Oatmeal with Beets + Carrots for Baby & Toddler
Take the morning oatmeal game up a notch with this healthy, veggie-packed Oatmeal with Beets + Carrots + Raisins! Yummy oatmeal gets mixed with beets and carrots, spices, and raisins for a veggie-packed breakfast your toddler won’t be able to resist. Or blend it all up for a homemade baby food recipe. Two for one if you have a baby and a toddler – a win-win!
Sometimes, the name of the game is – how many vegetables can I possibly add to my toddler’s diet before she stops eating altogether? This usually stems from the fear that my toddler is going to turn into a giant banana, blueberry or gummy chews (damn you Costco for selling Amy’s Organic Gummy chews, in bulk!) from how many she consumes on a daily basis.
Sometimes the name of the game is – how can I use all of this left over produce that is hanging on for dear life in the back of my fridge because even though I had good intentions and went to the store on the weekend with my meal plan in hand, I somehow ended up at my local hamburger joint, every-single-night! You know it’s bad when the hostess starts bringing over 2 highchairs to your table before you even walk in the door.
Sometimes the name of the game is – how can I make the same old oatmeal a little more fun. I’ve tried apples, pears, blueberries, spinach (don’t even go there, so not worth it), strawberries and peaches. It’s almost the end of oatmeal season and I need something new and fresh to last me until the mornings are just too hot for oatmeal.
This game is about to go down because this oatmeal is going to sweep it all. I mean there is #nofilter on these photos – the oatmeal is that pink! I laughed out load when I served this to Ellie, who just stared wide-eyed at it and then in a low deep breath said ‘whhhooooooaaaaaaA!!!’! I think I made her day, but since she is still low on words but high in sound effects, I am going to take that as she just had her mind blown! Whoa!
You are probably either thinking one of two things right now 1)Michele, you are crazy and carrots and beets are the weirdest things ever to put into an oatmeal. 2) Michele, you are genius! Carrot and beets in oatmeal is the best idea ever!
I am going to say that I am number 2) but then again I am a little bias.
This recipe started off as my way to make oatmeal taste like carrot cake, because it is carrot cake season and I will forever only love carrot cake in the month of March. No other time of year. Yes, that part does make me weird. But when I got to the fridge I had forgotten that I had used my last carrots for a shaved carrot and beet salad for dinner the night before. Darn it! Good thing I had a little left over salad in there, so I tossed those into simmer oats, with a dash of cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg to round out the carrot cakeiness I wanted. Stirred it all up and laughed. Laughed because I had made something that was the most intense, shockingly pink color in the history of the sport of oatmeal making.
Here is where I lay it down even more.
Then, since I didn’t have anything for baby Parker to eat for breakfast, I took some of this oatmeal and pureed it in a blender for her (again I am still thinking 2) here!). Breakfast for Ellie, baby Parker and myself made in less then 10 minutes, with 2 vegetables, raisins and heart healthy oats and wrapped up in a shockingly pink package! Seriously, I think I need a gold trophy for this one!
Other toppings your toddler might enjoy on this:
- Swirl of maple syrup or honey
- Pinch of brown sugar
- Chopped pecans or almonds
- Sprinkle of chia seeds, flax seeds or hemp seeds
- Toss in some golden raisins
- Splash of milk
- Or if you want to go over the top – swirl in some cream cheese
Get the recipe: Oatmeal with Beets + Carrots
Ingredients
- 2 cups water or milk
- 1 cup old-fashioned oats
- 1/2 red beet, peeled and shredded
- 1 carrot, peeled and shredded
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp cloves
- 1/8 tsp nutmeg
- 2 tbsp raisins (optional)
Instructions
- In a medium saucepan, bring water to a boil over medium heat. Add the oats, beets, carrots, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg and raisins, stir and bring back to boil then turn heat to low and cover.
- Let cook for 10 minutes or until all the water is evaporated, stirring occasionally. Let cool slightly.
- For baby, add oatmeal to blender or food processor and puree until smooth. Add in extra water, breast milk or formula in 1/4 increments if needed.
- For toddler, add any other toppings and serve.
Notes
Did you make this recipe?
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12 Comments on “Oatmeal with Beets + Carrots for Baby & Toddler”
SO delicious. I used frozen strawberries and it came out great. I’ve noticed as it sits in the fridge, it gets more and more thick. It’s o nly been 1 day, but I scooped a small portion out a few times already. I added a splash of milk each time. Do you think that’s fine to add milk if baby is only 9 mo? I know they can’t drink milk until age one. Thanks for all the great recipes!
Yes, stored oatmeal that has been cooked will get thick. You can thin it out with a little breast milk, formula, milk (yes it’s okay to serve a little milk at 9 months) or water. Heat gently, add in the liquid and stir until you get desired texture. Hope that helps!
Baby and I both loved this oatmeal recipe!
So happy that you both like this recipe:)
Is the second pic just in puree consistency? I have a 5 month old 🙂 excited to try this one!
Yes, I pureed it for Parker when she was a baby and then left it as-is for Ellie and me.
Let me know how it goes.
Michele
Is the second pic just in puree consistency? I have a 5 month old 🙂 excited to try this one!
Yes, I pureed it for Parker when she was a baby and then left it as-is for Ellie and me.
Let me know how it goes.
Michele
Can I use golden beet instead of the red?
Yes!! It will be a little sweeter, but just as healthy!
xo, Michele
Can I use golden beet instead of the red?
Yes!! It will be a little sweeter, but just as healthy!
xo, Michele