How to properly make vegetable puree for complementary feeding. Norms and rules of use

Vegetables and fruit purees Pediatricians advise introducing it into the baby’s diet as the first complementary food at the moment when it becomes completely obvious that the baby no longer has enough mother’s milk. After the first dose, you need to carefully monitor the baby’s reaction to a new dish and continue complementary feeding only if no negative symptoms are detected.

Recipes for baby purees up to one year old

Purees prepared according to recipes for children under 1 year of age have a delicate structure and do not cause swallowing difficulties for babies. In addition, they contain the vitamins, minerals and trace elements necessary for the child and have a beneficial effect on digestive processes and contribute to the full development of the body.

Ripe carrot puree is considered one of the healthiest. It contains many microelements and natural substances necessary for the harmonious development and growth of the baby. In order for carrot carotene to be better absorbed by the child’s stomach, it is recommended to add a small amount of fat to the dish.

Ingredients:

carrots – 100 g
olive oil– 1/3 tsp
artificial milk formula or natural breast milk– 25 ml

How to cook:

Wash the carrots very well, remove the outer skin and cut into small, thin rings.
Place in enamel pan, pour in half a glass hot water and cook over medium heat for about 15 minutes.
Rub the hot carrots through the finest sieve, add olive oil and heated milk. Mix well until smooth and give to baby. Start with 1 teaspoon and then increase the dose by 50% daily.

Carrot puree for children

To prepare pear puree, it is better to choose sweet and juicy varieties such as Conference, Williams or Duchess. They give the dessert a wonderful, unsweetening taste and a pleasant, soft consistency.

Ingredients:

medium sized pear – 1 pc.
water – 70 ml

How to cook:

Wash the pear, peel it, divide it into quarters, remove the core and seeds, and then chop it finely.
Bring water to a boil in a small container, add pear slices, cover with a lid and simmer for 8-10 minutes over low heat.
Cool the finished fruit slightly and blend in a blender for 1 minute.
Transfer the puree into a glass container, cover with a plastic lid and put in the refrigerator. In this form it can be stored for two days.

Pear puree

Advice: It is not recommended to add spices, salt, sugar and spices to baby purees. The child's stomach may not accept these ingredients well and react negatively to their presence in dishes. Vegetables and fruits used for cooking must be fresh and unspoiled. They must first be washed thoroughly and be sure to remove any skin or skin.

Puree from fresh apples ideally absorbed by the child's body, contains great amount vitamins and improves the overall digestion process. Kids of all ages eat it with great pleasure. To give more bright taste and add cinnamon, cloves or lemon juice to the dish for a rich aroma. However, if you want to cook applesauce For a baby or a child under one year old, it is better to abstain from spicy additives, as well as from granulated sugar.

Ingredients:

juicy sweet apples – ½ kg
sugar – 1 tbsp
freshly squeezed lemon juice – 1 tbsp
cinnamon – ½ tsp

How to cook:

Rinse the apples under running water and dry kitchen towel, peel, remove entrails and chop large pieces.
Place the fruits in an enamel pan and pour in cool water until it completely covers them.
Boil over low heat for 15-20 minutes. As a result, the apples should become soft.
Remove from the water, dry slightly and puree very well in a food processor or blender. The finished fruit mass should become completely homogeneous.
Combine puree with sugar and lemon juice, transfer to a saucepan and cook over medium heat for at least 5 minutes. Stir constantly so that the apples do not burn or stick to the bottom.
Cool, put into jars and seal nylon covers. Keep refrigerated.

Advice: If the consistency of the puree is not too uniform, you can additionally rub it through a fine kitchen sieve.

Baby vegetable purees

Vegetable purees are a fundamental part of a complete baby food. They are prepared from carrots, pumpkins, zucchini and other gifts from the fields, previously boiled or baked in the oven, and then chopped in a blender.

For children pumpkin puree You should choose small fruits weighing from 3 to 5 kg. Their pulp contains much more juice and sweetness than very large ones, and there is practically no fiber. The dish prepared according to this recipe is suitable for babies aged 4-12 months. It tastes delicate and has a very delicate, unobtrusive aroma.

