10 Quick & Delicious Quinoa Recipes For Toddlers

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Quinoa is one of the most popular healthy foods that babies and children can eat. You may try various quinoa recipes for toddlers to prepare and serve several delicious quinoa preparations. Quinoa can be a source of several essential nutrients and micronutrients for toddlers.

Read this post to know more about quinoa and various quick quinoa recipes to prepare quinoa dishes for your toddler.

What Is Quinoa?

Quinoa is a low allergenic edible seed that is gluten-free and contains all nine crucial amino acids necessary for your toddler’s healthy growth and development. This seed-like fruit is rich in proteins, minerals, and vitamins like Vitamin E and folate. Cooked quinoa seeds are fluffy yet crunchy, and you can cook them to make many nutty delights for your toddler (1)

Nutrition fact

A cup of cooked quinoa (185g) contains 222kcal of energy, about 8g of protein, and 5g of dietary fiber, and is loaded with many vital nutrients, including iron, calcium, potassium, and magnesium (6).

Quinoa is also a favorite among vegans and vegetarians, and makes a great ingredient for many recipes. Here is our collection of the top 10 quinoa recipes for toddlers:

1. Quinoa curry

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You Will Need:

• 1 onion
• One garlic clove
• ½ cup of quinoa, cooked
• Olive oil
• One tsp of fresh ginger, crushed
• ½ tsp of curry powder
• ¾ cup cannellini beans
• ¾ cup of tomatoes, chopped

How To:

1. Heat the olive oil in a frying pan. Add the onion in the oil. Sauté the onion for about two minutes.

2. Add ginger and garlic and sauté for two more minutes

3. Add the cannellini beans and curry powder and stir well.

4. Add the cooked quinoa and tomatoes. Then lower the heat and bring it to a simmer for ten minutes.

5. Mash well and serve.

2. Savory and sweet vegetable quinoa

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You Will Need:

• 1 cup of cooked quinoa
• 2 tbsp of zucchini, diced
• One sweet potato
• One green onion
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp of dried and chopped apricots
• 1 tbsp raisins

How To:

1. Soak the apricots and raisins in a bowl of warm water. Allow them to turn soft.

2. Heat the olive oil in a pan.

3. Add the sweet potato, onion, and zucchini and sauté until the onion turns golden

4. Add the quinoa, apricots, and raisins and stir well before serving.

3. Quinoa and chicken patties

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You Will Need:

• ½ sweet potato
• One garlic clove
• 1 cup of ground chicken
• 1 apple
• One egg yolk
• 1 onion
• ¼ cup of quinoa, cooked
• A pinch of dried thyme

How To:

1. Peel the sweet potato, onion, garlic, and apple and put all of them together in one bowl.

2. Add an egg yolk, the quinoa, ground chicken, and thyme to the mixture in a bowl and mix it well.

3. Shape balls out of the mixture and press into ½ inch thick patties.

4. Cook the patties on the grill for about ten minutes on each side.

Alternative to these patties, Hannah, a mother of three, shares her weaning baby’s favorite quinoa cakes/ fritters recipe. She suggests adding baby purees to cooked quinoa and eggs to make golden brown baked patties. She says, “Back in 2014, when my oldest was only nine months old, he insisted on feeding himself… These little quinoa cakes were the perfect way to incorporate my leftover purees. “Robert wasn’t too sure about these in 2014, but he finally got the hang of eating them. My other two boys loved eating them too (i)!”

4. Quinoa bread

Image: Shutterstock

You Will Need:

• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup quinoa flour
• 1 tbsp salt
• 2 tbsps sugar
• 21/4 tsp instant yeast
• 1 tbsp baking powder
• 2 tbsps psyllium husk powder
• 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 1/3 cup sunflower oil
• 11/2 cup warm water
• 2 beaten eggs

How To:

1. Grease a metal loaf pan. In a large bowl, combine the all-purpose flour, quinoa flour, salt, sugar, husk powder, yeast, and baking powder. Whisk well and keep aside.
2. Add the oil, apple cider vinegar, warm water, and beaten eggs to the above mixture. Mix everything well for two minutes. You will get a batter that is similar to a cake batter.
3. Take the batter in the prepared loaf pan. Cover it with a kitchen towel and keep it in a warm place for 40-45 minutes until the size of the dome has doubled.
4. Preheat the oven to 350 F for around 10 minutes. Bake the bread for 55-60 minutes.
5. Once the time is up and the bread has become brown in color, let it cool for 10 minutes and then slice it.

