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For many mothers, feeding a child with healthy food is a real problem - not every vegetable will be to the taste of babies. It is no secret that spinach is just such a product - not all children like its bland taste. Proven spinach recipes will help your child prepare not only healthy, but also delicious dishes.
Why spinach is good for children
A rare hostess has not heard about the benefits of spinach, but, despite this, dishes made from it are rarely found on our tables. In baby food, however, this leafy vegetable is increasingly present as its nutritional value meets the needs of a growing body as much as possible. Vitamins K, E, PP, C, B, A, trace elements zinc, selenium, magnesium, iron, copper, iodine - this is an incomplete list of useful substances contained in this culture. Due to its composition, it has a beneficial effect on the entire body:
- normalizes metabolic processes;
- strengthens bones and teeth, is an excellent prevention of rickets;
- enhances immunity;
- strengthens blood vessels;
- helps in the treatment of anemia;
- slows down cell aging;
- normalizes digestion;
- helps to reduce the risk of cancer;
- strengthens the central nervous system, normalizes metabolic processes in the brain.
In addition, it is well absorbed and does not overload the child's digestive system. This leafy vegetable belongs to dietary meals: 100 g of stems and leaves contain only 23 Kcal, and due to the presence of dietary fiber, a feeling of satiety arises.
At what age can a child be given spinach
This green is not an allergenic product, but, like other vegetables, it should be introduced into the infant's diet gradually, as individual intolerance may occur. The best age to start spinach is 6–8 months, although in Europe it is included in infant formula for 4–6 month olds. You should start by adding a few leaves to your usual food. As with the introduction of any other product, it is important to monitor the child's individual response. Children under one year old are given spinach up to 2 times a week.
If there are no contraindications, pediatricians recommend introducing dishes from this greenery before the child reaches one year of age - as a rule, older children find it difficult to accept the taste of this product.
How to cook spinach for a child
Leaves and young stems are added to children's dishes stewed. They are carefully sorted out, washed and cut into small pieces. Stew in butter in their own juice, sometimes water is added. Spinach is also boiled, steamed or baked in the oven. Fresh they are used for making salads and thick drinks, added to sauces.
When preparing spinach dishes, it should be borne in mind that heat treatment destroys some of the vitamins, so it is put at the end of cooking. But with a deep freeze the vegetable retains all the nutrients. Frozen spinach is often used for cooking for children. To preserve as much nutrients as possible, it is better to add it to dishes without defrosting. It should be borne in mind that this frozen ingredient is added during cooking half as much as fresh.
Healthy recipes for children
Spinach can be used as an ingredient in first courses, salads, side dishes, casseroles, and thick drinks. Its taste goes well with meat, poultry, fish, cereals, vegetables, and the composition of vitamins and microelements makes any dish more useful.
Spinach puree for baby
This basic puree recipe is suitable for the youngest children who are just getting started with "adult" food. It can be prepared for a baby up to one year old.
Ingredients:
- 500 g spinach leaves;
- 2 tbsp. l. butter;
- some milk.
Preparation:
- Rinse and grind greens.
- Melt butter in a heavy-bottomed saucepan.
- Add spinach and simmer for 15 minutes in its own juice.
- Cool the resulting mass and grind in a blender.
- Boil the milk.
- Add milk to puree and heat over low heat. Stir the mass constantly until it thickens.
This dish can be varied by adding potatoes, zucchini, carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, pumpkin or other vegetables that are added to the complementary foods first. You can add chicken or meat broth to the puree if it is already present in the child's diet.
Baby spinach soup
An older child, at 2 years old, can make spinach soup.
Ingredients:
- 1 liter of meat, chicken or vegetable broth;
- 2 medium potatoes;
- about 200 g frozen spinach;
- 1 small carrot;
- salt, spices to taste;
- 1 tbsp. l. lemon juice;
- 1/3 cup boiled rice
- 1 boiled egg;
- sour cream for dressing.
Preparation:
- Finely chop potatoes and carrots, put in boiling broth and cook for 20 minutes.
- Add spices, rice, salt and cook for another 2 minutes.
- Add spinach and lemon juice. Simmer for another 5 minutes.
- Serve with boiled egg and sour cream.
On this basis, you can make a vegetable soup without rice. For an older child, from 3 years old, you can add frying: finely chopped onions and grated carrots, fry in vegetable oil before adding to the soup.
Delicate soufflé with chicken
In a year, children can be offered spinach as part of a soufflé with chicken. This vegetable helps assimilate the protein contained in the poultry and enrich the dish with vitamins.