Ingredients:

pumpkin pulp – 100 g
dill - a pinch (without stems)
breast milk or formula

How to cook:

Cut the pumpkin into small cubes and bake in the oven until cooked.
Cool slightly, put in a blender, add dill, a little mother's milk (or formula) and beat until fluffy.
To begin with, introduce 1 teaspoon into the diet, gradually increasing the volume.

Zucchini puree can be included in the daily menu of both infants and children over one year old. For the little ones, pediatricians advise preparing the dish without salt and sugar, so as not to put unnecessary stress on the baby’s delicate body.

Ingredients:

zucchini – 1 piece

How to cook:

Wash the zucchini very well and remove the skin. Cut into large pieces and place in cool boiled water for 20 minutes to remove all harmful substances that entered the fruit during fertilization.
Place the vegetable in a small saucepan and add clean water so that it completely covers the pieces.
Boil for about 20 minutes over medium heat until fully cooked, cool slightly and use a blender to chop very thoroughly.
Start giving your baby 1 teaspoon, doubling the volume daily.

Video recipe for baby apricot puree

On the shelves of any grocery store there are many so-called “canned” purees from the most various 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 pea 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 as a last resort filtered or settled from the tap.
Vegetables. For starters, not enough large quantity– 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 it's cooking vegetable broth, 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.
Depending on the diet and preferences of the child, add breast milk, formula, 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!

We offer simple recipes And useful tips on preparation.

Correct and healthy diet- the key to the health and good mood of any child, which is why you need to very carefully choose foods for your baby’s diet. This is especially true for baby purees, since this is the first dish that a child tries after breastfeeding or bottle feeding. The puree should be prepared only from high-quality and fresh products, be hypoallergenic and not contain artificial additives. Now on store shelves there is a wide selection of vegetable, fruit and meat purees for every taste and budget. However, baby purees can be prepared at home using a blender.

There are advantages to making your own baby purees. Firstly, you will be sure that the puree contains only the freshest and healthy foods, especially if these are fruits and vegetables grown in your own summer cottage. Secondly, homemade purees can cost you much less than store-bought ones. So how can you make tasty, healthy and nutritious purees that your baby will love? We offer you several simple and healthy recipes single- and multi-component vegetable, fruit and meat baby purees.

Vegetable purees

It is best to start complementary feeding with vegetable purees from zucchini and cauliflower. These vegetables are very easy to digest and rarely cause allergies. A little later, you can introduce pumpkin, potatoes, green peas and turnips into your child’s diet. Remember that when feeding for the first time, you should not add butter, sugar, salt and other additives to the puree: this can be done when the child is 1 year old.

Preparing baby vegetable puree from pumpkin

Pumpkin puree has a pleasant sweetish taste, so, as a rule, kids eat it with pleasure. In addition, pumpkin is simply a storehouse of vitamins: it contains iron, carotene, pectin, vitamins B, C, E, D, PP and even T - a rare vitamin responsible for metabolism in the body.

To prepare the puree, you need to choose a small pumpkin weighing up to 3-5 kg (small pumpkins are usually juicier and more pleasant to taste and are much easier to clean than “adult” pumpkins). First, wash the pumpkin thoroughly and divide it into two parts. Next, cut it into slices - as much as your baby will eat, peel and cut into cubes. Then boil the pumpkin in a double boiler or saucepan: place it in boiling water and cook for 20 minutes until the vegetable is completely softened. After the pumpkin is cooked, blend it in a blender until homogeneous mass. If the puree is too thick, you can add a little breast milk, infant formula or water. Cool the puree to 30 degrees, then you can feed the baby.

Preparing baby vegetable puree from broccoli

Want to understand other important issues? Read

For the first months of their lives, babies drink only mother's milk or formula, so introducing new foods to their diet is a big step in a child's life.

When introducing complementary foods, it is important to offer the child a large amount of vegetables in order to obtain useful vitamins and micronutrients. This is also necessary for the baby to develop a habit of new tastes.

