Pumpkin for baby food: a recipe for cooking, how to enter

2024 Author: Priscilla Miln | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 00:21

This article will discuss why you should use pumpkin for feeding babies. Why is it useful? What side effects can a baby have after consuming it? In addition, different options for dishes with pumpkin for feeding babies will be given.

Why should we add to babies?

Let's take a closer look at why it is worth introducing pumpkin into a child's diet. This product is necessary for the baby, because it is quite low in calories, but at the same time it is rich in minerals, vitamins, and it also has a high fiber content. Pumpkin helps to cope with constipation, which is very common in babies.

Useful ingredients

Pumpkin is a nutritious product that has a pronounced taste and irreplaceable vitamin and mineral balance for the body. Let's dwell on the latter in more detail and consider the composition of the pumpkin. She is rich in the following:

1. Vitamin E. It helps to absorb vitamin A, and also enhances its beneficial effects on the body. Vitamin E is greatan antioxidant that prevents blood clots and promotes normal fat and protein metabolism.
2. Vitamin T. This is a fairly rare vitamin. It contributes to the formation of muscle tissue and the muscular corset itself, and also normalizes metabolic processes.
3. Beta-carotene. This element, getting into the body, turns into vitamin A, which is a "product of first necessity". It is needed for the proper functioning of the immune system. Also, beta-carotene is useful for the skin and good vision. Useful not only for babies, but also for people of all ages.
4. Iron. It helps in the fight against anemia.
5. Pectins. They are excellent adsorbents. They bind and remove heavy metal s alts, radioactive elements, bacteria, and their toxins from the body.
6. Vitamins of group B. Positive effect on the nervous system, improves memory, relieves excessive tension. For a baby, a vegetable like pumpkin is a natural sedative.
7. Potassium and sodium. These elements have a slight diuretic effect, due to which excess fluid is removed from the body.
8. Vitamin C. 100 grams of the product contains a quarter of the daily requirement of ascorbic acid for a child. Vitamin C helps the body fight infections and also strengthens the immune system. Ascorbic acid is good for the skin, and it can also fight harmful free radicals.
9. Fiber and dietary fiber. Thanks to them, pumpkin has a slight laxative effect on the body. It improves intestinal motility, helps "lazy" intestines to work.
10. Vitamin K. It activates cell growth and is also responsible for good blood clotting.

Side effects

Despite the fact that doctors recommend pumpkin for the first feeding and pay attention to its beneficial properties, it also has side effects. Let's take a look at them. This product contains carotene. It has a little less of it than in carrots. And this means that there is a high risk of developing an allergic reaction in infants. Due to the high content of sugars and the high percentage of carbohydrates for diabetics, this product is banned.

In raw form, pumpkin should not be offered to babies, as the fruits may contain chemicals. The latter are destroyed and removed from the pumpkin into the liquid during heat treatment. Remember also about the main rule - it's moderation.

Give the baby is pumpkin no more than two or three times a week, as it contains a lot of carotene. It can cause the baby to turn yellow.

When to add to the diet? Tips for new moms

When to feed pumpkin to baby? If the mother is breastfeeding the baby, then such a product should be added to the diet after six months. "Artists" can be introduced to a new taste as early as 5 months.

Adding an unfamiliar product to a child's diet is a responsible step. As the first complementary foods, the baby is given green or white vegetables / fruits, as they do not cause any allergic reactions. Orange fruits and vegetables, including pumpkin, you needenter later. It is advisable to do this not earlier than 6 months, but better after 7. If after you introduced the pumpkin to the baby, he began to have a pronounced reaction, then postpone this fetus for a month.

How to introduce a new product correctly?

When you offer your baby a new meal, do not forget about the basic rules of complementary foods:

1. Introduce new food at the beginning of the day, but preferably at the second feeding.
2. The first portion of complementary foods should be very small. Half a teaspoon will suffice. After that, you can increase the dosage, but you need to do this very slowly. The maximum dose is 40 grams per day.
3. If, including a new product in the diet, you notice an allergy in a baby, then immediately stop giving complementary foods. For a long time, of course, you should not refuse it, a month is enough. Please try again after this time.
4. Before you give baby puree, be sure to heat it in a water bath to a temperature of 38 degrees.
5. Let's spoon pumpkin food only.
6. Gap between new products must be at least 14 days.

How to cook?

How to cook a pumpkin for baby food? It is desirable that you make a homogeneous, fragrant and tender puree from the fruit. If there is no desire to mess around, then you can buy a ready-made store. This will save you time.

You can cook pumpkin for feeding yourself. It won't be a big deal. The main thing in this matter ischoose the right raw material.

To do this, you need to take pumpkins that do not exceed 5 kg in weight. The younger and smaller the fetus, the less fibrous its structure. At the same time, the pulp of the pumpkin will be more juicy and will have a pleasant sweetish taste. Also pay attention to the outer shell and color of the fruit. The tail of the pumpkin should be dry, and the peel should be smooth, without dents or rot.

