Sneaky Baking: How to Get Your Toddler to Eat Veggies

I’ve recently had trouble getting Austin to eat different veggies. I will usually resort to those veggie/fruit pouches to get him some vegetables in his diet. A little while ago I figured out that I can combine something he loves with something he isn’t too fond of. I made veggie quick bread! His love of carbs masked the fact that there was veggies in his snack. The first thing I made was butternut squash quick bread. It was SOOOOOO yummy. Unfortunately, I almost chopped off a finger in the process of making it. Whoops!

I give credit to Daily Garnish. I’ve been following her blog since Austin was born. Both our toddlers were born around the same time. She is a vegetarian chef/blogger. I get a lot of good ideas from her blog (parenting & food-wise).

Daily Garnish: http://www.dailygarnish.com/

Here is the link to the Butternut Squash Quick Bread recipe: http://www.dailygarnish.com/recipes?recipe_id=6038005

Today, while Austin and Justin were napping, I decided to put my ripe banana to good use. I decided to create a Banana Carrot Quick Bread. I looked up different quick bread recipes to see what was standard in them.

Here are the ingredients I used:

• 3/4 C. vegetable oil
• 1/4 C. honey
• 1/2 C. brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 C. flour (sifted with a fork)
• 1 C. whole wheat flour (sifted with a fork)
• 1/2 C. oatmeal
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp Kosher salt
• 1 + 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp. nutmeg
• 1 C. mashed bananas (about 3 bananas)

I didn’t have 3 bananas, so I mashed 1 banana and squeezed in an apple and strawberry pouch.

• 1 + 1/2 C. grated carrot (3 large)
• 1/2 C. raisins

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease your muffin tins

2. Whisk together flour, oatmeal, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg in medium mixing bowl; set aside.

3. In a large mixing bowl whisk the oil, brown sugar, honey, eggs, and vanilla. Mix well.

4. Add 1/4 of the flour mixture at a time and stir in – alternating with the banana and ending with the flour mixture. Scrap down sides and just mix until incorporated; don’t over mix.

5. Add grated carrot and raisins. Fold into mixture until mixed throughout.

6. Spoon into mini or regular sized muffin tins.

7. Bake mini muffins 12 minutes and then check until a toothpick comes out clean. Regular muffins should take about 5 minutes longer. Ovens may vary the times a big. Just make sure to check your muffins. Cool for 15-20 minutes. Remove from pan and continue cooling on wire rack.

I had my best judge taste the muffins. I think I got the toddler stamp of approval!

Scrumptious!