Early introduction of complementary foods will prevent the child from being too selective in food in the future and will give parents the opportunity to monitor food allergies.

It is better to introduce vegetables first. They contain the majority useful minerals and vitamins that a growing body needs. Only when the child’s body gets used to vegetables can you offer the baby fruit. Vegetables have a neutral taste, they do not affect metabolism, and do not have a destructive effect on tooth enamel.

When can you give your child vegetable puree?

Experts recommend starting to introduce baby vegetable purees into a child’s daily diet at the age of six months. By this time, the children's digestive tract is able to effectively absorb the ingredients of the puree without causing diarrhea and flatulence.

Before introducing your baby's first vegetable food, make sure it is ready. The young digestive system needs time to develop before it can digest adult food.

your baby should be able to hold his head up on his own, open his mouth for a spoon, chew food in his mouth and then swallow it;
Another indicator that the child is ready for the first complementary feeding is a doubling of the body weight that was at birth.

Carefully monitor your baby's stool after eating new foods. Refrain from introducing complementary foods if you notice watery stools. Perhaps the digestive tract is not mature enough for vegetable purees.

If the baby does not want to try an unfamiliar product, postpone its introduction until later. Try again after a few weeks.

The initial portion of the introduced product should be no more than a teaspoon. If the baby does not have any problems with digestion, the dose of complementary foods must be increased every day by a teaspoon until the portion is equal to the age norm.

For children 4 to 6 months old, monocomponent purees made from hypoallergenic steamed vegetables are suitable.

First, give your child a small amount of puree from a soft spoon. Do this for several weeks. Start with small portions of food, half a teaspoon. Puree for infants should be given after breastfeeding.

Don't worry if your baby doesn't swallow the entire amount of food. Babies often refuse food or spit it out. Don't forget, every child develops at his own pace. Some will learn to spoon-feed quickly, others will have very little interest. Don't give up, try again.

Pediatricians usually recommend starting with green vegetables because they are less sweet than yellow vegetables.

Instead of buying puree for children in the store, you can prepare vegetable puree for your child at home using complementary feeding recipes. If you do this, you will know exactly what is in your baby's food. In addition, this can save money, since store-bought baby vegetable purees for a child are usually more expensive than those made at home.

The best vegetable purees for first feeding

Zucchini puree for first feeding is best choice. It is perfect for children from 4 months. He has a soft and delicate taste due to fiber and high pectin content. This vegetable contains a lot of potassium, phosphorus, calcium, magnesium, which are of decisive importance for the metabolism of a growing child.

Zucchini is one of the few vegetables that has hypoallergenic properties. Folic acid, iron, copper, contained in large quantities in zucchini, play a significant role in hematopoiesis.

Squash puree

Very nutritious puree for babies. Squash is rich in calcium, fiber and vitamins and can be given to children from 4 to 6 months. This is another sweet tasting food that is very soft and easy to swallow.

Pumpkin puree

Rich in ascorbic acid, iron and many nutrients. Pumpkin is a great addition to a child's diet, an ideal companion to less sweet vegetables such as squash and green beans. It also goes well with fruits and meat. Moreover, the pumpkin high content fiber, low content fat and very few calories.

Cauliflower puree

From about six months you can give your baby cauliflower. This is a vegetable high in vitamins C and K.

Green bean puree

If you think your baby is ready to try green vegetables, baby purees from green beans are a good option for the first feeding of a 4-5 month old baby.

Beans are rich in vitamins A and K, which helps build the baby’s immunity. Using it as the first green vegetable in complementary foods will help the child get used to vegetables of this color.

Pea mash

Even if the parents don't like peas, the child is more likely to eat them. Peas are another favorite among young children because they have a slightly sweet taste. This food is high in protein, contains a lot of fiber and improves digestion. Peas are also rich in vitamins A and C.

Broccoli puree

Broccoli is one of the most advanced green vegetables. Typically administered over 8 to 10 months. This vegetable contains a lot of fiber and ascorbic acid. Useful for constipation.

