On the shelves of any grocery store there are many so-called “canned” purees from a wide variety of different types vegetables The price of one serving of 100-200 g is comparable to the cost of several kilograms of fresh seasonal vegetables, so many mothers save money by preparing homemade purees for their children. Try it, it's very simple!
What vegetables are needed for puree?
Introduce vegetables to your baby’s menu in the following order:
- Prepare your baby's first purees from zucchini, broccoli or cauliflower.
- If your child is not prone to allergies to orange and red foods, pumpkin, carrots and beets are also suitable options.
- For older children use green beans, green peas and spinach.
- Introduce tomatoes into your baby's diet with extreme caution. bell pepper or eggplants.
- Cook white cabbage and potatoes not separately, but as part of other dishes.
Where to get vegetables for puree
Children's menu requires special care in choosing products. For example, it is better to avoid imported vegetables for now. Follow our recommendations:
- Vegetables, like other products, must be of the highest quality.
- The ideal products for your baby are those grown on your own farm.
- If you don’t have a garden or a summer house, buy everything you need at the market from grandmothers who are “private owners.”
- For complementary feeding in winter and spring, use frozen vegetables.
- Small children eat very little, so all the vegetables for winter and spring will fit even in a small freezer, and homemade zucchini You won't find it on sale in March.
Ingredients and utensils
To prepare the puree you will need:
- Water. Preferably spring or bottled “children’s”, in extreme cases filtered or settled from the tap.
- Vegetables. To begin with, a small amount is enough - a couple of cauliflower inflorescences or 50 g of zucchini.
- Breast milk or prepared formula - one tablespoon.
- The saucepan is preferably enameled.
- A masher, fork, sieve or blender - for grinding the finished dish.
Do not use salt or other spices - vegetables themselves have a fairly pronounced taste and the amount of salt necessary for the human body.
Recipe for vegetable puree for a 6 month old baby
For your first complementary foods, take one type of vegetable at a time; after a few weeks you will be able to prepare more complex dishes:
- Place a saucepan of water on the fire and bring to a boil.
- Wash and peel the vegetables well, cut or separate into florets.
- Place vegetables in water. During cooking, reduce the heat so that the water gurgles slightly and does not bubble. Check the degree of readiness of vegetables with a fork: if you can pierce them, it means they are cooked. Be careful: you cannot overcook vegetables.
- Remove the vegetables with a slotted spoon and place in a blender or clean bowl. Do not pour water out of the pan: you may still need it.
- Make a smooth puree. If you don't have a blender, use a sieve. If the puree turns out dry, add a spoonful of vegetable broth to turn your dish into a pureed soup.
- Express some breast milk or prepare 30 g of formula. Add to puree.
- Stir. Serve with a smile and kisses!
Recipe for vegetable puree for a child from 6 months to a year
For a child who has already mastered “adult” cuisine a little, prepare a more complex dish:
- Put cold water(1 l) in a saucepan on fire.
- Finely chop a quarter of a medium carrot and a small onion, other root vegetables, and place in a saucepan.
- While the vegetable broth is cooking, wash, peel and cut the zucchini, cauliflower, and other types of vegetables well. Approximate total weight – up to 300 g.
- Cook all vegetables over low heat until tender. Before removing the pan from the heat, add some dill.
- Rub the finished puree with a masher or blender, pour in a little broth if necessary. A child under one year old already has several teeth, so you don’t have to worry about the uniformity of the puree: leave a variety of lumps or grains.
- To the dish, depending on the diet and preferences of the child, add breast milk, mixture, olive or butter, sour or fresh cow's or goat's milk.
- Serve the puree separately or in combination with meat/fish.
The baby's dish is ready!
Any parent can prepare delicious puree for children.
You just need to familiarize yourself with the secrets of proper cooking.
How to prepare puree for a child?
The dish is prepared from vegetables, dietary meat or a mixture of these products. It is recommended to use zucchini, broccoli, beets, carrots, cauliflower, and potatoes. Vegetables should be washed thoroughly in water. Next, peel off the top layer. Then rinse again in boiled water.
It is better to cook the ingredients in a glass or ceramic vessel with a small amount of water. The liquid should slightly cover the food. Each type of vegetable requires a different amount of time to cook. This needs to be taken into account. It is not advisable to cook different vegetables in the same container. It is better to choose a separate pan for each fruit. Then neither the taste nor the aromatic properties of the ingredients will mix.
