Choose-Your-Own-Adventure Sesame Noodle Bowls
A kid-friendly, FUN, and low-effort meal that will win-over the whole family!
Putting three meals on the table day in and day out is no small feat. We don't know about you, but for us this seems to be especially true in the summer. Factor in snacks and all the extra things that come with summer (planning and prepping for summer vacations, more snacks, organizing summer camps, and the seemingly simple task of making summer magical for our kids!) and the idea of getting a balanced meal on the table the whole family will actually eat can seem like you're climbing a steep mountain.
We. Get. It.
Which leads us to our newest family-friendly recipe - Choose Your Own Adventure Sesame Noodle Bowls. These noodle bowls have been life savers and on repeat in our homes (and at the cabin) this summer.
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Watch how to make it here:
Why do we love DIY noodle bowls?
On top of being so delicious, it's a meal that really lends itself to being easily served 'family style'. If you're not familiar with this term, it simply means you present all the components of your meal on the table and allow each person to serve themselves (with some possible assistance). In other words, you're not "pre-plating" your kids' plates and then handing it to them at the table.
We find this style of feeding results in less pressure at meals for both children and caregivers! Less pressure means more comfort and ease at the dining table, ultimately, leading to less mealtime chaos.
And since the recipe can be adapted to so many different tastes, it's easy to ensure there's something on the table that each family member will enjoy. (side note - if they've gotta be selective, why can't siblings at least be picky about the same foods???)
Suggested Reading: Our #1 Defense Mechanism to Combat Picky Eating
Another reason we love this recipe is that it's almost a no-cook meal! Besides a cooked protein option (like chicken or shrimp) and some boiled noodles, there's no other heat required to get this recipe on the table because who wants to be in a hot kitchen on a gorgeous summer day? Not us!
If you're a fan of leftovers (who isn't other than Jessica's kids? lol) this recipe hits here too. The sauce keeps for a week in the fridge and most of the other ingredients, including the fresh veggies, will last well for a few days. We find cooking once and then eating two, three, or even four times not only means less meal time stress, but also less clean up and more time to enjoy beautiful summer weather!
This recipe also scales well. So, if you're hosting any large gatherings this summer, keep this one in your back pocket for a low-stress meal you can prepare ahead of time for all of your guests.
HOT TIP (pun most definitely intended): We actually love to do any 'heat-required' cooking for this recipe the night before we plan to serve this meal. Not only does this keep our houses cooler during the sunny day-time hours, but it also cuts down on the meal prep the next day. We're thinking of a packed lunch for the lake or a grab and go 'picnic at the park' dinner if you catch our drift!
How do I serve it to my baby?
We love nothing more than creating recipes you can feel confident in serving to every member of your family, including your babies! This recipe is no exception. If you have a little one at home simply serve the ingredients your baby is developmentally ready for in larger pieces and skip the sauce (there's too much salt and sugar - we recommend holding off on until your little one is a bit older).
As a heads up - some of the fresh veggies may need to be cooked in order for your baby to consume them safely. Here's an example of what a baby's plate could look like:
- Tofu or cooked chicken sliced in finger sized pieces, steamed-roasted carrot or beets in finger-sized pieces, sliced avocado (tossed in iron cereal for extra iron and grip), and cooked spaghetti noodles tossed in olive oil
Suggested Reading: When Can Babies Eat Pasta [+ best pasta for baby]
How do I serve it to my toddler?
This recipe is a winner for toddlers too. No need to leave the sauce out for kids one year and older. In fact, based on our experience, toddlers LOVE this sauce.
When serving these noodle bowls to your toddler, keep their chewing abilities in mind- chop things into bite-sized pieces. For the harder raw veggies shred on a cheese grater. Same idea with nuts - be sure to finely chop any whole nuts such as peanuts or almonds. Modifying hard foods, such as carrots, beets, and peanuts like this reduces the risk of choking.
Here's an example of what a toddler plate could look like:
- Cooked chicken, tofu, or shrimp in bite-sized pieces, shredded raw carrots and beets, thinly sliced bell peppers, chopped cucumber, finely chopped peanuts, cooked ramen noodles, and dressing (drizzled on top or on the side for dipping)
As a heads up, some kids may prefer to mix all the ingredients together, while others may be more comfortable keeping everything separated (including the sauce). Either option is great!
Cold Sesame Noodle Bowl FAQ
How long will the dressing last?
The dressing will last for up to seven days in your fridge.
What if we have a sesame allergy in our family?
You could swap the tahini for peanut butter, a nut butter or use something like WowButter or SunButter as an alternative. The taste will be different, but it will still be delicious.
What if we have a soy allergy in our family?
While we haven't tested it, using something like coconut aminos would work well in place of soy sauce.
While we truly do believe that parenting toddlers (which includes feeding!) can be magical, we also know it can be heavy, chaotic, stressful, exhausting and everything else in-between. That's why we created our course Feeding Toddlers Confidently - to be a place where parents of children ages one to eight years of age can feel validated in their struggles (and wins!) and learn evidenced-based strategies that will support them in feeding their kids. Because feeding is parenting. We would be honored to support you in transforming the journey of feeding your kids from one that is full of chaos, confusion, and contention to one that is calm(er!) and full of confidence and connection. Start here today!
Choose Your Own Adventure Cold Sesame Noodle Bowls
Ingredients
- Cooked noodles - you can use any variety you'd like such as spaghetti ramen noodles, rice, vermicelli noodles, soba noodles
Veggie Add Ins:
- Beets shredded
- Bell peppers sliced thinly
- Cabbage try Napa, Savoy or Red Cabbage
- Carrots julienned
- Snap peas sliced thinly
- Cucumber juliened
- Avocado
Protein:
- Chicken cooked
- Edamame
- Shrimp cooked
- Tofu
Garnishes
- Cilantro chopped
- Green onion sliced thinly
- Peanuts or your favorite nut chop for a toddler
- Sesame seeds
Dressing
- ½ cup canola oil
- ¼ cup rice vinegar
- 3 tablespoon water or more
- 2 tablespoon brown sugar
- 2 tablespoon soy sauce
- 2 tablespoon tahini
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon gochujang
- 1 pinky finger sized knob of fresh ginger
- 1 clove of garlic
Video
Notes
- To make the dressing: add all ingredients into a high speed blender. Blend for about 30 to 60 seconds until you have a smooth dressing. You can add more water to help obtain the desired consistency. Set the sauce aside
- For the noodles: prepare the noodles according to the package directions. Set the noodles aside. You are welcome to toss them with a bit of oil to prevent the noodles from sticking and clumping up together.
- For the vegetable toppings: slice all of the vegetables into thin strips or bite sized pieces. You can use a julienne for this as well. We recommend having atleast 3 types of vegetables but you can have less or more!
- Protein: you can choose to use any protein that feels tasty to you! Shrimp, tofu, edamame, cooked chicken are all options that will work beautifully. Just slice into bite sized pieces.
- To assemble: place noodles into your bow. Top with vegetables, protein, garnishes and then drizzle with sesame dressing.
Nutrition
If your toddler enjoys pasta, try this veggie-loaded marinara sauce next!
Thank you for a meal idea that both “friendly” for my kids, but also meets my needs for a more flavourful meal!
My kids LOVE it when we have a DIY situation at home. This is going to be great for when we're at the lake.
So glad to hear that this recipe interests you. We love it for warm weather days too!
Love this one so much because of how easy it was to modify for baby!
Yes, we love DIY bowl situations for mealtime!
Very tasty. Next time I’ll double the dressing!
Ohhh great idea!