And how to cook it for the baby? Despite its large size and weight, the fruit has a fairly dense texture, it is easy to cook. It can not only be boiled, but also stewed and baked.

How long to cook a fetus for a baby?

How long do you need to cook pumpkin for feeding? If you cook in a slow cooker, then this process will take 40 minutes in the "Extinguishing" mode. In the microwave, you can cook a pumpkin in 7 minutes. How much and how to cook pumpkin for feeding? On a gas stove, the cooking process will take about 15 minutes. In a double boiler, you need to cook the pumpkin for 25 minutes. If you plan to bake in the oven, then know that this process will take about 30 minutes there

Monocomponent puree

There are many variations on how to cook pumpkin for weaning. Further in the article we will consider simple and he althy dishes. Let's start with monocomponent puree. How to cook it? Take a pumpkin, wash it, remove seeds and fibers. Next, cut it into cubes, put in a pan. Pour water into it so that the pumpkin does not burn. Cook covered over low heat until tender, about 25 minutes. Then drain the water. Use a blender to puree the pumpkin. It should work withoutpieces, completely homogeneous. If you can't achieve the desired effect with this technique, you can rub the pieces through a sieve. In no case should there be large sticks in mashed potatoes, as they can cause a gag reflex in a child. You can add a few (3-4) drops of vegetable oil to the puree for better absorption.

This way, a pumpkin prepared for feeding a baby is ideal for his body. Puree will help normalize digestion, cope with gases, and relieve bloating of the baby.

Pumpkin puree with apples

Take one pumpkin and three apples. Wash and peel, seeds these fruits. Cut them randomly. After send to the pan, fill with water. Cook on a small window for about 20 minutes. After draining the excess liquid, and cool the mass. Then grind it with a blender. Everything, puree is ready.

Vegetable Puree

For cooking you will need: 50 grams of pumpkin, 30 grams of cabbage, the same amount of carrots, zucchini, potatoes. You will also need vegetable oil. First, wash the vegetables, cut into pieces, send to the pan. Pour water into it, simmer over low heat under a lid until cooked. After using a blender, grind the boiled vegetables into a puree. Add a drop of vegetable oil to the mass.

Pumpkin puree with meat

Take 150 grams of washed and peeled pumpkin, cut into pieces. Send them to the pan, simmer in a small amount of water. Next, boil 50 grams of chicken fillet separately. Ready boiled componentschop with a blender. Season the resulting puree with vegetable oil (two drops will be enough).

Pumpkin puree with dill

Take pumpkin and dill. Finely chop the last one. After cut into pieces the pulp of the pumpkin, boil until tender. Add a pinch of chopped dill. Then mix with a blender.

Porridge with pumpkin

If you are wondering how to cook a pumpkin for feeding, then pay attention to this recipe. Very nutritious and tasty porridge with milk and orange fruit. How to cook a dish? Take one pumpkin, clean it, cut it. Send three tablespoons of the fruit to the pan. Boil in a small amount of water. Pour in a third of a glass of milk, bring to a boil. Further, without stopping stirring, add semolina porridge (1 tablespoon) in a thin stream. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Whip the finished porridge, cool to 38 degrees.

Baked pumpkin for feeding

First peel 1 pumpkin, remove seeds. Next, put it on a sheet covered with parchment, send it to the oven. Bake until done. Then grind the pumpkin with a blender. Next, add either 1 drop of vegetable oil or warmed milk.

Freeze

A whole pumpkin can be stored at home for a long time, but a cut fruit spoils quickly even in the refrigerator. You can send the cut pumpkin to the freezer. There she will keep her vitamins. To send the fruit to the freezer, you need to peel the pumpkin, seeds, cut into small pieces, put on the board. Next, send to the freezer. Then frozenput the pieces in a bag. They can be used whenever needed.

Pumpkin preserve for baby

You can prepare complementary foods for the baby for the winter according to the following recipe.

For cooking you will need:

• 1 cup brown sugar;
• 1 unpeeled ripe pumpkin (medium size);
• cloves (for fragrance, only a little is needed);
• 1 liter of water;
• 200 grams of cranberries.

Step-by-step recipe for preparing a blank for a child:

1. Wash and peel the orange fruit first. Cut into small pieces.
2. Take an enamel pot. Mix water with sugar in it. Send the pumpkin there.
3. Stirring constantly, bring the mixture to a boil.
4. Wash cranberries, pat dry. Squeeze juice from the berry.
5. Pour the cranberry juice into the pumpkin pot.
6. Cook about 20 minutes. Stir as you go.
7. 4 minutes before the pumpkin is ready, put a couple of “buds” of cloves into the pan.
8. After drain the water. Puree the mass in a blender.
9. Transfer the resulting puree to sterilized jars. Then close them with lids.

Small conclusion

Now you know how to cook pumpkin for baby food, why this product should be given to babies, and also when to introduce this complementary food and in what volumes. The recipes above will help you make the best meal for your little one.