< Back Peanut Butter Oatmeal Prep Time: 5 minutes Cook Time: 5 minutes Serves: 1 PDF download for printing Oatmeal is easy, inexpensive and healthy. It has a lot of fiber, which is something most kids don't get enough of. When you make it with milk, it also has a lot of protein to help your child make it to the next mealtime without feeling hungry. Ingredients 1 microwave safe bowl 1 cup quick oats 1 cup milk (I use 1 percent, but whatever kind you have works) 2-3 Tablespoons peanut butter Preparation Place all ingredients in a microwave safe bowl. Cook for about 2 minutes until oatmeal has absorbed some milk and the peanut butter is melted. Stir and eat! Oatmeal will thicken as it cools. If you like your oatmeal sweeter, add about 1 teaspoon of sugar on top. This is also really yummy with mini chocolate chips sprinkled on top. TIPS ​ 1. Oatmeal has a tendency to flow over the sides of the bowl in the microwave. If this happens to you, I'm sorry! This is how to prevent it happening next time. Turn the power on your microwave to 50 percent and increase the time by 1-2 minutes. ​ 2. If you are using regular rolled oats, you will need to increase the cooking time. It is almost impossible to cook regular rolled oats in milk without them spilling over the top UNLESS you turn the power on your microwave down to about 50 percent. Previous Next

< Back Ghost Toast Prep Time: 2 minutes Cook Time: 2 minutes Serves: 1 PDF download for printing Halloween fun doesn't have to be limited to candy. This peanut butter banana toast is filling, healthy and fun! Ingredients 1 banana 8 mini chocolate chips 4 raisins 1 Tablespoon peanut butter 2 slices whole wheat toast Preparation Toast the bread Spread a thin layer of peanut butter on the bread Cut banana in half lengthwise. Then cut each piece in half "width-wise" so it will lay flat on the bread. Place banana on the toast. Put chocolate chips for eyes and a raisin for the mouth. Enjoy your snack together! ​ Raisins are a choking hazard, please use caution with children until 2 years of age. Previous Next

< Back Lentil Tacos Prep Time: 40 minutes Cook Time: 40 minutes Serves: 6 PDF download for printing Lentils are one of the most nutritious foods on the planet....and they are also one of the least expensive. They are full of protein, iron, zinc, B vitamins and fiber! These tacos are inexpensive, easy, and a great way to introduce lentils to your family. Ingredients 1 onion 1 clove garlic 1 Tablespoon chili powder 2 teaspoons cumin 1 teaspoon oregano 2 1/2 cups water 2 teaspoons bouillon 1 cup lentils 1 cup salsa ​ taco fixings (soft/hard shells, shredded lettuce, shredded cheese, salsa) Preparation Optional step to speed lentil cook time: ​Bring 2 cups of water to a boil in the microwave. Pour the hot water over 1 cup of lentils in a bowl. Let them sit in the bowl while you prepare the other ingredients. Doing this will speed up the lentil cooking time. You can skip this step. You can also soak the lentils in 2 cups of room temperature water for up to 24 hours before making this meal. While lentils are soaking, cut an onion into small pieces. Cook onion in 1 Tablespoon oil over medium high heat about 5 minutes, until it is see through and starting to turn brown. While the onion is cooking, smash and peel 1 clove of garlic. Chop it as finely as you can. Once the onion is cooked, add chopped garlic, 1 Tablespoon chili powder, 2 teaspoons cumin and 1 teaspoon oregano to the pan. Cook for about 30 seconds then add lentils and water. (garlic burns quickly, so be prepared to add the water quickly after 30 seconds). Drain lentils (if they were soaking). Add lentils, 2 1/2 cups water, and 2 teaspoons bouillon (or 2 bouillon cubes) to the pan. Turn the heat to high and bring the mixture to a boil. Once boiling, put a lid on, and then turn heat down to a simmer (medium heat) and set a timer for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, take off the lid and stir the lentils. The water should be absorbed. If it is not, put the lid on and continue to cook until all of the water is absorbed (check again in 5 minutes). Once the water is absorbed, taste the lentils . They should be soft and completely cooked through. If they are crunchy, add ½ cup water, put the lid back on, and cook 5 to 10 more minutes until the water is absorbed. After 10 minutes, test the lentils again. They should be soft. If they are still crunchy, repeat this step until the lentils are soft. Stir 1 cup salsa into the lentils. Continue to cook for 2-3 minutes until extra liquid has evaporated.. Once the lentils are done, serve like you would regular taco meat: either on top of rice, salad, or in a soft or hard taco shell. Previous Next

