It’s been a long year and we are ready to throw our calendar out the window and just live by the lackadaisical rules of our favorite season. There’s so much to look forward to during summer: pool hangs, beach days, long sunny days, and of course, summer eats! Because what fun is a day at the beach or a backyard BBQ without some quintessential summer meals? If you’re looking for some summer foods for kids to work into the rotation, start with the fruit and veg that really shine in all this sunlight.

Peaches

In a perfect world, fresh peaches would be available all year long. Alas, stone fruit season is heartbreakingly short, and this fuzzy babe lives her best life from June-August. We’re big fans of chomping down on them whole, but there are plenty of ways to work sweet, juicy peaches into what your littlest humans are eating. Take Little Spoon’s Limited Edition Peach Cobbler Babyblend, for example. This textured blend is full of goodness, with peaches, sweet potato, quinoa flakes, coconut cream, and vanilla bean. Sure, your baby will love it, but so will everyone else in the family (trust us on this one). 

Corn

Is there a good that screams a summer meal as loud as corn? We don’t think so! From corn on the cob to light corn salads, we go through a lot of ears during the summer months. Your kids might be a ways away from being able to shuck ther own husks and munch on the cob, but that doesn’t mean they can’t enjoy these golden kernels in more kid-friendly ways. For a fun twist on corn, try Little Spoon’s Cheesy Black Bean Pupusa Plate for your tots & big kids. The pupusas are made with organic corn masa and stuffed with yummy beans and cheese. For younger babes, the Limited Edition Sweet Corn and Roasted Red Pepper Gazpacho blend is the perfect meal on a warm day. Bonus: the gazpacho blend also has tomatillo and mango—two other summer produce stars. 

Chickpeas

And no, we don’t mean in hummus! Chickpeas, or garbanzo beans, thrive in warmer climates, and you can find them fresh at grocery stores or farmer’s markets. If you’ve never worked with chickpeas before and aren’t sure how to get your kids into them, might we suggest a little sneak attack? Little Spoon’s Chicken Super Nuggets have chickpeas in the nuggets—where do you think the ‘super’ comes from? Plus, the on-the-go and easy-to-heat convenience of Plates means your kids can dine al fresco on this idea summer meal and not miss one minute of those long, sunny days and cool evenings.

Spinach

Sure, spinach is something you can usually find year-round, but this nutrient-packed powerhouse of a leafy green really comes into all its glory during summer months and in warmer climates. We get that some kids are a little hesitant to snack on spinach, but we’re parents—we improvise (translation: we sneak it into their food and they are none the wiser). The Blueberry Rosemary Tart Babyblend is a crowd favorite with hidden spinach, and your toddlers and kiddos will definitely eat the entire plate of Little Spoon’s Spinach and Cheese Ravioli before they even realize there was some good green hidden in each pillowy pasta pocket (plus the sauce!). 

Pitaya

Sweet and tropical pitaya is a shining star when it comes to summer meals, and Little Spoon is taking full advantage of that with their Pitaya Coconut Bowl Babyblend and their Paradise Punch Smoothie. Yep, you read that right—both of these are a nutritious and delicious meal or snack just for your babe, full of pitaya, guava, coconut and pineapple. Little paper umbrellas and sun hats are optional, of course. 

Tomatoes

We’d be remiss to not mention tomatoes during this time of year. These juicy babes come into all their glory during the summer months, and we truly cannot think of a better bite than a perfectly ripe, seasonal ‘mato. Your finger foodies can enjoy this fruit (yep!) all year round with Little Spoon’s signature hidden veggie marinara sauce that tops some of our pasta faves like Spinach and Cheese Ravioli, Cauliflower Gnocchi and Penne with Turkey Meatballs. Not only will they be enjoying this summer staple, you’ll be sneaking in extra veggies with organic invisible spinach and carrots in the sauce.