Bulk Baby Oatmeal

This is a simple oatmeal I prepare for my baby every morning. He's been eating it since he was around 1 year old. I keep a selection of chopped steamed fruits and vegetables in the freezer so I can just add them in before microwaving. Apple was the go to fruit until he started getting a bit constipated and so we switched to pear which has worked great. Now I keep steamed chopped pears and add an extra item such as apple, strawberry, peach, beets or butternut squash. I chop and steam them and then put them in ice cube trays to freeze, around 2 Tbls per serving. I use one cube of pear and one of another item in the oats so essentially around 1/4 cup of chopped steamed fruit/veg, which you could use fresh also. I make a batch of the dry ingredients (oats and cinnamon) and keep them in an air tight container.

Bulk Baby Oatmeal

Ingredients

2 cups Oats
1 tsp Cinnamon


Method

Grind the oats in a food processor or coffee grinder until reduced o a fine grain.
Add in cinnamon (or any other spice) and mix well - how much you add is up to you but rule of thumb for me is around 1 teaspoon cinnamon to 2 cups ground oatmeal.
If you want to add something different everyday then just skip mixing it in with the oats.
The scoop I use is an old coffee scoop for it holds around 1 Tbls. The serving suggestion below is what my baby eats now at 18 months. At 12 months I gave him half as much because the larger amount he would never finish but now he eats it all, and a banana too :)


To Serve

Take two scoops of oatmeal mix (around 2 Tbls), around 1/4 cup non-dairy milk and 1/4 cup of fruit/vegetable of choice and microwave for around a minute (we have a 1700W microwave and I find 70 seconds is perfect).
Mix oatmeal and fruits well, I use a fork to mash everything together.
Wait till cools to an eatable temperature.
Sometimes I sprinkle with hemp seed hearts, ground flax or chia seeds.

Chickpea Flour Mini Frittatas

This is great recipe for mini frittatas that doesn't use soy and you can really add any vegetable you like. I was surprised how good these were and how well they stay together. Great for toddlers/baby's first finger food. I grated mine but you can chop also. I'm keen to try with sweet potato. Original recipe from The Mostly Vegan. This recipe made about 16 mini frittatas. Spraying your tins with oil will make them very easy to get them out.

Chickpea Flour Mini Frittatas

Ingredients

1 zucchini, grated
2 carrots grated
1 cup chickpea (garbanzo bean) flour
2-3Tbls nutritional yeast
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 tsp onion powder


Method

Preheat oven to 400 F.
Combine chickpea flour, nutritional yeast, baking powder and salt in a bowl with 1 1/4 cups water.
Whisk to combine and set aside while preparing the veggies.
Heat olive oil over medium-high heat in a skillet.
Add all vegetables to skillet and cook until veggies cook down and begin to brown/soft, about 7 minutes then mix into flour mix.
Grease the mini muffin tin.
Divide mixture between muffin cups.
Bake for 30 - 35 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean and frittatas are beginning to brown on top.
Remove from oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes (this allows the batter to set) before removing from tin and cooling on a rack.
Depending on your muffin tin, you may have to use a knife or offset spatula to gently loosen sides of frittatas before removing from tin.
Serve warm or allow to cool completely before storing in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Frittatas can be reheated in the microwave but are best when warmed in the oven or toaster oven at 400 F for 10 minutes.

Sweet Potato Rice Balls

A toddler/first solids recipe that is easy to hold and full of nutrition :)

Sweet Potato Rice Balls

Ingredients

3 medium sweet potatoes
1 1/2 cups cooked brown rice
2 Tbls hemp seed hearts
1 Tbls coconut/braggs liquid aminos
2 Tbls coconut flour
shredded coconut


Method

Preheat oven to 375F.
Wash and pierce sweet potatoes and cook for 20 minutes each side.
Change oven temperature to 300F.
Allow to cool and remove skin.
When cool enough to touch place them in a large bowl and mash well but leave some solid pieces.
Mix in brown rice, hemp seed hearts, aminos and flour.
Place shredded coconut in a bowl and prepare a baking sheet with baking paper.
Spoon about a Tablespoon of mixture and make a ball in your hands, coat in shredded coconut and place on baking sheet.
Repeat until done and then bake for 20 minutes, turning half way through.
Allow to cool completely before serving.
You can freeze left overs.

