Tot Food ~ 4th of July Treats

Healthy 4^th of July Treats

In honor of Independence Day, I thought it would be fun to think of some healthy dessert options that are also fun. Here are several healthy ideas that I found. Enjoy!

Fruit Flag

This dessert is great for those of you who would like an all fruit dessert. Ingredients include blackberries, strawberries, bananas and lemon juice. That's it! Simple, healthy, and fun. Find the recipe here: fruit flag

Cream Cheese Dipped Strawberries

They look very festive, but are easy to make. Ingredients include strawberries, cream cheese, sugar, milk and red and blue sprinkles. The sprinkles are the only non-natural part of this recipe, you can try these for a healthier option... Let's Do... Sprinkelz. Of course, you can always skip the sprinkles. You can find the recipe here: dipped strawberries

Sponge Cake Dessert

Here is a picture of a quick and easy dessert that I made in the name of research tonight J It is so easy to make and a perfect size for tots. Take a little sponge cake (you can toast it if you'd like), add whipped cream, and then decorate with strawberries and blueberries. Your tot might enjoy helping you make this dessert.

Blueberry Buckle

This recipe is a bit more time consuming and has quite a few ingredients. You might be able to make this a bit healthier by substituting some of the flour with whole wheat flour if you would like. It's still on the healthier side though, as far as desserts go. All natural ingredients and nothing artificial. You can find the recipe here: blueberry-buckle

Almond Cheesecake Tart

Again, this recipe is a little bit more time consuming as well, but looks very pretty. I like that all the ingredients are natural (no colorings, additives, sugar substitutes etc). So, if you like to bake, check out the recipe here: almond-cheesecake-tart

Please add any tot-food type links. You can share your tot's plates, share a favorite tot recipe, or share your favorite healthy tot snacks. You are welcome to add your "What's on Your Tot's Plate" link anytime between now and Monday. We will put up a new Mr Linky each Tuesday. Please link directly to your Tot Food post and provide a link back to Totally Tots! You can right click and copy the graphic at the top of this post if you would like to use it in your post. You certainly don't have to, but are welcome to.

Tot Food ~ What's On Your Tot's Plate?

Here's one of our lunches form last week...Nectarine, frozen corn, whole wheat pasta with butter/garlic/parm, an Arnold Sandwich Thin made into garlic toast (the boys LOVE these), and dip for veggies.

Krash was digging this meal...
I decided to put the veggies out as a whole instead of on their plates just to see what K would do.
He surprised me by trying a cucumber voluntarily for the first time. I think it was because he saw Pac Man eating out of the tray and Pac LOVES veggies so K wanted to follow!!!

Please add any tot-food type links. You can share your tot's plates, share a favorite tot recipe, or share your favorite healthy tot snacks. You are welcome to add your "What's on Your Tot's Plate" link anytime between now and Monday. We will put up a new Mr Linky each Tuesday. Please link directly to your Tot Food post and provide a link back to Totally Tots! You can right click and copy the graphic at the top of this post if you would like to use it in your post. You certainly don't have to, but are welcome to.

Tot Food ~ What's on Your Tot's Plate?

The fast lunch at our house... Grab the water bottle out of the fridge, throw some yogurt out of the big tub in a bowl, throw a few blueberries in it, unwrap a cheese stick, throw a few pretzels on a napkin, grab some leftover whole wheat pasta salad out of the fridge, open a banana. Easy, mostly healthy, fast for us.

Please add any tot-food type links. You can share your tot's plates, share a favorite tot recipe, or share your favorite healthy tot snacks. You are welcome to add your "What's on Your Tot's Plate" link anytime between now and Monday. We will put up a new Mr Linky each Tuesday. Please link directly to your Tot Food post and provide a link back to Totally Tots! You can right click and copy the graphic at the top of this post if you would like to use it in your post. You certainly don't have to, but are welcome to.

Tot Food ~ What's on Your Tot's Plate?

A new favorite in our house...
I finally found chicken nuggets I can serve without feeling horribly guilty. If you are a Costco shopper, go check these out-you will be amazed at the very simple ingredient list. The 1st ingredient in the breading is actually whole wheat flour!!! No, I know they aren't perfect, but they are easy, we all like them, and they are so much healthier than any other pre-made nugget I have found!

