Fruit Purees

My next post is going to mention fruit puress, and while I was writing, I decided they deserve a post of their own.  

I always have freezer bags filled with cubes of different fruit purees.  They're very nice to have on hand.  They're perfect for stirring into plain yogurt, oatmeal, pancake mix, and more!  Sometimes I even mash frozen cubes with a fork and MJ eats it like a granita.  Yum.  Each little bit really packs a punch:  A whole peach yeilds about 2 Tablespoons of puree.  Stir into 1/2 cup yogurt, and your kid just ate a whole peach!  That's one serving you can check off for the day.

Fruit purees are not only a great way to get some fruit into your kids, they can also save you from unhealthier choices.  Here's an example:

This compares a packet of instant oatmeal to plain instant oats prepared with skim milk and strawberry puree.  It takes no longer for a mom to whip up.  Just nuke the oats with the milk and stir in a cube of puree.  It will melt into the oatmeal, adding fruity goodness and cooling it to a kid-friendly temp.  Voila!

What if your kid eats breakfast in the car or at daycare?  Skip the Eggos and stir some fruit puree into homemade pancake mix...I add some flax meal for bonus nutrition!  Make the pancakes and freeze 'em.  Thirty seconds in the microwave on the way out the door, and junior gets a serviving of fruit disgused in a portable breakfast treat.

Yet another use for fruit purees in my next post.  I can hardly hide my excitement!