Do you struggle to get the little ones in your house, and maybe some of the big ones, to eat their vegetables? Even as babies, most children prefer the taste of fruit because it’s sweeter usually. And I’ve had some of my kids just not like almost anything that was a vegetable! You can only “fix” them up in so much with things like a little butter or salt. I’ve had some luck mixing them in other dishes or even blending them and adding them to meatloaf and meat sauce for pasta! But I also like finding other easy, already prepared items, like the kid friendly veggie meals with lil’gourmets. They have a variety of flavors to choose from, and they aren’t just for the kids!
About lil’gourmets
lil’gourmets strives to cultivate curiosity in lil’ones with nourishing, veggie-focused, global cuisines from an early age to help them fall in love with vegetables and flavorful foods for life.
You know that look a baby gets when they discover something new or taste something delicious? Their eyes light up, they laugh, and they make it very obvious they want MORE!! During the days when you’re exhausted, sleep deprived, and weighed down by all that there is to get done, that look makes it all worth it. We strive to make it easier for parents to experience that joy on a daily basis by creating meals that are the closest thing to homemade. The key values that drive our decisions to get those products to you are; Integrity, Quality, Community Involvement, and Having Fun.
As a working mom, Shibani Baluja needed a solution to make baby-feeding time easier, but the only options she could find lacked freshness, flavor or contained too much sugar. Knowing she could make her first child better food from scratch, she began preparing a full variety of vegetables, grains and spices. As her son grew, she could see the impact these homemade meals had on his palate. Knowing there must be other parents out there looking for easy, healthy and better-tasting baby food options, Baluja founded lil’ gourmets. The brand provides truly nutritious and delicious vegetable focused-meals that taste like they were made fresh that day so parents can take a break from cooking.
Fresh Veggies Prepared Right
Recipes contain at least 70% veggies and are nutrient-rich with only 3-5 grams of sugar
Perishable products with no preservatives, and never added salt or sugar
Recipes are chef-crafted with the globally-inspired spice blends to deliver delicious flavor
Enjoy the convenience of prepared veggie options that taste like you made them fresh today
USDA Certified-Organic, Non-GMO, Vegan, Gluten-Free, Plant-based, Cold-Pressure Processed, BPA-Free
Kid Friendly Veggie Meals
Cinnamon Beets and Apples
A yummy blend of beets, with a bit of apple and a dash of cinnamon.
Moroccan Butternut Squash
Delicious mash up of butternut squash, carrots, chickpeas, spice and more.
Coconut Cauliflower Mash
A blend of cauliflower, carrots, peas, coconut milk and other flavors. Great for dipping too!
Pumpkin Navy Bean Shawarma
7 spices mixed with navy beans, spinach, pumpkin and sweet potatoes make up this delicious veggie meal.
Spanish Corn & Bean Gazpacho
Mix up sweet corn, navy beans, tomatoes, pineapple juice and other flavors and spices to get this blend!
Sweet Potato Curry
A spiced blend of sweet potato, spinach, citrus juices and more.
My Thoughts
So we love to eat in my house. It was part of how I was raised! Everything was celebrated or mourned around the kitchen table usually. And as much as we loved comfort food, my parents also recognized that we needed to be exposed to other types of food, too. So something as easy as say, Taco Tuesday or Fish Fridays became a thing! And it’s a tradition we’ve carried on in my own home with my kids too. That’s why I love having kid friendly veggie meals with lil’gourmets.
All of their meals are perfectly portioned for any need. At 3.5 ounces, they are great for a baby’s healthy vegetable meal, a snack for a toddler, or even as a dip or spread for an older child or adult! They are also USDA certified organic, gluten-free, and vegan. I love that everyone in the house can enjoy them because it’s a great way to expose new and old taste buds alike to a variety of vegetables and flavors from around the world.
The Cinnamon Beets and Apples veggie meal has definitely been a hit for us. It is a mix of beets and apples, plus some lemon, ginger, and cinnamon. Now the color is a shock since it’s almost purple but that’s also part of the fun! How often do you get to have a natural purple food to eat. Now there is no salt, and no added sugar. I will sometimes add a little honey for certain little ones but that’s us. And yes, it can stain their skin if they are messy or hands-on eaters but it washes off in the bath, don’t worry!
One of the adult’s favorites has been the Moroccan Butternut Squash flavor. It’s “butternut squash, carrots, chickpeas, olive oil, lemon juice, tamarind, and a hint of spice” according to the packaging. Plus it’s made up of primarily vegetables! This is great when you spread it on crackers or soft, warm pita bread. You can also use it in soups and sauces to get a little extra pack of flavor with it’s delicious spice profile.
The best way we found that as a family, we enjoyed the Coconut Cauliflower Mash veggie meal? Gently warmed on the stove and tossed with pasta or rice. It has a wonderful variety of tastes including cauliflower, peas, coconut milk and more. You can’t quite put your finger on individual flavors until you read the ingredients and go “oh yeah!” This one wasn’t overly sweet, so it’s easy to use it as a savory side or to supplement a fruit based baby food or cereal for the babies. And the same is true with the Pumpkin Navy Bean Shawarma. It not only has navy beans, spinach, pumpkin, and more, but also seven spices including: paprika, allspice, onion, garlic, turmeric, cumin, and cinnamon! I personally liked this one served cold with some hummus or mint and yogurt dip and vegetables like carrots and celery.
Kid Friendly Veggie Meals
A great way to get these delicious veggie meals into the rotation is use them to make soup! Take the Spanish Corn and Bean Gazpacho. Add a little milk or broth of your choice, warm it through, and done! Or you can make it and chill it again since it is a gazpacho and those are typically enjoyed cold. It is a bit sweet because of the pineapple and sweet corn, but not like dessert sweet, don’t worry. Another “sneaky” way to get more of the veggie meals in is by using the Sweet Potato Curry as a dip! It goes great with crackers or bagel chips, fresh veggies like cucumbers and carrots. Or, thin it down and drizzled over grilled chicken or fish. It’s a great balance of sweet and savory all by itself, but it does have a bright hint of citrus and spices.
So whether you are trying to introduce more vegetables and a variety of flavors to your little ones, or the entire family, the kid friendly veggie meals with lil’gourmets are perfect. Eaten straight from the container, warmed up, eaten as a dip, or mixed into something else, there is something for everyone to enjoy.
Make sure to follow lil’gourmets on social media:
Facebook | Instagram | Twitter
We’ve added lil’gourmets to our Fun Spring Gift Guide! #SpringFunOnMDR Check it out here!
