Apple Pudding
Primary Nutrients: Vitamin C, Calcium & B Vitamins
Serves 4
1 cup cooked rice
1 cup applesauce
1 cup low-fat vanilla yogurt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
Mix rice & applesauce together in large bowl. Add yogurt & cinnamon. Stir well. Spoon into dished & serve.
Baby�s First Cake
Makes 1 single-layer 8-inch-square cake
Vegetable cooking spray
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons apple juice concentrate
� cup whole raisins
� cup chopped raisins
� cup chopped dates
� cup (4 tablespoons) butter or margarine
1 � teaspoons ground cinnamon
� cup whole-wheat flour
� cup wheat germ
4 � teaspoons low-sodium baking powder
1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Coat an 8-inch square nonstick baking pan with vegetable cooking spray. Set aside.
2. Combine the juice concentrate, dried fruits, butter & cinnamon in a small saucepan. Simmer over low heat until the butter melted. Remove from the stove & let cool.
3. Continue the flour, wheat germ & baking powder in a mixing bowl. Gradually blend in the fruit mixture, stirring just until mixing. Do not overmix.
4. Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan. Bake about 30 minutes. The cake is done when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out dry. Cover loosely with foil during baking if the cake starts to brown.
5. To keep the cake from becoming dry & too hard for baby to gum, cover with aluminum foil or store in a plastic bag as soon as it has cooled slightly.
Best-Odds Toddler Servings in 1/16 cake: 1 � Other Fruit; 1+Whole Grain; 1/3 Protein
Banana French Toast
Makes 4 slices
1 egg
2 tablespoons banana-orange juice concentrate
2 tablespoons apple juice concentrate
� small banana
� cup nonfat dry milk
4 slices of low-sodium whole-grain bread
Vegetable cooking spray
1. Combine the ingredients through the milk in a blender & process until smooth. Transfer the mixture to a bowl large enough to hold the bread.
2. Soak the bread in the concentrate mixture, turning the slices until all the liquid is absorbed.
3. Spray a nonstick skillet with vegetable cooking spray. Heat over medium-high heat until hot. Reduce the heat to medium-low. Add the bread & cook until the bottoms are nicely browned, about 3 minutes. Turn & cook the second side, about 2 minutes. Serve warm.
Best-Odds Toddler Servings in 1 slice: 2 Whole Grain; � Protein; � Other Fruit; � Calcium
Variation: Omit banana & banana-orange concentrate & use 4 tablespoons of apple juice concentrate.
Banana-Orange Gel
Makes 4 toddler portions
1 tablespoon unflavored gelatin
� cup water
1 cup fresh orange juice
� cup banana-orange juice concentrate
1 small banana, sliced
1. In a small saucepan, stir the gelatin into the water; let stand to soften, 1 minute. Heat over medium-high heat just to boiling.
2. Stir in the juice & juice concentrate until the gelatin is thoroughly dissolved.
3. Pour half the mixture into an 8-inch-square baking tin & freeze until thickened, about 10 minutes. Add a layer of sliced banana & cover with the remaining gel mixture. Refrigerate until firm.
4. To serve, cut into four squares.
Best-Odds Toddler Servings in one portion: 1 Other Fruit
Banana Porridge
Primary Nutrient: Potassium
Serves 2
1 banana
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup rolled oats
� cup water
Cut banana into small pieces. Place in small saucepan & add remaining ingredients. Bring to boil, stirring constantly. Cook 8 minutes. Remove from heat. Let stand 5 minutes. Before serving.
Cottage Cheese Sundae
Makes 1 toddler portion
� cup sliced fresh fruit (bananas, cantaloupe, peaches, strawberries)
� cup unsalted low-fat cottage cheese
1 tablespoon dairy sour cream (omit for children older then two)
2 tablespoons juice-sweetened preserves
1 tablespoon wheat germ
Arrange fruit in a ring on a small plate. Fill the center of the ring with cottage cheese. Top with the remaining ingredients.
Best-Odds Toddler Servings per portion: 1 � Protein; 1 Whole Grain; 1 Other Fruit (if bananas or white peaches are used); 1 Vitamin C (if strawberries or cantaloupe is used); 1 Yellow Fruit (if cantaloupe or yellow peaches are used); � Fat
Croque Bebe
Makes 1 sandwich
1 egg
� cup whole milk
2 slices (about 2 ounces) low-sodium Swiss or Cheddar Cheese
2 slices low-sodium whole-grain bread
Vegetable cooking spray
1. Beat the egg & milk together lightly in a bowl large enough to hold the bread.
2. Layer the cheese between the bread slices. Soak the sandwich in the egg mixture turning it until the liquid is absorbed.
3. Spray a nonstick skillet with vegetable cooking spray. Heat over medium-high heat until hot. Reduce the heat to medium & brown the sandwich on both sides.
Best-Odds Toddler Serving in � sandwich: 2 Whole Grain; 1 Calcium; 1 Protein
Egg Drop Soup with Rice
Primary Nutrients: B Vitamins, Protein
Serves 4
4 cups chicken broth
1 cup cooked rice
2 eggs (both whites & yolks), beaten
Lemon Juice
Pepper
Stir broth & rice together in saucepan, bringing to a boil. Add eggs & continue to stir. Add lemon juice & pepper as desired.
