The Nibble Tray

I came across this idea in my reading and today, as a rummaged around for something to supplement our lunch (black beans, brown rice, tomatoes, onion, ground beef, some seasoning...yummy!), I remembered this idea. I combined 2 ideas - the nibble tray and the dipping, since my fridge needs restocking so I was limited.

Taken from the Sear's website...

Toddlers like to graze their way through a variety of foods, so why not offer them a customized smorgasbord? The first tip from the Sears' kitchen is to offer toddlers a nibble tray. Use an ice-cube tray, a muffin tin, or a compartmentalized dish, and put bite-size portions of colorful and nutritious foods in each section. Call these finger foods playful names that a two-year-old can appreciate, such as:

* apple moons (thinly sliced)
* avocado boats (a quarter of an avocado)
* banana wheels
* broccoli trees (steamed broccoli florets)
* carrot swords (cooked and thinly sliced)
* cheese building blocks
* egg canoes (hard- boiled egg wedges)
* little O's (o-shaped cereal)

Place the food on an easy-to-reach table. As your toddler makes his rounds through the house, he can stop, sit down, nibble a bit, and, when he's done, continue on his way. These foods have a table-life of an hour or two.

Dip it. Young children think that immersing foods in a tasty dip is pure fun (and delightfully messy). Some possibilities to dip into:

* cottage cheese or tofu dip
* cream cheese
* fruit juice-sweetened preserves
* guacamole
* peanut butter, thinly spread
* pureed fruits or vegetables
* yogurt, plain or sweetened with juice concentrate

Those dips serve equally well as spreads on apple or pear slices, bell-pepper strips, rice cakes, bagels, toast, or other nutritious platforms.

Today in our nibble tray was: organic Celery Sticks, organic Carrots, Blueberries, organic Bananas, Wholewheat crackers, cottage cheese, organic peanut butter, plain yoghurt sweetened with some honey.

Hopefully I can offer different things each a day and get more creative!