Chicken and Veggie Meatballs
Tender and juicy Chicken and Veggie Meatballs made especially for babies and toddlers. These delicious and flavorful meatballs are loaded with nutrients and perfect for BLW. Made with ground chicken, carrot, baby spinach, oat flour, and spices and herbs. Rich in protein, fiber and iron. Low in sodium making them perfect for little ones.
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground chicken
- 1 carrot
- 1/2 cup baby spinach
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp pink sea salt (omit for babies under 1)
- 1/4 cup oat flour (or baby oatmeal for babies under 1)
- 1 tbsp avocado oil
Instructions
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Preheat oven at 375 degrees F. Grate carrot and thinly slice baby spinach. Line a large baking sheet pan with parchment paper.
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In a large mixing bowl, combine ground chicken, grated carrots, sliced baby spinach, thyme, oregano, salt (if using), oat flour (or baby oatmeal), and avocado oil. Mix well making sure all in ingredients are well incorporated into ground chicken.
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Using your hands or a spoon or ice cream scooper, start scooping out ground chicken and veggie mixture. Start rolling it into mini meatballs that are about 1/2-1 inch wide. Place on prepped baking sheet pan. Repeat until all the mixture has been rolled into mini meatballs. You will end up with about 15 mini meatballs.
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Place meatballs in preheated oven and bake for 35 minutes.
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Remove meatballs from oven and serve. If you are meal prepping or freezing these, allow them to completely cool-off. Place them in an airtight container or freezer bag. Keep refrigerated for up to 5 days and frozen for up to 3-4 months. Enjoy!
Recipe Notes
- Omit salt for babies under 1 year old- Babies kidneys are not developed enough to process foods high in sodium. They can’t consume salt until they turn 1. Omit the salt in this recipe and keep everything else the same for BLW and/or if your baby hasn’t had their first birthday yet.
- Use baby oatmeal (especially for babies under 1 year old) for a higher iron content- Iron is very essential for babies. Our bodies are not capable of making iron so they depend on receiving it from the foods we eat or other supplements. Babies receive a certain amount of iron from their mothers while they’re in the womb. This iron runs out 6 months after birth. Breast milk also doesn’t carry iron. So it’s important to give babies as much iron as possible from the foods they eat. Especially if they’re exclusively breastfed.
- Make Meatballs as big as desired- This recipe calls for making mini meatballs. Which makes about 15 mini meatballs. This size is great for babies and toddlers but if you wish you can make them bigger. It’ll obviously make less meatballs in total.
- Switch up veggies in recipe- Get creative and use other veggies. Broccoli, Asparagus, Celery, Kale, etc.
- Make them for the whole family- Add a bit more spices and herbs such as paprika, cumin, garlic, green onions, etc. for more flavor. Teenagers and adults will love them too!