Kaitlyn (12 months) is my sweet little peanut. She is a busy little thing that is consistently on the light side of weight percentiles. She eats, but she is more particular about her food and loses interest quickly (she’d rather be running around). Because of this, I’ve become really focused on squeezing as many nutrient-packed calories into each bite as possible. So for this month’s Munchkin Meals post, I wanted to share some of the tactics that I’m using to max out on calories.
Behaviorally, I notice a few things make a difference with how much Kaitlyn will eat at any given meal. Because of this, I do my best to be consistent with the following:
- Sit down and eat with her. When Hailey was a baby, she’d sit and eat happily while I worked in the kitchen, but Kaitlyn does much better if we sit down at the same time and eat similar food. This isn’t always easy, but I’m making it more of a priority because it makes a difference.
- Give meal times proper attention. Again, not always easy as we are busy running around playing or running errands, but I’m working on making sure breakfast, lunches and dinners are at home and together. I work the timing so it’s about an hour or so after she nurses to make sure she isn’t too full for food.
Other basics food prep techniques I like are:
- Utilize her favorite flavors. The girl follows in her Papa John’s footsteps (and mine!) and loves marinara sauce. It almost guarantees a food will get eaten, much more so than sweet flavors.
- Add healthy fats whenever I can. I add a little olive oil to sauces, stir in chia seeds to full fat yogurt, melt butter on her vegetables, spread cream cheese on her toast. You get the idea.
- Use the full fat version of everything- milk, yogurt, cheeses, etc.
And now to a few of our current favorites!
No Bake Peanut Butter Oat Bites
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 15 mins
- Yield: 32 bites 1x
- Category: snacks
- Cuisine: snacks
Description
These are quick to make and keep for a week in the fridge. They are easy to snag as a quick, hearty snack or as part of breakfast.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup natural peanut butter
- 1/2 cup maple syrup
- 2 cups oats
- 2 Tbsp ground flax
Instructions
- In a bowl, mix together peanut butter and syrup until blended.
- Stir in ground flax, then oats until well combined.
- Spoon out tsp sized amounts using a greased spoon and place on parchment paper. Put in fridge for 30 minutes, then transfer to a glass tupperware for fridge storage for up 5-7 days.
Avocado smoothies- In fact, I like to add avocado to a lot of things.
They make a great thick texture for older kids to sprinkle granola on and use a spoon with. If you child prefers to drink it, add more whole milk. You can add it to almost any smoothie you like, or here is a good recipe if you need it! I just always make sure I am using whole milk, full fat yogurt and usually add some greens in there too.
Mini Meatballs
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 10 mins
- Total Time: 20 mins
- Yield: 16 meatballs 1x
Description
Kids love dipping and these simple little meatballs are perfect for small hands. You could add grated vegetables (like zucchini or carrots) if you like, or keep it basic and serve with pasta and veggies on the side.
Ingredients
- 1/2 lb grass-fed beef
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 2 Tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
- 1/4 cup Italian Style bread crumbs (recipe)
- salt and pepper
Instructions
- Add all the ingredients to a food processor. Pulse 3-4 times until well combined.
- Form into Tbsp sized balls, then pan fry over medium heat for 2-3 minutes per side until cooked through.
- Drain on a paper towel then serve with marinara sauce for dipping.
I love using my food processor for these. It makes evenly distributing the ingredients so easy.
What are your children eating lately?
***This post is intended to share our unique experience and should not be a substitute for medical advice. Each child is different and if you have any true weight concerns, please seek input from your pediatrician or a pediatric dietitian.***
Have you ever had to focus on more calorie-dense foods for yourself or for your kids?
What are some of your favorite calorie-dense, but nutritious foods?
Brynn says
i love how you were observant of your babe’s eating preferences and style. My favorite way to pack a nutritiously dense punch includes avocado, coconut oil and nut products.
Taylor says
I love these ideas – I will definitely give your peanut butter bites a try 🙂 Thanks!
Brittany Dixon says
I won’t lie, I’ve been snacking on those pb bites too 😉
Christina says
I can’t wait to try those peanut butter bites! They look so easy and I think I have all the ingredients already on hand. My daughter (almost 3 1/2) has always been on the lower end for weight, so I still give her whole milk and full fat yogurt. Thank goodness she LOVES avocado, and lately she’s also been a fan of almonds, so I let her eat as much of those foods as she wants.
