This simple Egg Fried Rice for baby with veggies is a simple and delicious meal aimed at babies 10 months+ Watch them happily feed themselves
The best way to use leftover rice
My toddler, Kai, who is almost 2 years old, loves fried rice ever since he could chew. So by default, I would always order him a bowl of fried rice if we were eating out at an Asian restaurant. This is because I know he would eat it without fussing. Also on the plus side, we adults love fried rice too, so if there were any leftovers we would happily help him out!
The thing about eating out with Kai is I sometimes feel guilty not knowing what is actually going in his mouth. Yes, it’s fried rice, but I can’t see the hidden ingredients, so I wonder if I’m doing the right thing by him health-wise.
There are days where I feel so exhausted that cooking isn’t even an option. We parents can be so hard on ourselves and we should cut ourselves some slack. I’m sure our parents didn’t always feed us wholesome food and most of us turned out fine! However, in saying this, I feel a lot better when Kai is eating food I cooked for him because I’m in absolute control of what he is eating.
From seeing my recipes, you could probably tell that I adore cooking Asian cuisines. This means I often have leftover cooked rice, so when this happens, I do a fridge clean and make fried rice!
Fried rice is also brilliant because you can chuck everything in and it would most probably still taste delicious. I have posted a super scrumptious grownup Kimchi Fried Rice with Prawn and Pork recipe, but today it’s about our little ones!
Actually, fried rice is so easy and delicious that I don’t mind cooking two separate batches. One for Kai and one for us!
Change it up, make it healthy and delicious!
Fried rice is one of those dishes that kids will probably love, even as teenagers. We should use this to our advantage and change up our fried rice and open up their world into new tastes and textures.
I used vegetable oil, however, you could use healthier and less refined oils such as light or mild-tasting olive oil.
Get an early start and get your little ones in the habit of enjoying the taste of herbs and spices. Simply add some minced garlic or other mild herbs or spices to the fried rice. Just remember to start off with small amounts at a time as you don’t want to overwhelm them as they may reject the rice altogether.
To make the fried rice more filling, add more proteins into the fried rice such as tofu, kid-friendly ham, chicken or even seafood. This would keep them feeling full and satisfied for a while, which is great for older children.
Last but not least are the veggies! As they grow older, we hope they would accept more veggies. So get in there and sneakily add in some mushrooms, baby spinach or whatever you have. I always try my luck, hoping Kai would eat specific veggies. Sometimes it backfires, but sometimes it works!
I can’t believe he is almost 2!
Every day I watch Kai whilst he’s playing, eating, or whatever he’s doing, and beam with joy. I can’t help it because he’s beautiful and I can’t believe how lucky I am to have him. I want to savour every moment and never let it go because my once newborn son is now almost 2!
That once fragile tiny baby that depended on me for life is now running around screaming and causing havoc. Of course, my Kai had to reach his terrible twos early! We now have to endure at least 3 or more tantrums a day.
Every night we would read him two books we picked randomly. He was always obliging and loved lying between us while we read to him. Until a few nights ago! Kai decided the book we choose for him sucked, so he kicked up a stink and flipped himself over. He was more interested in the pillow. So yeah, ‘Old McDonald Had a Farm’ is no longer cool!
Kai has also shown traits of being a little bossy, that’s funny because my husband, Tomasi, often accuses of me being ‘very bossy’. When I take him to a park, I can’t sit down and watch him because I’m his lone cheer squad. I must clap and cheer for him every time he climbs up and reaches the top of his play equipment. Then he expects more claps once he slides down the slippery dip. If I forget, he would give me a scolding whilst he claps his hands furiously to remind me.
It’s always a new adventure for him and me! These precious moments make me grateful for choosing family over my career. I love watching him grow into a little man and seeing his personality shine through.
More recipe ideas for little ones:
Banana Porridge
Pasta Veggie Soup
Blueberry Puree
Lentils Veggie Mash
Ingredients for Egg Fried Rice for baby with veggies
Cooked rice – Chilled leftover cooked rice works best for making fried rice. Refrigerating the rice dries it out and makes it easier to fry and it’ll also prevent the rice from going mushy. I love using equal amounts of Jasmine rice mixed with brown rice, but any variety of rice would work.
Kecap Manis is an Indonesian sweet soy sauce. It has a syrupy consistency with a molasses-like flavour from palm sugar. Supermarkets usually stock kecap manis in the international section of the supermarket or next to soy sauce. For a less sweet alternative, swap kecap manis with an equal amount of regular soy sauce or salt-reduced soy sauce.
Frozen vegetables – My toddler’s favourite mix is peas and corn. For this post, I used mixed frozen veggies that had potatoes, broccoli, peas and corn. To be honest, he wasn’t a fan of this veggie mix, so stick with the veggies that you know your child would eat. Frozen veggies are best because it’s convenient and you don’t have to defrost it prior to cooking. Also, frozen veggies are softer in texture than fresh veggies, which is great if your child is still learning how to chew properly.
Subscribe to 3CatsFoodie’s FREE Newsletter
For the latest recipes and other fun stuff!
How to make Egg Fried Rice for baby with veggies
Step-by-step guide with photos
Crack the eggs into a bowl and give it a quick whisk with a folk. Heat half of the oil in a non-stick frying pan over medium heat and pour in the eggs. Stir occasionally until the eggs are no longer runny and fully cooked. Transfer the eggs into a bowl and set them aside.
Heat the remaining oil in a frying pan over medium to high heat. Add in the rice and use a wooden spoon to break up any lumps. Add in the veggies and stir to combine until heated through, then add in the cooked eggs and kecap manis (or soy sauce). Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring regularly until combined.
Leftovers – Allow the fried rice to cool completely at room temperature. Transfer the rice into an airtight container and refrigerate, it’ll be good for up to 3 days. Frozen fried rice will keep for up to 2 months.
I’ve used a third-party application to calculate the calories and nutritional information, so please use this as an approximate guide only.
Cooking measurements are in Australian standard spoon and cup measurements. For specific details and conversions, visit our Australian Cooking Measurements page.
I would love your feedback and support if you made this recipe. To do this, please rate this recipe and provide a comment by scrolling down this page or by clicking that green circle on the bottom left. An email address is required (for spam), but it won’t be published. I would also love to see your dish, so don’t forget to tag me on my Instagram account ‘3catsfoodie’
Cheers – Cat T
Watch my Prune and Pear Puree for Baby Video
Egg Fried Rice for baby
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil (divided into equal amounts)
- 2 large eggs
- 2 cups day old chilled cooked rice (NOTE 1)
- ½ cup frozen peas and corn (or veggies of choice) (NOTE 2)
- 1 tsp kecap manis (sweet soy sauce) (NOTE 3)
Instructions
- Crack the eggs into a bowl and give it a quick whisk with a folk. Heat half of the oil in a non-stick frying pan over medium heat and pour in the eggs. Stir occasionally until the eggs are no longer runny and fully cooked. Transfer the eggs into a bowl and set them aside.
- Heat the remaining oil in a frying pan over medium to high heat. Add in the rice and use a wooden spoon to break up any lumps. Add in the veggies and stir to combine until heated through, then add in the cooked eggs and kecap manis (or soy sauce). Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring regularly until combined.