As soon as the vegetables are ready, they need to be pressed through a sieve. A blender is also used to grind the mixture. If the puree is too thick, you need to add a small amount of milk, vegetable broth or boiled water. At the very end, add a small piece of butter or a little vegetable oil. In purees for children over 12 months old, it is recommended to add yolk and carefully chopped greens. There is no need to add salt and sugar to the first feeding puree.
How to prepare meat puree for a child? For this dish you need to choose lean poultry, rabbit or horse meat. The raw ingredient should be washed thoroughly under running water. cold water. There is no need to place the meat in water in advance. It is necessary to remove tendons, excess fat and films to make the dish soft.
The meat must be chopped into small pieces across the grain and placed in a pan with cold water. When the water boils, it must be drained. Next, wash the meat slices and collect new water. Blend the finished product in a blender until pureed. After the mass has cooled completely, add a little broth in which the meat was cooked. Sprinkling seasonings is not recommended. You can add vegetables to the main product, after boiling them and grinding them into puree.
It is worth paying attention to the fact that food for a child over 1 year old does not need to be crushed. After all, the baby needs to learn to chew food.
Before serving the puree to your child, you should try the delicacy yourself. This will avoid such troubles as feeding a cold product or scalding with hot food.
Meat baby puree
Ingredients
saline solution– 2 ml
boiled meat – 170 g
low-fat milk – 12 ml
butter – 6 g
flour – 4 g
Cooking method
1. Grind the boiled meat in a meat grinder.
2. Dry the flour to a pale cream color.
3. Brew with hot milk.
4. Stir the mixture thoroughly.
5. Mix the mixture with chopped meat.
6. Add the required portion of oil.
7. Pour in the saline solution.
8. Grind the mixture until pureed.
9. Place the dishes and contents into a container of boiling water.
How to prepare delicious vegetable puree for your child
Ingredients
carrots – 70 gr.
cabbage – 55 gr.
potatoes – 75 gr.
turnip – 190 gr.
milk – 130 ml
sugar – 11 gr.
butter – 7 gr.
sea salt – 3 gr.
