Healthy Carrot Recipes for Kids
Carrots for kids are a healthy choice because it is a complex vegetables. Carrots add color, flavor, and texture to food. Moreover, it gives nutrients and health-promoting compounds that can benefit health over time. There are many options of carrot recipes for kids you can feed them. For example, you can add carrots to various dishes to make delicious meals, including carrot bread or carrot casserole.
Most kids love carrots because they taste interesting and are slightly sweet. But like other veggies, carrots can become tedious, primarily if you use to serve them to your child every day. To avoid that, here you can find a few ideas for cooking carrots. This way, you will retain their nutrients and make them more appropriate for children.
Ways to serve the carrots for kids
Baked carrots are as healthy as steamed carrots, but they are not soft and mushy. Moreover, baking is a healthier alternative to frying carrots, as there is little use for cooking oil or fats.
Boiling is another way you can cook carrots. Use only a cup of water to boil 100g of carrots, but leave it on low flame. That way, the water will evaporate, but not the nutrients.
Saute carrots in a pan if you want to serve them crispy. Half a teaspoon of cooking oil is enough to cook the carrots this way. Add salt and garnish with a bit of parsley after you cook them. Sauteed carrots are also an excellent option for dinner.
Steaming is a better option than boiling, and carrots can be seasoned with different sorts of cheese and served as a snack for children.
Another way to make carrots tasty and interesting is to flavor them. First, boil or steam cook carrots, then saute them in butter, with sugar and orange juice sauce, in a pan.
Carrot juice is an excellent option for toddlers and young children. At this age, most of them prefer liquids to solids. You can also make tasty smoothies with carrots, milk of choice, apples, and honey.
Roasted carrots make a healthy snack for kids. Slice the carrots vertically into thin strips, and place them on a baking sheet greased with olive oil. Bake at 200 degrees Celsius for 20 minutes, tossing them in between. This way, you have fresh roasted carrots in less than half an hour.
Suppose you want a healthier way to cook carrots, then choose to boil or steam them whole. That will prevent the loss of any nutrients when they are blanched.
Recipes Ideas:
1. Baby-friendly Carrot Cake Cinnamon Porridge
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50g rolled oats
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250ml milk of choice (I used oat milk)
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1 medium carrot, peeled and grated
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1 tablespoon smooth nut butter (I used almond butter)
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Handful of raisins (omit for babies under 18 months due to sugar content and choking risk)
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1 pinch of ground cinnamon
Directions:
In a saucepan add the grated carrot, oats, milk, nut butter, cinnamon and raisins and cook for 8-10 minutes until creamy (add more milk if necessary), stirring regularly. Spoon into a bowl and serve.
2. Carrot Cake Energy Balls
- 1 cup (100 g) rolled oats (use gluten-free certified if needed)
- 2 cups (450 g) tightly packed, soft pitted dates
- 3/4 cup (75 g, approx. 1 medium carrot) lightly packed, finely grated carrot
- 1 cup (70 g) unsweetened shredded coconut
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
Directions:
Blend Oats: Add the oats to a food processor and blend briefly to break them down into a grainy consistency.
Make the Dough: Add the rest of the ingredients and mix until it forms a thick, sticky dough. If it’s not sticking together, add 1 tbsp of warm water and process again.
Roll: Use your hands to roll the mixture into approximately 20 energy balls. You can use a small cookie scoop to help get them evenly sized. They should be about 1 heaping tablespoon each.
Serve: You can roll your balls in extra shredded coconut, coconut sugar or drizzle with melted coconut butter to make a “glaze” and enjoy. Store the balls in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
4. Delicious carrot cake tart with caramel
Hope you will enjoy these carrot recipes for kids!
Photography
Photo by Ron Lach