Fresh Baby: "So Easy Toddler Food" Review and Giveaway

Fresh Baby is a company founded by two sisters who,

"...began developing products for today's busy parents and caregivers with a product line that includes: homemade baby food kits, baby food cookbooks, baby food and breast milk storage trays, breastfeeding reminders, and child development diaries." -Freshbaby.com

Fresh Baby has given me the opportunity to share one of their newest products with y0u, a cookbook entitled, So Easty Toddler Food.

Product Description: The So Easy Toddler Food book provides
survival tips and simple recipes for the Toddler years. Inside you will find....

* 48 page Toddler cookbook

* Family-friendly, simple recipes making it convenient to make healthy meals

*35 recipes with photos & USDA nutrition facts information

* Practical advice and tips for toddler eating behaviors and healthy eating

I was thrilled to receive this cookbook for the sheer fact that I'm sure my daughter would appreciate a little something new in her diet. Plus, I'm always looking for creative and yummy recipes that will suit all of us. I was pleased to find a wide array of interesting and intriguing new recipes!

When you first open the book, you will find an ample supply of "Survival Tips" including:

• Six Tips for Developing Healthy Eating Habits


• The 10 Times Rule for Toddlers


• Converting Picky Eaters


• DOs and DON’Ts to Avoid Food Battles


• Making the Most of Your Child’s Day

I was very surprised to find such a wide array of recipe from snacks to desserts and everything in between. There were plenty of recipes for every meal from breakfast to dinner with multiple options for everyone. In addition, I was happy to find some of my daughter's favorite items mixed with items she isn't so crazy about. This makes it much easier to introduce foods into her daily diet that she wouldn't normally eat, and a great way for me to sneak in ultra healthy ingredients without her picking them out!

On top of the creative solutions, I appreciated the USDA Nutrition Facts which accompanied each recipe. Not only was this an interesting feature, but it was also an added sense of assurance. In addition to the nutrition facts, the recipes show vibrant pictures with images of the end result and/or key steps in the recipe. This is fabulous for moms like me who like to know what their goal is "supposed" to look like.

Some of our favorites included Berries N' Banana Cream and Frosted Zucchini. When trying the new foods, it was very helpful to be able to refer to the survival tips in the beginning. Not only did they provide useful information, but it was encouraging to know that I was not alone in my toddler food struggles. Now if they would only make a So Easy Husband Food book, I would be set!

Buy It:

You can purchase So Easy Toddler Food from Fresh Baby

Win It:

One lucky reader will win a copy of Fresh Baby's So Easy Toddler Food

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Provide your email address in each comment unless it is in your profile, so I can contact the winner. Winner has 48 hours to respond before I choose another.

I will choose a winner at 12:00 PM (EST) on September 28, 2010. Good luck!

Disclosure: All opinions are my own based upon my thoughtful, honest, and personal experiences with the vendor and were not influenced by any sources . I was not compensated monetarily, and this is posted in compliance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255. Thanks to Fresh Baby for sponsoring this giveaway!

Healthier Pre-Made Dinners?

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This is a great way to bulk up a cheap frozen dinner meal! I usually don't like to purchase frozen dinners due to the high sodium content, but at $0.49, I couldn't pass it up. We do not eat them very often, but I still wanted to insure I was getting some good stuff in too!

I added a stalk and head of broccoli, 2 yellow squash, and a zucchini sauteed in some sesame oil to the frozen meal, and voila! Instant, cheap, and healthier dinner that lasted through dinner and made a tasty lunch the next day.

Do you have any ideas for making pre-made meals healthier?

Power Foods Even the Kids Will Love

It's difficult enough preparing and cooking meals for our children when they aren't complaining, whining, or refusing the eat what we put in front of them. Here are some great power foods that even the kids will love.

Parsley: The pure beauty of Parsley is its ability to be hidden in pretty much anything! Tiny specks of green may not deter your youngster from scarfing down chicken, pasta, or a soup. Parsley contains incredibly high levels of Vitamin C (3x as much as oranges), iron (2x as much as spinach), and Vitamin A.

Blueberries: Blueberries are fun, tasty, and a healthy alternative for a snack. They are filled with great antioxidants which have been proven in preventing heart disease and diabetes. In addition, the antioxidants increase brain function! (Great for back-to-school!) They make excellent additions to a bowl of oatmeal or cereal, yogurt, or even more fun alternatives such as frozen into popsicles or blended into smoothies.

Cocoa/Dark Chocolate: Believe it or not, there are some great health benefits to our sweet little friend, cocoa! When you purchase at least 70% (non-processed) cocoa, you are giving your kids a great source of flavonoids which can add to heart and oral health as well as promoting a healthy blood pressure. How can you not serve cocoa to your kids? Add it atop their favorite breakfast food or even that ever so popular winter beverage! Dark Chocolate is packed with antioxidants which add to heart health and promote healthy circulation. Instead of using milk chocolate, dip your child's favorite fruits in unsweetened dark chocolate (chocolate covered strawberries or bananas make great treats!)

Tomatoes: Tomatoes are excellent sources of a substance called "lycopene." Lycopene has been proven to protect against many forms of various cancers, and unlike many fruits and vegetables, the amounts of lycopene in tomatoes skyrockets when they are cooked! Use pasta sauces and pizza to entice your kids to up their intake of tomatoes!

Watermelon: Another high carrier of lycopene is watermelon! This tasty summer treat is filled with water (thus, the name.) It makes a refreshing snack for hot summer days while being incredibly low in calories. In addition, watermelon is a great source of Vitamin A and C! Kids love it raw or puree then freeze to make watermelon ice cubes!

Sweet Potatoes: Sweet potatoes are excellent sources of Vitamin C, Potassium, Vitamin A, Calcium, and Iron among many others. The great thing about sweet potatoes is you can treat them just like any other potato! Make sweet potato french fries, bake them, mash them, etc.! You can even use them as a fun dessert when baked with a couple marshmallows and our next power food.....

Cinnamon: This snazzy little spice has been said to regulate blood sugar which means it could be a prime combat tool against those before-lunch youngster crashes! Add it to their breakfast cereal, yogurt, or oatmeal.

Always consult your pediatrician with any food questions or concerns.