Looking for ways to change things up, encourage a diverse diet, and feed your baby or toddler common allergens regularly? Try out these yummy food art recipes featuring Ready. Set. Food! Mix-Ins and Organic Baby Oatmeal!
What your little one eats in their first few years sets up the foundation for healthy eating habits. Feeding your little one a variety of nutritious foods now promotes a diverse diet, which sets them up to choose and enjoy lots of healthy foods throughout their life.
It’s also vital to introduce common allergens into your baby’s diet, keep feeding your little one these allergens multiple times per week during their first year, and continue feeding these allergens through toddlerhood. Feeding allergens early and often gives your child the best chance at a life of food freedom.
Looking for ways to change things up, encourage a diverse diet, and feed your baby or toddler common allergens regularly? Try out these yummy food art recipes featuring Ready. Set. Food! Mix-Ins and Organic Baby Oatmeal! We’ve also included some of our other favorite ideas for baby and toddler meals and snacks.
Strawberry & Oats Little Piggy Smoothie
This little piggy went to the market and bought Ready. Set. Food! Mix-Ins to make this delicious Strawberry & Oats Little Piggy Smoothie. The delicious strawberry flavor will have your little one squealing with delight!
Ingredients:
For the smoothie:
- 1 packet of Ready. Set. Food! Mix-Ins (Stage 2 or 3)
- 1/3 cup frozen strawberries
- 1/3 cup fresh strawberries
- 1/3 cup Greek yogurt
- 1 cup rolled oats
- 1/3 cup milk of your choice
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp date syrup
For decoration:
- 2 sliced strawberries (for ears and nose)
- Date syrup (for eyes and mouth)
Steps:
- Add all the ingredients, except the ones meant for decoration, to a high-speed blender.
- Blend until everything is smooth.
- After all the ingredients are blended, pour the smoothie into a bowl.
- Immediately add the sliced strawberries on top of the smoothie bowl for the pig’s ears and nose.
- Then, add the date syrup for the eyes and mouth.
- Serve immediately and enjoy!
More creative ideas:
Try making a barn for piggy with watermelon and cooked carrots (before making the smoothie).
- Cook the carrots soft, and slice them lengthwise into sticks.
- Cut the watermelon into ruler-thin rectangles that are about the size of two fingers, and remove the seeds and rind.
- Then, arrange the watermelon to look like a barn, and arrange the carrots on top to look like a barn door.
- You could also cook broccoli and use it to make trees around the barn.
Peanut Butter Banana Oatmeal Owl Pudding
This Peanut Butter Banana Oatmeal Pudding Recipe is a hoot to make and a great way to continue exposing your little one to “owl-ergens!”
Ingredients:
For the pudding:
- 3/4 cup Ready. Set. Food! Peanut Butter Banana Oatmeal
- 1/4 cup maple syrup (no sugar added)
- 2 ¼ cups milk or nondairy milk
- 1/4 cup cocoa powder
For decoration:
- 3 slices of red apple (If making this for a baby or younger toddler, cook the apples soft beforehand.)
- 2 slices of cantaloupe
- 1 blackberry
Steps:
- Place all the pudding ingredients in a blender and blend for one minute.
- Transfer the mixture to a small saucepan.
- Heat over medium, whisking constantly until it thickens (about 5 min).
- Refrigerate and chill before serving – this will let the pudding thicken.
- Pour a serving of the pudding into your little one’s bowl.
- Place the cantaloupe on top for the eyes.
- Slice the blackberry in half, and place it on top of the cantaloupe slices for the pupils.
- Slice the apples and place them on top as the ears and beak.
More creative ideas:
Owls are active at night, when the stars are out – so why not introduce baby to star fruit alongside the owl pudding?
You could also perch the owl on a branch of whole wheat bread slices, and use softened apple slices as leaves. Baby can then dip the bread and apples in the pudding if they wish.
Monkey Pancakes
Stop monkeying around and make these pancakes ASAP! These yummy pancakes are the perfect activity for a fun Sunday morning and helps continue exposing your little one to allergens in every bite!
Ingredients:
For the pancakes:
- 2 packets of Ready. Set. Food! Mix-Ins (Stage 2 or 3)
- 1 ½ cups (195 grams) whole wheat flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 ¼ cups (295 ml) milk, dairy or non-dairy
- 1 large egg
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, plus more for skillet
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For decoration:
- 1 red apple
- 1 large blueberry (cut in half) for eyes
- Mixed berries of choice (cut into halves or quarters).
Steps:
- Whisk the flour, baking powder, and RSF! Mix-Ins together in a medium bowl.
- Warm the milk in the microwave or on top of the stove until lukewarm
- Whisk the milk, egg, melted butter, and vanilla extract until combined. (By warming the milk slightly, the melted butter mixes into the milk instead of turning into small lumps).
- Heat a large skillet (or griddle) over medium heat.
- Make a well in the center of the flour mixture.
- Pour the milk mixture into the well.
- Use a fork to stir until you no longer see clumps of flour. It’s okay if the batter has small lumps – it’s important not to overmix the batter.
- Lightly brush the skillet with melted butter.
- Use a 1/4-cup measuring cup to spoon the batter onto the skillet. Gently spread the batter into a 4-inch circle.
- When the edges look dry, and bubbles start to appear and pop on the top surfaces of the pancake, turn over. This takes about 2 minutes.
- Once flipped, cook for another 1 to 2 minutes or until lightly browned and cooked in the middle.
