If you need inspiration to increase variety in your kids’ diets, these bean recipes for toddlers are a great start! So many fun and creative options for serving beans to kids.
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Do you struggle to get your kids to eat new or different foods?
Of course, as parents, we want our kids to enjoy a variety of foods that will nourish their growing bodies, and part of that includes making food fun for kids!
But that can sometimes be challenging, even for me as a dietitian mom!
Toddlers are known for their strong attitudes and independence.
I have really found that using these food activities for toddlers helps spark interest in healthy eating – describing the colors, textures and flavors.
Sometimes they show that independence at mealtime! All of a sudden, they refuse to eat a food they once loved.
Or, they’ll surprise you and gobble up their entire dinner – after you were sure they wouldn’t touch it!
As challenging as it is to feed a toddler, don’t give up hope because these bean recipes for kids can show you the light at the end of the tunnel.
We have so many bean recipes in our kids snack ebook, too.
Just like these lentil recipes for toddlers, we have prioritized and loved serving beans to toddlers for several reasons:
I may be in the minority here, but my girls (ages 3 and 5) love beans.
So, while kid friendly bean recipes are a hit in our house, I realize that may not be the case for everyone.
Fortunately, these bean recipes for kids can appeal to even the pickiest of eaters – we’ve got sweet, savory, crunchy, soft – everything you can imagine.
Beans are a great food for toddlers to learn new textures.
An excellent source of fiber, beans are a vegetable and protein that can be used in a number of ways.
In fact, they can be great as recipes for constipation in toddlers because of their fiber content.
Because they can be hidden or meshed into so many recipes, you can certainly add variety to your toddler’s diet with these delicious bean recipes for kids.
Not only are beans tasty, but they also pack a nutritional punch.
Beans are a great option for all diet patterns, including vegetarian and vegan diets.
In fact, the American Heart Association recommends that most of your protein come from plant sources for optimal heart health.
So, it’s prudent to start introducing vegetarian protein options when they’re young – they can certainly complement meat options too!
Here are some nutrients your toddler can get through beans:
In addition, beans are loaded with polyphenols—powerful antioxidants that may give you a multitude of health benefits.
Diets that regularly include antioxidants have been shown to lower the risk for cardiovascular disease and cancer AND improve inflammation.
On top of that, beans have naturally occurring prebiotics—fuel for your toddler’s healthy gut bacteria!
A healthy gut may help your toddler fight off the many viruses and bacteria they may encounter.
Beans, also known as legumes or pulses, are the edible seeds of the plant.
Some examples of legumes include chickpeas, black beans, edamame, black-eyed peas, lentils, navy beans, kidney beans, peas, and lima beans.
Peanuts are also considered legumes, though many people think of them as in the nut family.
Beans are an extremely versatile food that can be cooked in multiple ways.
They are one of the most inexpensive foods you can find and are available dried, canned, or frozen, and are a pantry staple for many families.
These bean recipes for picky eaters can help change your mind!
If you are cooking dried beans (with the exception of lentils, split peas, and black-eyed peas), you’ll soak them first.
Soaking is suggested to limit gastrointestinal discomfort.
Just put them in a pot and cover them with water—about 10 cups for every pound of beans. This can be done overnight.
HOT TIP
If you need a quicker soaking method, add 6 cups of water for every pound of beans. Bring to a boil for 2-3 minutes. Then take them off of the burner and cover them. Let them soak for about an hour.
Once soaked, you can cook them on the stovetop or instant pot.
If you’re short on time, you can totally skip the soaking and cooking steps and use canned or frozen legumes, which is personally what we do!
If you rinse canned beans before cooking, you can reduce the sodium by up to 40%!
Canned beans have the amazing advantage of convenience and being ready in minutes. Plus, a long shelf life.
No matter how you prefer to prepare your beans, these bean recipes for toddlers will become new favorites.
Sometimes, raising a toddler forces us to be sneaky.
Since beans are not strongly flavored, they can easily be hidden in food, which may be more appealing for picky eaters.
Actually, there are some great products on the market that have already hidden the legumes for you.
For instance, you can buy protein-rich pasta (this or this) that is made with beans and make toddler mac and cheese for your toddler.
There are also gluten-free flours made with chickpeas or fava beans.
For many of these, your toddler will never know the difference!