Cooking method
1. Wash the carrots.
2. Remove upper layer.
3. Rinse the cabbage under running water.
4. Remove the skin from the turnips.
5. Place vegetables in a saucepan.
6. Pour a small amount of water into it.
7. Pour in half the amount of sugar.
8. Cook vegetables for 20 minutes. Stir.
9. If necessary, add water.
10. Remove the skins from the potatoes. Wash.
11. Slice in large pieces.
12. Place in a pan with a mixture of vegetables.
13. Cook the dish for 30 minutes.
14. Press the cooked ingredients through a sieve.
15. Pour the milk into a separate container. Heat.
16. Pour into puree.
17. Add salt.
18. Boil the mixture.
19. Add the indicated portion of butter to the finished puree mass.
20. Whisk until the mixture is lump-free.
Purees for the little ones
Ingredients
fructose – 8 g
carrots – 65 g
breast milk – 78 ml
zucchini squash – 110 g
Cooking method
1. Wash the vegetables well.
2. Place in a saucepan.
3. Fill completely with water.
4. Place the container on fire.
5. Boil the ingredients until all the liquid has evaporated.
6. Pour milk over the boiled vegetables.
7. Add fructose.
8. Beat the mass in a blender.
9. Serve the puree warm.
How to prepare baby vegetable puree with beef
Ingredients
beef – 110 g
new potatoes – 120 g
carrots – 45 g
Cooking method
1. Chop the meat into medium pieces.
2. Boil until done. Don't forget to remove the foam.
3. Cut the thin skin off the potatoes.
4. Chop into strips.
5. Remove the top layer from the carrots.
6. Cut into cubes.
7. Add to the container when the meat is almost ready.
8. Grind the cooked meat in a food processor with a special attachment.
9. Pour the mixture over the vegetables.
10. Grind using a masher.
11. When the potatoes cool, the mashed potatoes will thicken slightly.
12. Lunch for the child is ready to eat.
How to prepare vegetable puree for a baby from 5.5 months
Ingredients
broccoli – 320 g
Cooking method
1. Peel the cabbage.
2. Divide into inflorescences.
3. Pour boiling water.
4. Cook in a small amount of water until soft for about 9 minutes.
5. Pour the broth into a separate bowl.
6. While warm, rub the cabbage pieces through a sieve.
7. Dilute the too thick mass to the required consistency by adding a decoction.
8. Pour breast milk into it.
How to make tongue puree
Ingredients
Boiled beef tongue – 220 g
Cooking method
1. Rinse your tongue.
2. Place in a saucepan.
3. Fill with water. Cook for 3 hours.
4. Place in cold water for 5 minutes.
5. Remove the ingredient from the skin on all sides.
6. Chop into medium-sized pieces.
7. Grind into puree.
8. Add boiled water.
9. Serve the dish with a delicate consistency for dinner.
How to make baby meat puree
Ingredients
young veal meat – 65 g
vegetable broth – 55 ml
butter – 12 g
greens – 8 g
Cooking method
1. Wash the meat thoroughly.
2. Cut out bones and tendons.
3. Grind the fillet.
4. Place the pieces in a small container.
5. Simmer until done.
6. Cool the finished meat.
7. Scroll through a meat grinder with a mince attachment.
8. Press the resulting mass through a sieve.
9. Add broth.
10. Add a pinch of salt.
11. Bring the mixture to a boil.
12. Stir.
13. Put butter.
14. Add chopped dill and parsley.
15. Flavored puree for children can be served for lunch.
How to prepare vegetable puree for a child with dietary meat
Ingredients
milk – 26 ml
butter – 2 g
lean meat – 55 g
wheat flour – 5 g
potatoes – 95 g
meat broth – 66 ml
Cooking method
1. Wash the meat.
2. Chop into medium-sized pieces.
3. Place in a saucepan with hot water.
4. Cook with closed lid.
5. Sauté the onion.
6. Grind the cooked fillet and peeled onion through a meat grinder.
7. Place in a saucepan.
8. Pour the broth there.
9. Cook for 4 minutes with constant stirring.
10. Pour the browned flour onto a dish.
11. Pour in a small portion of broth.
12. Stir the mixture.
13. Pour into meat.
14. Cook the dish for 6 minutes.
15. Add butter.
How to prepare baby meat puree with rice cereal
Ingredients
rice – 44 g
butter – 13 g
milk – 130 ml
salt – 1 g
young and fresh veal meat – 105 g
Cooking method
1. Separate the meat from the film.
2. Cut the pieces into middle pieces.
3. Boil in a saucepan with water. Cook for 50 minutes.
4. Rinse the rice in clean water.
5. Boil in a separate bowl.
6. Grind the finished rice through a meat grinder.
7. Grind the minced meat using a meat grinder.
8. Mix rice with minced meat puree with a blender.
9. Place the finished mixture in a deep saucepan.
10. Pour milk into it.
11. Add salt.
12. Mix ingredients. Bring the mixture to a boil.
13. When the baby puree is ready, add the required portion of butter.
14. Appetizing dish ready. You can feed the baby.
If several types of vegetables are cooked in a container, they must be added gradually. After all, every product has at different speeds softening.
A dish made from different types of vegetables will be healthier for your baby.
It is better not to add salt to test portions of puree for children.
You can add a few milliliters of sunflower oil to a dish prepared for children over 7 months old.
Spicy herbs and feathers onions It is better to finely chop or beat together with other ingredients using a blender.
Creamy and vegetable oil, as well as breast milk is added to purees to increase its calorie content.
Too thick a mass can be diluted with boiled water or vegetable broth.
During preparation mashed potatoes, it is better to place the potato cubes in a container with cold water. When you cook the product immediately in hot water, the outer layer of each slice will be more watery. This will affect the taste of the finished treat.
Zucchini and cabbage puree is low in calories and is more suitable for feeding an overweight baby.
You can add iodized salt to purees for children in the second year of life.
To improve the nutritional properties of purees for children, it is recommended to beat in the yolk. The product must be whipped in a hot liquid and then added to the dish without bringing it to a boil.
It is not recommended to reheat mashed potatoes that the baby has not finished eating. Treats may contain germs.
Even after thorough chopping, cauliflower retains its graininess.
It is advisable to serve the puree immediately after preparation. The longer a dish sits, the less vitamins it contains.