Mashed potatoes

This is one of best first puree for babies. The potatoes are very soft and pleasant to taste. It contains a lot of beta-carotene and ascorbic acid, which helps strengthen immune system child. Due to its high coarse fiber content, this vegetable will help with digestion.

Carrots are another favorite vegetable for babies. This is because carrots also have a sweet taste. Rich in beta-carotene, carrots are a nutritious addition to a child's diet.

The high content of vitamin A helps maintain healthy vision and helps the body resist infection. In addition, carrots are versatile - they can be mixed with various fruits, meat and other vegetables.

Turnip puree

As soon as your baby crosses the 6-8 month mark, try giving him a turnip. It is rich in ascorbic acid and calcium, and has a high content of coarse fiber and protein. Turnips have a sweet taste and are easily digestible.

Eggplant puree

Eating eggplant saturates the body with vitamins A, B6 and folic acid. This vegetable also contains minerals such as potassium and calcium. The high fiber content will help the child improve bowel movements with constipation.

Spinach puree

Rich in calcium and loaded with antioxidants, spinach is ideal for older children. This leafy green vegetable contains many nutrients, including vitamin A, selenium and iron.

Spinach has high levels of nitrates, so it should be consumed in moderation.

Beetroot puree

You can add variety to your baby's diet with antioxidant-rich beets. Once the child has tried various yellow and green vegetables, it is time to taste this wonderful root vegetable. Beets contain a lot of calcium, potassium, vitamin A and coarse fiber. This vegetable is nutritious and will delight the baby with its colorfulness.

Asparagus puree

Vibrant and tasty, asparagus contains many vitamins and nutrients, including iron, calcium and vitamin A. But, like cauliflower and broccoli, this one is rich coarse fiber the vegetable may be difficult to digest.

Wait until your baby is a little older (10 months or older) before offering this puree. Asparagus can be used as independent dish, and mix with other vegetables.

To prepare puree for the first feeding, follow these steps:

For your baby's first feeding, choose fresh, ripe vegetables. The most delicious and nutritious baby vegetable puree for complementary feeding is obtained from the most fresh vegetables which are at the peak of ripeness.
Choose vegetables with firm flesh and bright color. Avoid bruised or blemished vegetables.
Frozen or canned vegetables can be used to make purees for first feeding, but they will not have the same nutritional value and tastes like puree made from fresh vegetables.
Any type of vegetable should be pureed, although it is more difficult to puree green vegetables into a smoother puree. Carrot, sweet potato, green beans, broccoli, zucchini and any other vegetables with pulp become softer when cooked.
Wash the vegetables. By manipulating them under flow cold water, make sure that all traces of dirt are removed.
You can use a herbal cleanser if you are cleaning vegetables that have been treated with pesticides.
If necessary, peel the vegetables. Cut off the top and bottom ends of the vegetables with a knife and remove any bruised areas.
Cut the vegetables into thin slices. Cutting vegetables into slices rather than cubes will reduce their cooking time, and the baby puree will have a more uniform consistency.
Boil some water in a deep bowl. There is no need to fill it completely, you just need some water to steam the vegetables. Two to four glasses of water are enough, it all depends on the size of the dishes used.
Steaming vegetables - The best way retain nutrients. Boiling vegetables is another option for preparing them, but cooking has been shown to destroy some beneficial vitamins.
Steam vegetables for 15 - 20 minutes. Fill a special basket with vegetable slices and place it in the pan. Cover the pan to allow the vegetables to begin cooking.
Avoid too many vegetables in the cooking container. You may have to do this in batches.
After 15 - 20 minutes, the vegetables should be quite soft.
If you don't have a special basket, place the vegetable slices in boiling water. Cook for a quarter of an hour or until soft.
Use a blender. Place 1 glass boiled vegetables into a blender, adding a little water if necessary to achieve a smoother texture.
Transfer the puree from the blender into a container used for feeding the baby.

