We were very lucky with our twins. When it came to trying new food, they would eat ANYTHING. To this day we laugh looking back at them attempting to scarf down their Dad’s pork chop at 9 months old — paella by 3 years old! However our youngest, who is 3, takes picky eating to a WHOLE other level. If it was up to him, his diet would consist of bread, butter, mac n cheese, and pirates booty. If it holds any nutritional value, theres a solid chance that he’ll refuse to eat it, which has forced me to get creative with sneaking healthy foods into his meals. Smoothies are my usual go to when discreetly adding fruits, vegetables, and/or supplements. After paying more attention to the ingredients in pre-made and processed food and being completely appalled by the additives and mystery natural flavors I’ve become even more motivated to create healthy, REAL food that will be beneficial for children’s health. This week we started with a classic staple kids meal – chicken nuggets.
This seems to be a trending recipe as I’ve seen it all over Instagram reels. We put our own spin on it with a few added spices and it is something that my kids ask me for almost every day now. Mom win! Check below for the recipe and be sure to tag me on Instagram if you give it a try! Would love to see any additions you do to make it your own and how it positively impacts your family’s health and nutrition goals.
Here’s what you need:
- 1-2 packages of ground chicken or turkey (I’ve tried both – chicken is definitely better but turkey is easier to find. Trader Joe’s currently has a great pasture raised ground chicken)
- 1 egg
- Panko or breadcrumbs
- Seasoning: salt, pepper, garlic, onion, paprika (I also added some of our local butcher’s bbq meat rub. It gave the nuggets a little zing of spice and extra flavor)
- Air fryer or oven (Air fryer is quicker and makes the nuggets a little toastier)
Instructions:
- First, you’ll need to add the ground chicken or turkey to a bowl
- Add the egg, and about a half cup of the panko or breadcrumbs
- Thoroughly mix everything together
- Once you’ve done that, start forming the nuggets with your hands and coating them with your breadcrumbs
- After that is complete, transfer your nuggets to your oven or air fryer. Cook the nuggets in the air fryer at 345 degrees for about 30 minutes. (I have never made these nuggets in the oven but my guess would be to bake them around 375 degrees for 30-40 minutes, then broil for 2-3 minutes to get that crunch)
- Let nuggets cool down, and enjoy with some ketchup, bbq sauce, or homemade ranch! (another recipe you can expect to see from us soon)
And that’s it! It takes a little bit of prep work but it is so worth it and your kids will love it just as much as you will!
You can view my Instagram Reel showing the step by steps for this recipe below:
