As a mother of an almost-three-year-old, I know a thing or two about picky eating. My one year old who once used to eat salmon, zucchini, and spinach like it was her job, now mainly seems to survive on oxygen and the occasional handful of goldfish. It is beyond frustrating. The nightly battle of “just try one bite” was really starting to take its toll on me. I took her to her pediatrician and she reassured me that this was very normal for toddlers, but I was dying for her to just eat something green and nutritious once in a while.
Healthy in Disguise
While on a playdate at a friend’s house, the mother offered my daughter mini chocolate muffins that she had made and my toddler loved them. When I asked for the recipe- I was surprised to hear they actually contained spinach, protein powder, bananas, and zucchini.
She told me she would just buy chocolate or other flavored muffin mix from the grocery store and then add the healthy stuff in before baking. It was genius!
Recipe
Here is my own variation of the recipe, but you can really add anything you like or have on hand at home.
-1 box Kodiak double dark chocolate protein muffin mix
-mix according to package instructions (2 eggs, 1 cup milk, ⅓ cup oil or melted butter)
-1 mashed banana
-1 shredded zucchini (make sure to squeeze the excess water out before adding)
-2 scoops protein powder of your choice (I prefer chocolate, but vanilla or other flavors would work just as well
-3 scoops greens powder (I use Amazing Grass Greens Blend, however any green powder would work)
Bake according to muffin mix directions (12-15 minutes at 375 degrees)
Allow a few minutes to cool, and then enjoy!
Quick and easy, and will last for a week or two if you keep them in the refrigerator.
The absolute best part is that my toddler has no idea these contain all of these nutritious ingredients!
To any other toddler moms out there in the trenches of picky eating-you are not alone! Feel free to comment on our Facebook page and share any other ideas you have to sneak in the healthy stuff!
Story by Alyssa Dock for BlueWaterParent.com.
All content of BlueWaterParent.com is for informational and entertainment purposes only and does not constitute medical advice.
