Shredded Chicken & Peanut Noodles For Baby Led Weaning
Table of Contents
Peanut Noodles
I had some Pad Thai rice noodles in the cupboard that I really wanted to use in a recipe for my little one. So I decided to make this shredded chicken & peanut noodles for baby led weaning.
I also had some leftover roast chicken from our Sunday roast. So I had to use the last of that in this recipe, and I’ve always loved chicken and noodles as a combination. Who doesn’t love chicken & noodles.
I didn’t want to create something too adventurous but on the other hand I wanted to expose my little one to new tastes, textures and flavours.
I had to think of a sauce that was not too salty, but nutritious in some way. What better ingredient to use as a sauce than peanut butter. I always use the peanut butter that is 100% peanuts with no added oil, salt or sugar.
I feel like this recipe could be a good meal for the whole family, and the best part Is that it’s very quick to do.
Chicken Within BLW Diet
Including chicken into a baby-led weaning diet can be a great way to introduce protein and essential nutrients into your little one's meals. Chicken is a lean and versatile meat that is easy to cook and prepare for tiny hands to grasp and explore.
By offering small, soft, and appropriately sized pieces of chicken, you allow your baby to practice important chewing and swallowing skills. Not only does chicken provide an excellent source of protein, but it also contains vital nutrients like iron and zinc, which are essential for your baby's growth and development.
Remember to ensure that the chicken is thoroughly cooked and cut into safe sizes to minimise any choking hazards.
Can My Baby Have Peanut Butter?
Yes, Introducing peanut butter to your baby's diet can be a nutritious and delicious addition to their meals. However, it is essential to ensure that the peanut butter you choose is made from 100% peanuts, without any added sugars or hydrogenated oils.
Peanut butter is an excellent source of healthy fats, protein, and essential vitamins and minerals, such as vitamin E, magnesium. By incorporating 100% peanut butter into your little one's meals, you can provide them with a nutrient-dense food that promotes healthy growth and development.
Remember to start with a small amount of smooth peanut butter, spread thinly on soft foods, and carefully observe for any signs of allergies or discomfort.
Can My Baby Eat Rice Noodles?
Rice noodles can be a great addition to a baby-led weaning diet. These soft and chewy noodles are easy for babies to grasp and explore with their fingers, promoting independent eating skills and fine motor development.
Rice noodles are also a healthy option, as they are typically low in allergens and have a mild flavour that can be easily paired with a variety of vegetables, proteins, and sauces.
Whether served plain or mixed with colourful veggies and a touch of stock for added flavour, rice noodles offer a nutritious source of carbohydrates and can help introduce different textures to your little one's palate.
Just remember to cut the noodles into manageable pieces to avoid choking hazards and supervise your baby closely during mealtime.
Grating Veggies For Baby Led Weaning
Grating vegetables is a fun way to introduce nutritious and flavourful foods to your baby during the exciting journey of baby-led weaning. Not only does grating create a soft and manageable texture, it also ensures that the veggies are cooked to a safe consistency for little ones to explore and enjoy.
Grating vegetables like carrots, courgette, and sweet potatoes allows babies to grip and grasp the small shreds easily, promoting fine motor skills development. Moreover, it enhances their sensory experience, enabling them to discover different tastes and textures as they explore the vibrant world of vegetables.
By including grated veggies in your baby's meals, you're not only providing essential nutrients, but also encouraging a positive relationship with fruits and vegetables from the very beginning.
I find as my toddler gets older the more new foods he refuses. If this is the case I will keep offering those foods and most of the time he tries and he likes.
I find that if we sit and eat together and sit and eat the same dish he is more likely to eat all of his dinner. He really does watch me eat when he’s unsure of a food to make sure it is ok, I suppose.
This is a really yummy recipe and I hope you enjoy it.
Ingredient information
Ground nut oil - This oil works so well in this recipe. If you don’t have ground nut oil you can use sesame oil or even olive oil will be just as tasty. You just won’t get the same nuttiness in taste.
Chicken breasts - The chicken breast is left over from our roast dinner, this recipe is based on the fact that the chicken is already cooked, so don’t use raw chicken.
Spring onions - So tasty in this recipe and a lovely substitute for onions as a lighter milder taste.
Grated carrot - As this is a quick cooking recipe and for young toddlers, I have found that grated carrot works so much better than chopped carrot as it just wouldn’t cook in time.
Frozen peas - Frozen peas are such a good staple to have in your freezer! A great versatile vegetable to add to everything, and work really well to brighten the plate.
Rice vinegar - A subtle vinegar taste to add a slight twang to the dish! You can leave this out if you don’t have it or do not like.
Peanut butter - A nutty nutritious ingredient. This ingredient really makes this recipe, and works so well with the other ingredients.
Creamed coconut - I love using the block of creamed coconut in this recipe. It is great to keep in the fridge so lasts longer than the coconut cream from the can/pouch.
Rice noodles - These are so yummy, and a great alternative to rice and pasta. I like to think it’s a cross between the two. Works so well in this recipe as they soak up all the goodness. You could use egg noodles if you did not have rice noodles.
Black pepper - I love to add black pepper as seasoning to this recipe.
Sesame seeds - Adds the finishing touch to the dish to add a touch more nuttiness to the recipe.
Serving suggestion
I think this recipe is perfect served on it own, as it has so many tasty elements to the recipe. If you did want to serve this alongside something else, I would roast some broccoli with a touch of olive oil and balsamic vinegar. This would work perfectly!
You could follow this with a blackberry cheesecake, strawberry jelly or a mango pot.
Storage instructions
This recipe really does taste at its best freshly cooked and served straight away. However if you did want to store this dish, you can keep it in the fridge for up to 2 days in an airtight container.
If your chicken is already 2 days old for example, only keep for 1 day in the fridge.
If you did want to freeze, you can for up to 3 months.
When defrosting from the freezer, thaw in the fridge overnight in an airtight container. Once defrosted, the best way to reheat is to heat in a saucepan until piping hot, add a touch of hot water to loosen the noodles if needed.
Equipment used to help with this recipe
Saucepan - So many pan sets out there but I particularly like to use pans with a non-stick surface for ease of cleaning and ones that are suitable for different types of hob surface.
Airtight container - I much prefer the click-shut lids on these containers compared to others. They are also dishwasher and freezer safe and BPA free, so very suitable for food use.
Recipe | Shredded Chicken & Peanut Noodles For Baby Led Weaning
Shredded Chicken & Peanut Noodles For Baby Led Weaning
Ingredients
Instructions
- Place the peanut butter, coconut and a splash of hot water into a mug and heat up in the microwave on a medium heat for 1 minute, and set aside.
- Pour hot water into a pan and cook the rice noodles for 5 minutes or as per packet instructions.
- Heat up the oil in a large frying pan, add in the spring onion and cook for 3-5 minutes on a low heat, until soft and starting to turn golden brown.
- Add in the carrot, peas and cook for 2 minutes.
- Turn off the rice noodles and drain. Save the rice noodle cooking water.
- Add the peanut sauce to the vegetables with a big splash of the cooking rice noodle water. Add in the noodles and a grind of black pepper and mix.
- If you think you need more of the cooking water to loosen the sauce add a bit , add more in.
- Serve straight away and sprinkle with sesame seeds if using. (and a squeeze of lime juice if you like).
Notes
If you wanted to make this recipe vegan, do not add the chicken for a tasty vegan dish, you could add mushrooms instead which would work so well! I’ve used frozen mushrooms before and it’s worked out really well and equally as fast to cook!
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