Cooking for a toddler can be challenging in many ways, but I love it. Nothing matches the exhilaration of watching them eat and enjoy your food when you know that their praise is dished out so sparingly and honestly!
It has made me a more flexible and open minded cook. After slaving away in the kitchen for hours on a dish you are super excited about only to have your toddler take one mouthful and proceed to spit it out in disgust, you need to a) laugh, and b) think of other food options!
I think that taste is only part of the reason why toddlers try and enjoy some foods and not others. Certain textures and appearances seem to turn Sylvia off. Control is also important for her - if she feels pressured, or that eating the food is not her idea, forget it!
Over the past few years I have found many great tips and recipes on blogs that have inspired me. I always find it fascinating to read about what other vegan toddlers are eating, although tastes vary a lot of course.
So now I'd like to share some of the food, in no particular order, that Sylvia loves the best!
"Cheesy" Pasta
OK, so there is not a veggie in sight and you wouldn't call it a balanced meal on its own. It is so simple that it can hardly be called a recipe. But this is a quick and reasonably healthy snack or part of a meal, full of B vitamins and good fats. The grapeseed oil has a unique 'buttery' taste that really makes this dish.
1 cup of pasta (approx)
2 tbsp of savoury yeast (called nutritional yeast in the US)
1-2 tbsp grapeseed oil
Pinch of salt
Cook pasta and drain. Immediately mix though the savoury yeast, oil and salt. Serve!
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