Daily life with a baby is usually hectic, eventful, and packed, so there is often little time left for your own meals. A quick cereal bar or a sandwich in between: there's hardly time for much more during the day. Luckily, we're here. For all parents who want to eat fresh and balanced meals, we have five delicious ideas for a quick, healthy lunch – that tastes great for both big and small.
Quick, healthy lunch with a baby: Eating like the grown-ups
When the baby is still in the middle of the drinking phase, they aren't particularly interested in their parents' food. However, if your child is already eight or nine months old and eating puree, you will notice: your little darling curiously observes what else comes to the table – and often reaches for it. Even though eating together at the table can be quite fun, there are still a few things to consider in this phase.
- Your child should not be given hard pieces of carrot, apple, or similar items.
- Nuts as well as smooth, round foods like grapes, olives, or blueberries are also off-limits.
The reason: your little one could still choke at this age. On the other hand, foods that quickly become soft through saliva and on which the baby can practice chewing without the risk of injury or choking are well-suited. These include, for example:
- cooked potato or vegetable pieces
- small pieces of banana or peeled peach
- rusks, bread cubes, or spelt sticks
From about 10 months, your little one can usually try normal family food. That's when the first teeth start to appear. So they can chew more than just puree, milk, or soft-boiled vegetables.
Our recipes for a quick, healthy lunch with a baby are therefore not only suitable for the stressful daily routine with a small baby who is being breastfed or bottle-fed. They are also perfect for the whole family and for smaller children from 10 months who are gaining their first culinary experiences at the table. Plus: you don't need more than 25 minutes for preparation.
Watch out: make sure that the dishes for your child are lightly seasoned and salted. It's best to always set aside a portion before you season the family meals with salt, spices, or sugar.
Quick spinach fritters
Anyone who thinks frozen vegetables are "inferior vegetables" isn't necessarily right. Often, frozen vegetables contain more vitamins than fresh ones that have been sitting in daylight for a few days. And spinach in particular is super healthy even from the freezer, rich in iron and really delicious, for example processed into fritters. Tip: feel free to drink a glass of orange juice with the spinach – then the body can better absorb and process the iron contained in the spinach.
For the recipe you need (3-4 portions):
- 120 g spinach
- 3-4 potatoes
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp vegetable broth
- 100 g spelt flour (alternatively, chickpea flour also works if you want to cook a gluten-free version)
- 2 tbsp grated cheese, for example Gouda
- 150 g natural yogurt or herb quark
- some rapeseed oil for frying
Preparation:
Thaw the spinach and boil the potatoes, then peel and grate finely. If you use raw potatoes, you have to fry the fritters longer. In a bowl, mix spinach, potatoes, egg, cheese, vegetable broth, and flour together. Heat oil in a pan on the highest setting and form fritters with a tablespoon. Fry these on both sides until golden brown. You can serve salted natural yogurt or herb quark with them. Salad also goes great with it!
Meatballs with pumpkin and tomato sauce
A quick, healthy lunch with meat, on the other hand, are these delicious meatballs. Minced meat is a particularly suitable meat variant for little ones because it is easy to chew. And: if you already have older children, they can help in the kitchen with this dish. Because forming the balls is fun for everyone.
For the recipe you need (3-4 portions):
- 300 g Hokkaido pumpkin, grated (that's about half of a small Hokkaido pumpkin)
- 500 g minced meat
- 1 tsp curry powder
- 4 tbsp frying oil
- 2 cans of chunky tomatoes, 400 g each
Preparation:
Hokkaido does not need to be peeled, so you can grate it coarsely right away. Knead the minced meat and fold in the grated pumpkin. Now form the balls and heat some frying oil in the pan. Fry the balls for a few minutes from all sides until they take on a nice brown color. Now add the canned tomatoes and cover with a large lid. Let simmer for about 10 minutes over medium heat. Afterwards, check if the balls are cooked through and only then serve. Pasta tastes great with it!