I hope H is feeling better 🙂
Brittany Dixon says
So jealous your daughter loves avocado! I wish I could just spoon-feed it to K. And let me know what you think of the PB bites- I’ve been snacking on them too— dangerous little things 😉
(Also, H is SO much better today, thank you <3)
Heather says
Great ideas! I’m definitely making some of those peanut butter bites to keep on hand for my little girl who is often a bottomless pit and needs something dense in nutrients to better hold her over between meals.
Laura @FitMamaLove says
Both of my kiddos are eaters, so this hasn’t been an issue for us, but these are good tips and I use a lot of healthy fats with them.
Alyssa McQ says
So I have a completely unrelated (to this post) question, but thought you might be able to offer some suggestions. One of my friends just had a baby, and I checked with her and am planning on bringing a meal and some baked goods next week once they’re settled in. Any recommendations for recipes that are easy to heat/ or freeze and heat or what you would’ve liked to have someone bring? Thanks!
Brittany Dixon says
What a sweet friend you are! I always like to ask for preferences from the new mom (in case she has had lasagna 3x one week), but my go to recipes are enchiladas and stuffed shells (under my recipe tab) because they are crowd-pleasers. I also try and bring some fresh food (salad, fruit or veggies if she likes healthy food- it was always welcome surprise to me) and something they could eat for breakfast or midnight snack (muffin/cookie/etc). I love a good dinner, but sometimes you just need something to quickly snag during the day too. Whatever you bring, the thought that you cared enough to bring anything at all will surely be appreciated! <3
Alyssa McQ says
Thanks! These all sound like great ideas.
Ashley @ My Food 'N' Fitness Diaries says
We deal with the same thing with Hunter. He’s always been on the smaller side, and is quite particular about what he eats. He also loves to be busy and would much rather be playing than eating! I’ve utilized many of these tactics – we eat lotsssss of nut butter around here, and I add olive oil or coconut oil or butter to everything I can for him. Can’t wait to try out these recipes with him!
Laura says
Great ideas! I especially like the peanut butter bites, yum! I am slooowly weaning my daughter and have been giving her little snacks in place of nursing (yogurt, cheese, etc). About how many little PB bites would you think is a good “snack” amount?
Karen says
You are not an RD/dietitian, and lately your posts that are trying to be educational are tough to read from my point of view. I am a paediatric dietitian and I deal with feeding concerns daily with so many different parents, medical issues (complex and life threatening, to lesser/non issues, just feeding related), social scenarios, economic concerns, growth issues.. The list goes on and very rarely is one child ever the same as the next. There is not one size fits all for any child, and some children have complex medical issues and health concerns. But from a general point of view, every child regardless of age should be fed whole fat foods (milk, yogurt, non dairy beverages, cheese) until 2 years so this shouldn’t be a question of “adding calories..” This is for adequate neurological and physical growth. Secondly, if a child is medically stable, they need to be charge of their growth and hunger cues, not the parents. Offer a wide range of foods, vegetables, fruits, fats, proteins, iron rich foods (!), and let the child choose what they want without any intervention. Most children will grow the best when given the opporunity to develop their appetite and learn about food on their own. I don’t mean to be preachy, but feeding can be complicated and there are MANY children struggling with medical issues that you can’t speak to. I see different children daily from learning to oral feed, or relying on tube feeds to meet 100% of their nutritional needs and growth. Please don’t assume every child or parent can read your posts and apply to their life.
Brittany Dixon says
Hey Karen, I hear what you are saying and will go back and add a disclaimer, as I certainly do not want to be perceived as giving medical advice, but just wanted to share what we’ve been doing in our experience (pretty much how I write my blog- first hand perspective, not blanket advice).
I understand child weight issues can be serious and should 100% be attended to by professionals. We’ve been monitoring Kaitlyn’s weight carefully with our doctor, so I’m definitely aware of that.
I really appreciate your insight and think you have a unique perspective as a professional. I would love to feature a guest post from you about feeding babies and/or toddlers. Would you be interested in something like that? If so, please email me at Brittany@ahealthysliceoflife.com
carlyakamummy says
Glad most of these recipes are ready in 20mins or less. Really going to have to invest in a food processor though