Every time that my son turns his nose up at whatever I’m trying to spoon into his mouth (something he has become somewhat a fan of since turning one), I am reminded of the reason that I need to find inspiration for healthy finger-foods. Not only will I be saving other mommies from raging toddlers (and potentially from the carnage of the handmade food you lovingly prepared being strewn all over the floor), but because I want my child to be getting the best nutrition possible. The cherry on top is when I am able to find inspiration for something I know he would be content holding and feeding to himself.
It is easy for us parents to give-in when our kids refuse to be spoon fed, and for us to simply hand over the rice crackers or teething biscuits for supper (Yip, guilty as charged!). But we need to continue to look for new ways to get healthy and nutritious meals into our little ones throughout all of their eating stages and that’s where a bit of creativity comes into play.
I love this recipe because both my son and my husband have given their stamp of approval to the end result (double whammy!) and there are a number of ways to keep making the same dish interesting (not to mention that it is super easy!).
You can ‘dress’ these up any way you choose, getting kids involved in creating their own mini-burgers and toppings. Read my suggestions below from some healthy toppings that will keep the kids entertained around mealtimes and most importantly interested in what is going into their little tummies.
Note: I opted to use coconut oil in this recipe for the added flavour (goes beautifully with the Thai ingredients) but you can really opt for any frying oil.
What you’ll need:
- 500g chicken mince
- 1/2 red onion, finely diced
- 2 Tbs reduced sodium soya sauce
- 2 Tbs sugar-free peanut butter
- 1 Tbs sesame oil
- 1 Tbs coriander, chopped
- 1/2 cup bread crumbs (brown is preferable)
- 1 tsp grated ginger
- 2 eggs
- 1 heaped tsp coconut oil for frying
Topping suggestions: sliced gherkins, sliced tomato, shredded lettuce, caramelised onions, shredded/sliced mozzarella cheese, tomato sauce, pesto-mayonnaise.
Method:
- Place all of the ingredients into a mixing bowl and combine evenly using your hands (make sure they are really clean!)
- Place half the amount of the coconut oil in a pan on a high heat.
- Once the pan is hot, take hand fulls of the mixture at a time and roll them into balls and then flatten them slightly to form patties.
- Fry two at a time, for about 4 minutes each side (making sure they are cooked through!).
- Add more coconut oil for frying when needed.
- Delicious served plain / with a variety of toppings/ on wholewheat rolls / with some home-made sweet potato fries.
- Left-overs can be frozen and then thawed in the refrigerator overnight until you are ready to use it.
Hungry Little Monkey 