Yes, use your favorite cheeses such as freshly shredded gruyere, smoked cheddar, mozzarella and even provolone. Try freezing small bites of different foods. You can use these later and it avoids throwing a lot of food away. salted butter– Salted butter gives a little extra flavor. In general, I use salted butter for most of my cooking and baking. Though we in the UK can’t claim to have created the concept either – see German Abendbrot, Greek mezze and Spanish tapas – it seems this nation is curiously protective of it. For many, it conjures up nostalgic memories of childhood teas when usual dinner procedures went out the window and in swept excitement and novelty. Sometimes, even cutlery was shunned in favour of fingers.

for toddlers and picky eaters: divided or The best plates for toddlers and picky eaters: divided or

Another benefit is that the walls of the divided plates are typically very high. This means that any of the compartments could also be used for purees, in addition to finger foods. The walls also help to make it easier for your baby to scoop the purees up and out of the plate. You’ll also probably be thankful for higher walls, and divided sections, when you serve dry food along with a more liquid-y food, because the wet food won’t spread everywhere and make a big mess right from the beginning. This gives your baby some time to do that all on their own 😉 I, on the other hand, could probably cause a pot of boiling water to catch on fire. Pretty much the only things that I “cook” either: 1) come out of a box 2) can be cooked completely in a microwave or 3) are salad.Easy cheesy nachos – Whole grain tortilla chips sprinkled with cheese and then heated in the microwave

Parmesan Ranch Baked Chicken Tenders - Picky Palate Parmesan Ranch Baked Chicken Tenders - Picky Palate

This baby led weaning style of eating encourages independence and exploration and gives babies a sense of control over their food from the very beginning. The thing is, both of these types of plates have benefits that shouldn’t be downplayed. Pros of Divided Plates:Tasting trays can be just as beneficial for toddlers as they typically move into the fussy eating stage. They can be made bright and colourful, injecting a bit of fun into a meal that would otherwise be a bit dull for a young child.

Picky Party Finger Picking Stone Sensory Stone - Etsy Picky Party Finger Picking Stone Sensory Stone - Etsy

When your baby is just starting out, divided plates can be a great option to help them visualize and recognize the different food on their plate. I personally like that they keep food items separated so your baby can see all the food items on the plate at once. Seeing it all laid out this way allows them to choose one food item at a time to explore and taste! Now, if they want to mix it up from there – trust me, they will!⁠ Sustainable – meaning they’re good for the environment (or at least better than other options). Usually this means they’re silicone, stainless steel, or bamboo.Non-toxic material – no BPA, but I actually say to avoid plastics in general, if you can (AAP recommends avoiding use of plastics for anything that touches baby’s mouth/food). It also introduces babies to a variety of textures early on, so that they don’t become reliant on only eating pureed or mashed food. Tasting Trays for Toddlers