< Back Sweet Jicama Salad Prep Time: 10 minutes Cook Time: 10 minutes Serves: 4-6 PDF download for printing This salad will increase the flavor of your tacos and is loaded with vitamin C! Ingredients Salad 1 small jicama (about 2 cups when chopped) ½ medium red bell pepper, thinly sliced and cut into 2 inch long pieces 1 cup diced fresh pineapple 2 Tablespoons fresh cilantro ¼ cup finely chopped red onion Dressing 1 teaspoon lemon zest 3 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice 1 Tablespoon honey or white sugar or sugar substitute 2 Tablespoons canola oil 2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger ⅛ teaspoon dried red pepper flakes Preparation Combine salad ingredients in a large bowl and toss gently until combined. Combine dressing ingredients in a small bowl and wisk until combined. Pour dressing over salad and stir until evenly coated in dressing. Let stand 15 minutes before serving. This is excellent on top of a meat or vegetarian taco or quesadilla! Previous Next

< Back Green Muffins Prep Time: 15 minutes prep + 25 minutes to bake Cook Time: 15 minutes prep + 25 minutes to bake Serves: 24 muffins PDF download for printing Spinach is a super healthy food, but it can be hard for little mouths to chew. Spinach is almost flavorless when blended into smoothies or baked goods. These muffins taste more like cupcakes, but can help your child eat more dark green veggies! These muffins are fun for Halloween or St. Patrick’s Day. Ingredients 1 cup white flour 1 cup whole wheat flour 3/4 cup sugar 2 teaspoons baking powder 1/2 teaspoon baking soda ½ teaspoon salt 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon 1/4 cup canola oil 3/4 cup milk 6 ounces fresh baby spinach until smooth 1 large banana 2 teaspoons vanilla Preparation Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. In a large mixing bowl, combine dry ingredients (whole wheat flour, white flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon). Mix the dry ingredients very well. This prevents yucky clumps of baking soda & powder in your muffins. You could also blend these ingredients together in the blender before you use it for the wet ingredients. That will ensure that everything is mixed together. In a blender, mix oil, milk, spinach, banana and vanilla until pureed. You must have a blender or food processor to grind up the spinach, chopping it with a knife will not have the same result. Make a big indent in the middle of the dry ingredients in the bowl. Pour the wet ingredients (from the blender) into the well. Mix until just combined, the flour should just barely be mixed in. Overmixing causes rubbery and tough muffins. Spray muffin cups with nonstick cooking spray. Fill muffin cups with batter. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until a knife inserted in the center of the middle muffin comes out clean. Previous Next

