Whole wheat crackers you can eat with few teeth

lucky14

Wed, Jan 25 2017, 8:34 am

My 1 year old only has a couple of teeth and I'm looking for a "healthier" cracker option, but it seems like all of the "healthy" crackers are super hard and he's not able to eat them so well. I'm looking for something wholewheat or whole grain.

Also I find that I'm giving him crackers or bread or cereal like at every meal and snack almost. Is this normal or too much? Are there any filling satisfying snack options that don't include processed carbs that someone can recommend? I'm not so creative with this...

Teomima

Wed, Jan 25 2017, 12:06 pm

There are tons of good snacks available, even with little to no advance planning, other than crackers.

Cut up banana or avocado is quick and easy at the early teeth stage, or steam/microwave a chunk of carrot or sweet potato, then cube it, if you have a little time. Make a bunch of mini quiches (in a muffin pan, mix cooked cubed veggies, eggs, and cheese if you like. Bake and freeze then either heat one to defrost or, if on the go, bring it with you to feed him after it defrosts). Fresh soft-ish fruits and veggies, like mushrooms, tomatoes, pears, are also super quick and easy. A scrambled egg. Or anything you have for yourself, like leftover lasagna, soup veggies, stir fry, etc. These days my daughter is really into edemame. I shell the beans, remove the outer layer of the bean, then separate the halves. She can't get enough!

amother

Mauve

Wed, Jan 25 2017, 12:39 pm

Babies need carbs. They need more carbs (by % of total caloric intake) than the average adult. But no, they don't need complex carbohydrates (think grains) at every meal.

My easiest non-cracker go to at that age was individually wrapped mozzarella cheese sticks. These can get pricey - but my budget allowed me to do it. Otherwise consider all of Teomima's fantastic suggestions.

lucky14

Wed, Jan 25 2017, 3:03 pm

Thanks for the suggestions guys. amother mauve: We eat tons of string cheese. He eats at least one a day. I agree, it's a great toddler and baby snack!
Teomima: Thank you so much for all of your suggestions. There aren't many veggies that he'll eat "plain" so the mini quiche idea is a good one. My baby eats a lot - he'd prob. have like 3 of those for a snack. :-p would your kids really be satisfied with only one?
oh and I love the idea of edamame! I like them too so that's a good one. I'm going to buy a bag tomorrow when I go grocery shopping. Thanks!

lucky14

Wed, Jan 25 2017, 3:09 pm

amother wrote:

There is a brand of ww crackers called פתית in Israel. They melt in your mouth and are very good but I don't know if they sell them in America.

I looked them up online and I have never seen those in the stores here. Anyone in the US who is familiar with this product and know if there's anything similar to it sold here?

amother

Mauve

Wed, Jan 25 2017, 3:30 pm

lucky14 wrote:

I looked them up online and I have never seen those in the stores here. Anyone in the US who is familiar with this product and know if there's anything similar to it sold here?

I keep a sliced load of good quality bread in my freezer.. my dd was happy to eat a slice thawed (and loved it frozen when teething!).

I also give her DARE brand crackers - there are a variety of types, include wholegrain.

lucky14

Wed, Jan 25 2017, 3:47 pm

amother wrote:

The Breton crackers? I've seen those in stores (I think- or something very similar looking) and wasn't sure of the texture so never bought them). So those aren't super hard?

amother

Mauve

Wed, Jan 25 2017, 3:56 pm

lucky14 wrote:

The Breton crackers? I've seen those in stores (I think- or something very similar looking) and wasn't sure of the texture so never bought them). So those aren't super hard?

Yes - and there is one also under the Dare Brand http://darefoods.com/us_en/bra.....rst/4

Not hard.

Teomima

Wed, Jan 25 2017, 4:06 pm

lucky14 wrote:

Teomima: Thank you so much for all of your suggestions. There aren't many veggies that he'll eat "plain" so the mini quiche idea is a good one. My baby eats a lot - he'd prob. have like 3 of those for a snack. :-p would your kids really be satisfied with only one?

Mine would, yeah, but none of my kids were ever huge eaters, especially not at that age. But hey, let him eat three if you like...though load up on the veggies and add some milk so he's not eating the equivalent of three eggs in one meal.

There's a bunch of similar style things you could give in muffin form, if that works for you. I think it's a good way to get a picky child used to veggies (personally I don't believe in hiding veggies as much as "tricking" a kid into realizing they LIKE them. For example, I make a morning glory muffin that has no added sugar but gets some sweetness from shredded apple, and it has nice big shreds of carrots in there. Children anyways love things in muffin form I find, and it can be completely savory, and the veggies can be identifiable, so kids can get used to the idea of liking carrots, or zucchini, or onions, etc.)

lucky14

Sat, Jan 28 2017, 11:44 pm

Teomima wrote:

Thanks Teomima, I'm planning on making those quiches this week. Is there any way I could get your recipe for the morning glory muffins? I agree with you about the veggie thing (the not hiding thing).

Teomima

Sun, Jan 29 2017, 3:12 am

lucky14 wrote:

Thanks Teomima, I'm planning on making those quiches this week. Is there any way I could get your recipe for the morning glory muffins? I agree with you about the veggie thing (the not hiding thing).

I don't usually stick to specific recipes for muffins, I just aim for a balance of wet and dry ingredients and, based on the ingredients, an appropriate rising agent. I do generally base my Morning Glories on this recipe though, but I don't always use the honey (I'll add a cup of other mushy overipe fruit instead, like banana or pear, so it can be a convenient recipe to use when I need to clear out the fruit drawer, or I use pureed dates):
Ingredients:
1 TB baking powder
½ tsp salt
½ tsp allspice
½ tsp nutmeg
½ tsp cinnamon
2 ½ cups whole wheat flour
1 cup honey
½ cup water
½ cup vegetable oil
4 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup grated apples, unpeeled
1 cup grated carrots