We know parents and caregivers are pressed for time, but want to know what they can do to promote healthy eating habits for their family. Our goal is to make it SO EASY for parents to raise a healthy eater!
If you like Peas & Carrots and want more - subscribe to our e-news Fresh Ideas. It's packed with tips and tasty recipes the whole family will love!
Happy Parenting!
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Tilapia is a fresh water fish with origins in the Nile River. Its culinary potential was appreciated by the ancient Egyptians and the epicurean Greeks. Aristotle is believed to have given the fish its name Tilapia niloticus (fish of the Nile) in 300 BC. Today, nearly all Tilapia is farm-raised, in ponds or tanks. Tilapia farming is considered ecologically friendly. In honor of National Seafood Month, we thought we would share these tips with you!
Broiled Tilapia: Rinse tilapia and pat dry. Place tilapia in a single layer on a foil-lined baking sheet. Brush with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Broil 6 inches from heat until fish is opaque but still moist-looking in center of thickest part, 8 to 10 minutes. Serve while hot.
Fresh Fruit Salsa: 1 cup of diced fruit (pineapple, grapes, mango, papaya, or peaches) 2 Tbsp chopped cilantro 2 Tbsp lime juice 1 Tbsp chopped jalapeño or a sprinkle of red pepper flakes (optional) Salt and pepper to taste Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Serve fruit salsa on the side or spoon over the fish fillets.
Lemon Tilapia Sauté: Heat 2 tablespoons (30 ml) of oil or butter in a skillet over medium heat. Rinse tilapia and pat dry. Season tilapia fillets with salt and pepper and place them in the hot skillet. Cook for approximately 2 to 4 minutes on each side until fish flakes easily. Remove from pan. Turn off the stove heat. While the pan is still warm, melt 2 Tablespoons butter and one tablespoon lemon juice in it. Stir, scraping up the little browned bits. To Serve: On each dinner plate, spoon the bed ingredients, lay 1-2 tilapia fillets on top and drizzle the lemon butter pan juices over the top. Garnish with a lemon wedge.
Tilapia Pouches: Baking Tilapia in foil pouches is a hassle-free method to cook veggies and fish. Plus clean up for this dish is a breeze.
Simply choose your veggies, top with fish fillets, season, fold up the pouches and pop them in the oven! Choose the veggies (1/4 - 1/2 cup per pouch): Julienne carrots and zucchini Sliced tomatoes, and onions Fresh corn cut off the cob and green peas Julienne green beans and sliced mushrooms.
Fish: Tilapia fillets (1-2 per pouch) Salt and pepper Seasoning (per pouch): 1 Tablespoons olive oil 1 Tablespoons lime juice 1 Tablespoons white wine 1 Tablespoon of chopped fresh herbs (basil, ginger, cilantro or parsley)
Directions: Preheat the oven to 400 F. Cut four 10" sheets of foil. Place equal amounts of mixed vegetables in center of foil sheets and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Rinse tilapia, pat dry and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place a fillet on top of each vegetable mixture. Whisk seasoning ingredients together in a small bowl and spoon over top the fish. Bring together long sides of foil, crimp together to form a tight seal. Fold over remaining edges and form a tight seal. Place pouches on a baking sheet with the foil seamside up. Bake until fish is tender, 12 to 15 minutes. Open the "pouch" and serve. If you don't want to heat up your kitchen, try this same recipe on the grill. Note: Be careful opening cooked pouches, the escaping steam can cause burns.
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Many people write in to ask us for meat and fish recipes, so, in honor of National Seafood Month, we thought we would share! While we do not include these foods in our So Easy Baby Food Cookbook, we do include great protein sources, such as beans and nuts.
Pureed meat does not have much flavor, because most of the flavor from meat comes from grinding it between teeth. Many babies can also be finicky about pureed meats and they may be better received as a finger food. But by all means, give them a try and have fun!
Tips & Recipes: Here are recipes for the basic types of meats and fish along with several meal ideas. Download FreshBaby Meats and Fish
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Toddlers have little tummies that fill up quickly, and they are very active so they quickly burn calories. To keep your hungry toddler happy, offering small servings of healthy snack choices is the trick. Use your Fresh Baby Trays to have snack “at the ready” any time of day!
The concept is simple, at the beginning of each day fill up the compartments of a tray with healthy snack choices. Place the lid on it and store it in the your cooler. When your toddler asks for a snack, simply take the tray out and place it on the table. Let your little one choose which snack foods they want. When they are done, put the cover back on and it's back in the cooler to wait for the next request.
Using a snacking tray teaches your toddler to make choices, offers them plenty of variety, and makes it easy and convenient for you to answer ever so common cry of "I'm hungry!"
Healthy snacks ideas for your toddler snack tray:
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June just happens to celebrate two of our favorite tropical fruits - mango and papaya! Delicious! Here are some of our favorite recipes and tips!
Mango
Ranking high on the list of nutrient dense fruits, the flesh of a mango is peach-like and juicy with a hint of pineapple flavor. The flavor is pleasant and rich and high in sugars and amino acids. Mangoes are one of the best sources of Vitamin A, and contain beta carotene. They are also a terrific source of Vitamin C!
Mango Milkshake
Ingredients:
½ mango chopped
½ cup of milk
½ cup of ice
1-2 tsp honey
Directions:
Place all ingredients in a blender and whirl until smooth. Serve.
Read more about mangoes in our special article here!
Papaya
The papaya is a pear-shaped fruit with a bright golden-yellow skin. The yellow-orange flesh is juicy and silky smooth, with a sweet-tart flavor. Papayas are low in calories and sodium and are excellent source of vitamin A and C, and potassium. There are also small amounts of calcium, iron, thiamine, riboflavin and niacin present in papaya. They contain a lot of water, making them a great thirst-quenching snack when playing sports or other outdoor activities.
Papayas contain a digestive enzyme that is used to tenderize meat. This enzyme, papain, is commercially harvested in large quantities from the skin and green fruit. but papaya juice has been used for centuries in South America to tenderize meat.
Papaya Salsa
We love to use fresh salsas to change up the flavor of foods. Salsa takes a plain baked or grilled item from bland to gourmet with only minutes of prep work and no cooking. Salsas are also a simple way to add an extra fruit or veggie serving to your meal. Try this papaya salsa with grilled fish.
Ingredients:
1 papaya, seeded, peeled and diced
1/2 cup diced fresh pineapple
2 green onions, finely chopped
1 small garlic clove, minced
2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
1 Tablespoon lime juice
1 Tablespoon olive oil
Salt and pepper, to taste
Directions:
In a bowl, combine all ingredients and set aside at room temperature until ready to serve.
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