You can dilute too thick puree with special baby water.
Vegetables and meat must be of only the highest quality. The ideal option is products grown independently.
To prepare the puree, it is advisable to use spring or filtered water.
Vegetable purees, as a rule, become the first complementary foods for a baby. They satisfy the baby's growing body's need for vitamins, vegetable protein, dietary fiber... In a word, purees are very healthy, especially if they are made with love at home :)
Mashed potatoes (from 5 months)
Ingredients: 2 potatoes, 4 tablespoons of milk (breast or formula), 1 teaspoon of butter.
Preparation: wash the potatoes well. Peel it. Wash again. Steam the potatoes or bake them in the oven until soft. Rub the still hot potatoes through a sieve or grind in a blender. While whisking the potatoes, gradually pour in the hot milk. Place the resulting puree on the fire and boil for another 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat and add butter. Refrigerate.
Cauliflower and zucchini puree (from 6 months)
Ingredients: 50 g cauliflower, 60 g zucchini, 2 tablespoons of milk (breast or formula), half a teaspoon of vegetable oil.
Preparation: Rinse the vegetables well with running water. Peel the cabbage and divide it into small florets. Cut the zucchini into small pieces. Place the vegetables in an enamel pan. Pour boiling water over everything so that the water completely covers the vegetables.
Close the lid and cook until full readiness. Rub the still hot vegetables with the broth through a sieve until smooth. You can use a blender. Add hot milk to the puree. Boil for another 1-2 minutes. Add vegetable oil to the finished puree and mix.
Carrot and potato puree (from 7 months)
Ingredients: 2 potatoes, 1 carrot, 4 tablespoons of milk (breast or formula), 1 teaspoon of vegetable oil.
Preparation: Wash the carrots and potatoes well. Clean and wash again. Cut the vegetables into cubes. Place them in an enamel pan. Pour boiling water so that the water covers the vegetables. Cook the vegetables over low heat, covered, until tender.
Rub hot vegetables through a sieve until smooth. You can use a blender. Add milk, salt, vegetable oil to the puree. Bring to a boil, remove from heat and cool.
Carrot puree (from 7 months)
Ingredients: 1 medium carrot hot water, 2 tablespoons milk (breast or formula), 1/2 teaspoon butter.
Preparation: Wash the carrots well, peel them, wash them again. Cut the washed carrots into cubes, place them in an enamel pan, pour boiling water so that the water covers the carrots. Steam or simmer the carrots, covered, until the carrots are cooked through and the water has evaporated.
Rub the hot carrots through a sieve until smooth. You can grind carrots in a blender. Add butter, hot milk and mix everything. Boil for another 2-3 minutes. Cool before serving.
Zucchini and chicken puree (from 9 months)
Ingredients: 150 – 200 g zucchini pulp, 50 g boiled white meat chicken or turkey, 1/2 cup milk, 1 tablespoon butter.
Preparation: Wash the zucchini well. Peel it and cut into small slices. Steam until fully cooked. While hot, grind the zucchini through a sieve until smooth. Mix with chopped poultry until smooth. Pour in hot milk, add salt and boil for another 2-3 minutes. Add butter to the finished puree.
Cauliflower puree with milk (from 6 months)
Ingredients: 100 g cauliflower, 2 tablespoons of milk (breast or formula), half a teaspoon of vegetable oil.
Ingredients: Rinse the cauliflower well. Cut it into florets. Remove green leaves. Place small cauliflower florets in an enamel pan. Pour boiling water over it so that the cabbage is completely submerged in water. Close the lid and simmer until the cabbage is cooked and the water has completely evaporated.
Rub the hot cabbage through a sieve until smooth. You can use a blender. Add hot milk to the puree and boil for another 1-2 minutes. Add vegetable oil to the prepared hot puree.
Apple-pumpkin puree (from 6 months)
Ingredients: 100 g pumpkin pulp, 1 apple, 1 teaspoon butter.
Preparation: Rinse the pumpkin and apple well. Peel off the peel and remove the seeds. Cut the fruit into pieces. Pour water over the pumpkin and cook over low heat, covered, until soft. Add an apple. Cook for another 10 minutes. Grate the still hot fruits on a fine grater along with the broth until smooth. You can use a blender. Boil the puree for another 102 minutes. Cool, add butter and serve.
Puree of potatoes, carrots, cabbage, beets and pumpkin (from 8 months)
Ingredients: 1/5 potato, 30 g each of carrots, pumpkin, beets, white cabbage, 2 tablespoons of milk (breast or mixture), half a teaspoon of vegetable oil.
Preparation: wash the vegetables thoroughly. Peel them and cut them into small pieces. Place the chopped vegetables in an enamel pan, add water, cover with a lid and simmer over low heat. Water should not be allowed to completely evaporate. When the vegetables become soft, rub them hot through a sieve until smooth. You can use a blender. Add hot milk to the puree and bring everything to a boil. Add vegetable oil.
Bon appetit!
Your baby is already ready to try something new when he is no longer full of his usual mother’s milk or formula; if he shows interest in your food, he can grab a piece and put it in his mouth. This usually occurs between about 5 and 9 months of age. So, it's time to introduce your child to vegetables. And for this you need to find out how to prepare vegetable puree for the first complementary feeding yourself or choose the right ready-made one, when to give it and what to expect from this innovation.
First vegetable puree: when and what to give
On the issue of complementary feeding - the timing of its start and the choice of ingredient - baby nutrition specialists do not have a common opinion. Much depends on the health status of each baby, the individual pace of its development and the method of feeding.
If your baby is fed breast milk, he will not need anything else until he is six months old. And after six months, mother’s milk alone is not enough to provide the developing baby’s body with all the important substances. Then it comes " finest hour» vegetable puree. By this time, not quite strong digestive system is already able to handle a new product without the risk of gas or diarrhea. For kids on artificial feeding the most suitable time is the age of 4 or 4.5 months.
By the way, the actual timing of the introduction of vegetable complementary foods differs in different parts of the world: in Europe, for example, this occurs at 3-4 months of a baby’s life. In particular, German pediatricians do not hide the fact that the goal of these activities is the gradual persistent weaning of the child from the breast to a more advanced age. early date, mainly so that my mother could return to work sooner.
Its time to begin
Your baby can already try vegetable puree if:
- his weight has doubled since birth;
- he can eat in an upright position;
- he can chew food with large pieces.
Experts recommend starting complementary feeding with vegetables, not fruits. Otherwise, an early addiction to sweets will form, followed by a refusal of other healthy foods, caries may develop and metabolism may deteriorate (plus an extra load on the pancreas and kidneys). Vegetables are less “interesting” than fruits, but they contain all the vitamins and microelements necessary for growth.
If your baby’s weight gain is poor, the pediatrician may recommend introducing porridge into the diet first. In other cases, vegetables are the best option.
It is better to start giving vegetable puree in the first half of the day so that you have time to monitor the child’s condition and track possible consequences feeding (allergies or digestive problems).
It’s okay if the baby turns away from the spoon, cries or spits out healthy food - just give him a little time and try these methods:
- give new food at the next feeding or after a couple of days;
- add some breast milk/formula to make the taste more familiar;
- After a few days, give a puree of another type of vegetable.
You can feed your baby little by little, more than once or twice. Experience shows that children may agree to try puree only after ten or even fifteen unsuccessful attempts. But refuse to introduce complementary foods if the child is unwell or has Bad mood: He is unlikely to respond positively to experiments with his menu.
First vegetables
So, what vegetables should you start feeding with? With so many products to choose from, it can be difficult to know which ones are best for your baby and which ones you should hold off on. It is most convenient to use the universal advice of children's nutritionists, who have studied suitable vegetables for first feeding, their composition and beneficial features, and also determined the risk of an allergic reaction.
| Type of vegetable | Characteristics | Allergy risk |
|---|---|---|
| Zucchini/squash | Useful for children prone to allergies. Removes excess water from the body. Suitable for overweight children. Not recommended for loose stools | Short |
| Cauliflower | Contains a high proportion of vitamin C, it has a lot of iron and protein. Suitable for overweight children | |
| Broccoli | Broccoli | |
| Potato | It contains potassium, phosphorus, and vitamins. High in calories. Lots of starch (to remove excess starch, you need to soak it in water for an hour before cooking). It is better to consume in small quantities. Not recommended for constipation | Average |
| Carrot | It contains more vitamin A than other vegetables (which is why it is good for the eyes), and many natural antibiotics. It has a pleasant taste. It is better to start feeding with boiled carrots |
|
| Pumpkin | Saturated with pectin and vitamins. Low in calories. Suitable for overweight children |
When deciding which vegetable puree is best to start complementary feeding with, give preference to zucchini, cauliflower or broccoli. After two weeks, when you are sure that the child is used to it, try giving him pureed pumpkin, carrots, white cabbage, green peas or spinach. Beets, tomatoes, and onions are offered from 9-10 months, when the child’s body can perceive them normally, and do this with caution, because they can cause allergies.