Oven-baked Salmon with Tomato and Zucchini
Do you want to get your children used to the taste of fish from an early age? Then this oven-baked salmon with tomato and zucchini is perfect. This quick, healthy lunch is rich in omega-3 fatty acids and vitamins, and is also low carb. Perfect for all parents who want to watch their figure.
For this recipe you will need (4 servings):
- 2 zucchinis
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp chopped dill, e.g., frozen
- 1 tsp mustard
- 1 tsp honey
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- Salt and pepper
- 4 salmon fillets without skin - approx. 600 g
- 250 g cherry tomatoes
Preparation:
First, preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius (top and bottom heat). Mix the dill, mustard, honey, lemon juice, some salt and pepper, and olive oil to make a marinade. Slice the zucchinis. Roll out baking paper on a baking tray and distribute the salmon fillets, zucchinis, and cherry tomatoes on it. Spread the marinade generously over them. Bake everything in the oven for 25 minutes.
Celery Soup with Leek
A truly delicious recipe, and not just in winter: Celery soup with leek is super easy because the ingredients just need to simmer on the stove while you attend to your little one, for example. At the same time, it is filling, healthy, and nutritious. If you like, serve the soup with toasted bread.
For this recipe you will need (3-4 servings):
- 1 celeriac
- 1 medium-sized leek
- 2 small apples
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 1 liter vegetable broth
- 100 g cream
- Salt & pepper
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 20 g butter
- 20 sage leaves
- 1 handful of hazelnuts
Preparation:
Peel the celeriac and cut into 2 cm cubes. Wash, clean, and slice the leek into rings. Wash, quarter, and core the apples. Heat the oil in a large pot and add the leek first. Sauté for approx. 10 minutes over medium heat. Then add the celeriac and apples and sauté. Feel free to turn up the heat a bit. Now add the thyme and vegetable broth and turn the heat back down. Cover the pot with a lid and let everything simmer for about 35 minutes. Roast the hazelnuts in a pan without fat until they release a nice aroma. Then chop coarsely. Melt and brown the butter in a pan. Now add the sage. Fry very lightly. Puree the soup and add the cream. Go through the soup once more with the hand blender and season to taste with salt and pepper.
Sweet Potato Curry with Coconut Milk
This vegan recipe is creamy, full-bodied, and packed with healthy ingredients. Admittedly, it requires a bit of chopping. But the rest of the preparation is very quick. And the best part: You can also prepare the curry in advance and fill it into jars – so you only have to warm it up and have a quick, healthy lunch with your baby or child later in the week.
For this recipe you will need (3-4 servings):
- Sweet potato
- One broccoli
- 2 tbsp coconut oil
- Yellow curry paste
- One can of coconut milk
- Optional: you can also add zucchini, eggplant, and carrot
Preparation:
Peel the sweet potato and cut into 1 cm cubes. Remove the stalk from the broccoli and cut into small pieces. If you want to add other types of vegetables to the curry, they also need to be chopped quickly. Heat the coconut oil in a pan. Add the vegetables and sauté for a few minutes. Add the yellow curry paste and stir in a splash of water. Let everything simmer gently for another 5 minutes. Add the coconut milk and let it simmer for another 10 minutes. Rice (e.g., from a boil-in-the-bag) goes wonderfully with this.
Quick, healthy lunch with baby: Pre-cooking is a good idea
The sweet potato curry in particular, but also soup and fritters, all have one thing in common: They can be pre-cooked well and stored in jars or Tupperware in the refrigerator for several days. If you want to eat healthily in everyday family life, it is best to use the time at the weekend to pre-cook in peace. With an older child, you can also try out the recipes together. Children love being involved in the kitchen.
If you have a smaller baby, our swing2sleep is perfect for you. The Automatic baby hammock designed by us lulls your baby into the land of dreams for several hours, while you can relax and prepare the meal plan for the week.
