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Why All Babies and Toddlers Eat Cheerios
Transitioning baby to solid foods from breast feeding or bottle feeding usually takes place via baby food, liquefied versions of fruits and vegetables. Whether you use jars of baby food or make your own baby food, the route to strained carrots and peas is a time tested one. What comes next is almost as universal.
It seems that all babies and toddlers eat Cheerios as one of their first truly solid foods (the name being used somewhat inaccurately for jars of baby food which are not so much solid, as non-liquid.) Go to just about any day care, playground, or other place where there are groups of children, and you are likely to see Cheerios in the hands of more than one youngster.
What Makes Cheerios a Great Food
What makes Cheerios such a great food for toddlers and babies is that it comes already pre-made without triggering any of the usual parenting concerns. They are too small to be choked on by any child old enough to actually be eating non-strained foods, and even if they did manage to get lodged sideways in a child’s throat, there is always the whole in the middle.
Cheerios also taste good to children who are naturally inclined toward that “cereal” flavor, not just in Cheerios, but also in the form of rice cereal which is often a starter food for babies moving to solids as well.
Additionally, Cheerios are not sticky, don’t have to be cut or peeled, don’t spoil if not refrigerated, don’t make a mess (unless stepped on), can be carried around in just about anything, and can be grasped by little fingers just starting to develop the fine motor skills that will soon develop into the ability to use a spoon and fork.
Finally, while Cheerios are not free of any sugars or artificial flavors, most parents are less worried about that by this stage of development. And, whatever it does have in the way of those things is still rather low compared to other foods that meet the size and flavor criteria. As an added bonus, Cheerios come fortified with vitamins, so it is a little bit like giving a multivitamin to children who are too young to have actual vitamins, which is always a nice plus for parents who worry about whether or not the array of foods their youngster is willing and able to eat provide enough all around nutrition for a growing baby.
In the end, it seems that Cheerios are just an easy way to make sure that baby is getting at least a little nutrition, even when snacking. So, when you are wondering if your kid should get Cheerios too, the answer is, “Why not?”
Mac & Cheese for Toddlers Healthy Version
Does your little one love Mac & Cheese? Mine does, and it is so easy to make, especially when meal time comes and catches you a little bit off guard, or what you thought was going to be for lunch falls through (moldy bread!). But, Macaroni and Cheese doesn’t exactly conjure up images of super healthy lunchtimes.
That’s where Annie’s Mac & Cheese comes in. Annie’s is a food company that creates healthy kid friendly products. Some of it is organic, and some is just a healthier creation than the cheapest possible manufacturing method and ingredients possible. They make a variety of frozen and regular dishes, including a box of macaroni and cheese (both “natural” and organic, either one is fine). Unlike the Kraft version which has more chemical than you’ll find in a high school text book, Annie’s has just whole grain pasta (better than regular) and cheese plus sodium phosphate which is essentially salt. It’s hard to feel bad about that, especially if you throw in some fruit or veggies on the side.
Another option if you prefer the frozen to microwave route is Amy’s Macaroni and Cheese which is also very good and healthier than the standard box of Mac & Cheese. My advice is to get the regular one instead of the “kid’s meal” version. It’s just as kid friendly and it’s cheaper.
If you go shopping and see the regular price, don’t freak out. They both seem to go on sale with regularity at my grocery stores. Stock up then and look for coupons, and they really don’t cost much more. Sure, they’ll never be a quarter a box, but I can usually get Annie’s for $1.50 or lower, and since my toddler only eats half at a time, I figure 75 cents per meal isn’t likely to turn into a financial crisis anytime soon.
Make Soft Rice Krispie Treats With Dad
Ok, a real man doesn’t stop being a dad at the kitchen door. Face it, sooner or later your child is going to need to eat, and what you provide shouldn’t begin and end with what comes in a jar or can. Besides, you can hardly call yourself undefeated if you won’t even put the kitchen team on the schedule.
Dad Makes Treats
Children associate certain actions from their parents. Sometimes, they expect some things more from Mom, and some things more from Dad. Since you don’t want to be the guy who never provides new treats, you need to be able to make something yummy to eat.
At the same time, you aren’t looking to spend hours in the kitchen and even the “simple” things that pop into mind like apple pie, or cake, or fudge take forever to make. You need something fast and simple. For that, it is time to reach back into your childhood and remember Rice Krispie Treats.
Almost everybody likes Rice Krispie Treats. Granted, not everyone will say that the “love” them, but there are very few people out there who say they actively don’t like them. When you find someone who says that, show up with some at a 3:00pm meeting and see if they refuse to have one. Chances are they don’t dislike them as much as they say.
How to Make Rice Krispie Treats
One of the great things about making Rice Krispie Treats is that you always have the recipe. Assuming you are smart enough to remember to breathe in and out on a regular basis, you should probably have no trouble remembering the main ingredient in Rice Krispie Treats is Rice Krispies. Either you have some in your pantry or you don’t. If you don’t, a run to the store is in order. Either way, the recipe is on the side of the box. It couldn’t be any easier than that.
Except, there is one big thing to remember. That recipe on the side of the box is a big fat fraud. You see, somewhere along the line, a Kelloggs executive who ate a lot of paint chips as a kid, sat out in the sun too long, inhaled the paint fumes in his freshly painted office, and then hit his head on the corner of the coffee table. At that moment, he had an idea. A spectacularly stupid idea even for someone who had just been through all of that.
The REAL RICE KRISPIES TREATS recipe calls for one whole stick of butter. The one on the side of the box calls for something like 3 tablespoons. Why? Well, if you remember the moron from above, he decided that they could market Rice Krispie Treats as a “low-fat” snack. Now, if you are laughing or scoffing, then congratulations you officially have at least two brain cells. Of course, a whole stick of butter has a lot of fat in it, so you have to cut it back to even pretend that Rice Krispie Treats are low fat. So, they lied, and changed the recipe on the box. The result? Hard, crumbly, terrible, blocks of junk that neither you, your kids, or their friends will want to eat. You’ll laugh out loud when you read on the box that they can only be stored in an airtight container for two days. They are worthless as soon as they cool.
Now, if you actually follow common sense (“Hello? A recipe that calls for 40 marshmallows will never ever never be considered healthy!”) and use a whole stick of butter you will get delicious soft Rice Krispie treats that will keep just fine under saran wrap for a week or so. That is, if your family can lay off them for that long.
Otherwise, it is super easy. Melt one WHOLE STICK of butter. Add one bag of marshmallows and stir while they melt. Then, turn off heat, and add six cups of Rice Krispies. That’s it. (Oh yeah, spread them out in a pan before they cool. Don’t bother with wax paper or greasing your hand. Use a plastic cooking spoon. Some will stick, but not enough to be a problem. I be the sticking issue is worse if you use the artificially low amount of butter.)
So, next time you head down the cereal aisle and see that box, grab it. The regular sized small one has enough to make two batches. Check the box for the recipe and get the rest of the ingredients. Then, pick the day you want to be a hero and use 15 minutes to make it happen.
No one defeats your daddy!
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