Making lunches for kids has been something that has changed dramatically over the years (much improvement from the standard P&J sandwich) to being the exact same thing (mom’s biggest challenge)!
Its clockwork every week, my husband hears me say the exact same thing, “what am I going to make for lunches this week?”. We want to make lunches fun, so our kids eat them, we want them to be nutritious, so it’s good for them and we want their lunches to have variety, so they don’t get sick of the same food. It can be exhausting thinking of ideas that are fun, nutritious and different and for some reason, lunch ideas are always the hardest.
If you have any great lunch ideas, I would love to hear them! This is one of my favorite recipes and a great alternative for kids lunches instead of the standard sandwich. I personally am a big fan of recipes where I can prep for the week or make extras to freeze and use down the road. Anything that makes my life easier is a win in my books and this is one of those recipes.
These are also fantastic for baby-led weaning, or for picky eaters who don’t like meat. The sweetness of the fruit tends to hide the meat flavor and I know some friends have had success with their little ones eating these balls when they won’t eat meat as a standalone food.
But the absolute best part of these balls is that I love them too! Instead of lunch, I pack them for a snack to eat at work as I am always struggling to try and find protein snack ideas. It’s a 2 for 1 food prep item that both my daughter and myself can benefit from!
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 onion finely chopped
- 1 carrot peeled and grated
- 3/4 cup breadcrumbs ( optional see note below)
- 2 tbsp milk of any kind ( optional see note below)
- 1 pear peeled and grated
- 1 apple peeled and grated
- 500g turkey minced ( can use chicken too)
- 1 tbsp fresh chopped parsley
- 1 tsp paprika
* You can leave out the breadcrumbs and milk if there is a gluten/dairy allergy however I find it makes them fluffy and less dense *
Instructions
- Cook the minced turkey over the stovetop. Once cooked, take off the heat and set aside.
- Add the milk to the breadcrumbs, stir, and set as
ide. - Heat 2 tbsp oil in the pan and fry the onion and carrot on medium-low until soft ( approx 5 minutes)
- Place the grated apple and pear on a paper towel or cheesecloth and drain out as much juice as you can. ( I usually keep the juice and add it water for a tasty natural fruit juice for my daughter).
- Add to a bowl chopped up parsley, paprika, cooked turkey, apple, pear, carrot, onions and breadcrumbs, and mix ingredients together.
- Form balls with your hands and shallow fry in 1 tbsp of oil for around five minutes or until golden on both sides.
Store in an airtight container for 3 days in fridge or freeze in a glass container in the freezer for up to 6 months.
Enjoy
XO
B