You need to choose foods especially carefully if the baby’s father or mother has had or has food allergies.
Vegetable purees from 4 months, and generally at the beginning of complementary feeding, should be monocomponent (from one specific vegetable). After becoming familiar with the listed products, if there is no negative reaction, you can offer your child multi-component nutrition.
Complementary feeding scheme
From the very beginning, vegetable puree should be an independent meal - breakfast or lunch. Vegetables will become a side dish only when meat and fish appear in your child’s diet.
So, a new dish should be included in the children's menu gradually, almost imperceptibly. When you introduce vegetable puree to complementary foods, the feeding pattern may look like this.
- Start in the morning with 1/2 teaspoon, then feed your baby breast milk/formula. Every day, double the volume and bring it to 50-100 ml, if the baby’s well-being and stool character have not changed.
- If the baby no longer wants to eat, do not insist - immediately offer him his usual food (breast milk, formula).
- If a negative reaction occurs (redness/rash/itching, diarrhea/constipation, abdominal pain) - discontinue the product, wait until the symptoms disappear and try another.
- Have you had a reaction to an increased amount of a product that was previously perceived as normal? Stop for a couple of days and then return to the previous amount of food.
- After the first week (with feeling normal child) completely replace one feeding with vegetables. Over the next seven days, adaptation to the new food will occur.
- How to introduce vegetables into complementary foods: each the new kind add one at a time to your diet, after 7 days (this makes it easier to track a possible reaction and understand what exactly it occurred to; it is recommended to keep records - date, type of food, dosage, reaction).
A “microdose” at the very beginning is the best solution. And the slower the volume per feeding increases, the less likely it is that the child will develop diathesis.
Buy or cook
Factory-made baby food is recommended for consumption by leading global and domestic health organizations. European and Russian manufacturers provide products of the highest quality, so the choice of parents depends only on their preferences and financial capabilities.
When purchasing ready-made baby food in a store, you should pay attention to:
- integrity of the packaging (no dents, tightly closed lid);
- color of the contents (if it can be seen through the packaging);
- markings on labels (minimum age of the child, expiration date, manufacturer’s contacts);
- compound.
Ideally, vegetable puree has an optimal uniform structure, natural color, is additionally enriched with useful substances, is hypoallergenic, and does not contain spices, preservatives, or “strange” additives, including starch as a thickener. It is sterile, it has everything you need nutrients regardless of the season.
If you want to make your own baby puree, choose your vegetables carefully. They should not have any defects, but they should not look too “glossy” (most likely, during cultivation they were fertilized with fertilizers unknown to you). The best thing is vegetables from a proven “grandmother’s garden.”
You can stock up on food for future use: for example, cabbage is well stored in the freezer, and carrots and potatoes are stored on the balcony in winter.
It is good to use a double boiler for cooking vegetables: this quick way, which will also preserve vitamins. Grind the vegetables through a sieve (for small volumes) or mash with an immersion blender. At about 10-11 months, you can mash food with a regular fork: including large pieces will help the baby learn to chew.
Here general principles preparing a healthy vegetable dish for your child.
- Take one type (let's say broccoli), rinse in running water.
- Pour boiling water over the vegetable, chop and place in a saucepan.
- Pour the product with clean bottled water, cover the pan with a lid and cook over low heat for 20-30 minutes until soft.
- Drain the water (not completely), mash the still hot vegetables along with the broth.
- Add 2-3 drops of olive or sunflower oil(later you can increase it to 1 teaspoon), you can use a small amount of boiled milk.
- Stir until smooth. Don't add salt.
- Let the puree cool or slightly warm.
Important: Be sure to prepare fresh food before each feeding.
