Avocados are a perfect fruit for babies, toddlers, school-age kids and adults too! It’s my favorite fruit and I add it to almost everything I make at home (sandwiches, soups, salads, toast, omelets, beans, salsa and more). Here are a few ways you can introduce avocado to your kids.

Avocado for Baby: I love to use avocado as a first food for baby. Whether you choose to start with purees or finger foods, avocado is always one of the first foods I start with.

• Puree: Since avocado has a soft and creamy texture, it’s a great first puree for baby. I love starting off with rich colors like green (avocado) instead of white or tan foods that baby can food jag on.
• How To: Take an avocado and scoop out the flesh; place it in a blender or food processor. Add a little breast milk or formula to make it the appropriate texture for baby. For a quicker and chunkier puree, just cut up an avocado and mash it with a fork. Add a spoon and presto – done!
• Baby Led Weaning (BLW): Avocados are an easy texture for baby to munch with their gums and a perfect cold comfort food for teething babies.
• How To: Take slices of avocado and roll gently into crushed cereal (like Cheerios or toasted and crushed bread crumbs) so that the avocado is easier to grab and hold.

Avocado for Toddler: One of the things I love about avocado is that you can cut it in half and have your toddler eat right out of it. It’s also super easy to pack when you are on the go. Here are some kid-friendly meals that feature the avocado.

• Avocado Toast: Update the traditional PB&J sandwich with avocado toast!
• How To: I toast some bread and spread avocado on it. Then I sprinkle a little lemon pepper and add a squeeze of lemon or lime on top. I slice it into long rectangles (think French toast sticks) so that it is easy for them to grab and eat.
• Crackers: If your kids want a crunchy texture you can make avocado toast on crackers. As you can see in the picture, I serve the crackers open-faced and add a sprinkle of feta cheese on top.
• Rice Cakes: Some of my feeding therapy clients are gluten free, so I make their avocado toast on rice cakes! It’s crunchy, yummy and always a hit on play dates.
• How To: I use the mini rice crackers so they can take two bites and be done! It’s a healthy snack or a filling lunch if you make several of them.

Fried Avocado: This isn’t the healthiest way for kids to have avocado, but it’s a tradition in my culture. Every time I make it kids and adults alike go crazy over it!

Ingredients

• 2 ripe avocados
• 2 eggs (beaten)
• 1 cup crushed breadcrumbs or Panko
• 1/4 cup flour
• Olive oil

Instructions

Cut an avocado into strips. Crack the eggs and beat them in a bowl. In a separate bowl add the crushed breadcrumbs and flour. Dip the avocado slices into the egg mixture and then into the flour + breadcrumb mixture (I use tongs because they are a bit slippery). Place the strips into the frying pan that has been heated with olive oil. Fry until toasted, turning them over once or twice. Serve with a dipping sauce to amp up the yum factor!

I hope these ideas help you think outside of the guacamole box when it comes to avocado. How does your family enjoy this yummy fruit? #ezpzfun #avocado