Toddler Cafe - Jennifer Carden [1]
introduction
CHAPTER 01 vegetables
CHAPTER 02 pasta and rice
CHAPTER 03 beans
CHAPTER 04 protein
CHAPTER 05 sandwiches
CHAPTER 06 fruit
CHAPTER 07 snack attack
index
table of equivalents
* introduction *
don’t compromise, get creative * our world today is moving fast, and we’re caught in the dragnet of convenience. the pull toward boxed macaroni and cheese is strong, and fast “foods” are everywhere. it seems so easy just to “drive thru,” especially when you know your child will eat it, while you may know in the back (or the front) of your mind that this is not the best way to feed your kids. but what this teaches them is to be unconscious, unhealthy consumers of food, and it never gives them a chance to develop their palate, an interest in food, or experience natural flavors and freshness.
Break free of the net and don’t fret, there is another way—it’s fun, it’s fast, and just a little creative thinking can change the way your kids eat. Summon up your inner artist with these quick, fun ways to develop a toddler’s interest in food and keep them at the table. Improve the meal experience for you and your kids with just an added dollop of creativity.
This cookbook is a springboard for you to learn how to be creative and interact with your children in a way that works best for you and them. This quick and dirty approach, with an emphasis on “dirty,” will help you set up your kids’ positive relationship with food for life. Love it, live it, eat it, full speed ahead!
food & family
the family that eats together eats better
The short time in a child’s life between two and five years old is when they grow from having no opinions to having lots of opinions, and it’s your job to give them direction. This book is about how parents can teach children to approach eating by making mealtime fun and interactive. This learning will continue to grow, setting them up to have a great relationship with food for the rest of their lives. Remember, all kids are different: this approach may not work for some children.
Family-style meals are sacred and fleeting—a nearly lost art these days. We are moving so fast from task to task and wondering why our kids can’t focus and connect. Mealtimes are the perfect place to start. Sit down with your family as often as you can. If you have fragmented schedules, try to set one or two nights a week for family meals on a consistent basis. It can be difficult for families to eat together every night, but it’s worth trying at least one because consistency simplifies mealtimes. Don’t be afraid to let your children taste all foods: smoked, pickled, sour, bitter, and unusual flavors. The more they are exposed to the larger range of foods, the more they will learn to love food as they grow.
Then you can move on to the next step—cooking with your kids—and someday you’ll achieve the ultimate goal of them cooking and eating great healthy food.
the apple doesn’t fall far. . .
I remember cooking with my mom when I was very young, standing on a chair in our olive drab–and mustard–colored kitchen. She was never thrown off by a recipe or afraid to substitute ingredients; we just tossed in whatever we thought would taste good. Oh, and measuring wasn’t something she did, either. She just had that intuition. I learned from her how the puzzle pieces of ingredients go together when creating a dish. Now my daughter is standing on a chair in our kitchen, and we are making memories and chocolate chip cookies together.
These are my memories; they revolve around food and cooking, and I want to translate these memories and experience for the next generation. As a trained chef and artist, I have gained a true understanding of how to work with ingredients creatively. When I became a mom myself, my relationship to food quickly changed. The realization that my husband and I had to literally teach someone how to eat led us to develop this approach for feeding toddlers.
My phone rings at least once a day with cooking questions from friends and family. I have always loved to help people cook and offer them new ideas.