Preparing vegetables that are easy for bub’s to handle and eat can be quite the baby led weaning challenge.
Over time and though much trial and error I have discovered a few lovely little tips and tricks that has helped Grace munch away on her fair share of wonderful vegetables.
To start I find the shape of the sliced/chopped vegetable is pretty important; especially at the beginning of the baby led weaning journey when grabbing and holding food is very new to our little ones.
Most vegetables I serve to Grace I chop into large match stick shapes. This shape is not only really easy for her to grab and grip but the length of the vegetable also ensures a good portion sticks out of her little grip leaving plenty of vege to be gnawed and chewed on.
Vegetables that are easily chopped into match sticks are zucchini, carrot, capsicum, cucumber, celery, sweet potato, potato and pumpkin.
Tip: when we first started blw I would often make up batches of sweet potato, potato or pumpkin wedges by chopping the vegetables into large chunky wedges, drizzling with a little olive oil and baking for a half hour or so. Grace really loved the sweetness of the roasted vegetables and the shape made it super simple for her to grab the wedges and nibble away.
Vegetables that are already the perfect match stick style shape are broccolini, beans, snow peas, sugar snaps, asparagus and baby corn. These perfect little vege babies need little to no preparation and whether steamed, stir fried or roasted make the perfect snack or side dish.
Tip: add a little basil pesto to a pile of steamed vege to add a little flavour and excitement.
Today’s chicken noodle stir fry is a great example of how I prepare vegetables that are easy for Grace to enjoy. The zucchini and chicken were chopped into large chunky match stick style shapes and the broccolini and snow peas were ready to go with just a little trim.
To get your bubby eating beautiful vegetables and to create your own lovely chicken noodle stir fry simply…
Begin by preparing your vegetables. Chop the ends off the broccolini, trim the snow peas and chop the zucchini into large match stick shapes. Chopping the vegetables like this makes it super simple for bubs to pick up and handle.
Next chop the chicken breasts into large pieces. I slice the breasts into pieces large enough for Grace to easily grip with a portion of chicken poking out of her grip to gnaw on.
Next place the noodles into a bowl and cover with boiling water or prepare noodles according to packet instructions.
Heat a little sesame oil in a non stick fry pan to medium/high heat and add the chicken. Cook for 3-4 minutes on each side or until cooked and golden. The cooking time will vary depending on the thickness of your chicken breast. To ensure the chicken is cook simply slice in half to check.
Remove the chicken from the fry pan and set aside.
Heat a little more sesame oil in the fry pan and add the vegetables. Cook over high heat for 3-4 minutes, or until the vegetables are golden. Add the garlic and for for another minute or so.
Add the cooked chicken and prepared noodles and mix to combine.
Enjoy!
chicken noodle stir fry
INGREDIENTS
400 grams hokkien noodles
1 teaspoon sesame oil
2 chicken breasts, thickly sliced
1 zucchini, chopped into large match sticks
1 bunch broccolini, ends trimmed
2 large handfuls of snow peas, ends trimmed
1 garlic clove, thinly sliced
METHOD
Prepare noodles according to packet instructions, set aside.
Heat non stick fry pan to medium-high heat, add half a tablespoon of sesame oil and chicken and cook for 4-5 minutes or until chicken is golden and cooked through. Remove and set aside.
Add half a tablespoon of sesame oil to the fry pan, add the zucchini, broccolini and snow peas and cook for 2-3 minutes or until the vegetables are golden. Add garlic and cook for a further minute. Add the chicken and noodles and stir to combine.
Enjoy.
You might also enjoy…
Mediterranean chicken bake
chicken parmigiana
crispy chicken strips, sweet potato wedges & tomato salad
Hello, I have just started to give my one year old some stir fry but he didn’t want to try any of it. I let him play with the noodles so he could get used to the texture. The pieces weren’t cut like match sticks so I will try this next time. I was wondering if your little girl liked stir fry initially or did it take a lot of repeated exposure? The texture and shape of foods for one year olds can really put them off. Thanks for your help. Xx
Hi! To begin with I started with veggies that were a little softer than a stir fry texture. I would cut veggies into thick match stick shapes, drizzle with a little olive oil and bake for a half hours or until cooked. Grace devoured them because they were easy to handle and nibble on. Good luck xxx