Guest post by Meghan, recipe developer, photographer, and writer at Fox and Briar. A passionate, self-taught home cook who believes that most things are better homemade and that good food doesn’t need to be complicated.
These Sweet Potato, Kale and Black Bean Patties are an easy way to get picky toddlers to LOVE eating vegetables! This healthy toddler meal idea can be made ahead of time, is freezer friendly, and perfect for baby-led weaning. Older kids and adults will love them too!
Healthy Meal Ideas for Babies & Toddlers
Parenthood is full of surprises. One of the things that really took me by surprise about being a mom is just how stressful and time-consuming feeding a baby and toddler would be. Not only are you short on time, but you have to feed these kids like 3 times a day!! Plus snacks! It’s crazy. Constantly coming up with healthy meal ideas for babies and toddlers is a full-time job in itself. That is why I like to have some easy kids meals stashed in the freezer. These Sweet Potato, Kale and Black Bean patties are easy, only have five ingredients, and they freeze and reheat wonderfully.
How to Get Your Picky Toddler to Eat Vegetables
If you follow me on Instagram, you may have been following my journey of starting my baby on solids. Although I started him on purees rather than starting with Baby Led Weaning, we switched away from purees as soon as he was able to.
I’ve enjoyed being able to introduce my son to a variety of foods, and he was such a great eater! I was patting myself on the back for raising a child who loved vegetables – and then I read that it is totally normal for babies to love all kinds of foods and suddenly turn into picky eaters around 13 months. Cue the sad trombone – waa-waaaaa.
Luckily, I had started making these Sweet Potato, Kale and Black Bean patties when my son was about 10 months old. I make a batch of 8 patties and freeze them. Then when I need a quick dinner for my kid, I just reheat it for 30-60 seconds in the microwave! Bam, healthy, veggie-packed dinner in no time flat. Bonus – my toddler LOVES these sweet potato black bean burgers! He eats them right up and hardly throws any of it on the floor ???? – and I feel good knowing that he ate a good serving of vegetables and protein.
Because I developed this recipe for my young toddler, I don’t add any salt to them. It’s especially important for babies under 1 year old to have very little sodium, so when preparing food for my baby I try to add very little or no salt. But if you want to feed them to adults or older kids, you may prefer to add some salt. I like to serve these with some avocado and cheese for a nutrient-packed, healthy lunch or dinner for my one-year-old.
Ingredients:
1 large sweet potato
1 cup kale
1 egg
1 cup black beans
1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
1/2 tsp paprika
1 TBS olive oil
For the full recipe, check out FOX & BRIAR’S BLOG!
For more healthy recipes you can Follow Meghan on her BLOG or on INSTAGRAM
