Easy and Healthy Quesadilla Recipe for Baby Led Weaning
I could go for a quesadilla anytime of the day and so could my baby! They are so versatile and can be packed with veggies and other tasty and nutritious add-ins. In this post I’ll cover when your baby can have quesadillas, how to serve your baby quesadillas, and a favorite quesadilla recipe for baby-led weaning.
- Quesadilla recipe for babies (12 months +)
- What is a quesadilla?
- When can babies eat quesadillas?
- How to serve quesadillas to babies by age
- When can babies eat tortillas?
- Are quesadillas a common choking hazard for babies?
- Are quesadillas healthy for babies?
- Are quesadillas a common allergen?
- Can quesadillas help babies poop?
- When can I give my kids tortilla chips?
- Best tips for serving quesadillas to babies
- Related Posts
Quesadilla recipe for babies (12 months +)
Babies who are 12+ months may be ready for a quesadilla filled with shredded meat, veggies, and cheese. See the recipe below for a quesadilla for baby-led weaning babies 12+ months.
Babies who are 9-12 months you may serve bite-sized cheese quesadillas and sides of meat, veggies and beans. A deconstructed quesadilla will be best for babies who are 6-9 months. See how to serve a deconstructed quesadilla below.
Quesadilla Recipe for Babies
These quesadillas are great for babies 12 months and up! For younger babies simply serve a deconstructed quesadilla.
Ingredients
- 1 chicken breast
- 1/2 sweet red bell pepper
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 1/2 tsp. paprika
- 1/2 tsp. cumin
- 1/4 tsp. garlic powder
- Small bunch fresh parsley
- 2 Corn tortillas
- 1/4 cup sliced mozzarella cheese
- 1/4 cup shredded swiss cheese
- 1/4 cup black beans (unsalted)
- Sour cream to serve
- 1 avocado to serve
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat.
- Finely chop the chicken breast, pepper, and parsley into small pieces that are the same size.
- Add the chicken, pepper, paprika, cumin, and garlic powder to the frying pan.
- Cook until the chicken is cooked through and the pepper is soft.
- Sprinkle the parsley into the pan and cook for 30 more seconds.
- Transfer meat and veggie mixture into a bowl and return the pan to the stove.
- Place a corn tortilla in the pan, sprinkle swiss and mozzarella cheese all over the tortilla. Spoon the meat and veggie mixture onto one half of the tortilla.
- Fold the tortilla in half to form a half circle shape, heat through until the cheese melts.
- Transfer quesadilla onto a cutting board. Cut into three even triangles or into bite-sized pieces, depending on what is easiest for your toddler to manage.
- Serve with sour cream or Greek yogurt for dipping.
- Enjoy!
What is a quesadilla?
A quesadilla is a tortilla (corn or wheat) filled with shredded cheese. If you’d like, you can add different ingredients such as black beans, pinto beans, bell peppers, avocado, sour cream, and a variety of meat and spices.
A traditional quesadilla is made with a homemade corn tortilla and cheese. To make a traditional quesadilla, you fill one tortilla with shredded cheese, fold it in half, and warm it on a griddle until golden brown on both sides.
When can babies eat quesadillas?
Quesadillas are a combination of many foods, and can be hard for a baby just starting solids to manage. Depending on what you serve in your quesadillas, I would recommend not serving a quesadilla until 9 months of age when your baby has more mature chewing and swallowing skills.
However, you can serve a deconstructed quesadilla starting at 6 months. See below on how to serve quesadillas to babies based on age
How to serve quesadillas to babies by age
When your baby shows signs of readiness to start solids (around 6 months of age), you can serve a deconstructed quesadilla. A deconstructed quesadilla is a great way to still allow younger babies to enjoy foods the whole family is eating but in a safe way.
Once your baby is showing more mature chewing and swallowing skills (closer to the 9 month mark) you may try cutting a quesadilla into bite-sized pieces. You can also serve sides of sour cream, beans, and veggies if you’d like at any age.
Here are suggestions to safely serve a quesadilla by age to your baby:
- 6-9 months: Deconstructed quesadilla
- on the side serve: strips of a corn tortilla, thin slices of low-sodium cheese, avocado, smashed beans, sour cream, and chicken (or other meat) cut into pieces the size and length of two adult fingers
- 9 months: bite-sized pieces of a low-sodium cheese filled corn tortilla
- on the side serve: you may serve avocado, smashed beans, cooked bite-sized bell peppers with skin and seeds removed, shredded chicken breasts, and sour cream
- 12 months +: bite-sized pieces of quesadillas on a corn or wheat tortilla
- you may add beans, veggies, and meat to the quesadilla and allow your toddler to eat what the family is eating
- you can cut quesadillas into fun shapes with a cookie cutter for older toddlers
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When can babies eat tortillas?
Corn tortillas can be a great, nutritious addition to your baby-led weaning menu when starting solid foods. They are also a perfect finger food. Eventually wheat flour tortillas can be safely offered too.
