We’ve had great success with baby-led weaning with Baby Markers. She almost exclusively feeds herself, which is great for keeping her busy when we go out to eat, and it allows me to be hands-free during meal times at home. She’s independent by nature, so even when we try to give her things like applesauce and yogurt, she wants to do it herself!
She has just recently started to get picky. She no longer likes vegetables in their plain, natural state, but she will eat them when they’re served as a part of something else (like in a muffin or meatball). She prefers carbs (bread, waffles, pizza) and chicken or turkey over anything else, so I’ve had to get creative to get her to eat her veggies.
I usually give her some variation of what we’re eating for dinner, but I’ve also taken the time to make meals ahead of time for her. The following recipes have held up great in the freezer, and they are perfect to quickly defrost for a last minute lunch or dinner.
You do need one item for all three of these recipes – a mini muffin tin! Perfect portion size for the little one.
Broccoli-Cauliflower Quinoa Bites
Broccoli-Cauliflower Quinoa Bites
Ingredients:
- 1 cup broccoli
- 1 cup cauliflower
- 1/2 cup cooked quinoa
- 1 egg
- 1/4 cup shredded cheese
- dash of a few spices: garlic powder, onion powder, mustard powder
Steam broccoli and cauliflower until they are soft. Mix together all ingredients in a bowl. Press into mini muffin tin. Bake for 15 minutes or until tops are golden brown. I froze 3 bites in individual ziplock bags so they are portioned and ready to go.
Butternut Squash, Apple & Chicken Bites
Butternut Squash, Apple & Chicken Bites
Ingredients:
- 1 cup butternut squash, roasted or steamed
- 1 cup finely diced apple
- 1 cup cooked and shredded chicken
- 1 egg white
- 3 T. bread crumbs
- dash of garlic powder, dash of thyme
Mix up all ingredients, press into mini muffin tin. Cook for 15 minutes or so, until the tops are golden brown.
Banana Oat Mini Muffins
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup quick cooking oats
- 1/4 cup skim milk
- 2 ripe bananas
- dash of cinnamon
Same drill – mix all ingredients up, scoop into mini muffin tin. Bake for 10 minutes or until muffins are set.
These are just a few of our favorites; I have a few more to share that have been a big hit with Baby Markers.
What are your go-to recipes for your little one?
grapefruit / 4923 posts
thank you for these! we’re getting to a stage where i feel like we need to move past the simple roasted/steamed veggies and fruit, and i definitely need some ideas to incorporate veggies!
pear / 1992 posts
Love these ideas!
blogger / pear / 1964 posts
Does Baby Markers have teeth? We’re almost to the 1 year mark, and still no teeth, so I’m not sure if the Trikester could “bite” into a mini muffin. Think these would work for a toothless wonder?
guest
these are awesome! I would love any other suggestions you have for recipes without eggs as we are contending with an allergy.
blogger / cherry / 192 posts
@Mrs. Tricycle: hmmm yes Baby Markers has 5 teeth and she has finally figured out that she can use them to chew
But I’ve actually been feeding her these meals since before she had teeth, around 7 months. I just pinch off pieces of the muffin into “mushable” tiny bites, and she would gum them. Worked great!
honeydew / 7687 posts
@Merriment – try flax seed/water as an egg replacer!
yum going to try the chicken apple one!
wonderful olive / 19353 posts
Totally saving for DS! Thanks for sharing!!
squash / 13764 posts
@Mrs. Tricycle: my LO only has two bottom teeth but he has no issue using his gums to bite off pieces of soft food!
These all look great!
blogger / persimmon / 1398 posts
OK… so I am adding this as a favorite right now since we are in some weird vegetable regression at our house. (For all of us.) And these sound sooo good! I may mix up some big batches not only for school lunches, but for the “oh no, I have no veggies!” nights. Thanks for sharing!
guest
Silly question…do you grease the muffin tins?
blogger / cherry / 192 posts
@merriment: yep, try the flax/water substitute. but I do have some more coming that are egg-free
@Mrs. Paintbrush: I hope your LO likes!
@Kristin: I do – I have a Trader Joe’s coconut oil spray that I use for everything (I’m sure PAM is fine too)
admin / watermelon / 14210 posts
everything is better cooked in a muffin pan. all of these recipes sound great!
@Mrs. Tricycle: i have a friend whose baby had no teeth at one year and you can definitely eat foods like this with no teeth!
blogger / pomegranate / 3300 posts
These look delicious! thanks for sharing.
guest
what temperature should these be cooked at?
grapefruit / 4997 posts
Thanks so much for these recipes and tips!
pear / 1769 posts
@Mrs. Markers: What temp do you bake at?
blogger / cherry / 192 posts
@rawrasaur: @Emily Moore: 350 degrees works great! sorry i left that out
guest
I have twins who have just started getting picky…they will only eat things they can pick up themselves! Do you think these could be made in a regular muffin tin and split in half to feed two, or do they need to be smaller?
kiwi / 637 posts
I just finished making all three of these recipes and they are fantastic!! Thank you!
guest
Great ideas. Last week I made zucchini “tots” (shredded zucchini, cheese, onions, bread crumbs and eggs) in a mini muffin tin and my 9 month old loved them. I will be making all of these recipes for sure as he loves finger foods!
guest
Thanks. Why use skim milk? Can 2% whole work?
guest
Can these be made into balls and baked?
guest
Could the quinoa be subsituted with plain with rice? I have the ingredients for everything but no quinoa! So i was just curious
guest
Do you puree the squash?