This well rounded recipe is a great source of protein along with vitamins and minerals. Not only do cranberries go great with chicken, but this healthy dipping sauce is a simple and flavorful way to incorporate additional vegetables into your child’s diet. Cranberries feature vitamin C, plus polyphenols, which collectively help to strengthen and maintain the immune and cardiovascular systems along with promoting brain development. For an overview of essential vitamins and minerals your child needs, check out our Nutrient Chart.

Depending on the toddler and adult size portions, this recipe will serve 4-6.

Here is what you will need to make this recipe:

• 1 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips
• 2 cup cranberry juice
• 1/4 cup dried cranberries
• 1 tsp grated fresh ginger
• 1 tbsp butter
• 2 tbsp finely diced shallots
• 1 clove minced garlic
• 1/4 cup carrots, peeled and cut into strips
• 1/4 cup parsnips, peeled and cut into strips
• salt and pepper to taste

Stir cranberry juice, cranberries, ginger and garlic in a large bowl and add chicken strips, cover and marinate in refrigerator 1 to 2 hours.

Note* If using chicken breasts or tenders, cut chicken  into strips.

While the chicken marinates, chop shallots.

Peel and chop carrots and parsnips.
Note* I cut both into strips, but I would recommend you chop them into smaller pieces for easier dipping.

Remove chicken from marinade, set marinade aside. Salt and pepper chicken to taste.

Melt butter in a medium saucepan. Add shallots and saute over medium heat until transparent.

Add saved marinade, bring to a boil, uncovered. Reduce heat and simmer 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until sauce is reduced by half.

Add parsnips and carrots. Simmer the sauce for 5 minutes or until the veggies are tender.

Grill chicken over medium-high heat 4 to 5 minutes per side or chicken reaches internal temperature of 165 degrees F.
Note* The chicken will have a pink tint from the marinade.

Serve with sauce on top or for happy fingers to dip.

Store the chicken and cranberry sauce separately in the refrigerator and reheat before serving.

Small but mighty. Berry Big Benefits For Babies.

The star of many Holiday Season meals, the cranberry is loved by babies and their moms year ‘round as a tasteful, healthy delight. Loaded with nutritious vitamins and minerals, cranberries feature vitamin C, plus polyphenols, which collectively help to strengthen and maintain the immune and cardiovascular systems, promote brain development, and help to prevent cancer and heart disease. Cranberries tend to be more acidic than many berries but most pediatricians encourage introducing this fruit to your little one beginning at eight months. Start with small portions to make sure cranberries settle well with your baby’s stomach – he or she will love the taste!

Not just for the Holidays.

The perfect mixing ingredient, cranberries go well with applesauce, yogurt, bananas, peaches and more, and are also a great side dish with chicken, pork, and other lean meats. Be sure to never serve cranberries raw – bake them or stew them in a saucepan and then simmer them in water. You may also bring water to a boil, add cranberries, then lower the heat until the cranberries “pop” after 15 minutes. Finally, cranberries are great by themselves when served as a puree. Best of all, cranberries may be frozen and will keep for up to 10 months, so your baby can enjoy this nutritious favorite all year long! Be sure to check out great cranberry recipes listed in the link below.

Interesting cranberry facts.

The cranberry is one of only a few fruits native to North America. Dutch and German settlers originally called the fruit a “crane berry” due to its resemblance on the vine to the head and bill of a crane. Native Americans mixed deer meat with cranberries to make “pemmican”, a long-lasting cake that helped them survive harsh winters. Early American sailors depended on the cranberry’s abundance of vitamin C to help prevent scurvy. Americans consume nearly 400 million pounds of cranberries each year with about 20% of this number prepared during Thanksgiving week alone!

Try one of these delicious cranberry recipes the next time you’re looking for a new recipe for your family or little one.

• Cranberry Ginger Grilled Chicken Fingers
• Kids Choice Cranberry Sauce
• Cranberry Smoothie