Babies under 12 months of age can better manage corn tortillas. Wheat tortillas can form a gummy ball and get stuck on the roof of the mouth or in the esophagus causing a choking hazard for babies.
At 6 months, when signs of readiness for solids are present, babies can have:
- soft corn tortillas
At 12 months of age and up, toddlers can have these tortillas:
- soft corn tortillas
- lightly cooked corn tortillas
- soft wheat tortillas
- lightly cooked wheat tortillas
How to serve tortillas to babies
How you cut the tortilla will depend on what grip your baby has. As always, when introducing a new food to your baby make sure they are in a safe eating environment. This consists of sitting upright in a high chair with a foot rest with minimal distractions.
If your baby has the palmar grasp (usually present from 6-9 months), the best way to serve a tortilla is to cut the tortilla in half or serve in long strips. If your baby has the pincer grasp, (usually present at 9 months and up) you can serve in bite-sized, small pieces. At 12 months of age your baby may be able to handle whole, soft tortillas depending on their chewing and swallowing skills.
To summarize, this is how to serve your baby tortillas:
- 6-9 months: half of the tortilla or in long strips
- 9-12 months: small bite-sized pieces
- 12+ months: whole, no modifications needed
Are corn or wheat tortillas better for babies?
For babies younger than 12 months of age, corn tortillas are often more easily managed than wheat tortillas. Corn tortillas break apart more easily whereas wheat tortillas can form a gummy ball and stick to the roof of the mouth.
Corn tortillas are a good source of fiber, iron, calcium, and B vitamins. Wheat tortillas can also be a good source of these nutrients, especially if you serve whole wheat tortillas.
All tortillas offer a good source of energy-dense carbohydrates, which all babies and kids need. So go ahead and choose the tortilla that your whole family enjoys!
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Are quesadillas a common choking hazard for babies?
No, quesadillas are not a common choking hazard. However, there are safe and unsafe ways to serve them depending on how old your baby is. Be sure to check out these other top foods babies should avoid through the first year.
It is not recommended to serve wheat tortillas to babies under 12 months of age because soft wheat tortillas (and bread) can form a gummy ball in the mouth and pose a choking risk.
Your baby can still participate on quesadilla night, you just have to make some modifications! For babies 6-9 months serve a deconstructed quesadilla (explained above). Once your baby is showing more mature chewing and swallowing skills (closer to the 9 month mark) try serving a quesadilla on a corn tortilla and cutting into bite-sized pieces.
At 12 months of age, most babies can manage a quesadilla made with a corn or wheat tortilla and filled with cheese, meat, and veggies. At this age you may be able to serve the quesadilla in triangles rather than bite-sized pieces as well. You know your baby best! Do what is most comfortable for you and your baby.
Are quesadillas healthy for babies?
Yes, depending on what you include in the quesadilla, they can be great sources of nutrients babies need like fat, iron, energy-dense carbohydrates, and lots of vitamins and minerals.
Are quesadillas a common allergen?
Yes, since quesadillas contain cheese, they do contain dairy which is a common allergen. If you are using a wheat tortilla, wheat is also a common allergen.
Learn how to reduce food allergies and how to introduce the top 9 allergens to babies in my linked post.
Can quesadillas help babies poop?
The tortilla and added veggies will be fiber-dense, especially if you use a whole wheat tortilla. This fiber can help move things through the digestive system. However, too much calcium from the cheese and sour cream can cause constipation.
Go easy on the cheese and sour cream if your baby is meeting calcium needs through other sources through the day.
When can I give my kids tortilla chips?
Tortilla chips (chips and hard snack foods in general) are common choking hazards for babies and kids. There really isn’t a specific recommended age that tortilla chips become safe for kids. Some kids have mature eating skills by 18 months and can safely handle a tortilla chip while other kids aren’t ready until 2-3 years of age.
What cheese is best for babies?
It’s best to limit sodium intake for babies and toddlers under 2 years of age. Focus on serving cheeses that have less than 100mg of sodium per serving. Cheeses that are lower in sodium include goat cheese, mascarpone, fresh mozzarella, ricotta, labneh, paneer, and swiss cheese.
At 12 months of age babies can have mold- or smear-ripened cheeses like brie. You can make these cheeses safer by heating them to an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit. Be sure to avoid any unpasteurized cheeses when serving to your baby.
Best tips for serving quesadillas to babies
Here is what we covered in this post on serving quesadillas and tortillas to babies:
- Corn tortillas are safer than wheat tortillas for babies under 12 months
- Serve a deconstructed quesadilla for babies 6-9 months
- Serve a corn and cheese quesadilla in bite-sized pieces for 9-12 month olds
- Serve bite-sized quesadilla pieces filled with your choice of cooked veggies, meat, and cheese to babies 12 months and up
- Quesadillas are a quick and nutritious meal for babies and the whole family
- Quesadillas are not common choking hazards
- The cheese and wheat tortillas are common allergens in quesadillas
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