< Back Tofu Buddha Bowls Prep Time: 1 hour (includes time to cook rice) Cook Time: 1 hour (includes time to cook rice) Serves: 6 PDF download for printing Kids like to have choices. Meals like burrito bowls, buddha bowls and Hawaiian haystacks allow kids to pick and choose from what you have put on the table. Baking tofu is a simple way to make it taste amazing. If you really don’t like tofu, you could leave it out or make this with chicken pieces instead. Tofu lasts longer in the fridge than chicken and costs less. It can also be eaten raw, which makes it a good food to cook with kid helpers. Ingredients Ingredients: 2 cups uncooked brown rice 4 1/2 cups water 1 bag (steam in bag) frozen cauliflower or broccoli 1 bag frozen peas 1 whole carrot 1 red bell pepper 1 sweet potato or regular potato (any size will work, smaller is better) 1 block EXTRA FIRM tofu 1 Tablespoon oil (canola or olive are best) 1 can pineapple (in 100% juice) Tofu Marinade ingredients: 2 tablespoons lite soy sauce 1 tablespoon oil 1 clove minced garlic 1 tablespoon brown sugar Peanut Sauce ingredients: 1/4 cup water (you may need to add 2-3 Tablespoons to thin out the sauce if it’s too thick) 2 Tablespoons lite soy sauce ½ cup peanut butter 1 ½ Tablespoons brown sugar 1 ½ Tablespoons grated ginger 2 cloves garlic, minced Optional: 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil Preparation Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and Start Rice: Put 4 1/2 cups (four and one half cups) of water in a pot and add 2 cups long grain brown rice. Turn heat to HI and put a lid on. Bring the water to a boil, then turn down the heat to low and let it simmer. Simmering means it should be barely bubbling. Keep the lid on and do not take it off . If your pot is missing a lid, you can use a plate or cookie sheet to cover the pot. Set a timer for 50 minutes. Do not take the lid off until the timer goes off. Prepare Tofu: Open tofu package and drain water. Remove from the package and slice tofu into “sheets.” Put “sheets” of tofu between clean towels or paper towels. Push your hand on top and gently press to remove extra moisture. Put a pan on top of the tofu and let it sit while you cut the sweet potatoes. Cut Sweet Potato: You could use other vegetables here (like frozen or fresh brussel sprouts or butternut squash), but a sweet potato is yummy. Peel and dice the sweet potato, then put onto a baking sheet and cover with about 1 Tablespoon of oil to coat. Uncover tofu and cut into squares: Take the towel off the tofu and cut into squares. Keep the squares the same size as the sweet potatoes so they cook at the same rate. Tofu is easy to cut, this is a great job for an older child to practice their cutting skills. Make marinade for tofu: In a small bowl, whisk together 1 tablespoon oil 1 tablespoon brown sugar 2 tablespoons soy sauce 1 clove minced garlic Once the marinade is mixed well, pour over the top of the tofu and mix. Then pour the tofu onto the baking pan with the sweet potato. Spread Tofu and Sweet potato on a pan: Put tofu and sweet potato on a baking sheet. You want to spread the tofu and sweet potato out so that there is space between them (see below). Put the pan in the preheated 350 degree oven and set a timer for 20 minutes. If you do not have a cookie sheet here is what you can do: put the sweet potato in the oven whole, wrapped in tinfoil. Bake at 400 degrees for about 30 minutes. Cook the tofu in a non-stick skillet on the stove top over medium heat so the edges get brown and crisp. While rice and tofu are cooking, grate carrots and chop bell pepper. Put them in separate bowls for serving. Warm up peas under running water in a colander then put them in a bowl for serving. Make peanut sauce in the microwave. In a microwavable bowl, combine peanut sauce ingredients (listed below) and microwave for 2 minutes on HI. Take out and stir. If peanut butter isn’t melted and easy to stir, add 1 minute and stir again. Repeat until peanut butter is melted and easy to stir. Set sauce aside, it is ready to be eaten! 1/4 cup water (plus 2-3 Tablespoons if you need to thin out the sauce) 2 Tablespoons soy sauce ½ cup peanut butter 1 ½ Tablespoons brown sugar 1 ½ Tablespoons minced ginger (mince using a zester, or cut finely with a sharp knife) 2 cloves garlic (mince them using a zester, garlic press or knife) Optional 1 Tablespoon toasted sesame oil Steam cauliflower or broccoli in it’s package in the microwave according to package directions (this usually takes 5 minutes). Once it is done, put it in a bowl for serving. Take tofu and sweet potato out of the oven. Stir with a flat edged spatula so the browned parts are face up. Put it back in the oven for 10 minutes. It should finish about the same time as the rice. Check rice : Once timer goes off, move rice to the side and see if all the water is absorbed. If water is not absorbed, put the lid back on and wait 5 more minutes, check again. Once water is absorbed, the rice is done. Take it off the heat and let it sit with the lid on for 5 minutes. Then scoop it into a bowl for serving. Previous Next

< Back Vanilla Milk Prep Time: 2 minutes Cook Time: 2 minutes Serves: 1 PDF download for printing Hot coco usually has 12 grams added sugar. Kids should not have more than 25 grams per day. Get your kids used to vanilla milk instead of hot coco to decrease their sugar intake! Ingredients 1 cup milk ½ teaspoon vanilla or almond extract 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon Preparation Pour 1 cup milk into a microwave safe mug Heat until just warm enough for your child (about 1 minute)* Stir in 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract or almond extract** Sprinkle with 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon Stir and taste. Add more vanilla or cinnamon to taste. Drink immediately ​ **Be careful with hot liquids around very young children. Just heat the milk until it is barely warm and be sure to stir the milk well to avoid hot spots. *Almond extract is more expensive than vanilla, but it is a really yummy treat. If you are going to use almond extract, start with 1/4 teaspoon and add more if you need it. Almond extract has a stronger flavor than vanilla extract. Previous Next

