If you’ve ever tried to enjoy dinner with a toddler, you know it’s basically a mix of fine dining and wrestlemania. Tonight’s adventure? The HelloFresh Smart Sesame Beyond Meat Bowls.
My husband (the real chef of the house) whipped up this recipe while Roslyn, our 14-month-old, was in charge of quality control. Spoiler alert: she was very specific about what was acceptable.
Making the HelloFresh Smart Sesame Beyond Meat Bowls Baby Friendly
This HelloFresh recipe has a sesame-soy style sauce that comes with a little kick. For us adults, that was delicious. For Roslyn? That was a hard no. Toddlers plus spice equals instant drama. So we skipped the sauce for her and served the rest of the bowl plain.
Honestly, the meal is really easy to baby-modify:
- Sweet potatoes → Soft, naturally sweet, and basically toddler gold.
- Zucchini → Steamed and fork-friendly.
- Beyond Meat → High protein, just cut up small and keep the seasoning mild.
- Rice base → Always a solid filler, though Roslyn wasn’t interested this time.
I love how HelloFresh makes it simple to pull components apart for baby-friendly options. Even when a sauce is too spicy, there’s usually enough variety to make it work.
Roslyn’s Review: Vegetables for the Win
The star of the night for Roslyn was sweet potatoes. She gobbled them up like she was at an all-you-can-eat buffet. She also enjoyed zucchini, which is new for her because last week she was treating zucchini like it was suspicious alien food. Toddlers, am I right?
But here’s where the plot twist comes in: she wanted nothing to do with her highchair. Absolutely nothing. We tried snacks, her fork, even water—nope. She gave us the “how dare you” face the whole time. We still sat her there because part of the routine is just being at the table, but let’s just say this was not a relaxed family dinner.
And while my husband and I really enjoyed the sesame bowl flavor, Roslyn was unimpressed by anything that wasn’t a vegetable. Meat? Hard pass. Rice? Not even a nibble. Sauce? Forget it.
The Fork Obsession Continues
One win that keeps showing up in our HelloFresh journey: Roslyn LOVES using her little metal pickle fork. It makes her feel included because she sees us with our forks, and it keeps her engaged longer than finger foods alone. Tonight she speared zucchini like a champ.
For anyone with toddlers, I can’t recommend enough having a kid-sized version of your utensils. It’s a small thing that makes a big difference in keeping them engaged at the table.
Parent Verdict
The HelloFresh Smart Sesame Beyond Meat Bowls are a solid adult dinner with easy baby tweaks. For us: spicy, savory, filling. For Roslyn: veggie heaven (sweet potatoes and zucchini) with a side of highchair rebellion.
Sometimes, the win is just getting her to eat something. Tonight, vegetables carried the show. And honestly, I’ll take it.
Final Thoughts
One of the biggest things I’ve learned since starting these HelloFresh baby-friendly reviews is this: it’s less about each single meal and more about the overall week. Some nights Roslyn eats everything, other nights it’s bananas-only or bust. And that’s okay.
If you’re looking for a meal that can easily split into adult-spicy and baby-mild versions, the HelloFresh Smart Sesame Beyond Meat Bowls baby friendly option is worth it. Just don’t expect miracles when your toddler decides their highchair is the enemy.