The beginning of complementary feeding also plays a decisive role in work digestive system, and for the healthy condition of the child as a whole. Parents should be very careful about the nutrition of their babies to avoid further problems.

Pediatricians recommend starting complementary feeding between 4-6 months (no earlier than 4 months and no later than 6 months of the child’s life) and using vegetable purees or low-allergenic and dairy-free cereals as the first complementary foods.

Vegetables as a first food

From 4.5-5.5 months, thicker foods can be introduced into the child’s diet than breast milk or an adapted milk formula, which is referred to as “complementary feeding.” It is preferable to prescribe vegetable puree as the first complementary food. Vegetable puree is a source of organic acids, potassium, iron and dietary fiber, including pectins. Vegetable puree as the first complementary food should be prescribed to children with exudative-catarrhal diathesis, rickets, obesity, anemia, and premature birth.

Vegetable puree for complementary feeding is a product obtained by mashing whole or peeled fresh or frozen vegetables of one or more types, previously subjected to heat treatment(blanching).

Introduction of vegetables as a second complementary food, after the introduction of cereals

The second complementary food in the form vegetable puree from natural vegetables for baby food (without adding milk and not containing legumes) is introduced in parallel with the first, a month after the introduction of the first complementary foods and the complete replacement of one feeding.

What vegetables to start complementary feeding with?

Introduction vegetable complementary foods you should start with one type of vegetable that has delicate fiber and is light in color (green or white vegetables), e.g. zucchini or cauliflower, then moving on to a mixture of vegetables, with a gradual expansion of the assortment using potatoes, pumpkin, carrots, and later tomatoes, green peas.

Vegetables for first feeding

Zucchini, cauliflower and broccoli take priority among the first vegetable complementary foods, since these vegetables are hypoallergenic foods and are the most optimal for starting complementary feeding. It is cauliflower and broccoli that are often called “cabbage with higher education", as they are rich in vitamins and minerals.

Vegetables to expand your diet

If complementary foods are introduced at the age of 4-4.5 months, then the first vegetables can be monocomponent, homogenized purees: zucchini, cauliflower, broccoli, potatoes, carrots.

At the age of 5 months During the life of a child and older, the assortment is expanded to include vegetable purees from pumpkin, beets, and white cabbage.

At 6 months of age the life of a child and older, it is possible to add tomatoes.

At 7 months of age it is possible to expand the vegetable diet by adding green peas.

Vegetable puree industrial production for the first complementary foods can be of varying degrees of grinding:

homogenized(highly crushed, the number of pulp particles measuring 0.15-0.3 mm) - for children over 4 months of age;
pureed(particle size no more than 0.4 mm) and coarsely ground (particle size 2 - 5 mm) - for children over 6 months of age.

Complementary feeding dishes made from vegetables should be semi-liquid, well pureed, homogeneous; the transition to thicker food should be gradual, accustoming the child to chewing with age.

How to introduce complementary foods from vegetables (introduction scheme for vegetable puree)

Zucchini, cauliflower and broccoli are hypoallergenic foods and are the most optimal for starting the first feeding. One-component vegetable puree is given to the child from a teaspoon, preferably in the morning for breakfast. There is no need to salt or sweeten vegetable purees for your child.

Scheme for introducing vegetable puree as complementary foods:

First day The baby is given ½ teaspoon of vegetable puree (for example, zucchini), and then the baby is fed with regular food (breast milk or a bottle of formula). During the day, monitor the body’s reaction to the introduced product - carefully examine the skin for rashes, pay attention to the stool, whether there is mucus or greens in the stool.

On the second day, if there are no signs of allergies or tummy problems, the child is given 1-2 teaspoon zucchini (5-10 g) and supplemented with formula or milk.

On the third day– 3 teaspoons (15 g).

On the fourth– 4-5 teaspoons. (20-25 years).

On the fifth day– 50 g. If there is no negative reaction to the introduced product, then you can double the portion.

On the sixth day– 80-100 g. You can give your child a portion twice as large as the previous one.

