As babies and toddlers slowly expand their palates, introducing new flavors and textures takes patience. That’s where our Plant-Rich Meals come in. These freshly frozen meals are ready to cook, offering a convenient way to get more fruits, vegetables, grains, legumes, fats, and spices into your little one’s diet.

For tips and tricks on how to make this transition as easy as possible, we tapped the Nicole Lattanzio, RD, CSP, IBCLC (aka the Infant Nutritionist) for insights into how you can make feeding time both fun and nutritious.

Please share some tips on how to introduce these meals to children of different ages and stages.

Nicole Lattanzio: Once Upon a Farm’s Plant-Rich Meals are great for any age and stage of feeding! They can be served as a purée, mash, finger food (small pieces for babies using pincer grasp), or even incorporated into a recipe.

• Purees & Mashes (6-8 months): I love preparing using the microwave method when I’m going to purée or mash as I find the foods are extra soft and easy to blend. Serve your purée/mash on preloaded spoons for self-feeding if practicing baby-led weaning.
• Finger Foods (9-12 months): Prepare according to package and serve to the baby on their tray or plate. Easy peasy!
• Toddlers: I love serving these as part of a meal, either mixed with a grain like quinoa, or with side items.

When introducing new foods to kiddos, keep in mind that it may take a few exposures for them to accept a new flavor. If concerned about offering mixed foods to young babies (particularly those with food allergy concerns), you may consider offering some single-ingredient foods first before jumping to a blended option. Thankfully O’Farm’s Plant-Rich Meals are free of the common top allergens, which can offer some peace of mind for families working towards offering more foods!

What advice can you offer parents when their child doesn't like a particular meal at first?

NL: Offering new foods can be tricky at times. I always start by offering a new Plant-Rich Meal along with a familiar item, like fruit, avocado, puffs, etc. This can make the new dish feel less intimidating. If your little one has trouble with mixed foods, try spreading the food out on their tray or plate so they can easily see what’s included. Another tactic is eating the meal along with them! I’ll often take a bite from my kiddo's tray which then encourages them to try as well. If your kiddo is still not wanting to eat much, no worries—reuse it! You can save and re-offer at a later meal. Another option is to save and incorporate into a recipe (more on that below). Once Upon a Farm’s Instagram has some great videos with ideas!

Leftovers are common in many households. Do you have any creative ideas for repurposing them into new dishes?

NL: I love to incorporate leftovers of the savory options into blender sauces and soups. For sweeter meals, blend and mix into pancake or muffin batter or even add to a smoothie.

O’Farm focuses on using high-quality, organic ingredients. Can you expand on the importance of these ingredients and how they contribute to children's health and development?

NL: I personally love that the Plant-Rich Meals are frozen, as this naturally preserves the nutrition of the foods (spoiler alert: frozen is even more nutritious than fresh!). Feeding kiddos a wide range of foods, such as the ones Once Upon a Farm focuses on providing, is the best way to provide balanced nutrition. Two great aspects of the Plant-Rich Meals are: 1) added fat, which supports brain development and nutrient absorption, and 2) herbs and spices to help grow your little one's palate.

What are some of your personal favorite Plant-Rich Meal ideas for kids, and why do you think they work so well?

NL: I use the Black Bean, Red Pepper, Sweet Potato & Cilantro Plant-Rich Meal regularly at dinner time as my little guy LOVES beans! I serve it as is, mash into a dip, create fried patties, or add to homemade chili. Kids get bored of the same foods over and over. Switching up the presentation increases variety in kids’ diets without being overly complicated.