Butternut Spiced Quinoa Balls

This original recipe is from Kids Spot. I thought they were a bit bland but my 18 month old loved them. There's not reason why you couldn't swap the butternut for acorn squash or sweet potato.
This recipe made quite a big batch so uncooked ones can go in the freezer, separated at first but once frozen into a ziplock bag.

Butternut Spiced Quinoa Balls

Ingredients

1/2 butternut pumpkin (cut into wedges, seeded)
1 tbs olive oil
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 cup quinoa
1 cup broccoli (broken into florets)
1 red onion (finely grated) (I used regular onion and cooked it first)


Method

Preheat the oven to 180°C (350F) and line 2 baking trays with baking paper.
Put the pumpkin into a bowl, add the olive oil and spices and toss to coat.
Arrange the pumpkin in a single layer on a lined tray and bake, turning halfway through cooking, for 25 minutes or until soft and caramelised.
Remove from the oven and set aside until cool enough to handle.
Meanwhile, place the quinoa in a fine-meshed sieve and rinse thoroughly under cold running water. Transfer to a heavy-based saucepan, add 1 cup (250 ml) water and bring to the boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer for 10 minutes.
Turn off the heat and set aside, without lifting the lid, for 4 minutes.
Fluff the quinoa with a fork and leave to cool.
Bring a small saucepan of water to the boil. Add the broccoli and cook for 2 minutes or until tender. Drain well.
Scoop the pumpkin flesh from the skin and place in a bowl.
Squeeze the liquid from the grated onion and use paper towel to pat the onion dry.
Add the onion, broccoli and quinoa to the pumpkin and mash together until well combined.
Dollop teaspoon-sized balls of mixture onto the remaining lined tray.
Bake the balls, turning halfway through cooking, for 30 minutes or until golden brown.

Sweet Potato Pancakes

Brilliant baby/toddler recipe. You can sneak in a green veg like spinach and it's virtually undetectable.

Sweet Potato Pancakes

Ingredients

1 baked sweet potato*
1 banana
dry ground oatmeal
handful baby spinach, finely chopped


Method

Mash sweet potato and banana until gooey.
Mix in spinach.
Add in small amounts of oatmeal until the mixture is thick enough to form patties in your hand.
Lightly fry on each side until golden, around 3 minutes either side.
Transfer to paper towel and serve once cooled.
I freeze these and then pop them in the microwave for 30-40 seconds.

*Bake sweet potato, stab a few times with a fork, at 375F for 40-60 mins turning halfway through.

Snowballs

Baby recipe, these are a great way to get rid of any rice or bananas that are about to get mushy.

Snowballs

Ingredients

1 ripe banana
1/2 cup cooked rice
1/4 cup coconut flour
Shredded coconut
1/4 tsp cinnamon
coconut or non dairy milk


Method

Preheat oven to 300F.
Mash banana and mix well with rice, cinnamon and flour.
Add a little coconut milk if mixture is too dry.
Roll mixture into small balls and dredge in shredded coconut.
Place balls on a lined baking tray.
Bake for 5 minutes on each side, keeping an eye on the coconut as it can burn easily.
Let cool before giving to baby.
I freeze mine and pop them in the microwave for 10-20 seconds.

Baby Cheesy Pasta

This is an easy recipe to introduce baby to pasta and solid foods. It's easy for them to pick up and soft enough for them to chew. My 18 month old loved this past, to eat and to throw ;)

You can also add in pureed spinach or pumpkin for variety.

Baby Cheesy Pasta

Ingredients

4 cups cooked spiral pasta (I used whole wheat)

1/4-1/2 cup nutritional yeast

1/4/-1/2 tsp Himalayan salt

1 Tbls coconut oil

Method

Once pasta is cooked and drained, coat well with the coconut oil.

Add nutritional yeast, adding more to taste and mix well.

Sprinkle over the salt if using and mix well.

Make sure pasta is cool enough to touch.

Feeding Toddler 1-2 Years - Information & Ideas

Feeding your baby is daunting to most of us who care about nutrition and can feel even more overwhelming for vegans (for me anyway). I wasn't brought up vegan so how do I know I'm giving my child the nutrients they need?