Here's Krash's lunch plate from this day...Frozen peas with shredded cheese on top, Mickey nuggets, all organic: vanilla yogurt, berries, carrots, honey mustard.

Please add any tot-food type links. You can share your tot's plates, share a favorite tot recipe, or share your favorite healthy tot snacks. You are welcome to add your "What's on Your Tot's Plate" link anytime between now and Monday. We will put up a new Mr Linky each Tuesday. Please link directly to your Tot Food post and provide a link back to Totally Tots! You can right click and copy the graphic at the top of this post if you would like to use it in your post. You certainly don't have to, but are welcome to.

Tot Food ~ What's on YOUR Tot's Plate?

I am a slacker and don't have any great photos this week...but I did make another GREAT thing out of this wonderful book...The Coconut Oil Miracle.

I gave the Blueberry Muffins a try and we all LOVED them! Here's the wonderfully healthy recipe...

• 1/2 C lukewarm water
• 1 egg
• 1/2 C honey
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 3 tablespoons melted Coconut Oil
• 1 1/4 C whole-wheat flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 C fresh blueberries (or other berry)

Preheat to 400, mix wet stuff, mix dry stuff seperately. Add dry to wet, then fold in blueberries. Put in greased muffin cups, bake 15 minutes! Makes 12

I made these thinking we could eat them for breakfast, except we gobbled them up that night! Krash even snuck a THIRD one off the table while I wasn't looking! Talk about success!

Please add any tot-food type links. You can share your tot's plates, share a favorite tot recipe, or share your favorite healthy tot snacks. You are welcome to add your "What's on Your Tot's Plate" link anytime between now and Monday. We will put up a new Mr Linky each Tuesday. Please link directly to your Tot Food post and provide a link back to Totally Tots! You can right click and copy the graphic at the top of this post if you would like to use it in your post. You certainly don't have to, but are welcome to.

Tot Food ~ What's on YOUR Tot's Plate?

Here's what was on K's plate one day last week...

Kiwi, apples, and strawberries ~ Broccoli with Hummus to dip (we use the kind from Costco) ~ Arnold Sandwich Thins with PB (organic from Costco) and Jelly (Polaners all natural).

I also found a new favorite snack from Amazon, Oskri Organics Coconut Bars, K and I both LOVE them!!! If you love coconut, I highly recommend them!!! We also made YUMMY coconut oatmeal cookies from the great book, The Coconut Oil Miracle. The ONLY naughty ingredient was 1 cup of brown sugar, the rest was all healthy and they tasted SOOO good! We will definitely be making many more things from this great book!

Please add any tot-food type links. You can share your tot's plates, share a favorite tot recipe, or share your favorite healthy tot snacks. You are welcome to add your "What's on Your Tot's Plate" link anytime between now and Monday. We will put up a new Mr Linky each Tuesday. Please link directly to your Tot Food post and provide a link back to Totally Tots! You can right click and copy the graphic at the top of this post if you would like to use it in your post. You certainly don't have to, but are welcome to.

Tot Food ~ What's on YOUR Tot's Plate?

Welcome to *What's on YOUR Tot's Plate?* if you'd like to join up, please write a post on your own blog and link to Mr. Linky below! You can just share the photos, or also share any info about what was on the plate (did your tot like it, what was it, how to make it, etc.).

I didn't get any plate shots this week but I did want to share our new snack system with you! I get SO tired of the boys asking for snacks, and I can never remember what they have had too much of recently. So, I created Snack Baskets (yes I know that's not a basket, but that's what K calls it).... The idea is that I load it with appropriate snacks and I don't reload it until they are gone. That way I know they aren't eating tons of one certain item. Here's what was in the basket when I snapped these photos...

Almonds and Raisins, Florida's Natural Nuggets, Annie's Organic Bunny Fruit Snacks, Annie's Cheddar Bunnies, 100% fruit strip, EnviroKidz Organic Animal Cookies.

On top of their snack baskets, I allow them to eat fresh fruit or veggies as a choice anytime, I just can't put those in the basket. I also have pre made cups in the fridge now for Krash, to be sure he drinks enough water, and milk--and not too much juice (I only allow him about 1 cup or less per day and I split it into a few cups diluted with water). He can go to the fridge and grab a cup without me having to pour every time. Plus he can easily see what he has left to drink. He will often whine about it, but oh well.