Fruited Cheese Bread
Makes 2 loaves, 9 � X 5 � X 3 Inches
4 to 4 � cups whole-wheat flour
� cup wheat germ
1 teaspoon salt
2 packages active dry yeast
1 cup water
� cup apple juice concentrate
� cup vegetable oil
1 cup unsalted low-fat cottage cheese
1 whole egg
2 egg whites
� cup rolled oats
1 � cups shredded low-sodium Swiss cheese (about 6 ounces)
1 cup chopped dried currants, raisins or dates
1. Combine 3 � cups of the flour, the wheat germ & the salt in the bowl of an electric mixer. Remove 1 � cups of the mixture & combine with the yeast. Make a well in center of remaining flour & return yeast mixture to the well.
2. Combine the water, juice concentrate, oil & cottage cheese in a saucepan & heat over medium heat until very warm. Gradually add this mixture to the yeast mixture in the well, stirring as you do. Beat together at medium speed, scraping the sides of the bowl as needed, for 2 minutes.
3. Add the egg, egg whites & another � cup flour to the dough; beat the dough again, scraping sides of the bowl as needed, for 2 minutes. Blend in the rolled oats.
4. Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured board. Knead until smooth & elastic, about 8 to 10 minutes (or knead in a mixer or processor, following appliance directions). If the dough remains too sticky, add the remaining flour, 2 tablespoons at a time, as needed. Place in a large bowl oiled with a little more vegetable oil, turning to grease on all sides. Cover tightly with foil. Set bowl in a warm place until dough has doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.
5. Punch down the dough. Turn it out onto a lightly floured board. Knead in the Swiss cheese & the fruit Divide the dough in half. Shape each half into a loaf & place each loaf in a 9 � X 5 � X 3-inch loaf pan that has been well greased with additional vegetable oil. Brush the top of each loaf lightly with oil, cover with a towel, & let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour.
6. Fifteen minutes before baking the loaves, preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
7. Bake until the loaves are nicely browned & the bottoms sound hollow when tapped, about 35 to 40 minutes.
Best-Odds Toddler Serving in 1 slice or 1/10 loaf: 2 Grain; 1 � Protein; � Other Fruit; � Calcium; some Iron
Funny Fingers
Makes 1 toddler portion
1 ounce fresh fish fillet, such as sole, flounder, or haddock, or boneless chicken breast; or 1 � ounces tofu
� cup fine whole-wheat bread crumbs (see Note)
1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese (optional)
Dash garlic powder
� teaspoon mayonnaise
Vegetable cooking spray
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Cut the fish (checking carefully for bones), chicken or tofu into �-inch strips
3. Combine the bread crumbs, grated cheese, if using & the garlic powder in a small bowl, stirring until well blended.
4. Spread the mayonnaise on the fish, chicken or tofu strips, then roll them in the crumb mixture. Arrange the strips in a shallow pan sprayed with vegetable cooking spray. Bake for 5 minutes; turn & bake 5 minutes more.
Best-Odds Toddler Servings per portion: 1 � Protein; 1 Whole Grain; 1/3 Calcium
Note: You can make your own bread crumbs in a blender or food processor, using cubes of your favorite bread that had gone slightly stale. Store unused crumbs in the freezer until needed.
Golden-Nugget Oatmeal Flapjacks
Makes about 48 silver-dollar-size pancakes
1 cup whole milk
� cup apple juice concentrate
2 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted
1 whole egg
2 egg whites
1 cup whole-wheat flour
� cup rolled oats
� cup wheat germ
2 � teaspoons low-sodium baking powder
� cup nonfat dry milk
1 � teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon (optional)
� cup dried apricots, finely chopped
Vegetable cooking spray
1. Beat the whole milk, juice concentrate, butter, egg & egg whites together in a large bowl. Add in the remaining ingredients through the vanilla (or cinnamon, if using) & beat just until smooth. Fold in the chopped apricots.
2. Spray a skillet or griddle with vegetable cooking spray. Heat over medium-high heat until very hot. Reduce the heat to medium & spoon batter to make 2-inch pancakes. When the surface of the pancakes. When the surface of the pancakes begins to bubble & the bottoms are nicely browned, about 2 minutes, turn & brown the other side, about 1 minute more.
Best-Odds Toddler Servings in four 2-inch pancakes: 2/3 Whole Grain; � Protein: some Calcium; 1/6 Fat
Pancake Faces
Makes about 24 small pancakes
1 cup whole milk
� cup nonfat dry milk
2 tablespoons apple juice concentrate
1 tablespoon butter or margarine, melted
1 whole egg
2 egg whites
� cup whole-wheat flour
1/3 cup wheat germ
1 � teaspoons low-sodium baking powder
Vegetable cooking spray
Dried apricots cut into thin strips
1. Combine the ingredients through the baking powder in a blender & process just until smooth. Let the mixture stand for 15 minutes.
