Sneaking Veggies into Toddler's Diet

Turkey Meatballs Revamped Again for Baby

Well, after the last meatball revision, adding shredded carrots, my daughter decided to stop eating green veggies and start throwing said veggies on the floor like they are poison… So time to add some green to the things she already likes!!  We had a bunch of spinach on hand, so I simply threw about 2 handfuls of it into the mini chopper, shredded it and added it to the turkey meatballs she already loves so much!!  This has worked wonderfully, she didn’t appear to notice the difference, and I know she is at least getting some green veggies into her diet J

Here is the link to the original Revamped Turkey Meatballs for Baby.  Simply add your shredded spinach, and the rest of the recipe stays the same.  They may come out a little green-tinged due to the spinach addition, but they still taste amazing! We love this new healthier version at out house!

Veggie Nuggets

I’ve heard so many parents say their little ones love broccoli…Not so much over here, just another green veggie swept off the tray onto the floor when presented!  I came across these Veggie Nuggets on Pinterest from RealMomNutrition.com and she Loves them!!  I did make some changes based on our little one’s palate and what we had available in the pantry.  This recipe made about 20-25 nuggets, and our daughter eats about 1.5-2 per meal, so we had more than enough for the week, plus a bunch to freeze.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup shredded carrots (I simply shredded the carrots using my food processor's shredding attachment, but you always buy a bag of shredded carrots)
• 3 cups broccoli florets
• 2 eggs
• 1 ¼ cup seasoned breadcrumbs, divided
• ¾ cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

Directions:

1. Steam broccoli in the microwave for about 2 minutes, or until tender.
2. Place shredded carrots, steamed broccoli, eggs, 1 cup of breadcrumbs, cheese, onion powder and garlic powder in the food processer and pulse 7-10 times, until well combined. 
3. Form mixture into balls, using a tablespoon for size consistency, then flatten and shape into nuggets. 
4. Place remaining ¼ cup of breadcrumbs into a shallow dish, and coat nuggets with breadcrumbs.
5. Heat olive oil in a skillet on medium heat.
6. Arrange nuggets in skillet, cook for 4-6 minutes on each side, or until golden brown and crispy.

Apple, Carrot, Onion Chicken Meatballs

My college roommate sent me a delicious looking recipe for these chicken sausages that she made into nuggets, which I made into meatballs! I have found meatballs are the perfect size to send in our containers to school and break into pieces nicely.  My little one seems to love these, and the best part is that they can go right into the freezer for the future!

Ingredients: 

• 1 lb ground chicken

• 2 medium carrots
• 1 medium apple, peeled
• ½ small yellow onion
• 1 egg
• ½ cup breadcrumbs
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• Pinch of dried thyme
• Pinch black pepper

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Peel carrots and cut into thirds to quarters.  Place pieces in mini chopper, chop to desired size and add to large bowl.  Do the same with the apple and onion.
3. Add remaining ingredients to bowel, use hands to combine and form meatballs.  I made pretty large meatballs this time, now that our little one is such a big eater, and I still ended up with about 20.
4. Place meatballs on greased cookie sheet.
5. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. 
6. Put some meatballs aside to freeze, and the rest in the fridge for the week.