As for when they get the snacks, only when I SAY SO. It is not a free basket, it just helps them have the choice from what's left when I say it's time for a snack. It also helps me that they can get them independently in case I am nursing Ladybug or something else.

I would love to read in the comments, or see on your blog how you handle snack time at your house! ~you can also share normal tot plates this week too, I just didn't have any to share!

You are welcome to add your "What's on Your Tot's Plate" link anytime between now and Monday. We will put up a new Mr Linky each Tuesday. Please link directly to your Tot Food post and provide a link back to Totally Tots! You can right click and copy the graphic at the top of this post if you would like to use it in your post. You certainly don't have to, but are welcome to.

Tot Food ~ What's on YOUR Tot's Plate?

Welcome to *What's on YOUR Tot's Plate?* if you'd like to join up, please write a post on your own blog and link to Mr. Linky below! You can just share the photos, or also share any info about what was on the plate (did your tot like it, what was it, how to make it, etc.).

Here's one of our lunch plates from this past week!

Before...After... As you can see, he loves his PB & J (sprinkled with Flaxseed Meal) on Arnold Sandwich Thins, his berries, and his kiwi. He ate a few of his apples (usually eats them all) and nibbled at his tomato. He's got organic honey mustard there for dipping, and didn't use it much. He will usually eat carrots, but hardly ever cucumbers. I still always put items on his plate...it can often take a tot many, many tries of a new food to develop a taste for it, don't give up!

You can ONLY link to the weekly Mr Linky if you write a post exclusively for this, link to that exact post (not your homepage), and provide a link back to Totally Tots in your post. I hate to be a meanie-but we gotta have rules or it won't work! If you have any questions, let me know. If you need help with how to do a direct link, go here and scroll down to see a photo-tutorial (just ignore the Tot School part). You are welcome to add your "What's on Your Tot's Plate" link anytime between now and Monday. We will put up a new Mr Linky each Tuesday.

You can right click and copy the graphic at the top of this post if you would like to use it in your post. You certainly don't have to, but are welcome to.

Tot Food ~ What's on YOUR Tot's Plate?

Welcome to *What's on YOUR Tot's Plate?* if you'd like to join up, please write a post on your own blog and link to Mr. Linky below! You can just share the photos, or also share any info about what was on the plate (did your tot like it, what was it, how to make it, etc.).

I did manage to make lunch all week, but only had the camera close by one day!! Here is one of our plates from the week...The boys enjoyed dino shaped sandwiches (organic PB, natural Jelly, flaxseed meal), a cheese stick, and avocado. We had berries for our after-lunch treat this day. Both of my boys think fruit is a special dessert and I plan to keep it that way!!! We are also using a new bread, you can read about that here on my other blog.

I also began a new *snack system* this past week, and plan to post about that later in the week! I will put up a Mr. Linky for it also, in case you have good tot snack ideas to share!

You can ONLY link to the weekly Mr Linky if you write a post exclusively for this, link to that exact post (not your homepage), and provide a link back to Totally Tots in your post. I hate to be a meanie-but we gotta have rules or it won't work! If you have any questions, let me know. If you need help with how to do a direct link, go here and scroll down to see a photo-tutorial (just ignore the Tot School part). You are welcome to add your "What's on Your Tot's Plate" link anytime between now and Monday. We will put up a new Mr Linky each Tuesday.

You can right click and copy the graphic at the top of this post if you would like to use it in your post. You certainly don't have to, but are welcome to.

Tot Food ~ What's on YOUR Tot's Plate?

Welcome to *What's on YOUR Tot's Plate?* if you'd like to join up, please write a post on your own blog and link to Mr. Linky below! You can just share the photos, or also share any info about what was on the plate (did your tot like it, what was it, how to make it, etc.).

Finally, I made lunch for my boys! I even had my camera close by, so here is my first contribution to Tot Food!!!

This is a typical lunch at our house: Whole Wheat mini bagel, with organic PB, and natural jelly, sprinkled with Flaxseed Meal. We always have some type of fresh fruit (strawberries and organic apples this day), and often a veggie, but today it was a cheese stick. Most of the time the boys drink water with their lunches.