5. Apple, beet, and quinoa blend

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You Will Need:

• 1 peeled and diced apple
• 1 peeled and diced beetroot
• ½ cup of cooked quinoa

How To:

1. Steam the apple pieces and beet cubes until they turn tender.

2. Puree the beet and apple cubes in a food processor.

3. Add the cooked quinoa to the puree and serve.

6. Quinoa meatballs

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You Will Need:

• ½ cup of quinoa, cooked
• ½ cup of carrot, grated
• ½ lb ground beef
• 2 tbsp applesauce
• One egg yolk, beaten
• A pinch of dried thyme

How To:

1. Preheat your oven to 200 deg C (392 deg F).

2. Mix the quinoa, carrot, beef, applesauce, egg yolk, and thyme together. Shape the mixture into meatballs about one inch thick with your hands.

3. Bake the meatballs for about 15 minutes.

4. Serve warm.

7. Quinoa cookies

Image: Shutterstock

You Will Need:

• ½ cup of quinoa flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• ½ cup of plain flour
• 1/3 cup of oil
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• ½ cup of brown sugar
• ½ cup of oats
• ½ cup of chocolate chips

How To:

1. Mix the quinoa flour, wheat flour, baking powder, oats, chocolate chips, and brown sugar in a one bowl.

2. Mix the egg, oil, and vanilla extract in another bowl.

3. Now, mix the two mixtures in a bowl.

4. Roll the mixture into small balls using your hands. Place these balls onto a cookie sheet and press them into a flat cookie shape.

5. Bake the cookies for about eight minutes.

6. Serve them once cooled.

8. Mexican quinoa salad

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You Will Need:

• 1 cup of quinoa
• 1 cup of cooked sweetcorn kernels
• 2 cups of vegetable broth
• 1 cup of black beans, cooked
• ½ tsp of sea salt
• 3 green onions, sliced
• Some cilantro leaves, chopped
• Juice of one fresh lemon
• 2 tsp of olive oil
• ½ tsp ground cumin
• Pepper and salt to taste

How To:

1. Place the cup of quinoa, the two cups of vegetable broth, and some water in a saucepan.

2. Add sea salt to the mixture and bring it to a full boil. Lower the heat to simmer. Cover the saucepan and cook for about 15 minutes. As the clear grains rise, stir them with a fork and set aside to cool.

3. Drain the water and place the cooked quinoa in a bowl. Add beans, pepper, cilantro, and olive oil. Then add the sweetcorn, onion slices, lemon juice, cumin, and salt. Mix all of the ingredients well and serve.

9. Quinoa and banana breakfast

Image: Shutterstock

You Will Need:

• ½ ripe banana
• ½ cup of quinoa, cooked
• ½ cup of low-fat milk or whole milk
• 1 tbsp dried and chopped apricots

How To:

1. Cut the banana into small pieces using a knife.

2. Combine the banana pieces and milk in a saucepan.

3. Pour the quinoa and apricots to the pan and stir gently for about five to ten minutes, until it starts to thicken.

4. Serve while still warm.

Did you know?

A toddler can have about four tablespoons of cooked grain or cereal, such as quinoa in one serving (7).

10. Quinoa, walnut, and spinach stir-fry

Image: Shutterstock

You Will Need:

• 1 cup of quinoa
• 1 tsp garlic, minced
• 5 ounces of baby spinach
• 1 tsp olive oil
• ½ tsp salt
• 1 cup of cherry tomatoes or grapes
• 2 cups of water
• ½ cup of fresh Parmesan cheese, grated
• ½ cup of walnuts, chopped and toasted
• Basil leaves

How To:

1. Place the quinoa in a bowl. Add water and mash it well. Place the mixture in a mesh strainer and drain the mixture well.

2. Heat the oil in a large frying pan. Add the quinoa and cook until it turns golden. This will take around ten minutes.

3. Add the garlic. Cook and stir the mixture for about 1 minute.

4. Add the salt and two cups of water and bring it to a boil. Lower the heat and leave to simmer for about fifteen minutes.

5. Add the tomatoes and spinach. Cook over a medium heat for about one minute, until the tomatoes are warm and the spinach wilts.

6. Add the Parmesan cheese and toasted walnuts. Stir everything well.

7. Garnish with basil leaves and serve.

11. Delicious pecan-quinoa bowl

Image: Shutterstock

You Will Need:

• 1 cup of quinoa
• 1 tsp butter
• 1 cup of low-fat milk
• 1/3 cup of raisin or cranberries
• 1 tbsp of honey or sugar
• 1/3 cup of pecans, chopped and toasted
• 1 tsp salt
• ¼ tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/8 tsp nutmeg, grated

For Toppings:

• Pecans, chopped
• Honey
• Warm milk

How To:

1. Place the milk in a saucepan and bring it to a boil.

2. Add the quinoa, butter, and cranberries. Cover the saucepan, lower the heat, and simmer for about 15 minutes until the quinoa is tender.

3. Add the honey, cinnamon, pecans, nutmeg, and salt.

4. Divide the mixture into four bowls.

5. Garnish each bowl with chopped pecans, honey, and milk.

6. Serve immediately. (2)

Quick tip

Use different red, white, and black quinoa to make dishes, such as in pizza bites, muffins, and breads to add variety to your toddler’s diet.

Infographic: Quick And Easy Quinoa Snacks For Toddlers

Quinoa is a well-known nutritious snack for toddlers. However, getting your little one to eat healthy foods can be a tough challenge. Read this infographic to find the best child-friendly quinoa recipes for your picky toddlers. Save and share it with parents of other toddlers too!

Illustration: Momjunction Design Team

Illustration: Quick & Delicious Quinoa Recipes For Toddlers

Image: Stable Diffusion/MomJunction Design Team

Discover delectable and nourishing quinoa recipes designed for infants, children, and toddlers. Explore simple yet delightful dishes prepared with quinoa, guaranteed to capture the taste buds and affection of your little darlings.

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Reviewer Author Editor Fact Checker

Dr. Elizabeth RobertsPhD, MSc, BSc, SRD

Dr. Elizabeth Roberts, a registered dietitian based in Somerset, UK, with 22 years of experience. She was raised mostly abroad and lived her early life in Norway, Greece and Germany. It was experiencing different eating cultures and behaviors that sparked her interest in food and nutrition.

Read full bio of Dr. Elizabeth Roberts

Jessica AlbertBE

Jessica Albert is a passionate writer who seeks to connect with her readers through wit and charm. Her work aims to invoke curiosity and keep the readers engaged through and through. She has two years of experience working with magazines and e-commerce establishments as a content marketer and editor.

Read full bio of Jessica Albert

Swati PatwalM.Sc. (Food & Nutrition), MBA

Swati Patwal is a clinical nutritionist, a Certified Diabetes Educator (CDE) and a toddler mom with more than a decade of experience in diverse fields of nutrition. She started her career as a CSR project coordinator for a healthy eating and active lifestyle project catering to school children.

Read full bio of Swati Patwal

Vidya TadapatriMSc (Biotechnology)

Vidya did her post-graduation in Biotechnology from Osmania University, Hyderabad. Her interest in scientific research and writing made her pursue a career in writing, in which she now has over five years of experience. She has done certified biotechnology-related training programs under renowned organizations such as Centre For Cellular & Molecular Biology and Department of Biotechnology.

Read full bio of Vidya Tadapatri