Nothing in the fridge? Head to your freezer for this quick toddler meal.

This is one of my favorite quick toddler meals to throw together when I am in dire need of a trip to the food store, as I tend to always keep a bag or two of edamame in the freezer.

While I’m not a giant fan of giving soy to toddlers, edamame is such a nutritional powerhouse for a “I have nothing to feed you” kind of day, that I reserve it for those desperate times. A great balance of protein and carbs, it is also high in folate, choline, vitamin K, potassium, iron, magnesium, phosphorous, and manganese. Edamame also provides each of the essential amino acids, meaning it is a complete protein food.

Another bonus: Faye loves squishing the beans out of their pods. If you have a toddler who isn’t a fan of sitting at the table, this “activity” might help to settle them down.

INGREDIENTS

• For the Salted Edamame
  • 8oz frozen edamame in their shells (this is important as organic = a Non-GMO food)
  • 1/2 tsp or so of coarse sea salt (I used Artisan Salt Co.’s Alaea Hawaiian Sea Salt. A Fleur de Sel de Guérande would be nice, too.)
  • pot of water
• For the sides I cut up some cheddar cheese* and rinsed off some organic blackberries. Feel free to sub with whatever type of cheese and fruit your toddler enjoys or what you happen to have on hand OR skip this part altogether. The edamame contains calcium and is a fine enough lunch by itself.

*NEED IT DAIRY-FREE? Omit the cheese and sub with a coconut yogurt.

DIRECTIONS

1. Fill a medium-sized pot halfway with water. Cover. Set on the stove to heat on high until the water boils. TO SAVE TIME: Fill up an electric tea kettle with water and transfer the water to a medium-sized pot when it boils.
2. Add frozen edamame to the boiling water. Water temp will drop, but quickly return to a boil. When it does boil again, cook for 6 minutes uncovered.
3. While the edamame is cooking, cut up the cheese and wash the berries. Wash your knife and cutting board if you used one.
4. At the end of 6 minutes, remove the edamame from the water using a spider strainer (or slotted spoon if you don’t have one) and place on serving plate.
5. Sprinkle the salt around the edamame and serve hot alongside the cheese, berries, and a small bowl to collect the empty pods.