As part of their Stress-Less weaning programme, Babymoov has selected some of its most popular recipes featuring delicious, seasonal root vegetables to demonstrate just how easy it can be to get babies and toddlers eating the recommended five-a-day.
From first taste purees, to healthy treats, all the recipes included are quick and easy to prepare, especially with the help of the Nutribaby 5-in-1 food processor, saving on both mess and time.
Julia Wolman, Babymoov’s stress-less weaning expert explains the health benefits of each recipe and why we should all be tucking into more veg this autumn.
Perfect for starting to wean you baby…
Butternut, Carrot and Goat’s Cheese Puree
Preparation: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 20 minutes
Ingredients:
- 1/3rd of a Butternut Squash (approx. 150g peeled pulp)
- 2 carrots
- 1 small potato
- ½ an onion
- 30 gr fresh goats cheese
- a few drops of olive oil
Method:
- Peel the butternut squash and remove the seeds. Cut into large chunks
- Peel the carrots and potato, rinse and chop into small pieces. Peel and slice the onion.
- Put all the vegetables into the basket of the Nutribaby and set a 20 minute cooking cycle.
- Check they are cooked through and tender. Blend the vegetables with the goats’ cheese and a few drops of olive oil.
- Enjoy!
Julia says: “Yellow and orange vegetables such as butternut and carrot get their colour from beta-carotene, which the body then turns into vitamin A. This important micro-nutrient helps to strengthen babies’ immune systems and keeps their skin healthy. It can also help their vision in dim light, so yes, carrots really can help you see in the dark!”
This recipe is surprisingly sweet and is a favourite amongst babies…
Carrot, Sweet Potato Puree with Turmeric
Preparation: 5 minutes
Cooking Time: 20 minutes
Ingredients:
- 100g carrot
- 100g sweet potato
- ¼ of an onion
- Pinch of turmeric
- Knob of butter
- 5cl single cream
Method:
- Peel the carrot and sweet potato, rinse and chop into chunks. Peel and slice the onion.
- Put all the vegetables into the basket of the Nutribaby and set a 20 minute cooking cycle.
- Check they are cooked through and tender. Blend the vegetables with the single cream, pinch of turmeric and knob of butter.
- It’s ready to be tasted!
Julia says: “Sometimes the orange pigment can show in babies’ hands and skin as their bodies get used to the beta-carotene, however this is rare and if it does develop is not harmful. Sweet potatoes are not only a starchy carbohydrate food providing energy, but they also count towards “five-a-day”. Flavouring food with herbs and spices such as turmeric during, and beyond, weaning is far preferable to using salt and can help babies develop an adventurous palate right from the start.”
A great way to introduce fish to baby’s diet …
Salmon, Potato and Beetroot
Preparation: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 20 minutes
Ingredients:
- 1 portion of salmon
- 1 potato
- 1 medium-sized beetroot
- 1 teaspoon of oil
Method:
- Peel the potato and dice into small pieces (1-2cm)
- Place the pieces into the cooking basket and start a 20 minute cooking cycle. After 5 minutes add the second basket with the salmon in.
- Peel and dice the beetroot. Add it to the top basket for the last minute of the cooking cycle.
- When the cooking cycle has finished, put all the ingredients into the blender bowl whilst hot, add the oil and blend everything for a beautiful pink puree.
Julia says: “Beetroot is an increasingly popular and highly nutritious root vegetable. It provides iron; a mineral which many young children do not get enough of in their diets, and is very important for cognitive (brain) development. Babies are born with stores of iron but from around six months these start to deplete, so all dietary sources of iron are extremely important during weaning. Beetroot also contains various other important micronutrients such as folate (naturally-occurring folic acid) and magnesium. Don’t be alarmed if you find your baby’s wee is a bit pink after eating beetroot – this is called beeturia and is not harmful!
“Salmon is a type of oily fish which contains essential fatty acids called omega-3 fats. These are, as their name suggests, essential and should be included ideally once a week in the weaning diet for optimal eye and brain development and learning ability.”
