Whole Grain Apple Carrot Toddler Cookies

As a mom to a toddler I'm always looking for new snack ideas. I'm also looking for ways to incorporate nutrients like omega 3 fatty acids and one of my favourite foods that helps to check off that box is ground flaxseed. Ground flaxseed is an excellent source of alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), a plant based omega 3 fat that plays a role in brain and eye function. A toddler's ALA needs are 0.7 grams/day. Just 1 teaspoon of ground flaxseed offers 0.8 grams of ALA, making it a super efficient way to meet your toddler's needs. Other sources of ALA omega 3 fat can be found in Canola or Camelina oil, walnuts and walnut oil, chia seeds, hemp hearts, and non-hydrogenated margarines that contain canola oil.

These cookies are made with whole food ingredients and are low in sugar. They're a good source of ALA, fibre, vitamin C and carbohydrates (think energy for that busy toddler!).

My little guy loves these.

Preheat oven to 350F

Ingredients

1 cup rolled oats, ground finely in a blender or food processor

1 cup whole wheat flour

1/3 cup ground flaxseed

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 large carrot, peeled and then grated

1 large apple, peeled and then grated

1/2 cup canola or olive oil

1/3 cup maple syrup

Optional to add 1/2 cup raisins

Directions

1) Preheat oven to 350 F and line a baking sheet with parchment or your silicon baking sheet.

2) Add all of the ingredients to a large mixing bowl. With clean hands mix the ingredients until all the wet and dry ingredients are well blended.

3) Using a medium-small kitchen scoop (~ 1 large tablespoon size), scoop the batter onto the baking sheet, spacing them about an inch apart.

4) Bake at 350F for 25 minutes.

5) Cool and serve. Store for 3-5 days or freeze.

Submitted by Brooke Bulloch, RD