to make eating fun again I asked the other mommies I knew for recipes that my help the little tykes swallow their food down for once.
Here are some of the recipes that they offered.
Apple Toast
This recipe fools my kids into thinking they are eating apple pie instead of something nutritious for them.
Peel and slice up an apple. Butter a slice of bread and place apple slices on top. Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar. Sometimes I put some blueberries or a cherry on top to make it even more appealing.
Bake on cookie sheet for 15 minutes at 375 degrees.
Banana Split Cereal
This recipe fools my kids into thinking they are eating a fountain dessert. Of course what they are really getting is a healthy dose of protein.
Spoon 1/4 cup of yogurt in a mound in the center of 6 cereal bowls. Sprinkle 1/3 cup cheerios (or other low-fat cereal) on top of the yogurt in each bowl. Slice 3 small bananas lengthwise, then cut in half crosswise. Arrange two banana quarters on either side of the yogurt and sprinkle the top with blueberries or other fruit.
The next recipe is a bit of trouble but the novelty of it impresses kids so much they just start eating away. The great thing too is that you can use any filling that you want.
‘Toast cups.
Flatten the slice of bread with a rolling pin or your hands and spread both sided with softened butter. Press each slice into a muffin tin section to form a cup shape. Toast in 350 degree oven for about 20 minutes or until cups are crisp and brown. Fill with jam, peanut butter & pop back into oven for a minute or two.
My most successful variation of this is to fill them with tuna and cheese. My kids love it and they get all of their protein.
Another good trick when it comes to toast is to use cookie cutters to cut shapes into the bread. This adds an amusing component that helps your kids maintain their focus on what they are eating. Of course sometimes they don't eat it. They just play with it.
