Can Babies Eat Quesadillas?

Quesadilla is a type of taco dish, made from a tortilla filled with cheese and with other meat and vegetable options, especially beans and spices, being cooked on a griddle. The traditional recipe is with a corn tortilla, but it can be substituted with flour tortillas.

Quesadillas have their origins in Mexico, where they are a flat circle of cooked corn tortilla, warmed to get soft enough to be folded in half and filled with Oaxaca cheese, then cooked on a plate called comal, until the cheese inside of the quesadilla is completely melted. In Mexico there are used other fillings as well, like potatoes, chorizo, mushrooms, and they use different ingredients as topping. Most popular toppings are avocados, guacamole, chopped tomatoes and onions. Vegetables are not only used as fillings or toppings, but they are also used to be served with quesadillas.

Quesadillas in the southwestern region of the U.S.A. are similar to grilled cheese sandwiches. The flour tortilla gets heated on a griddle, then it is flipped and sprinkled with grated cheese. Once the cheese is melted guacamole, shredded meat, onions and/or peppers are added and afterwards the tortilla is folded.

In some regions there are made dessert quesadillas, using sweet ingredients like chocolate, caramel, butterscotch and diced fruits. Another form is the breakfast quesadilla, made with eggs, cheese and usually bacon.

Quesadillas are high in calories, fat, protein and sodium. Depending on the filling and topping, they are a good source of different vitamins.

Are Quesadillas Ok For Babies?

Babies can have fun eating finger food sized quesadillas. If a quesadilla is prepared at home, you can control what fillings and toppings you use, transforming it into a pretty healthy food. Attention must be paid to the added salt or salt containing extra ingredients. Babies should not eat too much salt. Quesadillas can be given to babies, when they are already used to solid foods, in order to avoid choking.

Quesadilla Recipe

Ingredients: 2 flour tortillas, a handful of grated extra mature Cheddar cheese, 1/3 tin of red kidney beans, a small handful of fresh coriander, and a finely chopped large tomato.

Crush the beans with a fork and spread them onto a tortilla. Top the beans with the tomato and the coriander, and sprinkle over the Cheddar cheese. Top with the second tortilla and fry in a pan over medium heat until it starts to get brown on the bottom. Flip over and cook until it gets brown on the other side as well and until the cheese is well melted. Cut into small pieces, for your baby to be able to eat them.