Ingredients:
- half a small chicken breast;
- water for boiling chicken;
- 2 tbsp. l. milk;
- 200 g spinach;
- 1 chicken egg;
- 1 tsp butter;
- salt.
Preparation:
- Boil chicken fillet until tender in slightly salted water, cool, chop.
- Wash the spinach and simmer in a saucepan for 5-7 minutes.
- Separate the yolk from the protein, add to the chicken, mix the chicken with spinach.
- Beat the protein and add to the fillet and spinach mixture.
- Transfer the resulting mass to a soufflé mold.
- Bake for 20 minutes in an oven preheated to 180 ° C.
Green smoothie
If the child does not like the vegetable, a recipe for a healthy smoothie will come to the aid of the mother, which can be prepared in a matter of minutes. Smoothies have won such popularity for a reason: they are quick to prepare, useful, and give you the opportunity to experiment with ingredients to your own taste. Children a year can be offered, for example, such a green drink:
Ingredients:
- 1 bunch of spinach leaves (can be frozen)
- 200 g of water;
- 1 pear;
- 1 tsp lemon juice;
- 1 tsp honey (for children from 3 years old).
Preparation:
- Frozen spinach should be thawed at room temperature.
- Peel the pear, cut into large pieces.
- Drizzle with lemon juice.
- Grind pieces of pear, spinach, honey in a blender.
- Dilute with water to the desired consistency.
This cocktail is suitable for feeding a child from 11-12 months. If you serve such an emerald drink in a beautiful glass, your child will definitely want to try it. In addition, it is convenient to take it with you for a walk as a snack.
Since spinach goes well with many vegetables and fruits, it can be added to smoothies such as apple, banana, kiwi, lime, cucumber, celery. As the basis of the drink, you can use water, milk, yogurt, kefir. If the child is not allergic to any of the components of the smoothie, you can safely mix them in a drink. Many mums prefer to mask the taste of foods that are healthy but not loved by their baby, and smoothies are one of the best ways to do this.
You can add to the cocktail crushed oatmeal, pre-steamed in boiling water or hot milk, or boiled rice. Then you get a great summer breakfast.
Casserole
Casserole is one of the most common children's dishes. There are many variations of this dish. A child from one and a half years old can cook, for example, a casserole with noodles and spinach.
Ingredients:
- 500 g of spinach leaves or shoots;
- 2 chicken eggs;
- 2 tbsp. l. Sahara;
- 1 glass of noodles;
- juice of 1 lemon;
- 1 tbsp. l. butter.
Preparation:
- Boil the spinach in water for about 3-5 minutes, drain.
- Grind with a meat grinder or blender.
- Beat eggs with sugar.
- Boil the noodles, drain.
- Stir spinach, noodles and egg mixture and add butter.
- Place in a greased dish and bake in an oven preheated to 180-200 ° C for 15-20 minutes.
Other spinach casseroles are easy to make using the same recipe. It is enough to replace the noodles with boiled rice or mashed potatoes, sprinkle the finished dish with finely grated cheese, and a new healthy dish for the child is ready.
Omelet
For a child of 1 year old, you can add spinach to an omelet, and children under 3 years old need to steam it. This breakfast will energize you for the whole day.
Ingredients:
- 100 g spinach leaves;
- a quarter glass of milk;
- 1 chicken egg;
- 1 tsp butter;
- some salt.
Preparation:
- Simmer the washed spinach in oil for 10 minutes.
- Beat the egg with milk, add a little salt.
- Add the mixture to the stewed spinach.
- Grease a saucepan with oil, pour the resulting mass into it;
- Cook for 20 minutes in a steam bath, covered.
Contraindications and precautions
Although spinach is an extremely healthy food, its ingredients are not nearly as harmless. When using it in baby food, it should be borne in mind that old leaves accumulate oxalic acid, which is harmful to the child's body, therefore, be sure to choose only young shoots and leaves up to 5 cm long or add dairy products to dishes that neutralize it - milk, butter, cream.
Fresh leaves and shoots are stored in the refrigerator for no more than 2 - 3 days, since with longer storage they release harmful salts of nitric acid.
Children with kidney disease, liver problems, metabolic disorders should not eat foods with spinach. If you have any chronic diseases, it would be useful to consult a pediatrician.
Conclusion
Spinach recipes for a child will help mom diversify the menu with delicious and healthy dishes. Among the many options for cooking this vegetable, there are sure to be those that the baby will like, and adding it to familiar dishes will significantly increase their nutritional value. Eating spinach regularly, with simple precautions, will be of exceptional benefit to your growing child.