So there is plenty of information out there on the nutritional requirements for toddlers, I like to use UK guidelines cause frankly I trust them a little bit more. RDI's will vary from country to country and even site to site but the main idea is there.

Peeled, quartered grapes.

                                   

The Nutrients

RDAs (according to the Institute of Medicine) for children ages 1 to 13;
Vitamin A - 300 to 600 mg
Vitamin C - 15 to 45 mg
Vitamin D - 15 mg
Vitamin E - 6 to 11 mg
Thiamin - 0.5 to 0.9 mg
Riboflavin - 0.5 to 0.9 mg
Niacin - 6 to 12 mg
Vitamin B-6 - 0.5 to 1 mg
Folate -150 to 300 mg
Vitamin B12 - 0.9 to 1.8 mg
Vitamin K - 10mg


Vitamin B12: Vegans, both breast-feeding moms and children, need a good source of B12. Options include a supplement or fortified foods such as soy beverages, cereals and meat substitutes.
Dietary Reference Intakes (DRIs)
Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) 1–3 years: 0.9 mcg
Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) 4–8 years: 1.2 mcg
Upper Intake Level (UL): Vitamin B12 appears safe at all intake levels from food and supplements.

Vitamin D: The AAP recommends all breast-fed infants receive 400 IU per day of supplemental vitamin D starting shortly after birth. This should continue until your child consumes the same amount of vitamin D from fortified milk: at least one quart per day of cow or soy milk.
Most children are more likely to have a deficiency of vitamin D than to be getting too much. However, vitamin D can be toxic in large amounts.
Dietary Reference Intakes (DRIs)
Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) 1–8 years old: 600 IU
Upper Intake Level (UL) 1–3 years: 2,500 IU
Upper Intake Level (UL) 4–8 years: 3,000 IU

Vitamin C: Vitamin C is a key player in immune system and collagen health, and helps improve iron absorption.
Excess vitamin C can cause stomach cramps and diarrhea.
Dietary Reference Intakes (DRIs)
Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) 1–3 years old: 15 mg
Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) 4–8 years old: 25 mg
Upper Intake Level (UL) 1–3 years: 400 mg
Upper Intake Level (UL) 4–8 years: 650 mg

Calcium: For vegan toddlers, calcium-fortified foods and beverages or supplements may be necessary.
Most children won’t get too much calcium from diet alone, but when combined with supplements, it’s possible to overdose.
RDI for Children Aged 1-8: Calcium needs increase steadily throughout childhood and remain high throughout the teen years, when the bulk of the bone development takes place.
Dietary Reference Intakes (DRIs)
Recommended Dietary Allowance 1–3 years old: 700 mg
Recommended Dietary Allowance 4–8 years old: 1,000 mg
Upper Intake Level (UL) 1–8 years: 2,500 mg

Iron: The iron content of breast milk is low, even if moms are eating well. Babies are born with enough iron for 4 to 6 months. After this age, infants need an outside source. Options include iron-fortified cereals or supplements.
Excess iron can cause serious organ toxicity. Iron poisoning is a leading cause of accidental death among children under five years old. Keep all iron-containing supplements out of the reach of children and never allow children to have more than the recommended amount of iron–containing supplements.
Young children are at high risk for iron deficiency because of rapid growth and increased needs.
Dietary Reference Intakes (DRIs)
Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) 1–3 years: 7 mg
Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) 4–8 years old: 10 mg
Upper Intake Level (UL) Up to 13 years: 40 mg

Protein: Babies need plenty of protein for rapid growth during the first year. Protein needs can be met with breast milk or formula until about 8 months. After that, add plant proteins from beans and cereals and fortified soy milks. Lacto-ovo toddlers can get protein from yogurt and eggs.

Fiber: Lots of fiber can fill toddlers up quickly. Provide frequent meals and snacks. Use some refined grains, such as fortified cereals, breads and pasta, and higher-fat plant foods including sunflower butter and avocados to help vegetarian children meet their energy and nutrient needs.

