Hi, I’m Amy Palanjian! I’m a mama to two girls and a baby boy and I work as a writer, editor, and recipe developer for magazines, books, and websites. Feeding toddlers is a huge challenge and it can be so (SO!) stressful. But I love to offer reassurance, encouragement, easy recipes, and tips that make feeding toddlers feel more manageable.
Photo by Heather Roth.
Over the past decade and a half working in media, I’ve worked as the Lifestyle Director of FamilyFun magazine, as a food editor with Better Homes and Gardens Special Interest Media, and as the Deputy Editor of ReadyMade magazine. I’m also currently a contributing editor to AllRecipes magazine.
My work has appeared in All You, Better Homes and Gardens, BHG.com, Bon Appetit, Delicious Living, DIY magazine, HGTV magazine, Fork and Beans, The Kitchn, Momtastic, Mother.ly, Parents, Parents.com, Real Simple, Super Healthy Kids, Rachelraymag.com, The Wall Street Journal, Wellmark.com, The Honest Company website, and more. I’ve been on podcasts including Didn’t I Just Feed You, Crunchy Cocktail Hour, and my own Comfort Food podcast.
I’ve also developed recipes for a number of clients including Nellie’s Free Range Eggs, Skeeter Nut-Free, Kalona Organics, Barilla, McCormick, PUJ, Reynolds, and Danone. I’ve even worked on videos for Better Homes and Gardens and Recipe.com! (My job is really super fun!) I was chosen by New Hope Network as a featured influencer in their inaugural list of Top 100 Responsible Health & Wellness Influencers of 2020. I love helping families find an easier way to enjoy wholesome, delicious meals together.
What People Say about Yummy Toddler Food
I am a mother of a toddler with autism and a psychologist who works with children on the autism spectrum. A large percentage of the clients I work with have food aversions including my son. I have been feeling so discouraged before finding your blog on recipe ideas. I just wanted to say thank you so much!
This is the best page for mothers of toddlers ever. Thanks for being so real and not making the guilt even worse!
I just have to take a moment and thank you so much for your blog! I use it *regularly* to prepare food for my little one. (and myself and my husband!) Thank you so much for sharing.
Your posts have kept me sane and help me come up with ideas for feeding my kiddo pretty much everyday!
I just wanted to thank you for keeping it real. I don’t follow many moms/bloggers other than my family and friends because I don’t want to fill my feed with ‘fake’. But I love your ideas and appreciate your posts!
My Toddler Cookbook: Food Play!
I have a cookbook for kids called Food Play coming out in Fall of 2020 and it’s filled with easy and nutritious recipes that the kids can (mostly!) make all by themselves. There are step-by-step images, tips for grown ups, and fun tips to help the kids learn and have fun in the kitchen. You can learn all about it here.
Below I’m going to share more about how I approach feeding my family—and develop the recipes and advice you’ll see here on Yummy Toddler Food.
I stock my pantry, fridge, and freezer with whole foods as much as possible—but I also understand reality requires shortcuts.
Most of the time, I cook with whole ingredients at home. That means I am more likely to buy, say, old-fashioned rolled oats than packets of oatmeal. Stocking my pantry with basic ingredients including whole grains, dried beans, and a wide range of flours allows me to stick to my monthly grocery budget and it gives me greater control over what we eat—I can add spices, fats, and flavorings according to the preferences of my family.
I opt for whole or low-fat dairy products because I prefer the flavor and think they perform better in most recipes, especially toddler food, than fat-free versions. (My love of full fat plain yogurt knows no bounds!)
And I find it fun to make homemade versions of items you’d usually buy in the store, so you will find recipes for staples including bread, hummus, and sometimes even cheese—but that doesn’t mean I don’t also value the convenience of store-bought versions. I certainly don’t have time to scratch-bake crackers everyday and I don’t expect you to either!
I minimize added sugars at home.
If you buy the food you want your kids to eat, they’ll likely have healthier choices to pick from. Once I realized that I can’t isolate my kids from the world around them, I decided that I would do my best to minimize added sugar at home so that I don’t have to worry so much about the food at birthday parties, playdates, and church. It’s been such a relief!
This is also just my personal preference as I like my baked goods and desserts to be less sweet. So while I often use fruit to lend sweetness to toddler foods, I also use modest amounts of maple syrup, honey, and yes, even real sugar, in dessert recipes. Sometimes you just need a real deal cupcake, right?
I involve the kids in the kitchen.
I don’t go full Montessori every day, but I’ve found that having the girls help me get a meal ready or bake a special recipe makes them more interested and involved. And often they nibble on veggies as they help, even if they don’t eat them at the table, which I consider a huge plus. Cooking together is an activity that we all love so we do it regularly.
I am not a short order cook.
My family eats breakfast and dinner together 99% of the time, which yes, does mean that we eat dinner at 5:30 (and it also means that us adults have a snack later in the evening). I do my best to serve a variety of foods—whether the girls say they like them or not—so that we don’t get stuck eating the same few foods over and over. When I make a new or unfamiliar food, I always try to pair it with something I know they like.
Or, at the very least, have cheese, crackers, or fruit on the table so that there’s something “safe” to eat.
I do not cook separate meals except on very special occasions—like when I want to make a special meal for just my husband and I to enjoy after the girls are in bed. We are incredibly fortunate that neither of our kids has had an issue with growth, allergies, or appetite (apart from during illnesses). I do have good friends with kiddos who have those issues though, so you may see the topics addressed.
I believe it’s possible to cook one family meal and adjust it for everyone at the table as needed.
Mealtime is as drama-free as possible.
I meal plan and I post the week’s menu on a dry erase board in our kitchen so everyone knows what’s for dinner. And I follow this advice called The Division of Responsibility in Feeding from feeding expert Ellyn Satter:
The parent is responsible for what, when, where
The child is responsible for how much and whether
No forcing bites. No making anyone feel badly if they doesn’t like something, no taking it personally if they decide not to eat something that it took me hours to make.
I trust that my kids are in tune with their hunger and that their intake will balance itself out over the course of any given week. We don’t talk about “good” foods or “bad” foods, but I focus on flavor and how more wholesome foods will help them grow and run fast (or twirl like a ballerina, depending on the day).
I test and retest my recipes.
I have two very opinionated taste testers (as well as many friends who regularly enjoy the surplus of what I make) so you can be sure everything is being well vetted, tested, and retested when necessary. I also know that it’s hard to feed kids, but even more so when you’re dealing with a food allergy or intolerance, so I try to offer allergy-free options when I can.
The result? I have two girls who are enthusiastic eaters.
They do not eat everything I make or serve them, but they are generally happy eaters. One loves smoothies, the other has never had more than a sip in her life. One loves meat, the other could take it or leave it…and usually leaves it. They are unique and opinionated, just as I expected them to be! And they both still make a total mess at the table and I consider myself lucky to get to clean up after them…if amazed how how often I find myself sweeping the kitchen floor!
I love to help families figure out how to approach toddler food when challenges arise.
This age offers up a whole new host of issues to work through and it often leaves parents feeling like they’re failing. You’re not!
