Do You Know of Any BEANS or Recipes with Bean for Kids?

Try some lentils and some various bean soups. Lentils are very easy to make and most kids like them when you mix them with some rice and a bit of butter (and rice and beans form a complete protein!) You can mix lentils with other veggies, too, depending on what your babies are eating (carrots, tomatoes, potatoes, etc.) Also, look for soup recipes - split pea or minestrone come right to mind. You can make a ton of soup with lots of healthy veggies and serve it to them with some toast or over rice. Easy to eat and easy to chew. Good luck - if all else fails, pick up some cans of healthy, lower sodium soup like Amy's at the grocery store.

Best,
B.
Momma to a 21 month old toddler who loves all soup and most beans.

Hey Krystal -

I have a terrific recipe for a hearty lentil soup. It's vegatarian, so it has carrots, celery, tomatoes and barley in addition to the lentils. All 3 of my picky eaters love this soup, even my 10-month old who only has 5 teeth. The veggies get nice and soft, but not so mushy that my husband and I don't like it. It's one of a few recipes that all 5 of us will eat.

If I can remember to bring the recipe with me to work, I'll send you a copy. Otherwise try Googling some lentil soup recipes.

L.

I have always fed toddlers vegi burgers. The Gardenburger brand is the softest.

Also you can make your own baked beans really easily with a crockpot or even in the oven with any kind of bean(that way you can control the sodium)...just keep in mind that kidney beans have a tougher skin than most. I wouldn't recomend them for todlers who don't chew very well yet.

Good Luck!
~A.

Hi K.,

Sounds like you are a busy mom and need some easy ideas!

My boys both love beans too and I just buy cans of various kinds of beans, open, warm and serve. They make good finger foods! You can buy them at most of the area grocery stores in the natural foods section with less or no salt or other things added. You can also cook them yourself, but this takes more time... which I guess you have little of!!

Here are a few that I serve my kids regularly:

Black Beans
Kidney Beans
White or Navy Beans
Garbonzo Beans

I also just bought a book called "the Sneaky Chef" which is all about adding pureed vegi's to your children's diet without them knowing... you might like her approach as you could add a bunch of different smashed up stuff into baked beans... or try adding purred carrots or lentils to a soup or sauce.

Good luck!

J. SAHM to 2 year old Charlie and 8 month old Joey