We are already well into week two of my collaborative Healthy Eating series with Replay Recycled and today I'll be sharing three basic recipes that pack a punch of protein without meat. We definitely love meat in our home and eat a lot of turkey and chicken, but it's always nice to have an arsenal of meat-free recipes, especially if your child has a difficult time chewing meat at a young age or hasn't gotten used to the texture yet. Protein is so important for growing bodies and brains and below are three recipes that are protein-packed!
All of these recipes require only a few ingredients and can easily be adapted to your child's preferences. They are made up of ingredients we always have on hand -- avocados, beans, frozen vegetables and eggs. I just love meals that can be put together with food from my refrigerator and pantry without an extra trip to the store!
SALT + PEPPER EDAMAME
{Edamame is a great food for tiny fingers and an excellent meat-free souce of protein; if your child is a bit older, you can buy edamame in the shell and let them peel it themselves for a great hands-on fine motor activity}
what you'll need:
+ frozen edamame {without the shell}
+ salt and pepper
+ steam pot
what you'll do:
+ steam edamame until tender, approximately 6-8 minutes
+ in a bowl, add salt and pepper {or seasoning of choice} and toss
BLACK BEAN, CORN & AVOCADO SALSA
{We are big Mexican food lovers around here and make new types of salsas every few weeks all summer long. This is a really delicious one that dresses up the plain black bean and can be made with ingredients most of you have on hand all the time}
what you'll need:
+ black beans {we use them from the can}, rinsed
+ ripe avocado, peeled + pitted
+ ½ cup of frozen or fresh corn {we love the fire-roasted frozen corn from whole foods}
+ lime if desired / S&P
what you'll do:
+ defrost corn on the counter until thawed
+ dice avocado into cubes
+ mix black beans, avocado cubes and corn together until well-combined
+ If your child likes the flavor, squirt a bit of lime juice while tossing; add S&P to taste
EASY EGG SALAD
{My husband and I both love egg salad, especially spread on toasted English muffins. I began making it for Olivia when she turned one and I love that she is able to get protein from the egg because at that age, it was difficult to encourage her to eat meat because of the texture}
what you'll need:
+ hard boiled eggs
+ celery {we also love adding grilled red onion and radishes}, finely chopped
+ mayo of choice {we like JUST MAYO}
what you'll do:
+ using an egg cutter, dice egg into bite sized pieces
+ in a bowl, mix egg, celery, and a TBSP of mayo until well combined
+ add S&P to taste; serve as an entrée or atop toast or in a sandwich for a quick and filling lunch!
You can find the past four posts in this series below:
avocado / cauliflower / sweet potatoes / chia seeds
~ Megan