What to Expect the Toddler Years (290 page)

Walk the plank.
Set a smooth plank (about eight or ten inches wide and at least four feet long) flat on the ground or floor, and challenge your toddler to walk it (with shoes on, to avoid splinters) without falling off. Once he or she becomes adept at this, you can raise the challenge a couple of inches by adding another plank on top of the first. Or suggest other ways of walking the plank: crawling, tiptoeing, hopping, inching backward, stepping sideways.

Play statues.
After a visit to a park or museum or anywhere you and your toddler have seen a statue, play this game: The person who is “it” begins jumping, running, skipping, or dancing. Then suddenly the other player calls out, “Statue.” This is the cue to “freeze” in a statue-like position. It’ll take plenty of practice before your toddler can manage a perfect freeze-frame (you may not find it so easy yourself), but that’s okay—most of the fun of this game is in the practice, and in the laughter when players can’t hold a pose.

A fast-food favorite, with a nutritious difference. The texture is toddler-perfect—a soft center with an outside that’s crunchy but not too crisp.

Makes 4 servings

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

2 large sweet potatoes

2 egg whites

1. Preheat the oven to 425°F. Spread the oil evenly over a nonstick baking sheet.

2. Peel the sweet potatoes, and cut them into
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-inch-thick slices. Cut the slices in half.

3. Whisk the egg whites until frothy. Add the cut potatoes to the egg mixture, and toss until coated.

4. Place the potatoes in one layer on the baking sheet. Bake until soft inside and of desired crispness on the outside (you don’t have to turn the potatoes), 25 to 30 minutes. Be careful not to let the fries burn.

5. Allow the fries to cool slightly before serving.

There’s no sweeter way to eat your vegetables (or, at least, your Yellow Vegetable Servings).

Makes 24 muffins

Vegetable oil or cupcake liners, for the muffin tins

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cup vegetable oil

2 whole eggs

1 egg white

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cup raisins

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cup coarsely chopped dried unsweetened pineapple or apricots

1
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cups apple juice concentrate 1 cup canned unsweetened solid-pack pumpkin

1 cup whole-wheat flour

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cup unbleached all-purpose flour

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cup wheat germ 2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly oil two 12-cup muffin tins, or line with cupcake liners.

2. Beat the oil, eggs, and egg white together in a large mixing bowl. Chop the raisins and other dried fruit with the apple juice concentrate in a
blender or food processor; add the pumpkin and blend. Fold the pumpkin mixture into the egg and oil mixture.

3. Combine the flours, wheat germ, baking powder, and cinnamon in a bowl. Add the flour mixture to the pumpkin mixture; stir until just blended.

4. Pour the batter into the prepared muffin cups, filling each about three-quarters full. Bake until a knife inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean, about 25 minutes. Cool in the tins for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a rack to cool completely.

A preschool favorite, it makes enough for the whole class.

Makes one 13
×
9-inch cake

Butter and flour, for the baking pan

1 cup whole-wheat flour

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cup unbleached all-purpose flour

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cup wheat germ

2 teaspoons baking powder

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cup unsweetened cocoa

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cup vegetable oil

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cups apple juice concentrate

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cup milk, mixed with 5 tablespoons nonfat dry milk

2 whole eggs

1 egg white

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Whipped cream, for garnishing (optional)

1. Preheat the oven to 325°F. Lightly butter and flour a 13 × 19-inch baking pan.

2. Place the flours, wheat germ, baking powder, cocoa, oil, juice concentrate, and milk in a large mixing bowl; beat until smooth. Add the eggs, egg white, and vanilla, and beat until thoroughly mixed.

3. Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan. Bake until the top springs back when lightly pressed, about 35 minutes. Cool slightly in the pan before turning out onto a rack to cool completely. Or serve right from the pan, garnished, if desired, with the whipped cream.

A moist and sweet, dark cake that packs a vitamin-A punch.

Makes two 9-inch cakes or one 9-inch layer cake

Butter and flour, for the cake pans

1 cup whole-wheat flour

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cup unbleached all-purpose flour

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cup wheat germ

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 cup unsweetened apple butter, plus additional for filling (optional)

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons apple juice concentrate

2 whole eggs

1 egg white

1 cup chopped dried apricots

Cream Cheese Frosting (optional; recipe follows)

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly butter and flour two 9-inch cake pans.

2. Combine the flours, wheat germ, baking soda, and cinnamon in a large bowl. In another bowl, beat together 1 cup of the apple butter, the juice concentrate, eggs, egg white, and apricots until well blended. Stir the apple butter mixture into the flour mixture until just blended.