Choline: Choline is needed for optimal brain and nervous system development. Many children might not get enough of this important nutrient. Soymilk, tofu, quinoa, and broccoli are particularly rich sources.
Dietary Reference Intakes (DRIs)
Adequate Intake (AI) 1–3 years: 200 mg
Adequate Intake (AI) 4–8 years: 250 mg
Upper Intake Level (UL) 1–8 years: 1 gram

Folate: Adequate folate is important to maintain normal growth rates in children.
You can’t overdose on naturally occurring folate, but fortified foods and folic acid-containing supplements should be consumed in moderation.
Dietary Reference Intakes (DRIs)
Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) 1–3 years: 150 mcg
Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) 4–8 years: 200 mcg
Upper Intake Level (UL) 1–3 years: 300 mcg
Upper Intake Level (UL) 4–8 years: 400 mcg

Iodine: Even mild iodine deficiency could cause subtle changes in brain function in children.
Iodine excess can cause symptoms similar to iodine deficiency.
Dietary Reference Intakes (DRIs)
Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) 1–8 years: 90 mcg
Upper Intake Level (UL) 1–3 years: 200 mcg
Upper Intake Level (UL) 4–8 years: 300 mcg

Vitamin A: Food and supplement labels list vitamin A in International Units (IUs), but as the availability of vitamin A to the body varies depending on the source.
Vitamin A is fat-soluble, so it can build up in the body and cause toxicity. Only pre-formed vitamin A from animal sources and supplements containing vitamin A as retinol or retinyl palmitate can cause toxicity; pro-vitamin A from plant sources doesn’t have this effect.
Nutritionists use “Retinol Activity Equivalents” (1 IU vitamin A [retinol] = 0.3 mcg RAE).
Dietary Reference Intakes (DRIs)
Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) 1–3 years: 300 mcg RAE
Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) 4–8 years: 400 mcg RAE
Upper Intake Level (UL) Up to 3 years: 600 mcg RAE (2,000 IU)
Upper Intake Level (UL) 4–8 years: 900 mcg RAE (3,000 IU)

Omega 3
Very important nutrient for brain development is found in a wide variety of foods including flax, chia & hemp seeds.
Essential fatty acids are especially important for children, where they support healthy brain and nervous system development and may be helpful for behavioral problems, depression, asthma, and for diabetes and tooth decay prevention.
No formal recommendations have been made regarding omega-3 intake, but keep these points in mind when thinking about omega-3s for children.
Some plants foods—like soybeans, flaxseeds, and walnuts—contain omega-3 fatty acids, but the conversion of the omega-3s in these foods to the form that is most beneficial for health may not be adequate to fulfill children’s nutritional needs.
If you’re giving an omega-3 supplement to a child, look for one with a purity guarantee.
This article is a great source of information on explaining Omega 3 and it's vegan sources.

Milks
Look for something as close to 65kcals/100ml and 3g protein/100ml as possible. You will notice that some vegan options, particularly nut and seed milks, are very low in these nutrients. For this reason, these should be avoided as a main milk drink for young children, though can be included in their diets (eg. on cereal and in cooking).

Many of the alternative milks are fortified with calcium to provide you with a good source of calcium – check the label to make sure your choice is calcium-enriched. Bear in mind that organic products are often not fortified with calcium. Personally I like Ripple because it has a similar taste to cow's milk, has pea protein and more calcium than cow's milk. I make up the extra fat in diet with coconut milk in recipes.

Current UK recommendations advise against giving rice milk to children under the age of 5 years. This is due to concerns about levels of arsenic in rice milk products, though there should be no limitation to other rice-based foods such as breakfast cereals, rice cakes and rice!

Recommended Nutrient Intakes vs Average Nutrient Intakes for Children 1 to 3 Years of Age

The Food

After all that is said and done, here is what I've been feeding my baby 10-19 months. If there's not link to the recipe I got it from either "Baby Nosh" by by Jennifer Browne & Tanya R. Loewen or One Handed Cooks cookbook. There are a plethora of wholefood plant based toddler recipes out there online too. I've been pretty lucky so far and he has eaten almost everything I've put in front of him and this could be that he's just easy and likes to eat or it could be because I started him on all different fruit, vegetable and grain flavors and textures from the day he started solids. Only time will tell but I believe that as long as I keep introducing him to healthy meals he will always have a taste for them...it's the best chance I can give though, right?
All toddler recipes I've posted are here.