Feeding tips by topic PICKY EATING STARTING SOLIDS FOOD & COVID 19

Pregnancy 5 things you should know There's a lot to learn about pregnancy so let's keep this simple. Here's 5 things you should know about eating during pregnancy. 5 essentials of pregnancy nutrition 1 Eat balanced meals You will feel your best during pregnancy if you eat well. Eating well also helps baby grow. The key to eating well is to eat meals and sit down snacks about every 3-4 hours. Try to make meals balanced by including a fruit, vegetable, grain and protein at every meal. Learn more 2 Take your prenatal vitamin every day. The best way to make sure your baby has all the nutrients needed for growth is to take a prenatal vitamin/mineral supplement every day. Watch this video to learn more and click the link below to learn more about how to choose a good supplement. learn more 3 Keeps tongue low and flat for the spoon Eating solid food uses different tongue movements than bottle feeding. When sucking on a bottle, the tongue pushes out. When chewing and swallowing, the tongue stays in. In order to eat solid foods, your baby's tongue has to practice to staying in. If your baby's tongue is pushing food out, wait a few days and try again. Learn More 5 Keeps food in the mouth and closes lips over the spoon To be ready for solids, your baby needs to keep food in his mouth. If your baby spits everything right back out, it doesn't mean that she doesn't like it. It probably just means he isn't ready. Wait a few days and try again. Keep trying. Don't force it. One day she will keep food in, that is then you start feeding her from the spoon regularly. Learn More What to start with; How to choose the best first foods for your baby First Foods At 6 months, your baby needs more iron and zinc than breastmilk can provide. To prevent anemia, you need to feed him or her foods high in iron, like iron + zinc fortified infant cereal or pureed meats. Best first foods for baby These foods are high in iron and zinc, are easy to digest, and less likely to cause allergies. 1 Iron fortified infant cereal Iron fortified infant cereal (rice, oat, wheat) is flaky cereal made just for babies. You stir in breastmilk or formula to create a creamy mush. It is high in iron and will taste like the milk you make it with. It is also easy to change textures; you can make it very thin at first and thicker as baby gets older. It's a good idea to offer infant cereal to your baby at every meal until they start eating other sources of iron + zinc like meats, beans and nut butters. Learn more 2 Pureed meats Pureed meats are an even better source of iron and zinc than infant cereal. You can buy baby food meat purees at the store. To make your own: cook meat to a safe temp, then puree with water in a blender. Red meat is higher in iron than white meat. Do not use processed meats like hot dogs, ham or lunch meats. If you make a lot, you can put it in ice cube trays in the freezer and put individual cubes in the microwave when you are ready to feed baby. click here for a how to video What to do next: How to advance baby to new foods. next foods It's VERY important to keep giving your baby new foods to prevent picky eating. By 9 months, babies should be mostly feeding themselves, with a little bit of spoon feeding help from a parent. Don't pressure your baby, but offer new flavors and textures every day. Prevent picky eating: offer a wide variety of foods 1 NO COOK BABY FOODS This video from thousanddays.org shows how easy it is to make your own baby food. You can see from the video all the different textures you can make from 1 food. Some babies get stuck on puree foods. To prevent this problem, only serve purees until your baby can handle more texture. Serve thicker, lumpier food as soon as baby will take it. Learn more 2 COOKED BABY FOODS This video from the Main extension gives all the information you need to make your own baby food. Don't want to make your own? No problem! Store bought baby food is just as good as home made. Just make sure you offer a wide variety of foods to your baby. learn more 2 FEED BABY THE SAME THING YOU ARE EATING The best way to prevent picky eating later on is to feed your baby the same foods you are eating. Do this by pureeing, mashing or cutting foods so your baby can safely chew and swallow them. When you avoid making separate meals for baby and you avoid having a picky eater later on. learn more How to keep your baby safe: Food allergies and choking FOOD ALLERGIES To prevent food allergies, most doctors recommend breastfeeding until 6 months, and then starting solids. No foods should be held back, instead offer a wide variety of foods. If you have a family history of allergies, you should ask your pediatrician for more detailed instructions on how to start solids. more info on food allergies

FEEDING TIPS BY AGE PREGNANCY ​ Tips for helping moms make healthy nutrition choices before the baby is born INFANT 4-6 MONTHS ​ Tips for starting on solid foods NEWBORN ​ Helping parents read a baby's hunger cues INFANT 6-12 MONTHS ​ Tips on advancing to more solid foods TODDLER 1-2 YEARS ​ Tips on bottle weaning and getting a child to eat at the table PRESCHOOLER 2-3 YEARS ​ Tips to prevent picky eating

Hello Family Advocate! Thank you for stopping in! The purpose of this website is to create a library where you can access all the nutrition resources available to you. If the family you are teaching needs more support than what you can find on this website, please send a referral to the DDI VANTAGE Registered Dietitian. She can meet with family through zoom. Here is how to send a referral: ​ Click on this PDF and fill it out ​ ​ ​ 2. Send it to your Health Service Specialist and Nicole (nicolebuhlerRD@gmail.com ) 3. Wait for Nicole to contact you. ​ Using this form ensures that all services provided are recorded in ChildPlus. Filling out the referral sheet also ensures that Nicole has all the information she needs to make the visit. ​ Thank you for your referrals! Nutrition Referral Form-writeable.pdf CONTACT NICOLE

