I like combining sweet potatoes with broccoli because it provides some sweetness next to the broccoli. I try and not hide the vegetables just yet, since he has no problem eating them, so that he will get used to the actual taste of each vegetable.
Some of the nutrients this meal will provide are the following:
Broccoli: Folate, Antioxidant, Vitamin A, Vitamins C & E, fiber
Sweet Potatoes: Beta-Carotene (Vitamin A), Vitamin C, fiber, vitamin B-6, potassium, Antioxidant
http://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/5-winter-superfoods-sweet-potatoes-nutrient-profile
Swiss Chard: Vitamins A, C and K, Magnesium, Potassium, Iron and Fiber.
http://www.webmd.com/diet/features/swiss-chard-9-healthy-facts#1
Step By Step Instructions:
Thoroughly scrub 1 medium sweet potato and 1 bunch of broccoli under cold water. Also, not shown here, wash and pat dry 3 swiss chard leaves.
Peel the skin off of the sweet potato. I also like to peel the skin off the broccoli’s stem, if I intend to use it.
Add water to your saucepan, place the steam basket over it. Make sure the steam basket doesn’t touch the water when placed inside the saucepan.
Cut the stem off of the broccoli to allow the florets to loosen up a bit.
Cut the florets into bite size pieces or into pieces you feel comfortable feeding your toddler. Cut the stems into thinner pieces. The stems are a bit tough so they take a bit longer to cook.
Place the broccoli into the steam basket.
Cut the ends off of the sweet potato.
Stand it up straight on the flat side and carefully cut thin slices
Then cut it into strips.
Then dice the strips into the size cubes you feel comfortable feeding your toddler.
Add the sweet potato into the steam basket on top of the broccoli. Cover it with a lid and bring the water to a boil.
Once the water starts to boil, decrease the heat to medium low ( a temperature to where you can hear a low boil occurring in the saucepan). Allow it to steam for 20-30 minutes or until the sweet potatoes and the broccoli are a little soft.
While the sweet potatoes and the broccoli are steaming, prepare the swiss chard
Remove the stems from the swiss chard
Pile the leaves on top of each other
Then, starting from the bottom tightly roll the leaves upwards.
Cut the rolled up bunch into strips.
Turn the cut strips horizontally and dice it into finer pieces.
Carefully mince it into finer pieces.
Once the sweet potato and the broccoli are a little soft, add the swiss chard and steam it for an additional 5 minutes.
The broccoli and sweet potatoes are done when they are fork tender, meaning a fork can easily go through them.
Allow it to sit off the heat for an additional 5 minutes.
Carefully spoon the steamed vegetables into a glass food storage container or into glass jars. Let it cool, and store it in the refrigerator for use when needed.
Serving:
Please keep in mind, these are rough estimates of measurements. Every child’s appetite is different.
When it comes time to serve this nutritious meal, I like to combine it with some form of protein (whether that’s cooked chicken breast, quinoa, or buckwheat) and some form of calcium, like yogurt. In this case, I served it with cooked lentils.
If serving in a bowl:
- Combine 1/4 cup of the cooked lentils and 1/4 cup of organic pasteurized whole milk yogurt to the bowl.
- Mix the two together.
- Add 1/2 cup of the steamed vegetables to the the cooked lentils and yogurt mixture
- Mix them altogether and serve
or
If serving separately in a sectioned bowl:
- Add 1/4 cup of cooked lentils to one section. Add 1 tablespoon of yogurt to the lentils and mix the two together.
- Place 3 tablespoons of the organic pasteurized whole milk yogurt to a separate section.
- Add 1/2 cup of the steamed vegetables to the last section.
Enjoy!
Recipe
Sweet Potato, Broccoli, and Swiss Chard
Ingredients:
- 1 medium Organic Sweet Potato
- 1 bunch Organic Broccoli
- 3 Organic Swiss Chard leaves
Instructions:
Thoroughly scrub the sweet potato and the broccoli under cold water. Also, wash and pat dry the swiss chard. Peel the skin off of the sweet potato. I also like to peel the skin off the broccoli’s stem, if I intend to use it.
To get the saucepan ready, add water to your saucepan, place the steam basket over it. Make sure the steam basket doesn’t touch the water when placed inside the saucepan.
Cut the stem off of the broccoli to allow the florets to loosen up a bit. Cut the florets into bite size pieces or into pieces you feel comfortable feeding your toddler. Cut the stems into thinner pieces (the stems are a bit tough so they take a bit longer to cook if they are not cut up thinly). Place the broccoli into the steam basket.
Cut the ends off of the sweet potato. Stand it up straight on the flat side and carefully cut thin slices. Then cut it into strips. Then dice the strips into the size cubes you feel comfortable feeding your toddler. Add the sweet potato into the steam basket on top of the broccoli. Cover it with a lid and bring the water to a boil.
Once the water starts to boil, decrease the heat to medium low ( a temperature to where you can hear a low boil occurring in the saucepan). Allow it to steam for 20-30 minutes or until the sweet potatoes and the broccoli are a little soft.
While the sweet potatoes and the broccoli are steaming, prepare the swiss chard.
Remove the stems from the swiss chard. Pile the leaves on top of each other. Starting from the bottom, tightly roll the leaves upwards. Cut the rolled up bunch into strips. Turn the cut strips horizontally and dice it into finer pieces. Carefully mince the swiss chard into finer pieces.
Once the sweet potato and the broccoli are a little soft, add the swiss chard and steam it for an additional 5 minutes.
The broccoli and sweet potatoes are done when they are fork tender, meaning a fork can easily go through them.
Allow it to sit off the heat for an additional 5 minutes.
Carefully spoon the steamed vegetables into a glass food storage container or into glass jars. Let it cool, and store it in the refrigerator for use when needed.
Serving:
Please keep in mind, these are rough estimates of measurements. Every child’s appetite is different.
When it comes time to serve this nutritious meal, I like to combine it with some form of protein (whether that’s cooked chicken breast, quinoa, or buckwheat) and some form of calcium, like yogurt. In this case, I served it with cooked lentils.
If serving in a bowl:
- Combine 1/4 cup of the cooked lentils and 1/4 cup of organic pasteurized whole milk yogurt to the bowl.
- Mix the two together.
- Add 1/2 cup of the steamed vegetables to the the cooked lentils and yogurt mixture
- Mix them altogether and serve
or
If serving separately in a sectioned bowl:
- Add 1/4 cup of cooked lentils to one section. Add 1 tablespoon of the organic pasteurized whole milk yogurt to the lentils and mix the two together.
- Place 3 tablespoons of the organic pasteurized whole milk yogurt to a separate section.
- Add 1/2 cup of the steamed vegetables to the last section.
Enjoy!
