Something new(er) that I’m bringing to the blog…
TODDLER FOODS!
While some of you are not in that phase of life, that’s totally cool, you can keep on scrolling to the next one. I ain’t mad atcha!
BUT, I have a lot of friends who are in this phase of life with little kiddos at home. I am looking to serve my audience here, and if I really took a moment to investigate what I get asked most commonly, what to feed toddlers is at the tippy top of the list.
Outside of some snacks that I’m guilty of giving him because they are just easy, my 3.5 old eats really well. Sometimes you just need a quick and easy purse snack to hit um with right quick at Target when they get bored looking at the clothes (because what female goes to Target without looking at the clothes?? I MEAN IT’S RIGHT THERE WHEN YOU WALK IN THE DOOR Y’ALL, WHAT DO YOU EXPECT US TO DO????)
At my house, we spend the majority of our grocery money on fresh produce (I’m not including DIAPERS in this calculation because that’s just a small fortune in itself) and knowing what I know about eating a well-rounded and balanced diet since I do it myself, I stretch that into my kids’ diets too. The upgraded nutrition program that I’ve been successful with for well over 2 years has a WEALTH of knowledge regarding recipes to fit the plan, meal planning and meal prep, label checking at the store, and how to stay on plan while eating out, among many other things! But it also has a whole section on the family aspect in planning for your kids, too. Recipes and resources and tips on how to ditch the Gatorade while eating healthy foods they’ll love.
While we’ve all drank the Gatorade, tasted blue, lived off of lemon-lime as hangover cures (did I say that out loud?)…. it’s not the best option out there.
Another conversation for another day!
TODAY I’m bringing you a SUPER easy recipe that I’ve found which my little guy loved. I loved them too if I’m being honest because sneakin-a-snack happens as a parent, no matter how you try to resist with self-discipline. I’m no savage! And I don’t like throwing perfectly good food away.
Sue me.
So let’s jump in!
These cheesy veggie quinoa bites are GREAT little finger foods for kids and adults alike. Super easy to make and my little guy loved them. So did I!
I found them on the Melrose Family Blog and they are definitely a keeper. They are versatile in that you could switch up the veggies used and add shredded meat, or something like diced ham or shredded chicken, if you wanted to. And they are the perfect size for little toddler hands being made in mini muffin tins!
Don’t have one of those? Here is a link to the silicone muffin tins I’ve started using! This two pack comes with large and small muffin tins as well as silicone liners making it even easier to pop them out without sticking to the pan. No rust, and they are dishwasher and oven safe!
Because I’m becoming quite the nutrition nerd, I want to first talk about why this is such a great little recipe.
Quinoa is a “supergrain” with fewer calories and carbohydrates than white rice, which contains 40 more calories and 15 times the carbohydrates per cup than the same amount of quinoa….say WHAAAT!!! A cup of quinoa will also provide twice the protein and about 5 grams more fiber than the same amount of white rice. It contains more protein than any other grain, and packs iron and potassium as well.
ALSO ALSO it cooks in less than half the time as rice, a major win in my house. I don’t know about you but I’ve had to sacrifice dishes before because of not cooking the rice on time! Ain’t nobody got 50 minutes to wait on rice.
There are plenty of veggies hidden in here too! You can use bits and pieces of what’s in the fridge or freezer in your home. I used these shown below, as well as a little broccoli (Heath’s favorite!):
Frozen veggies are flash frozen at their peak freshness, so although fresh vegetables are always preferred when making meals, the frozen ones come in second place. Ain’t no shame in the frozen veggie game! I always keep a few different kinds to have in a pinch.
The last ingredient is cheese which, if your child is dairy-tolerant, supplies protein and calcium to their diet. I try to stick to using the blocks of cheese for cooking (I just grate it) rather than the shredded as the latter contains some preservatives. PLUS, you get more out of the block for the price (and you can work your biceps)!
This recipe is as easy as mixing everything together (I used my KitchenAid mixer) for a minute, spooning it into each muffin well, and tossing it in the oven. Once cooled, they can stay in the fridge for a few days or be frozen for later.
Enjoy!
Cheesy Quinoa Veggie Bites
Ingredients
- 1 cup quinoa cooked & cooled
- 1 cup cheddar cheese shredded
- 1 cup frozen vegetables cooked & chopped
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1 egg
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F. Spray a mini muffin tin with cooking spray or oil.
- Add all of the ingredients to a bowl and mix until thoroughly combined.
- Divide the mixture evenly between the cups of the mini muffin tin, and press down to pack it in firmly.
- Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until golden brown and crispy. Once cooled, just pop them out and enjoy!
