Toddler Fruit for $20 a month

I have issues with canned fruit. Not that I haven't ever given it to the triplets, I just hate it when I do. It's usually due to poor planning on my part. There's really no other excuse. I mean even when we travel, would it really be so hard to cut up a cantaloupe before we left...no. The more you prepare your fruit prior to meal time the more likely you are to feed it to your little one. So prepare! Do it while they feed themselves, nap, and or play in their "safe room"... you don't have a safe room? Get one... like yesterday...I guess more on that later :)

 So here's my cutting and buying strategies for toddlers and fruit.

First off BUY BANANAS! Teach your child to eat them without being cut up as soon as possible! If this means holding it for them for the first two months do it! My 16 month old's can and so can yours! I offer them only in the morning. I also, buy several very green, several somewhat green, and several yellow and ready to eat. They ripen as the week goes on. There are no rules saying you can't break apart bananas at the grocery store!

First off, fruit that is bite sized and perfect and easy for toddlers is going to cost you. Grapes, strawberries, blueberries, etc. come with a price. I only buy them when on sale. They're also kind of more of pain anyway. You have to cut strawberries too, blueberries are messy, and grapes are "supposed" to be cut in half and removed from the stem. So buy them on sale and use them accordingly! And of course: remove stems and wash as soon as you get home!

Blueberries are the one excpetion that can be bought frozen at Sam's or Costco for pretty cheap. They're not near as messy when toddlers eat them partially frozen and when you add them to the plate first, buy the time your mini pancakes have heated up they're soft enough for a toddler.

Mango is also a fruit to be reckoned with. I buy the Dole brand from Sam's frozen. The pieces are a little bigger,.. so I add water to them and heat for 40 seconds before giving to the triplets.

Another of my favorites are kiwi. I know I know $$ right? I just love them when they are on super sale! I buy them and cut each end off, then use a paring knief to "peel" them. Cut in thirds. Then in half and make your children thank you for allowing them to have such exotic tastes.

Apples and Pears are just a pain in the butt to cut, so more often than not I don't buy them. You can't pre-cut apples, and pears go bad too quickly for my tastes. Peaches on the other hand are easy to cut! I don't feel like I'm going to slice a finger off and best yet is what I call, "peach straws". The triplets first started eating these around 10 months when the first started feeding themselves. I simply cut them into fourths and then cut 1/8 inch strips and let the kids enjoy! You can cut a peach without it rotting like an apple so it seems to be a better alternative.

This leads me to my favorites: Cantaloupe, Honey Dew, and Pineapple! Buy them every time you go to the store, especially when on sale! Come home, put your groceries away and cut them up! They are about 100 times easier to cut up than you think, with pineapple being the easiest. Surprising right? Cut them in bite sizes (not micro helicopter mom size... contrary to popular opinion toddler do have teeth) about 1 inch by 3/4 on inch is a great size. Mine don't always get that small... sue me. I've yet to have a child have a problem. Put all your pieces in the fridge in an air tight container and you have fruit for the week! No to mention these fruits take forever to go bad... up to two weeks. I've yet to see a blueberry last that long :)

If I can do it with triplets, you have no excuse :)

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