The NetherlandsDecember 2, 2020, by Imara Milatz

Kids to go: really tasty kid-proof recipes (don't tell anyone) with meal jars!

Eat & Drink, Kids
The Netherlands, December 2, 2020, by Imara Milatz

Kids to go: really tasty kid-proof recipes (don't tell anyone) with meal jars!

Every child goes through recognizable phases. The 'fussy eater' phase is not excluded and that can take a while, but can also linger for years after years. Not ideal. Annoying, rather (sorry not sorry). Because no matter how you look at it; putting together a customized menu for everyone, our stove has almost too few burners for that. Unfortunately we are not private restaurant and that is why we live by the principle: learned young is done old.

 

Want who knew that a dish can be upgraded completely kid-proof with meal jars from NaturNes Bio? We, ha. We, being the kitchen princesses that we are, collected a number of recipes carefully approved by the offspring and share the ones that they enjoyed. Because, as still applies: they are happy, we are happy.

Babyproof Lasagna (from 7 months)

Babyproof Lasagna (from 7 months)

Pasta, who doesn't like it? When in doubt After all, the Italian dish has always been an option. This also applies to lasagna. What are we having for dinner tonight?

  • Lasagna sheets
  • Paprika
  • Zucchini
  • Grated cheese (of your choice, less salt for the little ones)
  • NaturNes Bio Meal Jar whole wheat spaghetti with tomato, carrot and beef.
  • Italian herbs

Start by preheating the oven to 200 degrees. In the meantime, finely chop the pepper and zucchini (tip: grate the zucchini into thin slices with a plane) and place the vegetables in a pan. Once everything is well fried, add a little Italian herbs and then the meal jar. Let this simmer for about 5 minutes. Now it's time to build the lasagna. Start with a layer of sauce in the oven dish, then a layer of lasagna sheets, then sauce and so on until the sauce mixture is used up. Finish with some grated cheese and then the lasagna can go into the oven for 30 minutes.

Quinoa falafel balls (from 12 months)

Quinoa falafel balls (from 12 months)

Big step? Switch to solid food? Well, that's different for every child. Then we just make it as fun as possible. With these balls for example:

For 8 snacks you need:

  • 60 g quinoa
  • 160 ml water or stock (but be sparing with salt!)
  • 1 NaturNes Bio meal jar sweet potato and carrot
  • 2 tablespoons of baby cereal, rice flour for example
  • 1/2 teaspoon paprika
  • 1/2 teaspoon cumin
  • Olive or coconut oil

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees and in the meantime rinse the quinoa under the cold tap. Place the quinoa in a large pan with the water/stock on the stove and bring it to the boil. Cover with a lid and let it simmer over low heat for about 15 minutes, until the liquid has evaporated and been absorbed by the quinoa. Then add the herbs and flour to the meal jar and mix well. Then add the quinoa little by little. Do this carefully to ensure that the texture does not become too crumbly. If the 'dough' still falls apart, add more flour. Once the dough has the right texture, knead about 2 tablespoons into balls in your hands (tip: wet your hands to prevent sticky hands). Then flatten the ball and set aside. In the meantime, heat a pan with the oil and fry the balls for about 2-3 minutes on each side, until they turn light brown. Let it cool down for a while et voila, at the table!

The snacks can be kept covered in the refrigerator for 2-3 days and in the freezer for about a month!

Frozen bites

Frozen bites

Just a quick snack! Literal. And therefore a super simple way to get some extra vegetables and vitamins into your little one sneak. Make of the meal jars of dairy desserts van NaturNes Bio small frozen bites. This is how you do it:

Start by covering your baking tray with wax paper, then spoon the contents of the meal jar into a sandwich bag (preferably those sturdy bags with a sealing strip). Use scissors to cut a diagonal piece in one of the corners of the bag (be careful; not too much!). This allows you to make narrow circles on the baking tray the size of a baby's belly. Then place the baking tray in the freezer and let the bites rest at least overnight. Then place the bites in an airtight container back into the freezer and remove them when done snack time too!

Tip: the bites literally start to melt the second you take them out of the freezer. Therefore, take small portions out of the freezer every time until the little one has finished it. Otherwise it's guaranteed to be a mess! One meal jar is approximately equal to 50 bites.

Secret vegetable muffins, or: vegetable bombs (from 7 months)

Secret vegetable muffins, or: vegetable bombs (from 7 months)

Another one, after all, the word 'muffin' means a lot. Throw in a jar full of vegetables and they have their daily dose of vitamins. Easy does it. 

What you need:

  • 1 small (a 125 g) NaturNes Bio meal jar of your choice. For example, broccoli pea.
  • a small banana (children's banana)
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract/powder
  • 50 g melted oil or butter
  • 160 g flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda (once again: fluffy muffins is what we want!)

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees and grease a (muffin) baking tray. Create a large bowl and mash the banana in it with a fork. Then add the vanilla extract, eggs and oil/butter. Mix well with a food processor and then add the meal jar to mix until it becomes a smooth substance. Only then add the flour and baking soda to the mixture and mix this well with the mixer. Place the mixture in the baking tray and place it in the oven for about 25-30 minutes.

The muffins can be kept covered for 3 days in the refrigerator, but they also keep well in the freezer for a long time.

First ever fish dish (from 8 months)

First ever fish dish (from 8 months)

Those meal jars from NaturNes Bio are ideal. This way you can use it to transform a casserole in no time and you can also teach your little one to eat fish.

How so? One takes;

Clean the carrots and cut into slices. Bring the rice to the boil in a pan with plenty of water, covered. Coarsely chop the parsley and add to the rice after a few minutes. Cook for another 10 minutes and meanwhile heat the oil in a small frying pan and fry the fish over low heat. Drain the rice and vegetables, but reserve the cooking liquid. Puree all ingredients with a hand blender or in the food processor into a fine puree and add the meal jar to the mixture here too. If necessary, thin with the remaining cooking liquid. If necessary, garnish it with a layer of mild cheese and then it can go into the oven.

Pizza muffins (from 12 months)

Pizza muffins (from 12 months)

Well, it doesn't get much bigger than that and they have been aware of that from the very beginning. Having trouble feeding vegetables? It doesn't get easier than with these pizza muffins.

For about 12 muffins, stock up on this:

  • Basil and oregano for the unmistakable pizza taste
  • 320 gr Cauliflower rice
  • 3 eggs
  • 68 g almond flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda (we want fluffy pizza muffins!). Mind you, just a little bit goes a long way! 
  • 78 g cheese of your choice (not too salty)
  • Pizza sauce: we go for it NaturNes Organic sweet potato with pepper, tomato and chicken
  • Toppings of your choice (frankfurters halved lengthwise -as kidsproof as can be- for example and extra grated cheese)

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees and grease a (muffin) baking tray. Add a large bowl and mix the cauliflower rice, eggs, salt, oregano, almond flour, baking soda and grated cheese thoroughly. Divide the dough over the baking tray and spread each muffin with a layer of pizza sauce and cover with toppings of your choice. Place the tray with muffins in the oven and let it heat for 25-30 until the dough is good.

The pizza muffins keep well in the refrigerator for 3-4 days, but can also be frozen (shelf life 1-2 months).

More tips