We are thrilled to introduce our partnership with the amazing mama, blogger, and recipe developer The Peachee Pear. We have been in awe of Angelica's passion for providing interesting and healthy foods for her daughter - a passion that was so well aligned with ours that we had to find a way to work together!
Look for more incredible recipes from her in the future. {High-Five!}
And now ... here's Angelica:
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Making healthy and nutritious foods for my family is a passion of mine. I love knowing that what I am serving them is nourishing and beneficial to their bodies. Especially in the aid of my daughter’s development as she grows up.
With that being said, Feeding a toddler can be a bit of a challenge. They go through so many changes and phases. One day a specific food may be their favorite and the next day they don’t want to have anything to do with it. Meal times can very easily become somewhat of a hassle and many times just plain frustrating.
In my case, my daughter eats pretty much everything and is always opened to try new foods. However, as the toddler that she is, she does have her moments when she goes through some picky eating times. It’s not always about the food itself but rather because she doesn’t want to sit down and eat a full meal. She just wants to go and be a kid and play.
Don't Hide Vegetables, Showcase Them!
What I have found works best for my daughter is me giving her a selection of different foods with all her meals. I try to keep all her meals well balanced and give her a wide range of healthy foods she can choose from. This way even if she is being difficult about what I am serving her, she is still eating a variety of nutritious foods with every meal.
A big rule in the world of toddler feeding (and one of my personal rules) is that even if you know your child won’t eat a certain food, still serve it to them. Don’t opt for hiding vegetables in their foods where they can’t see them and not know they’re there. At least not all the time.
If you must hide veggies it offer for them to eat them then that’s ok. However, you should still serve them a side of a vegetable that they can see and know it’s there. They will eventually come around and start eating that food. Trust me, this works. I have tried it with my daughter and it has worked.
But If You Must Hide Vegetables Try This
A great example on how to do this is with my Kale Chicken Meatballs. These meatballs are packed with iron, protein, and fiber. The ingredients are all fresh, healthy, and nutritious. They are made with lean ground chicken, fresh kale, flax meal, shredded mozzarella and many other delicious ingredients.
These are great for picky eaters because all they see is a cheesy meatball. They don’t know they’re packed with kale and flax meal. So while these are perfect to get a good serving of greens and fiber because they can’t see them; Just serve them with a side of another green they may not like. For example peas or broccoli.
This way, even if they don’t eat their greens they still had some. It gives you peace of mind and at the same time they get familiar with vegetables. This helps children learn that veggies aren’t going anywhere, they’re not the enemy and they’ll grow to like them.
These delicious Kale Chicken Meatballs have become a staple meal at my house. Both my daughter and my husband are a big fan of them. So they have quickly become one of my go to meal prep foods. I make a large batch and freeze some of them. This creates a freezer stash for those busy days I won’t have too much time to cook. You can serve them with some pesto or tomato sauce over your favorite pasta.
My daughter likes them as is and I just give her other sides of different kinds of foods. Usually involves some fruit, pasta on the side, and a vegetable.
Overall they’re very easy and quick to make. They’re full of flavor and a much healthier alternative to traditional meatballs. They’re perfect for picky eaters and to start the process of getting them familiar with foods that are not too popular in their book. And they are ideal for meal prep and freezer stashes. Get the full recipe available below.
Cheers!
Angelica
Kale Chicken Meatballs (makes 20)
Ingredients:
1 lb ground chicken
1 cup finely chopped kale
1-2 green onions
3 garlic cloves
3/4 shredded mozzarella cheese
1 egg
1 tbsp Italian seasoning
1 tsp pink salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 cup flax meal
1/4 cup rice vinegar (or apple cider vinegar)
Steps:
1. Preheat oven at 350 degrees.
2. Finely chop green onions and mince garlic.
3. In a large mixing bowl add ground chicken and drizzle with vinegar. Mix well together.
4. Add kale, onions, garlic, mozzarella, egg, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, and flax meal.
5. Mix all the ingredients together until they are all well blended.
6. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
7. Grab about a handful of mixture and roll it into a small ball. You can make them as big or small as you would like. For this recipe I made them a bit less than a handful and it made 20 Meatballs.
8. Place meatballs on baking sheet and line them up evenly.
9. Bake for 30 minutes.
10. Remove from oven and let cool. Serve and enjoy!
(want to learn more about Angelica? Check out her blog, The Peachee Pear.)