3. Pour the batter evenly into the prepared pans. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center of a layer comes out clean, about 25 minutes. Transfer the pans to a rack to cool; then loosen the sides with a sharp
knife and invert the layers onto plates to cool completely.

4. Frost, if desired. Thickly spread the top of one of the layers with enough apple butter to cover, then place the second layer over the filling. Cover the top of the cake with the cream cheese frosting and refrigerate until serving time.

Cream Cheese Frosting

1 package light cream cheese, at room temperature

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cup apple butter, or to taste

Blend together the cream cheese and the apple butter until creamy.

Chewy fruit—and whole-grain nutrition—in every bite.

Makes about 40 cookies

1 cup whole-wheat flour

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cup wheat germ

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cup rolled oats

2 teaspoons baking powder

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

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cup golden raisins

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cup coarsely chopped apricots

1 cup apple juice concentrate

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cup vegetable oil

1 egg

Vegetable oil, for the baking sheets

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Lightly oil two baking sheets.

2. Mix the flour, wheat germ, oats, baking powder, and cinnamon in a large mixing bowl.

3. Chop the raisins and apricots together in a blender or food processor; add the juice concentrate, oil, and egg, and blend. Add the mixture to the flour mixture and gently stir together. Place the dough in a bowl, cover, and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled, about 1 hour.

4. With slightly wet hands, shape the dough into 1-inch balls. Place the balls on the baking sheets, and flatten them with the back of a fork (wet the fork slightly if the mixture sticks). Bake until lightly browned, about 10 minutes. Remove to wire racks and cool completely.

No-cook cookies that are fun to make, and best of all, don’t involve the stove.

Makes about 30 cookies

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cup creamy peanut butter

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cup nonfat dry milk

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cup wheat germ

1 cup favorite cold cereal, dry

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cup finely chopped dried apricots

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cup apple juice concentrate

Fruit-juice-sweetened jelly or jam

Mix all the ingredients except the jelly together in a bowl. Shape the mixture into 1-inch balls and place on a baking sheet. Use your index finger to make an indentation in each of the balls. Cover with waxed paper and refrigerate until firm, about 20 minutes. Fill the holes with a dab of jelly and serve.

A sweet treat, particularly refreshing during the summer months. They are fun to eat when made in ice pop molds.

Makes 6 small pops or scoops

1
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cup puréed ripe sweet fruit, such as banana, strawberries, mango, or peaches

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to
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cup unsweetened fruit juice concentrate, such as apple, orange, pineapple, or a blend

1. Combine the fruit purée and
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cup juice concentrate. Taste, adding additional juice if needed for sweetness.

2.
For ice pops:
Pour the mixture into ice pop molds and freeze.

For sorbet:
Freeze the mixture in an ice cream maker, according to the manufacturer’s directions; or freeze partially in a mixing bowl, then beat until light and fluffy, and return to the freezer to freeze completely.

A high-protein treat that’s sweet to eat.

Makes 12 individual puddings

Vegetable cooking spray

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cup nonfat or low-fat plain yogurt

2 cups nonfat or low-fat ricotta cheese

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cup light cream cheese

5 teaspoons cornstarch

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cup apple juice concentrate

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cup pineapple juice concentrate

2 whole eggs

4 egg whites

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Sliced banana or berries, or fruit-sweetened jam (your child’s favorite flavor)

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray 12 individual custard cups or soufflé dishes with nonstick vegetable spray. Arrange on a baking sheet.

2. Combine the yogurt, ricotta, cream cheese, and cornstarch in a food processor, and process until smooth. Add the juice concentrates, eggs, egg whites, and vanilla, and beat until smooth. Spoon into the prepared dishes. Bake until lightly golden and puffed, 30 to 35 minutes. Let rest for 10 minutes, then refrigerate until cool.

3. Sprinkle the pudding with fruit or dollop with a teaspoon of jam and serve.

A quick calcium-loaded snack that toddlers enjoy any time of the day.

Makes 1 to 2 servings

1 cup nonfat or low-fat milk or plain yogurt

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cup cut-up fruit, such as banana, strawberries, mango, peach, apricots

1 to 2 tablespoons wheat germ (optional) Dash of fruit juice concentrate, to taste

Combine the milk or yogurt, the fruit, and the wheat germ in a blender; blend until smooth. Add the juice concentrate to taste, blend, and serve.

An easy-to-make, easy-to-get-down light dessert.

Makes 4 toddler portions

1 tablespoon unflavored gelatin

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cup water