Cheesy Broccoli Rice for a Toddler

I was trying to find ideas for getting Lindsey to eat broccoli since the first time I gave her a little piece she spit it out and subsequently gagged. Yep. Not the reaction I was going for!

I found these recipes on Wholesome Baby Foods and thought this one in particular sounded perfect - simple, things I had ready to go, and easy to throw together in a small batch to test. Lindsey is 11 months (1 year old in just 1 more week!! Ack!!) and handles small pieces of soft food well, and loves to feed herself. If your little one is younger or can't handle texture, or small pieces this could be mashed or pureed if needed as well.

Lindsey absolutely loved this combination. I made hers fairly cheesy and spoon fed her most of it, and then since there was enough cheese to act as a binder, I rolled some into small balls that she could feed herself. Both ways worked well, and she ate a pretty good sized portion of this meal so I was a happy mama!

Cheesy Broccoli Rice adapted from Wholesome Baby Food

Ingredients

1/4 cup finely diced cooked broccoli (I used frozen / steamed)
 1/4 cup cooked brown rice
 2 - 4 TBS shredded cheddar cheese

Directions

1. Make sure broccoli and rice are warmed to appropriate temperature for your little one and mix with cheese until cheese is mostly melted (microwave for a few seconds if needed to melt cheese enough to mix easily).
2. Spoon feed, or squish into small balls / bite sized pieces (the cheese should help the mixture hold together enough for baby to be able to pick up mostly in tact).