Baked beans are a common side dish on children’s menus when eating out, and I’d definitely prefer then over the even more common chips, but they can be very high in salt and sugar, even the low-salt/low-sugar varieties. Making your own isn’t difficult. You’ll know exactly what your little one is eating, and they also freeze well so you can cook up a big batch.
Check your tinned tomatoes for other ingredients as some brands do have added salt and/or sugar. For babies under a year old, omit the golden syrup/honey and the Worcestershire sauce; you could also mash or puree the beans after cooking to make it easier for them to eat.
I added some diced yellow pepper for colour as well as to add another vegetable. You could add other finely chopped vegetables like carrot or celery.
HOMEMADE BAKED BEANS
Prep time: 10 mins
Cook time: 15 mins
Makes 4 – 6 toddler servings
Freezable
1 tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
1 clove garlic, crushed
1/2 yellow pepper, diced
1 tin chopped tomatoes
1 tin (about 400g) cannolini beans
1 tin (about 400g) harricot beans
1 tbsp golden syrup or honey
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
a pinch of salt
Heat the oil over a medium heat. Add the onion, garlic and pepper, and cook for about 5 mins until the onion and peppers are soft.
Add the tomatoes, beans, golden syrup and Worcestershire sauce. Stir and cook for another 10 mins until the sauce has reduced and thickened a little. Taste and add a pinch of salt if desired.
Variations:
- for older little ones, add some chopped bacon or pieces of sausage to the onion, garlic and pepper
- add other vegetables such as carrots or celery
Other uses:
- have as a baked potato filling
- puree and use as a sauce over pasta or rice
thegingerbreadmum 