As most of you know we started Aidan on solids early, around 5 months and it worked out well. We wanted him to try everything and Steve and I agreed that we’d make sure anything we ate, was something that he could eat too. This totally changed our diet for the better and while we still have a few snacks, they only come out if we’re entertaining or he’s napping. We’re a “Meat & 3 Veg” family, usually lots of steamed vegetables or fresh salads with different types of meat like lamb cutlets, sausages, stir fry, burritos, chilli, steak, chicken breast, mince etc. We also eat fish once a week and only on occasion will we have pasta or anything rich in carbs.
(To the recipe I added some cumin, paprika, diced capsicum and finely grated carrot to my meatballs)
My favourite thing to make Aidan is meatballs and he loves them. It’s a perfect way to blend in extra vegetables without him even noticing and he loves anything shaped like a ball. I’ve already shared a meatball recipe with you in the past but I want to share this really yummy beef one too:
Beef & Sweet Potato Burgers
Serves: 4
Preparation time: 10 mins
Cooking time: 20 mins
Ingredients:
350g orange sweet potato, peeled, cut
into 2cm pieces
1 garlic clove, crushed
400g lean beef mince
2 tsp chopped flat-leaf parsley
1 zucchini, grated
2 tbsp olive oil
4 mixed grain rolls
1 avocado, mashed
Sliced tomato, cucumber ribbons,
soft lettuce and sliced red onion to serve.
Method
- Steam or boil sweet potato until tender. Mash.
- Combine sweet potato mash with garlic, beef mince, parsley and zucchini.
- Form into 4 patties.
- Heat large non-stick frying pan. Add oil and heat.
- Cook patties over medium heat for 3-4 mins on each side or until cooked. Keep warm.
- Half the rolls and spread with mashed avocado. Top with the burgers, tomato,
cucumber, lettuce and sliced red onion.
Serving suggestion
Serve with a mixed salad using lots of shredded raw veggies.
You can make variations of this recipe for older or younger children too:
- Silky Smooth (6-8mths) - Blend 1/2 a patty additional sweet potato until smooth
- Lumpy Mushy (8-12mths) – Mash 1 patty and additional sweet potato with a fork. For younger infants you may wish to partially blend.
- Finger Food (12-18mths) – Make mini burger patties for little fingers to pick up. Serve with some grated carrot and quartered cherry tomatoes.
- Toddlers (18mths +) – Serve mini burger patties, topped with mashed avocado. Cut tomato and cucumber into different shapes.
(Cherry Tomatoes, Grated Cheese, Capsicum Strips, Carrot Sticks, Homemade Avocado Dip & Meatballs)
These contain no egg or flour because the mashed sweet potato, when mixed in with the rest of the ingredients, helps form the right consistency for making patties and balls. I was very impressed and will be making them again. I got the recipe from the “The Main Meal” website, set up by Meat & Livestock Australia, it has lots of recipes, even a few “Under 30 Minutes” meals too. As well as recipes it has information about the nutritional values and benefits of eating meat and introducing it to children at an early age, definitely worth a read. Meat contains zinc, iron, omega-3, B vitamins and protein. Eating meat is one of the easiest ways to reach the recommended daily nutrient requirements but also remember to compliment each serving with fresh produce for a balanced diet.
Aidan ate everything on his plate and literally licked his plate when he was done, I wish I hadn’t put the camera away. At the moment he loves to “dip” and as I’m not a fan of giving him sauce all the time, I’ve gotten into the habit of making homemade dips like avocado and hummus. They work great for lunch, snack time or dinner and contain lots of good fats and protein. The recipe made enough meatballs for two dinners for Aidan as well as two big juicy patties for Steve and I to make burgers so there was no need to cook two different meals… score!
What do your kids love for dinner?
{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
I love it when one recipe works for kids and adults. I'm vegetarian so I nearly always have to cook two recipes per dinner, sometimes three. Spinach and ricotta canneloni is about the only meal we all share as is.
I don't mind, though. Being vegetarian is my personal choice and I wouldn't impose it on my kids especially knowing how hard it is to eat meat after a period of not eating it- I'd rather them be brought up on meat and choose to be vegetarian later than be brought up vegetarian and then choose meat but find it really difficult.
So I cook meat for my family and I love recipes that are foolproof as I can't taste and adjust as I go and I don't eat the end product so can't really gauge what I should do differently next time. Plus, I'm usually cooking a vegetarian version at the same time!
So lasagne is a big hit around here; homemade burgers/rissoles/meatballs; chicken pot pies; pasta carbonara (or anything with bacon, my god, my family loves bacon!); wraps (3yr old calls them 'rats' haha); homemade pizzas; and my 3yr old loves beef+black bean because it tastes like vegemite, haha (don't let her have it though, too much salt and soy!)
Sweet, sweet boy :) Now where was that meatball recipe???
Lori-Lee – I never thought about that, meat would be a bit hard to digest if you weren't used to it. Sounds like your kids eat brilliantly, I'd come over to your house for tea anytime :D
Christie – I used the Beef & Sweet Potato Burger recipe but made the "Finger Food" version which is suitable for Aidan's age group. I don't think he understood why I was taking photos of him eating dinner lol.