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The Easiest Ever Baby and Toddler Lunch – Tuna and Sweetcorn Pasta Salad

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I first created thus recipe inthe midst of lockdown – remember that?! I was desperately trying to balance working from home full time with looking after two children under four which was extremely challenging and I was happy to take whatever shortcuts I could find, especially when it came to food prep.

This recipe is a SUPER simple lunch idea for both babies and toddlers. It’s still one of our go-to favourites today! It contains only three ingredients, takes around ten minutes to prepare and can be pre-made and thrown in the fridge for a healthy and nutritious meal, anytime of the day. Read on for my easiest ever baby and toddler lunch recipe – tuna and sweetcorn pasta salad.

Felix enjoying the tuna pasta salad for babies - feeding himself with a fork

A NUTRITIOUS, YET LAZY, TODDLER LUNCH

What I love about this recipe, is that it takes hardly any effort to prep at all, and yet is super nutritious for your baby or toddler.

The sweetcorn is packed full of vitamin C and folate, whilst the tuna is full of omega-3 fatty acids which are great for young brains.

felix eating tuna pasta salad for babies

Each ingredient can be found in your tinned food cupboard (or freezer) and easily combined to make a quick and healthy meal for your kids.

BATCH COOKING RECIPE 

This tuna and sweetcorn pasta salad recipe can be made in as big or small a quantity as you want, which means you can box some of it up for a healthy lunch or dinner the following day. I have always, and will always, be a big fan of batch cooking as it makes life so much easier for us Mums. 

Simple tuna pasta salad for babies on a Nuby plate

More baby led weaning pasta recipes:


ADDING A FEW EXTRA INGREDIENTS

You can of course add some extra ingredients to make this recipe even tastier – a good idea if you’re serving it to adults too.

felix eating tuna pasta salad for babies

A clove of garlic, some basil leaves, mozzarella chunks or a dollop of Dijon mayonnaise are all excellent additions to this recipe. It can also be served upon a bed of spinach leaves, if you’re looking to increase the number of greens in the recipe.

tuna pasta salad for babies and toddlers in a white bowl

WHAT TYPE OF PASTA IS BEST FOR BABIES?

We prefer to use fusilli when feeding the baby, as it’s easy enough for him to handle with his hands or cutlery. Penne is also another great option. We have never tried it with a noodle type pasta, such as spaghetti, so let me know if you do and what the result is!

Felix eating tuna pasta salad using a fork and his hands

WHAT DID THE KIDS THINK OF IT?

Unsurprisingly, this tuna and sweetcorn pasta salad is devoured by both our 18 month old and four year old, each time we serve it. The toddler prefers a bit of cheese in his, whereas the baby is happy for it to be served just as it is. It’s a great meal for him to practise using his cutlery skills and we love watching his poke his fork into the pasta!

WHAT PLATE DID YOU SERVE IT ON?

That’s a Nuby Sure Grip Miracle Plate. It’s not great at sticking to a highchair’s tray, but now that Felix uses his Nuby travel booster seat to eat at the table with us, we find that it sticks to our wooden Ikea table really, really well. 

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Nuby Travel Booster Seat, Folds Into A Handy Bag
  • Adjustable travel booster seat with 3-point harness & seat safety straps which converts into a handy, stylish bag
  • Comfortable soft foam cushion. easy clean, waterproof fabric
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  • Mesh pocket for storage including bottles, bibs, spoons or other on-the-go items.
  • Designed for children able to sit unaided from 6 months up to 36 months or maximum weight of 15kg/ 33.1lbs
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baby led weaning and toddler lunch tuna and sweetcorn pasta salad blw recipe
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Tuna pasta salad for babies - a simple toddler lunchtime recipe

The Easiest Ever Baby and Toddler Lunch – Tuna and Sweetcorn Pasta Salad


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4.7 from 3 reviews

  • Author: Nicola | Mummy to Dex
  • Total Time: 0 hours
  • Yield: 4 servings 1x

Description

Super simple tuna pasta salad recipe for babies and toddlers. This recipe can be created in a matter of minutes and is perfect for busy Mums!


Ingredients

Scale
  • 250 grams of fusilli pasta
  • handful of frozen sweetcorn
  • tin of tuna

Instructions

  1. Cook the pasta according to the packet instructions.
  2. Pour the sweetcorn into a bowl and cover with boiling water, leave to stand while the pasta cooks.
  3. Once the pasta is cooked, remove the water from the pan, add the sweetcorn and a tin of tuna. Mix together until thoroughly combined.
  4. Serve immediately, or once cooled, pop in the fridge for lunch or tea.

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1
  • Calories: 189
  • Sugar: 1
  • Sodium: 13
  • Fat: 1
  • Saturated Fat: 0
  • Unsaturated Fat: 1
  • Trans Fat: 0
  • Carbohydrates: 32
  • Fiber: 2
  • Protein: 12
  • Cholesterol: 10
Dexter and Nicola in the park

Author: Nicola Hughes

Nicola has weaned both of her boys using the baby led weaning method. She loves nothing better than creating simple recipes that anyone can recreate, using as few ingredients as possible. All of her recipes have been tried and tested by both Dexter and Felix and have their seal of approval!

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Hajarah batanda

Thursday 19th of November 2020

Thank you this was really informative as i searched google for a quick but different pasta meal for my 20month old. I have a 5 year old with cerebral palsy and can only eat blended food so any more recipes you may have that i can blend please email me or that i can batch cook. The boys love potatoes mashed too but i feel like batch cooking potatoes is not the same as fresh one. Thanks x