- Cut the pancakes into shapes for the monkey’s body. You’ll need a body, head, brow, ears, arms, legs, and tail.
- Assemble your monkey!
- Slice and place red apples for the cheeks, mouth, and insides of ears.
- Place the blueberry halves for eyes.
- Serve immediately with mixed berries of your choice. You can also serve the pancakes with warm maple syrup and unsalted butter, in addition to the fruit.
More creative ideas:
Monkeys love bananas, so bananas are a great choice to serve alongside the monkey instead of berries. Peach, mango, and kiwi slices also make great pairings. Try making different shapes with the fruit, like a vine for the monkey to swing from.
You can also shape the pancakes into different animals or objects, and make different decorations with the fruit. You might try making a tiger with stripes, a cow face with horns and spots, or a car with pancake wheels and fruit decorations. What will you and your little one come up with?
Furry Friends Oatmeal Bowl
Are you on #TeamCat, #TeamDog, or both? We love both, which is why we made these cute furry friend oatmeal bowls with our Original Organic Baby Oatmeal! Save this recipe for a fun weekend activity with your littles.
Dog Oatmeal Bowl Ingredients:
- 6 tbsp Ready. Set. Food! Original Oatmeal
- 7 tbsp milk of choice
- 3 thin slices of pineapple for eyes
- 1 ½ blueberries (cut in half) for eyes and nose
- ½ slice of whole wheat bread for mouth
- 1 raspberry for tongue
Steps:
- Combine the milk with the oatmeal and mix until smooth.
- Add the pineapple slices and two of the blueberry halves for the eyes and ears.
- Add the other blueberry half for the nose.
- Add the bread slices for the mouth.
- Add the sliced raspberry for the tongue.
Cat Oatmeal Bowl Ingredients:
- 6 tbsp of Ready. Set. Food Original Oatmeal
- 7 tbsp milk of choice
- 2 slices of banana for eyes
- 1 thin slice of pineapple for nose
- 1 blueberry (cut in half), for eyes
- 2 red apple slices, for whiskers
- 1 slice of whole wheat bread
- 2 tsp of maple syrup
- 1 raspberry
Steps:
- Combine the milk with the oatmeal and mix until smooth.
- Add the banana slices and blueberry halves for the eyes.
- Slice corners of bread for the ears.
- Add the pineapple for the nose.
- Slice the bread to make the mouth base.
- Spread maple syrup on the bread.
- Slice the apples thinly and add them onto the mouth for whiskers.
- Place the raspberry for the tongue.
More creative ideas:
What other animal faces can you create on top of these oatmeal bowls? You might try making a bird with fruity feathers and a mango beak, or a shaggy Highland Cow with unsweetened shredded coconut fur and peach horns!
You could also try making animal oatmeal bowls – the cat, the dog, or your own creations – with any of our other yummy oatmeal flavors. We’d love to see what you come up with – tag us @readysetfood on Instagram!
More of our favorite baby and toddler foods
As promised, here are some of our favorite foods to serve to babies in their first year. Be sure to serve a variety of healthy solids each day from the fruits, veggies, protein, and whole grain groups.
- Banana slices
- Kiwi slices
- Mango slices
- Peach slices
- Pear slices
- Berries cut into halves or quarters
- Roasted carrot or sweet potato "fries"
- Avocado slices
- Pureed or mashed fruit or veggies – try adding in RSF! Mix-Ins
- Cooked strips of red peppers
- Cheese slices or cheese strips
- Chicken pieces
- Turkey pieces
- Ground beef crumbles
- Smashed cooked black beans
- Small pieces of whole grain rotini (curly pasta) with veggie puree – try adding RSF! Mix-Ins to the puree
- Other homemade smoothies with fruit and plain yogurt – try adding in RSF! Mix-Ins
- RSF! Organic Baby Oatmeal with fruit purees or fruit pieces mixed in
- Plain Greek yogurt (no added sugar) with fruit puree or fruit pieces mixed in – try adding in RSF! Mix-Ins
If you’re looking for more meal and snack ideas for toddlers ages 1-2 years, check out our other articles:
- Creative Food Art with RSF! Bars
- Top 10 Toddler Snack Ideas
- What Your Toddler Eats In A Day: 12-18 Months Old
- What Your Toddler Eats In A Day: 18-24 Months Old
All of these options align with the USDA Dietary Guidelines for infants and toddlers, which recommend:
- Prioritizing a variety of fruits and vegetables
- Introducing baby-safe forms of common allergen foods, like "peanut, egg, cow milk products, tree nuts, wheat… and soy"
- Feeding high-protein foods, like meat, fish, seafood, eggs, beans, nut products, seed products, and soy products
- Choosing whole grains over refined grains
- Feeding dairy foods, such as milk, yogurt and cheese
- Avoiding foods with added sugar
- Avoiding foods high in sodium
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All health-related content on this website is for informational purposes only and does not create a doctor-patient relationship. Always seek the advice of your own pediatrician in connection with any questions regarding your baby’s health.
These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. Products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.
See the FDA Peanut Allergy Qualified Health Claim at the bottom of our homepage.
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All health-related content on this website is for informational purposes only and does not create a doctor-patient relationship. Always seek the advice of your own pediatrician in connection with any questions regarding your baby’s health.
These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. Products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. If your infant has severe eczema, check with your infant’s healthcare provider before feeding foods containing ground peanuts.