Disclaimer: This post was created in partnership with Pacific Foods Canada but all opinions and views are my own.
Starting solids with Everett was by far one of the most exciting and fun milestones to date. It is so fascinating to see a baby learn eating skills when it is so second nature to us! I love creating new meal ideas for him, teaching him what the foods are, and observing the way he handles different textures and tastes accordingly.
We first started him on baby foods such as rice cereal and pureed fruits and vegetables at the age of six months. And now, merely a few months later, he’s developed quite a preference and appetite for delicious and healthy meals! When it comes to choosing what types of food to feed him, I focus on balanced meals that have all food groups, ensuring foods are cooked soft enough for him to chew and swallow and most importantly, nutritional foods that have no preservatives and low in sodium. I use Pacific Foods to create meals that nourish myself and my family because their broths are made with simple and wholesome ingredients that I can trust to feed my baby.
A secret ingredient for baby friendly meals I often have stocked in my pantry is Pacific Foods Organic Low Sodium Chicken Broth. Broths are wonderful as a base for soups, risottos, and pastas dishes but are also fantastic to soften and moisten foods for babies! Pacific Foods has an array of no preservative products they make using time-honoured recipes and simple ingredients. They also enforce sustainable practices in the production of their products. I love that the Organic Low Sodium Chicken Broth is low in sodium and fat, is certified organic and gluten, dairy, soy, wheat, and corn free which makes it ideal when introducing it to babies.
There are two recipes using the Pacific Foods Organic Low Sodium Chicken Broth that I really enjoy making and both are baby and family approved!
Baby Friendly Mini Chicken Meatball and Vegetable Soup
I grew up eating soup as a child and to date it’s still one of my favourite and comforting meals. It’s to no surprise that I’d want my little one to enjoy it as much as I do. Everett absolutely adores soup. I often serve it with cut up noodles or a spoonful of steamed rice or quinoa. This Mini Chicken Meatball and Vegetable Soup takes less than 30 minutes to
make!
Ingredients:
- ½ – 1 carton of Pacific Foods Organic Low Sodium Chicken Broth
- 1 lbs of organic or free run ground chicken
- 2 cups of assorted diced vegetables such as carrots, celery and broccoli (or throw in your baby’s favourites)
- 1 tbsp Sesame Oil
- 1 tsp Onion or Garlic Powder
- 1 tbsp Cornstarch
Steps:
- Bring half a carton of chicken broth and 1-2 cups of water to boil (you can also choose to only use broth, but I dilute mine for Everett).
- When the broth comes to a boil, add diced vegetables and bring to a medium heat for 10 minutes.
- While vegetables are softening, mix ground chicken with sesame oil, onion or garlic powder and cornstarch in a bowl. Make them into mini meatballs.
- Bring the broth back to boil and slowly add the meatballs one by one into the broth.
- Cook soup on medium/high heat for another 10 minutes or until chicken is fully cooked.
Serve as is or add noodles, rice or quinoa. I cut up the meatballs and veggies into bite sized chunks and let it cool before feeding the soup to Everett.
Baby Friendly Mini Chicken and Vegetable Pan Fried Patties
We love meat patties because it’s so easy to make. They can be made into burgers for the adults or served up to babies and toddlers like little nuggets. I find that ground meat when pan fried can be dry or tough so I use Pacific Foods broth as a tenderizing solution, it works wonders!
Ingredients:
- ½ cup of Pacific Foods Organic Low Sodium Chicken Broth
- 1 lbs of organic or free range ground chicken
- 1 cup of assorted diced vegetables such as peppers, broccoli, and tomatoes (or throw in your baby’s favourites)
- 1 egg
- ¼ cup of breadcrumbs or panko
Steps:
- Mix all ingredients in a bowl
- Heat pan to a medium heat with olive oil
- Using a spoon, make patties and pan fry each side for 2-3 minutes or until chicken is fully cooked and edges are golden brown
Serve as is or as a slider! For Everett, I typically cut them into smaller pieces and serve with some shredded cheese on top and bread on the side.
Easy Method to Freeze Broth
Oftentimes, I don’t use the full carton of broth. Though it can keep well refrigerated, I like to freeze mine in silicon ice cube trays. This makes it really convenient to add to recipes and one to two cubes is plenty for the baby if I want to make him some last minute noodle soup or served with mini dumplings! The Pacific Foods Organic Vegetable Broth is also a great option!
As you can see, Everett really enjoys his homemade dumplings and noodles served with Pacific Foods Organic Low Sodium Chicken Broth!
I can’t tell you enough what a staple item the Pacific Foods Organic Low Sodium Chicken Broth is! It is so versatile, adds flavour to our meals and most importantly baby friendly. I hope these two recipes have inspired you to create nourishing meals of your own with the help of Pacific Foods that your baby and family will love!
