Turkey Meat Balls are a great addition to mealtime for babies. They are simple and easy to make, loaded with healthy ingredients, and adaptable to suit any taste buds.  

These turkey and veggie meat balls are great for babyled weaning.

 These turkey meatballs are packed with all-natural ingredients.

You can add in a little or a lot of different fresh and dried spices. There are also many options for vegetables that can be added into these turkey meatballs to pack in added nutrition.

Baby can have some plain, and you can throw them in your pasta meal or soup to make a complete meal for everyone.  

Anxious to introduce solid foods to your baby? Whether your are doing babyled weaning or purees, this baby food planner printable will help your feel prepared. This printable includes :-
  • baby meal planner to help you plan ahead what you will be feeding your baby that week.
  • baby food tracker to keep track of what baby ate and how much at each feeding session.
  • baby food log to document baby’s food preferences and reaction.
  • a simple guide to baby’s first foods with common food categories to introduce to your baby.
  • a blank first foods sheet for personalization.

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baby food planner and tracker for babyled weaning

 

What age can your baby eat turkey meatballs? 

These homemade turkey meatballs are best suited for six months of age and older (when they get their first teeth).

I suggest cutting up the turkey meatballs into small bite-sized pieces and serve them as a finger food for your baby. This meatball recipe allows you to fully control how many foods and spices you choose to introduce. 

 Benefits of these turkey meatballs  

 All these ingredients are nutritious and delcious for your growing little one and easily found at your local store. If you can buy a local organic ground turkey that is optimal, but store-bought, works as well.  

 To avoid unwanted fillers, MSG, and chemicals in your dried spices, opt for organic spices. When you purchase organic spices in bulk or bags vs jars, this keeps the cost reasonable.  

The turkey in this recipe: 

  • High in protein for babies growth 
  • High in iron for optimal brain development 
  • One of the most easily digestive meats for babies. 

The oats in this recipe: 

  • It contains soluble and insoluble fibre to support little tummies. 

The carrots in this recipe: 

  • High in betacarotene for babies developing eyes.  
  • Packed full of fiber to help support elimination.  

The kale in this recipe: 

  • High water content to keep babies hydrated. 
  • High in calcium and other minerals for good bone health. 
  • Dietary fibre to help babes have a smooth bowel movement. 

 What you will need to make turkey meatballs for your baby

  1. Cookie sheet lined with parchment paper- Parchment paper makes for easy cleanup. 
  2. Turkey- Ground turkey works best. You can also purchase turkey breast and grind it yourself. 
  3. Sweet potato- (Optional) helps sweeten the meatballs for a smooth transition to meat.  
  4. Oats– Helps bind the meatballs together, while adding in fiber.  
  5. Spinach– Adds a healthy vegetable. You can omit this if the texture is too slimy.  
  6. Garlic- a great spice and gets you little ones taste pallet used to different flavours. It is optional, but I highly recommend including garlic in baby’s diet as it can boost immunity.

Cooking your turkey meatballs 

We prefer baked turkey meatballs. We like to use a lined cookie sheet with parchment paper and place them in the oven at 350F. You can cook the meatballs in a non-stick pan with a little oil as well.  

 Substitutions for these turkey meatballs 

Replacements are easy to incorporate in this recipe, supporting your baby if he or she has allergies, food preferences, or food intolerances. 

  1.  Turkey– You can easily swap out ground turkey for ground chicken. 
  2. Quick oats- You can swap oats out for a little whole wheat flour or use baby rice cereal to help bind the meatballs together.  
  3. Kale– You can omit this, or you can substitute for spinach or broccoli. 
  4. Carrots- You can omit this or substitute for squash puree or minced sweet potato.  
  5. Celery- You can omit or substitute for broccoli or peas.  
  6. Egg- You can substitute to a flax egg by mixing 1 tbsp ground flax and 2 tbsp of water. 
  7. Extra Add-Ins for these Turkey Meatballs 

You can make these meatballs loaded with herbs and spices as your baby adjusts to new tastes. Fresh herbs are a lovely way of adding in flavour as long as you chop them finely.

You can also add lots of different vegetables to pack in added nutrients. Please make sure these ingredients are always appropriate for your baby.  

 Want to add in spice to help develop your babies’ taste pallet?

Try adding one or a combination of the following aromatic spices into the spinach pancakes (safe to introduce after six months of age): 

  • Garlic 
  • Parsley 
  • Cilantro 
  • Basil 
  • Oregano 

 Want a little vegetable for additional nutrition. Add 1/2 cup of one of these or 1/4 of two vegetables. 

  • Diced Carrots 
  • Diced Onion 
  • Diced Celery 
  • Diced Zucchini 
  • Diced Sweet Potato 
  • Diced Spinach 
  • Peas 
  • Diced kale 
  • Diced broccoli 

Storing your cooked Meatballs 

 Store your cooked meatballs in the fridge for up to 3 days. If you want to store them longer, I recommend freezing them. We love to make a large batch and freeze them for easy reheating.  

 Freeze 

To Freeze the cooked turkey meatballs place in an airtight bag or storage container and store up to a month. 

 Reheating  

 Take the number of frozen meatballs you would like and reheat them in the oven until hot through, about 15-20 minutes at 350F until the middle of the meatball reaches 165F. 

 I hope you enjoy making these delcious and nutritious turkey meatballs! 

Please share your kitchen journies with us by commenting down in the comment section. We love to hear how your babe enjoyed these turkey meatballs.   

Babyled Weaning Turkey Meatballs for Babies/ Toddlers Recipe: 

Makes 25 small pancakes 

or 12 large ones 

Ingredients:

  • 500 grams of ground turkey 
  • 1/4 cup minced celery 
  • 1/4 cup minced carrots 
  • 1/4 cup minced kale 
  • 1 egg 
  • 1/4 cup quick oats 
  • 1/8 tsp salt 
  • 1/8 tsp pepper 

 Method:

  1. Cut your carrots, celery, and kale into tiny pieces. 
  2. Place your meat into a bowl and add in the egg, minced vegetables, quick oats, salt and pepper into a bowl. Mix well. 
  3. Roll into 12- 1 inch balls.  
  4. Place on a cookie sheet and bake for 15 minutes, or until internal temperature reaches 165F. 
  5. Serve cut up to your little ones. Make sure to let cool before serving.  

 

Always supervise your baby when eating.  

Don’t forget to get this helpful baby food planner and tracker today! This will printable make your life easy by letting you pre plan your baby’s meals, track feeding habits & preferences and help you introduce a variety of healthy food to your baby.

baby food planner and tracker for babyled weaning

 

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