Here's some of the actual items we use... I order those EnviroKidz Organic Animal Cookies (great price through Amazon's Subscribe and Save program) with Krash in mind who is sensitive to artificial dyes, they are great for a small desert or treat. This day he got a few after his plate was clean :).Another plate this past week: mango, carrots, broccoli, ants on a log.We use organic PB, celery, and carrots. Our decisions of what to purchase organic are made using the resources I write about in this post. He was not fond of the celery but licked the PB off of it! He usually eats celery, so I am not sure why he wouldn't! He LOVED the mango, we haven't had it in awhile! After lunch this day the boys got an Annie's Organic Bunny Fruit Snack.You can ONLY link to the weekly Mr Linky if you write a post exclusively for this, link to that exact post (not your homepage), and provide a link back to Totally Tots in your post. I hate to be a meanie-but we gotta have rules or it won't work! If you have any questions, let me know. If you need help with how to do a direct link, go here and scroll down to see a photo-tutorial (just ignore the Tot School part). You are welcome to add your "What's on Your Tot's Plate" link anytime between now and Monday. We will put up a new Mr Linky each Tuesday.

You can right click and copy the graphic at the top of this post if you would like to use it in your post. You certainly don't have to, but are welcome to.

Tot Food ~ What's on YOUR Tot's Plate?

Welcome to *What's on YOUR Tot's Plate?* if you'd like to join up, please write a post on your own blog and link to Mr. Linky below! I want to thank those of you who are linking, I am really enjoying seeing other ideas!!!

You can just share the photos, or also share any info about what was on the plate (did your tot like it, what was it, how to make it, etc.). I hope to begin sharing our plates soon, shouldn't be long now since we had our baby!

You can ONLY link to the weekly Mr Linky if you write a post exclusively for this, link to that exact post (not your homepage), and provide a link back to Totally Tots in your post. I hate to be a meanie-but we gotta have rules or it won't work! If you have any questions, let me know. If you need help with how to do a direct link, go here and scroll down to see a photo-tutorial (just ignore the Tot School part). You are welcome to add your "What's on Your Tot's Plate" link anytime between now and Friday. We will put up a new Mr Linky each Saturday.

You can right click and copy the graphic at the top of this post if you would like to use it in your post. You certainly don't have to, but are welcome to.

Tot Food ~ What's on YOUR Tot's Plate?

Welcome to *What's on YOUR Tot's Plate?* if you'd like to join up, please write a post on your own blog and link to Mr. Linky below! I want to thank those of you who are linking, I am really enjoying seeing other ideas!!!

You can just share the photos, or also share any info about what was on the plate (did your tot like it, what was it, how to make it, etc.).

You can ONLY link to the weekly Mr Linky if you write a post exclusively for this, link to that exact post (not your homepage), and provide a link back to Totally Tots in your post. I hate to be a meanie-but we gotta have rules or it won't work! If you have any questions, let me know. If you need help with how to do a direct link, go here and scroll down to see a photo-tutorial (just ignore the Tot School part). You are welcome to add your "What's on Your Tot's Plate" link anytime between now and Friday. We will put up a new Mr Linky each Saturday.

You can right click and copy the graphic at the top of this post if you would like to use it in your post. You certainly don't have to, but are welcome to.

Tot Food ~ What's on YOUR Tot's Plate?

Welcome to *What's on YOUR Tot's Plate?* if you'd like to join up, please write a post on your own blog and link to Mr. Linky below! I want to thank those of you who are linking, I am really enjoying seeing other ideas!!!

You can just share the photos, or also share any info about what was on the plate (did your tot like it, what was it, how to make it, etc.). I hope to begin sharing our plates soon, but I am not much of a lunch-maker right now in these last weeks of pregnancy!

You can ONLY link to the weekly Mr Linky if you write a post exclusively for this, link to that exact post (not your homepage), and provide a link back to Totally Tots in your post. I hate to be a meanie-but we gotta have rules or it won't work! If you have any questions, let me know. If you need help with how to do a direct link, go here and scroll down to see a photo-tutorial (just ignore the Tot School part). You are welcome to add your "What's on Your Tot's Plate" link anytime between now and Friday. We will put up a new Mr Linky each Saturday.

You can right click and copy the graphic at the top of this post if you would like to use it in your post. You certainly don't have to, but are welcome to.