Feeding Toddlers. What image popped in your head when you read that? I know there’s tons of stress around this topic in the momiverse and everyone has an opinion, but the concept of getting the privilege to nourish the babies given to us makes me so excited! 

We are a plant-based family through and through. The kids and I do eat eggs, but no meat, fish or dairy so it can be really hard to stay inspired and creative with their meals. There were a couple weeks in there where lunch was soup and rice every.single.day. I’ve learned a lot since then and feeding my family the fuel they need is a genuine passion of mine.

I so enjoy seeing what other moms make for breakfast, lunch and dinner so I thought I’d do just that! The everyday goal for me is to get the kids as many vitamins and nutrients in the form of fruits and vegetables as possible. Protein can be a challenge for me and I’m often left wondering if they’re really getting enough so thats been another area I’m working on being super intentional with this year. We don’t really do sweets or dessert but if I do, I like to bake it myself to know exactly what’s in it. Food is something we genuinely love in the Atogwe household so without further adieu, here is a typical Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner for Oshiolema and Keogena.  

Breakfast: Blueberry oatmeal with bananas + kale smoothie 

We rotate a few breakfasts thought the week and have oatmeal at least twice in a 7 day period. Oatmeal is perfect because it’s warm, filling, comforting and on top of that its a great source of carbs, fiber, healthy fat and protein. My father in law makes oatmeal this way and the kids call it “blueberry oatmeal.” I think the purple color makes them feel like it’s a really special treat even though it’s definitely still just oatmeal. 

I spray this b-12 supplement on their oatmeal or in their smoothie every morning which is really important since we don’t eat meat. This is made from fruits and vegetables and flavorless so it’s a favorite of ours.

I didn’t shoot the kale smoothie but I make one every single morning (spinach bothers my stomach so if I’m sharing, it’s always kale but if it’s all theres, spinach is our base.) Our most frequented smoothie is a ton of kale blended with water first to be smooth, then I add one banana, a handful of frozen mango and frozen blueberries and an avocado. I top it with chia seeds and they’re good to go! 

Lunch: Veggie sandwiches on gluten-free bread, chickpea snacks, peas and grapes. 

I had a bagel sandwich at the Create Cultivate conference that just about changed my life. I opened it up, took a photo of it and told O about it right when he picked me up that evening-it was that good. I knew it had Kite Hill cream cheese on it, which is my ABSOLUTE favorite vegan cream cheese, so really they couldn’t go wrong but the goodness continued! Cucumbers, watermelon radish, sprouts and finely diced red peppers made this mouth watering combination one for the books. I recreated it for my littles and they couldn’t get enough, so now it’s a staple for us. I skipped the bagel and put theirs on gluten free bread instead and instead of plain cream cheese, I use the Chive Kite Hill cream cheese. Again, it’s an almond based vegan cream cheese that is unbelievably delicious. 

These Hippeas snacks are a new household favorite. I’m someone who needs a good crunch every now and then and it seems I’ve passed this trait onto my babes. I forgo ever giving them potato chips as a snack and give them these instead. Try not to eat nearly the whole bag after you give them their portion, I dare you. (Really though, try not to. You’ll regret it when you go to reach for them the next day.) Also, I saw Taylor Sterling using the cutest bento boxes for her babes and I scooped these up right away. Something about bento boxes makes kids SO excited to eat their food! (although everything makes my kids excited to eat their food.)

also- adding lemon to their water makes them chug triple the amount than they normally do.

Snack: peppers and hummus, cucumber, hard boiled eggs

Hard Boiled eggs with pepper are my kids’ JAM. They love hard boiled eggs in a way I’ll never understand. Keogena is a much bigger fan of peppers than Oshiolema, but he is happy to use anything as a vehicle for hummus. (Also, I forgot to shoot this so just envision the most beautiful hard boiled eggs, vibrant red peppers, greenest cucumbers and smoothest hummus you’ve ever seen…not the real situation which is Keogena essentially bathing in hummus and egg yolk crumbles.)

Dinner: White Bean Soup and Cornbread 

A lot of times when I’m bored with our menu rotation, I’ll hunt endlessly on Pinterest for something that sounds tasty and then adjust it. This soup is probably the BEST example of that! Let me know if you guys want me to share the recipe here! This is the original recipe, I just tweaked it here and there to make it perfect for us. I use cannellini beans instead of black beans and add some simply organic mild taco seasoning plus always a dash of barbecue sauce. I typically top theirs with avocado (not mine because, you know me) but we had just gotten home this day and the avocados I bought were still rock solid!  Oshiolema and I eat it with a little Sriracha mixed in and we all top it with a sprinkle of vegan cheese. It’s light and yet super satisfying. I always make it with gluten free cornbread from this mix and it’s so yummy! Sure, it’s a little dry, but its fool proof and I even make one batch for O with a flax egg instead of an egg so its fully vegan. It works every time.  I recommend adding a little honey to the mixture before popping it into the oven. 

There you have it! A day in the life of my littles. I’d love to know if you try any of these recipes and also, what you’ve been loving for your kids lately! It takes a village, guys.