On the seventh day– 120-150 g, which completely replaces one feeding. The norm in grams per feeding is indicated for a six-month-old child; if complementary foods were introduced earlier, the amount of product should be reduced. If your child is on breastfeeding, then after taking vegetable puree, be sure to supplement your baby’s breastfeeding, even if the volume of complementary foods already completely replaces the whole feeding, so you can maintain lactation for a longer time.

For another week, the child is allowed to get used to vegetable puree from zucchini, and only after 5-7 days a new vegetable, for example broccoli, is introduced into the diet. This rule is important to follow if complementary feeding is introduced to a child at the age of 4-4.5 months.

Eighth day– ½ teaspoon of broccoli, then add zucchini puree.

Ninth day– 1-2 teaspoons of broccoli (5-10 g) and give zucchini up to the age dose, etc. Gradually, the amount of broccoli is replacing the first vegetable for complementary feeding - zucchini.

If a child refuses vegetable puree, then take a break of several days and offer the child puree again or replace the vegetable - for example, zucchini with cabbage.

What is better – buy or make your own vegetable puree for complementary feeding?

The advantage of factory-made canned food is that it is sterile, the mother does not need to bother at the stove: cooking, grinding, it is better to devote this time to the child. Jarred vegetable puree is also convenient to take on the road. Canned baby food is recommended for consumption by leading global and domestic health organizations, so the choice of parents depends only on their preferences and financial capabilities.

If you plan to purchase factory-produced vegetable puree, then carefully read the composition. Apart from vegetables and water, there should be nothing in the jar - no preservatives, dyes, flavors or flavor enhancers, including starch as a thickener. It is desirable that vegetable puree for complementary feeding does not contain even salt and sugar, and has a uniform structure and natural color.

Purchased puree in jars must be heated in a water bath before giving it to the child. Before you give the puree to your baby, be sure to try it yourself. If you feel signs of deterioration of the product, such as a strong odor, a sour taste, or you do not hear a characteristic pop when opening the jar, it means that the seal of the jar has been broken and the jar should be thrown away. However, an adult may simply not like the taste of baby vegetable puree due to the lack of additives such as sugar and salt, but this does not mean that it is not suitable for complementary feeding. The opened jar should be stored only in the refrigerator and no more than a day.

If parents are limited in funds or eat their own vegetables from the garden or personal plot (imported vegetables often contain nitrates), then the mother will be able to prepare vegetable puree for complementary feeding on her own. If you don’t have your own garden, then when purchasing, pay attention to the country of origin and, if possible, choose vegetables grown in your area. When choosing vegetables for complementary feeding, pay attention to appearance: they should not have any defects (black spots, brown spots, dry or wrinkled areas of the skin, dents, etc.), but they should not look large and glossy (such vegetables have most likely been subjected to strong chemical processing). If the introduction of complementary feeding with vegetables occurs during the “off-season”, when there are no fresh vegetables or there are only imported ones, pre-made frozen preparations are perfect. Just remember that vegetables should not be defrosted before cooking, since most of the vitamins are destroyed during the process of slow defrosting.

For self-cooking For vegetable puree, it is advisable to purchase a steamer and a blender. Before cooking, vegetables must be thoroughly washed and peeled, since most of the harmful substances are contained in the peel. Remove all the top leaves from the cabbage and remove the stalk. And cut off the large “tail” of carrots and beets.

Take one type of vegetable, for example zucchini, wash, peel, cut and cook in a double boiler or in an enamel saucepan with a small amount water to save more useful substances, cook vegetables whole or cut them in large pieces. Vegetables should only be placed in boiling water and cooked with the lid closed, but the best option for baby food this is steaming vegetables.

Then transfer the vegetables to a blender, add a little if necessary boiled water(so that the puree is not very thick). Vegetables for the first feeding should be completely boiled, without lumps. It is advisable not to add salt at all, otherwise the baby will not be able to eat fresh food later.

You can add vegetable oil to vegetable puree, a few drops per serving. The best vegetable oil Cold-pressed olive oil is considered, as well as sunflower, corn and flaxseed. Each time the puree must be freshly prepared.