Starting Solid Foods Starting solids Getting the timing right on starting solids is very important. How do you know when the right time is? Watch this video to get it right from the start, then read more below. 4 signs that a baby is ready for solid foods Every baby will be ready to start solid foods at a different age. Even siblings' age of readiness can be different. So instead of starting solids at a certain age, start solids when your baby is developmentally ready. Read about the 4 signs of readiness below. 1 Sits up mostly unassisted A baby isn't ready to start solids until he or she can sit mostly unassisted. Don't try starting solids until your baby can sit in a high chair with a little support. Your baby's tummy isn't ready for solid foods if she is not sitting up on her own. Learn more 2 Opens mouth for a spoon When babies can sit up and open their mouth for the spoon, they are ready for solid foods. If your baby isn't doing this yet, just wait a few days and try again. Things change fast at this age. learn more 3 Keeps tongue low and flat for the spoon Eating solid food uses different tongue movements than bottle feeding. When sucking on a bottle, the tongue pushes out. When chewing and swallowing, the tongue stays in. In order to eat solid foods, your baby's tongue has to practice to staying in. If your baby's tongue is pushing food out, wait a few days and try again. Learn More 4 Keeps food in the mouth and closes lips over the spoon To be ready for solids, your baby needs to keep food in his mouth. If your baby spits everything right back out, it doesn't mean that she doesn't like it. It probably just means he isn't ready. Wait a few days and try again. Keep trying. Don't force it. One day she will keep food in, that is then you start feeding her from the spoon regularly. Learn More What to start with; How to choose the best first foods for your baby First Foods At 6 months, your baby needs more iron and zinc than breastmilk can provide. To prevent anemia, you need to feed him or her foods high in iron, like iron + zinc fortified infant cereal or pureed meats. Best first foods for baby These foods are high in iron and zinc, are easy to digest, and less likely to cause allergies. 1 Iron fortified infant cereal Iron fortified infant cereal (rice, oat, wheat) is flaky cereal made just for babies. You stir in breastmilk or formula to create a creamy mush. It is high in iron and will taste like the milk you make it with. It is also easy to change textures; you can make it very thin at first and thicker as baby gets older. It's a good idea to offer infant cereal to your baby at every meal until they start eating other sources of iron + zinc like meats, beans and nut butters. Learn more 2 Pureed meats Pureed meats are an even better source of iron and zinc than infant cereal. You can buy baby food meat purees at the store. To make your own: cook meat to a safe temp, then puree with water in a blender. Red meat is higher in iron than white meat. Do not use processed meats like hot dogs, ham or lunch meats. If you make a lot, you can put it in ice cube trays in the freezer and put individual cubes in the microwave when you are ready to feed baby. click here for a how to video What to do next: How to advance baby to new foods. next foods It's VERY important to keep giving your baby new foods to prevent picky eating. By 9 months, babies should be mostly feeding themselves, with a little bit of spoon feeding help from a parent. Don't pressure your baby, but offer new flavors and textures every day. Prevent picky eating: offer a wide variety of foods 1 NO COOK BABY FOODS This video from thousanddays.org shows how easy it is to make your own baby food. You can see from the video all the different textures you can make from 1 food. Some babies get stuck on puree foods. To prevent this problem, only serve purees until your baby can handle more texture. Serve thicker, lumpier food as soon as baby will take it. Learn more 2 COOKED BABY FOODS This video from the Main extension gives all the information you need to make your own baby food. Don't want to make your own? No problem! Store bought baby food is just as good as home made. Just make sure you offer a wide variety of foods to your baby. learn more 2 FEED BABY THE SAME THING YOU ARE EATING The best way to prevent picky eating later on is to feed your baby the same foods you are eating. Do this by pureeing, mashing or cutting foods so your baby can safely chew and swallow them. When you avoid making separate meals for baby and you avoid having a picky eater later on. learn more How to keep your baby safe: Food allergies and choking FOOD ALLERGIES To prevent food allergies, most doctors recommend breastfeeding until 6 months, and then starting solids. No foods should be held back, instead offer a wide variety of foods. If you have a family history of allergies, you should ask your pediatrician for more detailed instructions on how to start solids. more info on food allergies