However, you can also be upfront with your kids so they learn about the true taste and flavor of beans, and how versatile they can be.
This post about how to get veggies into toddlers has some other great tips!
If you want to take the hidden veggies route, here are some other ways to hide beans in food:
Beans can be served any time of day, emphasizing their versatility.
You can add black beans to your toddler’s omelet or chorizo breakfast casserole, toss edamame in a salad or a stir-fry, or include chickpeas in a yummy dessert, like frozen no bake cookie dough bites.
The possibilities really are endless.
We’ve got kid friendly black bean recipes and recipes using white beans.
There are sweet and savory ideas, crunchy and pureed ideas and more.
I hope you find these toddler bean recipes helpful. Report back and let us know what is your favorite!
More Kid Friendly Recipe Roundups:
Bean recipes for kids can be so versatile and a great way to get nutrients into your kiddos diet.
BBQ roasted chickpeas are the perfect crunchy snack, or easy to throw on salads, stir fries and more. Barbecue chickpeas are full of that barbecue flavor you know and love.
Gluten Free Strawberry Chickpea Flour Muffins are light and fluffy, yet high in protein. These chickpea flour muffins are gluten-free and ready in 30 minutes. They are perfect for on-the-go snacks and kids.
These healthy, vegan blondies are made with creamy peanut butter, Great Northern beans, and shredded carrots! Sneak in a few extra veggies with these gluten free treats.
This turkey taco quinoa skillet is an easy, delicious weeknight meal that comes together quickly. Made with cheese, quinoa, ground turkey, black beans, veggies, this cheesy taco skillet will be a new favorite!
This one pot vegan taco pasta is a weeknight dinner game-changer. It takes just 30 minutes from start to finish and has just 10 ingredients – plus it’s delicious! Our toddler has been loving this easy cheesy taco pasta, I hope you do too!
These colorful chickpea stuffed peppers are a great side or appetizer for groups. With melted cheese and spices, it's hard to put these down!
These black bean two bite brownies are rich, chocolatey and fudgy. The best part? They're also packed with plant based protein and fibre making them the perfect sweet snack or treat!
These Vegan Pumpkin Blondies are the perfect fall snack that appeal to kids and adults alike. Full of satiating fiber and protein, these healthy pumpkin bars are so easy they can be mixed in a blender.
These customizable sweet potato black bean nachos are great as a weeknight dinner, vegetarian nachos recipe, or football food. Easy to make for groups and great for kids!
Need dinner on the table quickly? This cheesy beef taco pasta is a family-favorite, combining the wonderful nutrition of plant-protein (black beans) and animal protein, to provide all the nutrients and flavor.
These Honey Baked Beans are a classic and delicious summer side dish that's perfect for barbecues, potlucks, or any summer gathering. Made from scratch with dried navy beans, this homemade baked bean recipe is a healthier and more flavorful alternative to canned honey baked beans.
This whipped avocado white bean dip is the perfect nutritious snack that's packed with flavor from the avocado, olive oil, garlic and lemon.
This 5-ingredient carrot salad with chickpeas, raisins, cilantro and almonds, tossed in a citrus ginger vinaigrette is perfect for any time of the year and for any meal.
This Sweet Potato Kale Hash recipe is an easy way to add veggies to your breakfast, and make the best vegan breakfast hash.
This white bean skillet recipe boasts a combination of white beans, tomatoes, veggies and pizza spices giving it a true flavor like its name, Pizza Beans! It's a delicious vegan cannellini bean recipe.
Easy Vegan Mexican Pizza is a delicious double-layered melty treat. It’s easy to make and flexible based on the ingredients you have at home. This recipe is made with corn tortillas and is gluten-free, or make it with whole wheat tortillas if you prefer.
A tasty cookie dough dip made with beans that's so delicious you wouldn't even know it!
Peruvian beans are known by many names, such as Peru beans, Peruano beans, and canary beans. They can be served in many ways!
Frozen cookie dough bites made with sweet potatoes, garbanzo beans, peanut butter and maple syrup are the best no bake cookie dough bites. Just take them out of the freezer and enjoy!
Crockpot Chicken Pumpkin Chili is the perfect white bean pumpkin chili with your choice of meat. Full of hearty protein, vegetables, fiber and vitamins, this pumpkin chili recipe is great for warming you up and keeping you nourished.
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