Breakfast

It's easy to get half their daily requirements in at breakfast, especially if they've had some fortified non-dairy milk. We start off with 5-6oz of Ripple (pea milk) when we wake up, then breakfast comes around 2 hours later. I add any liquid vitamins into his first milk of the day because he tends to be very hungry and will drink it all. I usually give another milk at bedtime, and occasionally before nap.
For breakfast we normally start have a banana (which I break up into pieces) and oatmeal (around 1/2 cup cooked) with 2 Tbls steamed pears and 2 Tbls another steamed fruit or vegetable (beets, butternut squash, apple, strawberry, mango, peach etc).

Baby Oatmeal

Pineapple Banana Bake
(Baby Nosh)

Snacks

I don't really do snacks just because he eats enough at each meal but I always have these Cascadian Farm Organic Purely O's (organic and no sugar) in my bag, he loves these and they aren't messy;

Other good bag snacks are freeze dried organic fruit, organic fruit & vegetable squeeze pouches & organic rice husks. I always keep a selection in my bag in case we are away from home too long.

Lunch & Dinner

For lunch and dinner I usually combine a number of fresh items with cooked (usually frozen and reheated) items and try not to double up in the day for variety;

Fresh/One Ingredient Items

Avocado slices (if he's being fussy I can mash it with banana & carob powder or sprinkle slices with shredded coconut)

Apple/pear slices (peeled)

Sweet potato/butternut/acorn squash squares sprinkled with cinnamon/all spice or unsweetened shredded coconut

Peas, steamed

Corn kernels, steamed

Soy Beans, steamed

Black Beans, cooked

Bananas, pieces

Cauliflower florets cooked till soft in vegetable stock (loves the soft veg in Cauliflower Soup!)

Cooked Items (these can be precooked in batches and then frozen and reheated within seconds in the microwave or just thawed - great for road trips!)

Chickpea Balls

Apple Almond Biscuits/Cookies (literally apples and almond meal)

(One Handed Cooks - Cookbook)

Pan seared tiny tofu squares marinated in garlic and liquid aminos.

Kale Chips 

(Baby Nosh - Cookbook)

Lentil Patties

Sweet Potato Pancakes

Carrot Balls
(Squirrel's Vegetarian Restaurant - Cookbook)

Sweet Potato Rice Balls

Spiced Butternut Quinoa Balls

Zucchini Noodles

Baby Cheesy Pasta

With spinach ;)

Toddler Squash Soup

Chickpea Flour Mini Frittatas

Oatmeal Banana Cakes

(Baby Nosh - Cookbook)

Pineapple Banana Bakes

(Baby Nosh - Cookbook)

Hazelnut and Oat Bars 

(One Handed Cooks - Cookbook)

Vegan Whole Grain Toast with nut butter, hummus or avocado, cut into strips.

Basil Zucchini Mini Muffins

Vegetable Rice Cakes

Corn Fritters

If he's still hungry after lunch or dinner I usually have some desserts stashed in the fridge/freezer;

Brown Rice Pudding

Banana Energy Balls

(Baby Nosh - Cookbook)

Chia Seed Pudding

Date Balls

(Baby Nosh - Cookbook)

Snowballs

If they are ready for popsicles then frozen fruit juice or these tropical popsicles are great!

Personally I have found the phone app "Cronometer" very helpful. I just use the free one.

For a week or so I tracked all my son's food intake (you can even add in recipes) and almost every day he was hitting 100% of the targets (iron, calcium, protein etc) and that wasn't including the liquid supplements I gave him (Child Life liquid multi vitamin, Liquid Health B12 & Child Life liquid D3). List of vegan vitamin companies here.

This is what one typical day looked like;

On the menu the example day above was:

Breakfast

Baby Oatmeal with pear, strawberries, hemp seed hearts & chia seeds

Banana

Lunch

Zucchini noddles with nutritional yeast

Pineapple Banana Bake

Dinner

2 x Sweet Potato Muffins (steamed and diced with cinnamon)

4 x Butternut spiced quinoa balls 

Milk

16 oz Ripple milk (pea based)

Snack

1 packet rice husks

If you're feeding your child a balanced diet or plant based whole foods and giving them a good variety you can't go wrong. 

Vegan Food and Living has some great vegan kid posts.

Nice guide to food introduction (6-24 months) at Plant Powered Kitchen

Plant based whole foods that have the best sources of nutrients in picture form;