If you would like to try different vegetable purees for children, the recipes we offer will help you with this. We remind you that these products can appear first in the diet, they will not cause allergies, will be well absorbed and will bring many benefits.
Zucchini puree
You will need a small zucchini (no cracks, dents or other damage) and bottled water.
- Wash the vegetable thoroughly, remove the peel, remove the core and cut into small cubes (about 1x1 cm).
- Fill the pieces with a small amount clean water, let it boil, reduce the heat and cook for 15-20 minutes until they are soft.
- Drain almost all the broth, grind the boiled zucchini until smooth, without lumps (wipe with a sieve or use a blender). If the consistency is thick, pour in a little broth and stir.
Cabbage puree
You will need cauliflower(7-10 inflorescences) and 50 ml of purified water, breast milk or an adapted formula).
- Rinse the small inflorescences thoroughly, place in boiling water, leave to simmer for 10-15 minutes (the same amount of time will be required if cooked in a double boiler).
- Drain the boiled vegetables in a colander and cool.
- Mash with a blender or rub through a sieve, gradually adding water/cabbage broth (gr. milk or mixture). Bring to the consistency of liquid sour cream.
Carrot puree
Take 100 g of root vegetables, 25 ml of boiled milk, three drops of vegetable oil.
If you observe an atypical reaction of your child to a new food, you need to consult a pediatrician or contact an allergist for examination. And to avoid problems, it is best to try first of all hypoallergenic vegetable purees for the first complementary foods - they are perfectly digestible, provide the baby’s body with the necessary macro- and micronutrients, fiber, and vitamins. And only after getting used to them should you treat your child to purees from other vegetables.
Vegetable puree is one of the three mandatory complementary foods that must be introduced into a baby’s diet before the age of one year. Often this is where a baby’s acquaintance with “adult” food begins. How to properly prepare and give vegetable complementary foods to your child? Why are vegetables so important for babies?
What are the benefits of vegetables for children, and why are vegetable purees needed?
Whatever vegetables the baby’s puree is made from, it should be:
1. Thicker consistency than milk or adapted milk formula.
How to introduce vegetable purees into a baby's diet
There are no differences from others. The puree should be prepared from one vegetable, with water, without any other additives. It is allowed to dilute it with breast milk or an adapted formula familiar to the baby.
On the first day, preferably before lunch, give one teaspoon. Watch for any problems: regurgitation, bloating and pain in the tummy, frequent stools or pathological impurities in it (foam, water, greens, streaks of blood). If everything is in order, the next day give 2 spoons (if complementary foods are not the first, 3 are possible) and observe again. Continue this way until you have replaced all feedings with vegetable puree. Approximate amount of complementary foods in at different ages you can look here. The serving size will also depend on the baby’s appetite, mood and what and how he ate at the last feeding.
After your baby has gotten used to the full volume of his first vegetable puree in about a week, you can add a small amount of a new vegetable to it. At least a week is allotted for its introduction, after which the third component can be included in complementary foods, and so on.
How to make vegetable puree for your child
It's simple if you follow the rules:
- Vegetables are thoroughly washed, peeled and washed again under running water. If they were stored in a room accessible to mice, it is advisable to pour boiling water over them.
- Cut into small pieces and throw into a saucepan of boiling water (on the stove or in the microwave). This way, the beneficial substances are preserved in the pulp and not washed out into the broth. A more successful cooking option is steaming: in a slow cooker, double boiler.
- The prepared vegetables are rubbed through a plastic sieve or blended in a blender to achieve the desired consistency. If the puree turns out to be too thick, dilute it with boiled water. You can also use a decoction if you are sure that there are no nitrates washed out when boiling into the water.
- To increase the calorie content of a dish It is useful to add breast milk or the baby’s usual adapted formula instead of water. For the same purpose, vegetable oil (45 kcal in 1 teaspoon!) and butter (about 30 kcal in a teaspoon, depending on the fat content) are used, and after a year - cream or meat broth.
- Spicy herbs and onions can be finely chopped and rubbed with a knife, added to the finished puree, or blended with vegetables in a blender.
- It is very advisable to do without table salt at least until the child is one year old.
If you are not sure about the safety of the available vegetables or do not have the opportunity (time or kitchen equipment) to prepare baby puree desired consistency, we recommend giving vegetable complementary foods (at least at first) in the form of canned baby food.