I’m always looking to expand my arsenal of toddler food techniques. And although technically a fruit, avocados do well enough with my conscience in qualifying as a vegetable when I’m having a particularly tough time getting greens into Laurel. After all, they do consist of “good fat” and are high in vitamins K, B6, and C, as well as in dietary fiber, potassium, and folate.

As an infant Laurel happily gobbled up avocado pieces. She then started to reject them sometime during toddlerhood; that is, until I decided to try presenting avocado in a "boat." I sliced an avocado in half, scooped out another half, and gave her the remaining 1/4 avocado + shell with a spoon. Laurel loved the process of scraping out the avocado; the autonomy of the project not only gave me a few minutes to catch my breath, but also resulted in a toddler who was very excited to eat her hard earned rewards. More evidence for the case file that toddlers just want to do it “all by self.”

Note: If the avocado flesh is soft but a little resistant releasing from the shell (i.e., would result in a frustrated, cranky toddler), cube the flesh with a knife and release from the shell with a spoon.