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These White Bean and Kale Patties are a quick and easy vegetarian meal! This kid and toddler friendly recipe is perfect to make ahead and freeze for later.
Hey friends! Today I am sharing a brand new recipe that I created to help get my toddler to eat more calcium: White Bean and Kale Patties! I have shared some other recipes perfect for babies and toddlers such as my Sweet Potato Kale Patties and my Healthy Peanut Butter Banana Muffins. They all came to be out of necessity – I need to feed my kid!
Before becoming a parent, I had NO IDEA that feeding a child would be so challenging! I was sure that he would instantly inherit my foodie ways, especially since I worked so hard to feed him a variety of healthy, homemade baby foods when he was an infant. Well, let me tell you, that isn’t the case. My child will only eat bread and fruit. He won’t even drink milk! I was so worried that he wasn’t getting enough calcium that I came up with this recipe which I lovingly refer to as a “calcium bomb”.
These White Bean and Kale Patties are full of high calcium foods!
After trying to get my son to drink milk to no avail, I started researching other high calcium foods. I soon discovered that beans and leafy greens are both high in calcium. I also read that Parmesan cheese has the highest calcium content of all types of cheese. Who knew?
High calcium foods
- Cannellini Beans – 54 mg per 100g
- Kale – 150 mg in 100g
- parmesan cheese – 1109 mg (!!!) in 100g
With all of these high calcium ingredients, each of these White Bean and Kale patties has about 168 mg of calcium. They also have about 9 grams of protein and 3 grams of fiber. So if you have a child that refuses to eat meat, veggies or drink milk – like I do – you might want to give these a try!
Please speak to your pediatrician if you have specific questions about your child’s nutrition! I am not a doctor or a nutritionist, just a mom sharing what I cook for my family.
These White Bean and Kale Patties can be eaten on their own with your favorite dipping sauce, or served as a burger with your favorite toppings. This vegetarian recipe is quick and easy, and also freezes very well. I like to make a batch and then freeze some for easy meals. To freeze, just allow them to cook completely, then individually wrap in plastic wrap and store in a freezer bag in the freezer for up to one month. Reheat in the microwave for 30-60 seconds.
White Bean and Kale Patties
Ingredients
- 15 oz. cannellini beans canned, drained and rinsed
- 4-6 oz. kale one bunch, steamed and chopped
- 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 2 eggs
- ½ cup Parmesan cheese grated
- 1/2 tsp Onion powder
- 1/2 tsp Garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 TBSP olive oil
Instructions
- In a large bowl, mash the cannellini beans. Add the eggs and whisk until combined.
- Whisk in Parmesan cheese, spices, salt and pepper, which to combine. Stir in Kale and finally breadcrumbs.
- Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Shape the mixture into 6-8 patties.
- Working in batches, add 3-4 patties to the skillet. Cook on one side for 4-6 minutes, until golden brown, then flip and repeat. Remove from skillet and repeat until all patties are cooked.
- Serve right away, or allow to cool completely, then wrap in plastic wrap and store in a freezer bag in the freezer for up to one month.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
So good. My 12 month old loved it. Did you add anything to the yogurt? Lemon? Salt?
So happy they loved it! I didn’t put anything in the yogurt but lemon or garlic might be nice depending on what your child likes!
Hi Meghan! This looks like a great recipe that I’m intrigued to try. (Loving all the protein and calcium!) One question – is it possible for you to run the nutrition stats without the added 1/2 tsp of salt? I’d like to start serving to my infant but the sodium is above recommended amounts for a kiddo under a year. I’m hoping that omitting the added salt will cut it until she hits 12 months and her ability to tolerate (and thus recommendations for what to give) goes up!
Hi Christine – the nutrition info is automatically calculated based on the ingredients listed, so I can’t generate custom nutrition info stats. But you should be able to plug the ingredients into a recipe maker (like in my fitness pal or lose it) using exactly the ingredients you plan to use to get the exact info you need! Hope that helps!
These burgers are a home run with my 1.5 year old. They’ve become a staple. Thank you!
Yay! So happy to hear that!
My daughter has a dairy allergy. Would these turn out okay without the Parmesan cheese?
Hi – yes, I think so! They might need something else for more flavor – do you ever use nutritional yeast? I haven’t tried it but it might be worth a shot.
How long can these be stored in the fridge, do you think? Thanks so much!
Hi Annie – I would say a few days. I like to freeze them so they last longer!
My picky 12-month-old LOVES these and they were also easy to make. Thank you!!
Oh yay, so happy to hear that!
Do you have an egg free substitution?
Hi, I don’t but some readers have used a flax egg! I’m not sure if they would stay together as well, but let us know if you try it!
Getting ready to make these again. Can they be baked in a hot oven?
Thanks
Hi, I haven’t tried it so I’m not sure! They won’t get a nice crust on them, but they will probably be fine!
We are vegetarians and have tried many veggie burger patties, both from the frozen section and making them from scratch. This is by far the easiest recipe and the best part is that the patties are nice and firm, so they don’t squish out of the burger buns. We left out the salt and replaced it with 1/2 to 1 tsp of chili powder. These really are fantastic and made 6 very substantial patties. Highly recommended!
Made these with my 2 year old granddaughter as my helper. They were easy to prepare and they tasted great. My granddaughter loved them.
Hi Backy – yay, I am so glad to hear that!