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Recipe suggestions for young babies

By the time your baby’s over four months you can start to try some of these tasty and nutritious recipes:

Carrot Purée

• Suitable for babies aged 4-6 months.
• Suitable for freezing.
• Makes eight portions.

Make sure the carrots are cooked for quite a long time so that they are soft enough to purée to a smooth consistency. This method of cooking also works well with other root vegetables such as potatoes, sweet potato and swede. Cooking times will differ depending on which vegetable you choose.

Ingredients

• 350g carrots, peeled and chopped.

Method

Put the carrots into a steamer set over boiling water and cook for 15 to 20 minutes until tender. Alternatively, put the carrots in a saucepan and pour over just enough boiling water to cover. Cover with a lid and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes until soft.

Drain the carrots and place in a blender, adding some of the water from the bottom of the steamer or some of the cooking liquid, then purée until very smooth. The amount of liquid you add really depends on your baby. You may need to add a little more if he finds the purée difficult to swallow.

Spoon some of the purée into your baby’s bowl and serve lukewarm. You can freeze the remainder in an ice cube tray or small plastic containers.

Vegetable Trio Delight

• Suitable for freezing.
• Makes 6 portions.

Orange fleshed sweet potato is a good source of vitamins C, and betacarotene and is richer in nutrients than ordinary potatoes. You can also substitute other vegetables like swede or pumpkin for the sweet potato. Root vegetables have a naturally sweet taste, they purée to a smooth consistency and are unlikely to cause allergies so they make a good first food.

Ingredients

• 200g sweet potato peeled and chopped.
• 200g carrots peeled and chopped.
• 100g turnips peeled and chopped.

Method

Steam the vegetables for about 20 minutes or until tender. Blend the vegetables to a purée adding a little of the boiled water at the bottom of the steamer (about 75ml) or some of your baby’s usual milk to make a good consistency for your baby.

Steaming is the best way to preserve nutrients but if you don’t have a steamer, put the vegetables into a saucepan and just cover with boiling water. Cover the pan with a lid and cook over a medium heat until tender (about 20 minutes). Drain the vegetables and blend to a purée using a little of the cooking liquid, or you could add a little of your baby’s usual milk.

Mashed Potato & Carrot with Broccoli & Cheese

Mashing rather than puréeing your baby’s food is a good way to gradually introduce more texture. Combining broccoli with creamy mashed potato and cheese is a great way to encourage babies to eat more greens.

Broccoli is a true superfood, as it’s a great source of vitamin C and also contains betacarotene, folic acid, iron and potassium.

• Makes 4 portions.

Ingredients

• 300g potatoes, peeled and chopped.
• 1 medium carrot (approx 125g), peeled and sliced.
• 75g broccoli florets.
• 4 tbsp your baby’s usual milk.
• 15g unsalted butter.
• 40g Cheddar cheese, grated.

Method

Put the potatoes and carrot into a saucepan, cover with boiling water and cook until tender, which should take about 20 minutes. Meanwhile, steam the broccoli for about 7 minutes until tender.

Alternatively, add the broccoli to the potatoes and carrot after about 12 minutes. Drain the potato and carrot and mash together with the broccoli, milk, butter and cheese.

Savoury Chicken Casserole

Chicken is an excellent source of iron which is important for a healthy growth and development. This recipe also provides a good source of betacarotene and vitamin C.

• Suitable for freezing.
• Makes 5 portions.

Ingredients

• Half an onion, chopped finely.
• 1 chicken breast, skinned and diced.
• 1 dessertspoon olive oil.
• 1 carrot, peeled and diced.
• 3-4 button mushrooms, wiped and thinly sliced.
• 150ml water.
• 50g frozen peas, thawed.

Method

Gently fry the onion and chicken until the chicken is cooked on all sides. Add the carrot, mushrooms and water. Stir and cover. Simmer gently for 15 minutes, before adding peas. Cook for another 5 minutes until the peas are warmed through. Blend to an appropriate consistency for your baby.