2. Spray a nonstick skillet or griddle with vegetable cooking spray. Heat over medium-high heat until very hot. Reduce heat to medium, stir the batter & spoon it onto the griddle to make 3-inch pancakes.
3. Using bits of raisin & strips of apricot, add facial features tot he pancakes. When the surface of the pancakes begins to bubble & the bottoms are nicely browned, about 2 minutes, turn & brown the other side, about 1 minute more.
4. Serve the pancakes face side up with any of the suggested accompaniments.
Best-Odds Toddler Servings in three 3-inch pancakes: 1 Protein; 1 Whole Grain; � Calcium; some Iron
Peach-Maple Waffle Syrup
Primary Nutrient: Vitamin C
Serves 4
1 � cups chopped peaches
1/3 cup maple syrup
Puree peaches in blender. Place in saucepan. Stir in syrup. Simmer 5 minutes over low heat. Use to top waffles or French toast.
Peachy Yogurt
Makes 4 toddler portions
2 cups whole-milk plain yogurt
1 cup peeled, sliced fresh yellow peaches
� cup apple juice concentrate
1. Combine all ingredients in a blender & process until smooth.
2. Prepare according to the directions for your ice-cream maker. Or pour an 8-inch-square baking tin & freeze until mushy. Scrape mixture into a large mixing bowl & beat until fluffy. Repeat the freezing-beating process once or twice more. Then freeze until desired texture is reached. If the dessert freezes too hard, let it defrost until spoonable.
Best-Odds Toddler Servings in � recipe: 1+Yellow Fruit; 1 Protein; 1 Calcium
Strawberry-Maple Syrup
Primary Nutrient: Vitamin C
1 � cups chopped strawberries
1/3 cup maple syrup
Puree strawberries in blender. Place in saucepan. Stir in syrup. Simmer 5 minutes over low heat. Use to top waffles or French toast.
Pumpkin Muffins
Makes about 24 muffins
Vegetable cooking spray
1 � cups apple juice concentrate
� cup vegetable oil
2 whole eggs
4 egg whites
1 � cups canned, unsweetened, solid-pack pumpkin
1 � cups raisins
1 � cups whole-wheat flour
� cup wheat germ
4 � teaspoons low-sodium baking powder
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Coat 24 muffin tin cups with vegetable cooking spray or line each with a cupcake paper. Set aside.
2. Combine the juice concentrate, oil, eggs, egg whites, pumpkin & raisins in a blender jar. Puree until the raisins are chopped.
3. Mix together the flour, wheat germ, baking powder & cinnamon in a large mixing bowl. Gradually add the pumpkin mixture, blending with an electric mixer set on low or mix slowly by hand, just until well combined.
4. Pour the batter into the prepared muffin tins, filled each cup two-thirds full. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes. The muffins are done when a toothpick inserted into the center of one comes out clean (or with just a crumb or two attached).
Best-Odds Toddler Servings in 1 muffin: 2 Yellow; 1+ Whole Grain; 1 Other Fruit; � Protein
Super Cereal
Makes 1 toddler portion
1/3 cup oat circle or other unsweetened whole-grain dry cereal
1 tablespoon wheat germ
2 tablespoons instant nonfat dry milk
2 dried apricots, finely chopped
� cup whole milk
Mound the first four ingredients in a small cereal bowl in the order given, pour the milk over all, & serve immediately.
Best-Odds Toddler Servings per portion: 1 Protein; 1 � Whole Grain; 1 Calcium; 1 Yellow Fruit; some Iron
Sweet & Sour Chicken
Primary Nutrient: Iron
Serves 4
4 Boneless chicken breasts
Salt
Pepper
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 onion, peeled & sliced
4 ounces carrots, peeled & sliced
One 7-ounce can pineapple chunks, drained
2 tablespoons wine vinegar
2 level tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 level tablespoons tomato paste
� teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 red bell pepper, sliced & seeded
1 green bell pepper, sliced & seeded
2 level teaspoons cornstarch
1 to 2 tablespoons cold water
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Trim chicken & season lightly with salt & pepper. Heat oil in pan & brown chicken. Transfer to casserole dish. Fry onion & carrots in the same oil 2 to 3 minutes. Combine pineapple with vinegar, brown sugar, lemon juice, tomato paste & Worcestershire sauce. Add to pan & bring to boil. Arrange bell pepper pieces over chicken & pour half the sauce over all. Bake, covered, 45 minutes or until chicken is tender. Blend cornstarch with 1 to 2 tablespoons cold water until smooth & add to remaining sauce. Bring sauce to boil & cook until thickened. Pour remaining sauce over chicken right before serving.
Whole Wheat Waffles
Primary Nutrients: B Vitamins, Calcium & Protein
Serves 4
� cup all-purpose flour
� cup whole wheat flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
2 tablespoons sugar
2 eggs
1 cup low-fat milk
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
Preheat waffle iron. Sift together flours, baking powder & sugar. With mixer, blend eggs, milk & oil. Add flour mixture; stir just until blending (do not over-mix). Spread batter on iron; cook until golden brown. Serve with applesauce or top with vanilla yogurt & sliced fruit.
