Avocados for Toddlers

Since Noah's early days of eating solids, he has been enjoying avocados. And since the start of the daycare in September of 2009, I have been serving avocados to the kids for lunch at least once a week. Some kids don't care for them at first, but I have been able to entice most of the children with this fruit (yes, it is a fruit) with a little time and creativity. I am a stubborn advocate for this food where children are concerned. Here's why:

• It is filling and acts as a "slow-burning fuel, providing energy for growing children" (http://www.juicing-for-health.com/avocado.html).
• "The potassium content and calories of an avocado is three times that of a banana." (http://www.juicing-for-health.com/avocado.html) Thus, it can provide some much-needed nutrition for these picky eaters. A little goes a long way.
• Avocados are a good source of the following: potassium (as noted above) fibre, vitamins K, B6 and C,folate and copper (http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=5).
• Avocados boost the nutritional content of other foods, by absorbing "more fat-soluble nutrients, such as alpha and beta-carotene and lutein, in foods that are eaten with the fruit" (http://www.avocado.org/nutrition/). Dietary sources of alpha and beta-carotene that toddlers might eat are: broccoli, winter squash, carrots and sweet potatoes (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carotene). Sources of lutein that may be in a toddler's diet are: green peas, corn, broccoli and eggs (http://www.luteininfo.com/whereraw).
•  Avocados are a good source of monounsaturated fat (one of the recommended types of fat). Fat is important to toddlers because "it keeps a child's body temperature consistent; helps digest vitamins A, D, E and K; helps develop and cushion internal organs; is needed for brain development and assists in general growth and development" (http://www.babiestoday.com/articles/baby-food/fat-in-a-baby-and-toddler-s-diet-797/). 

Noah and Aidas have been used to eating avocado on toast, but also enjoy it straight up. They have recently been intrigued by "avocado boats". (I got the idea from Dr. Sears's "The Baby Book".) To make an avocado boat, you just cut the avocado in half lengthwise and remove the seed. Loosen up the avocado in the one of the halves using a spoon. Then serve each child a half (skin side down) with a spoon inside. (Note: Serve the avocado very soon after preparing it. If it is exposed to air too long it will become brownish and unpalatable.)

The twins wouldn't eat avocado until I made a toasted sandwich with it. I spread the avocado on the toast first, then spread cream cheese over top.

I would suggest serving avocado to your baby when you introduce solids. Just mash it up.Continue serving it on a regular basis, so that it doesn't become one more green food your toddler refuses to eat!