As moms we would love for our kids to eat what we eat, unfortunately, life plays out a little differently. There are the lucky few who have no problems at all with food and their kids. Then there are kids like my son, who looks at food and says ‘I don’t like food and I don’t like trying anything new’. However, I keep trying to find ways to add healthy food options to the things he already eats. I can almost see moms reading this and nodding their heads.
So the one food that I’ve zeroed in on are avocados. Now, this green buttery fruit is actually quite bland on its own and Indians are still developing a taste for this fruit. But the flavour it imparts to things it’s mixed with is amazing. Avocados are extremely healthy and are top of the list for superfoods you must feed your baby.
Babies can be given avocados between the age of 4-5 months.
Benefits Of Avocados
- Excellent source of healthy fats
- Rich in vitamins and antioxidants
- Low in sodium content
- Boost brain and eye health
- Good source of fibre
What Is A Superfood?
Superfoods are whole foods that are nutrient powerhouses, are super healthy, are easily digestible and are full of fibre.
This makes them especially good for children. They need fats for proper growth and development of the nervous system and the brain. As they grow older, besides adding avocados to purees, there are a whole load of interesting ways to include this healthy fat in your toddler’s diet.
These are the top five recipes I use to add the goodness of avocado to my son’s meals without him noticing.
Guacamole
Image Source: https://www.pinterest.com
Ingredients
- 2 Ripe Avocados
- 1 Small Tomato – de-seeded and chopped fine
- 1 Small Onion – chopped fine
- 1 Tbsp Lemon Juice
- 1 Tbsp Coriander Leaves
- Salt and pepper to taste
Method
- Clean and scoop out the flesh from the avocado into a glass bowl.
- Mash the pulp to a smooth consistency using a fork. You may leave a few chunks if you like.
- Add chopped onions and tomatoes to the avocado.
- Add coriander leaves and mix it a bit.
- Add salt, pepper and lemon juice and mix well.
- Adjust the seasoning as per your taste.
- Cover with a cling film to avoid oxidation if you are not having it immediately. It tastes really good chilled.
You can add this as a sandwich spread or add it to a salad as a dressing. You can mix it with mayonnaise to give a healthy twist to the mayo you add to a dish.
Creamy Avocado Pasta
Image Source: https://joyfoodsunshine.com
Ingredients
- 2 Cups uncooked Pasta
- 1 to 2 cloves Garlic
- 1/4 cup fresh Basil Leaves, plus more for serving
- 1 to 2 Tbsp fresh Lemon Juice
- 1 Tbsp extra-virgin Olive Oil, plus more if needed
- 1 ripe medium Avocado pitted
- 1 Tbsp Water
- Grated Cheese
- 1/4 to 1/2 Tsp Sea Salt
- Freshly ground Black Pepper
- Lemon zest, for serving
Method
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta according to the instructions on the package.
- In a food processor, combine the garlic and basil and pulse to mince. Add the lemon juice, oil, avocado, and 1 tablespoon water and process until smooth, stopping to scrape down the bowl as needed.
- Add the grated cheese. If the sauce is too thick, add a bit more oil. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Drain the pasta and place it back in the pot. Add all of the avocado sauce and stir until combined. You can gently rewarm the pasta if it has cooled slightly or simply serve it at room temperature.
- Top with pepper, lemon zest, and fresh basil leaves, if your kids like it.
This pasta should be served as soon as possible since avocado tends to oxidize when left out. We like using spaghetti for this recipe. But it tastes good no matter what shape you use. For a lighter option, serve the avocado sauce with zucchini noodles. The taste of cheese in the sauce masks any other flavour that may come through.
Choco Avocado Milkshake
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Ingredients
- 1/4 large Avocado (or 1/2 a small one)
- 1 Ripe Banana
- 1/3 Cup Greek Yoghurt
- 1/4 Tsp Vanilla Essence
- 3/4 Tsp Cocoa Powder
- 1 Cup Milk
Method
- Put all the contents into a blender and blitz it.
- Sieve into a glass and serve chilled.
Your child will not even realize there is anything besides chocolate in his/her milkshake. If your child doesn’t like banana, you could substitute with mango or frozen blueberries instead.
Banana Avocado Tortilla Triangles
Image Source: http://simpletoddlerrecipes.com
Ingredients
- 1/4 Avocado
- 1 small Banana
- 2 whole-grain Tortilla Wraps
Method
- Mash banana and avocado together.
- Spread a thin layer of the mixture onto one tortilla.
- Fold in half. Spread another layer on top.
- Gently cut in half, and sandwich both halves together to form a triangle.
Cut triangle in half again to make it a better size for your toddler’s tiny hands. You can use apple instead of banana. You will have to grate the apple before you mash it into the avocado.
Avocado Popsicles – Makes 10 Popsicles
Image Source: https://farmtotablelife.files.wordpress.com/
Ingredients
- 3 ripe Avocados (medium-sized)
- 1 1/2 Cup Milk
- 4 Tbsp Sweetened Condensed Milk
- 1 – 2 Tsp Honey or Agave syrup if needed
- 1/2 Cup good quality Dark Chocolate – chopped and melted in a double boiler or in the microwave
Method
- In a blender or food processor, puree avocado, milk, and sweetened condensed milk. Taste the mixture. If it is not sweet enough for your liking, add honey or agave syrup as needed.
- The mixture may be slightly thick. You can add more milk to thin it a bit if you feel its too thick.
- Pour mixture into moulds until almost full.
- Place filled moulds in the freezer for at least 3 hours, or until the popsicles are solid.
- Dip frozen avocado popsicles in melted chocolate. They will drip a bit till the chocolate solidifies. Put it back in the freezer for a bit longer. You can also drizzle melted chocolate over popsicles.
Image Source: http://www.pharmersarah.com
Mansi Zaveri
Janani S Koushik
Neha Savla
Kanishka Pariani
Rushita Sheth
