This broccoli meatball recipe for toddlers is genius
When you have a picky eater, you know the struggle — trying to get them to eat something (anything) green is a daily battle that all-too-often ends in tears and tantrums (for both the toddler and you). But this absolutely genius meal hack hides broccoli so that even the pickiest eaters will likely be happy to get a serving of vegetables in — and they may not even realize it’s happening.
TikToker @maddymakes_ posted a video to the platform with the recipe that’s going to change a lot of peoples’ lives: meatballs with broccoli hidden inside. It’s surprisingly simple: All you have to do is steam some broccoli, then mash it up, add your ground meat, seasoning, bread crumbs, and other meatball ingredients, form them into balls, and bake. And just like that, you have delicious meatballs with healthy green veggies inside them, and your kids are likely to be none the wiser.
@maddymakes_ Measurements: 1.25 cups lightly steamed broccoli 1 lb (approx) lean ground beef 1 tbsp olive oil 1 tsp garlic powder 1 tsp onion powder 1 tsp oregano 1 tsp smoked paprika #toddlerrecipes #toddlersoftiktok #momsoftiktok #toddlermealideas #momlife #toddlermom #toddlerdinner #toddlertok #recipe ♬ Happy Mood – AShamaluevMusic
@maddymakes_ notes that you can serve the meatballs just like that, or you can dress them up — her family like to add them to some simmering tomato sauce. At the end of the video, she shows a clip of her toddler chowing down, clearly with no idea she’s eating broccoli. You could probably even do this with other veggies, like zucchini, carrots, or sweet potatoes. The world is your oyster when it comes to sneaking steamed and smashed vegetables into meatballs, because the spices have a strong enough flavor to cover up just about anything.
Looking for ways to add even more veggies to a meal? One of the commenters on the video has this genius idea: “You could add more in the sauce! I like to roast veggies and tomatoes of course and blend with spices until smooth!!”
Getting multiple servings of vegetables into a picky eater seems almost too good to be true, but with these hacks? It could finally happen.