For babies who like meat …
Parsnip Puree with chicken
Preparation: 5 minutes
Cooking Time: 20 minutes
Ingredients:
- 1 Parsnip
- 1 Small Potato
- 0.10 lb chicken breast
Method:
- Peel and cut the parsnips and potatoes into chunks.
- Place the vegetable chunks in the first basket and run a cooking cycle of 20 minutes.
- Cut the chicken breast into small chunks and add to the cooking cycle after 15 minutes in the second basket.
- Once the cycle has finished blend the vegetables and chicken together.
- Ready to enjoy!
Julia says: “Parsnips are a popular root vegetable during weaning as babies like their sweet taste. They blend or mash up to give a lovely smooth creamy texture which can be mixed with other foods, making them very versatile. What’s more, parsnips count towards the ‘five-a-day’!”
A healthy treat… THIS RECIPE DOES CONTAIN NUTS
Little Carrot Cakes
Preparation: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 60 minutes
Ingredients:
- 2-3 carrots (roughly 150g peeled)
- 1 orange
- 200g of plain flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 100g ground almonds
- 200g sugar
- 3 eggs
- 100g yoghurt
- 60g butter at room temperature
- 1 tiny pinch of salt
Method:
- Preheat the oven to 160 degrees and grease and flour coat one loaf time or smaller shaped ones.
- Peel the carrots and slice. Put them in a basket and start a 20 minute cooking cycle
- Squeeze the orange and when cooked, blend the carrots and orange juice into a puree. Transfer to a bowl and keep at room temperature.
- Add the flour, baking powder, almonds, sugar, eggs, yoghurt, soft butter and pinch of salt to the bowl of the blender. Give it a few pulses, then add the puree. Blend all together. Put the mixture into the greased tin and cook for 30-40 minutes depending on the size of the tin.
Julia says: “Carrots are a great way to give cakes and biscuits a nutritional boost and some natural sweetness. Adding yogurt during baking also provides extra calcium, important for strengthening babies’ growing bones. For a healthier version why not experiment and substitute some of the sugar for raisins or dried apricots instead – dried fruit provides natural sweetness and is also a good source of iron for young children.”
These recipes and more can be found on Babymoov’s FREE ‘Cooking Baby food’ app and blog. The app is available to download at the Play Play Store and Apple Store. The blog can be viewed online Cooking Baby Food Blog.
Babymoov Nutritionist:
Julia Wolman’s educational background includes a BSc (Hons) in Applied Human Nutrition, and a Masters Degree with distinction in Psychology and Nutrition. She is registered with the UK’s Association for Nutrition and a member of the professional nutrition consultant network, SENSE. With over a decade of experience working with NHS Trusts across London, Julia has delivered training to schools and children’s centres, and running healthy eating projects for local families. In 2007, Julia joined MEND Central, an obesity organisation, where she co-developed an internationally successful obesity reduction programme for 2-4 year olds and their families. Since becoming a mother, Julia has offered consulted on behalf of health organisations and nurseries, as well as writing for a number of publications. For the past five years, Julia has been offering weaning support and advice to parents directly.
Stress-Less Weaning:
Designed in collaboration with parents, Babymoov has launched the Stress-Less Weaning campaign to ease anxieties and troubleshoot the problems many parents face when embarking on weaning. Around 7,500 parents a week start to wean their babies, and according to studies, the process of weaning a child is considered one of the main contributors of stress in parents. The questions are endless and although there is a bountiful library of advice available, which can cause confusion amongst parents, especially as these recommendations conflict and change over time.
Babymoov:
Since 1997, Babymoov has been creating products to make the lives of parents easier, helping ensure each moment with their baby is a joyful one. Babymoov’s innovation process puts the top experts at the heart of product development; consulting mothers, professionals and organising observation days within their on-site day nursery. With quality and safety at the forefront of design, Babymoov provide a lifetime warranty on all its products.
