mom hacks: fresh direct

As I've documented before, teaching a baby to eat is no joke. But once you hit the toddler stage (i.e. swatting of foods and vigorous "NO!"s), those first few months testing out solids will seem a comparative breeze. And, as much as I always strive to be that parent that's cooking everything from scratch ... I'm not. I won't ever be. But that doesn't mean I've resorted to Happy Meals thrice daily (yet).

I have found a life saver in Fresh Direct, who delivers straight to your door(man) and has a truly mind-boggling array of everything from fresh meats and fish, meal kits, and, most important, baby and toddler-friendly foods. Sure, there are days when I get my act together to truly cook from raw ingredients, but consider the below items my handy list of shortcuts.

Banza Chickpea Rotini: I am obsessed with this. The pasta is made out of chickpea flour, so there is way more protein than regular flour pasta. I use it for my mac and cheese recipes for adults, too!

Burt's Bees Baby Shampoo and Wash (in Calming scent): Did you know that Fresh D has things that aren't edible? I didn't until recently, but it turns out they stock one of my favorite lines.

Champagne Mangoes: So there are mangoes, and mangoes. These are smaller, sweeter, and truly decadent. I grate them to put into Avvie's yogurt.

Ella's Kitchen Stage 3 Organic Nibbly Fingers, (Apples and Strawberries): I just discovered these and Avvie is in love. I always assumed the texture was going to be too hard (she still only has four teeth at nearly 16 months), but they're crumbly and soft like an oat bar. They're individually wrapped, so they're very easy to stick in the diaper bag for a snack.

Fresh Direct Kids Meals Megaroni and Beef: I have definitely caught Mike eating this. So, it's like Hamburger Helper, but with real ingredients and ready to heat and eat. I cut the broccoli up very finely and she'll gobble it up with the pasta (which is multi-grain!).

Happy Family Happy Baby Organic Puffs (Veggie, Fruit and Grain): If you have a toddler, you probably have a stash of these at home, but I particularly like this version because it has veggies. Is it the same as eating spinach? No, but you take what you can get.

Happy Family Happy Tot Organic Mix (Apple, Spinach, Pea, and Broccoli): Similar concept as above. If I'm giving her a pouch, at least I'll try and give her one that has some greens in it. These are also very handy to keep in your diaper bag for snack emergencies.

Just FreshDirect Local Organic Whole Milk: So yes, you can get milk literally anywhere, but the Fresh Direct version is so much cheaper! 

And a few of my favorites for adults, too:

Meal Kit: Braised Pork Meatballs with Sautéed Leeks and Apples: FD has recently launched their own version of a Blue Apron-type program and I was really pleased with the results. This was delicious and I was so proud, I even put it on Instagram.

Salt of the Earth Bakery Brownies, The OMGCB: Just read the ingredients. OMG.

Sohha Whole Milk Yogurt Dip, Za'atar and Sumac: Mike LOVES savory yogurt and this might be his new favorite.

Thanks to Fresh Direct for sending me a big goody box of items to try out! If you have faves there, let me know!