Bits and bobs plates, & tips for toddler dinner
I mentioned this before, but several months ago, one of Emily Oster's readers offered a meal tip that’s changed my life:
Swap kiddo’s dinner time and snack time. Our little girl’s day ends late - we drop her off around 9:00 am, and often don’t pick her up until 5:30 or so, when a hanger meltdown is imminent. But, recently instead of having a snack when she gets home, we give her dinner. Generally her dinner is what our British friend Chris (and now all of my girl group) refers to as a bits and bobs plate, or what the internet refers to as “girl dinner” - a bunch of tasty little morsels.
My daughter’s bits and bobs may be some strawberries, a few baby carrots, some chopped cukes, maybe a handful of frozen peas - whatever veggies and/or fruit she’s into currently. Last week it was sliced peppers while the week before it was roasted broccoli. She’s also very into cheese and loves string cheese, sliced Swiss, and handfuls grated cheddar. And, of course, there’s always some type of carb on her plate. While I’d love for this to be a whole grain, it usually never is. It’s often some leftover white rice or pasta, or a handful of goldfish or pretzels. My little girl also loves nuts - particularly peanuts, pistachios, and hazelnuts - so I sprinkle those in for some protein, amino acids, and crunch (if you’re little can’t have nuts or seeds, look for roasted edamame which is a great allergy-friendly alternative).
Finally - and as you may have guessed - we’re big on little treats in our household. Our current favorites are Pocky (the perfect size!) TJ's tiny gummy bears (again, the perfect size) and juice-sweetened freezer pops. I serve dessert alongside her other items, as I find this has myriad benefits: it (at least somewhat) reduces the power struggle of the great treat debate, and while she tends to eat the treat first, she usually proceeds to the rest of the meal without a fuss. And, serving dessert alongside the main meal takes the tabooness out of treats and sweets - dessert and sugar are not something forbidden or illicit, but something to be enjoyed and eaten in moderation, like all other foods.
Another note on kid dinner: it doesn’t need to be fancy. Older kiddos can have bits and bobs plates they assemble, but they could also have leftovers - a plate you prepare that they warm up, or a sandwich they make themselves (IMO, the beauty of the sandwich is that it can be eaten any hour of the day).
The relinquishing or lowering of dinner expectations ties into my Mother's Day post on leaning into seasons and imperfection. Though the change from one kid to two kids was not as stark as I expected, we now have significantly less time, and offering up a well-rounded snack plate is the easiest way to get my little girl to eat a variety of foods. She often eats it watching Daniel Tiger, while her dad and I are getting our dinner together, or we’re feeding the baby. When we sit down to eat, the TV is turned off and our toddler joins us at the table for “dinner time.” In this way, we’re still experiencing quality, reflective time together.
I have to confess that I often pick at my toddler’s snack plate. After cooking family meals all day, I often just want to graze and nosh. And, with two kiddos to juggle, utensils can be unwieldy. Who am I to fight this urge? So, lately I’ve found myself making adult bits and bobs plates. The key to making it a complete meal is to simply offer several different food groups. This formula can be applied many different ways: we previously used it with the cheese board, and used it again this week with the sammie spread. Try to offer some protein, some veggies, some type of carb, and a few accoutrements (I was recently told I was accepted into a friend group because of my accoutrement offerings, so never doubt the power of a garnish), then let everyone nibble away. Happy snacking!