How to prepare the first complementary food pumpkin. Pumpkin for children: beneficial properties, recommendations for use, recipes. Simple pumpkin puree

Due to its low calorie content, rich in vitamins and minerals, high fiber and pectin content, pumpkin is essential for babies. It will not only help cope with constipation, which often plagues children, but will also calm hyperactive toddlers. Your child will certainly love the sweetish taste of the orange dessert. And mom will be pleased with simple recipes for preparing pumpkin dishes that will help diversify the baby’s diet.

Why is it worth introducing pumpkin complementary foods?

The orange beauty from the fairy tale about Cinderella is a storehouse of useful elements. Its fruits can weigh up to 90 kg. The tender pulp of the vegetable is securely hidden under a dense “shell”, which allows the pumpkin to be easily transported and stored indoors at room temperature for quite a long time.

Useful composition

Pumpkin is a nutritious product that has not only a bright taste, but also a vitamin and mineral balance that is indispensable for the body.

• Beta carotene.
• Once in the body, it turns into vitamin A - an “essential product” for the proper functioning of the immune system. Responsible for good vision, skin condition, slows down aging. Therefore, the vegetable will be useful to all family members.
• Vitamin E. Helps to better absorb vitamin A, enhancing its beneficial effects on the body. It is an excellent antioxidant, promotes normal protein and fat metabolism, prevents the formation of blood clots, and slows down cell aging. B vitamins.
• They have a beneficial effect on the nervous system, relieve excessive tension, improve attention and memory. 1/3 cup of a decoction of this vegetable and a little honey or 100 ml of freshly squeezed pumpkin juice will cope with insomnia better than sleeping pills. Thus, the orange vegetable is an excellent natural sedative for babies.
• Vitamin C. 100 g contains a quarter of the children's daily requirement of ascorbic acid, which strengthens the immune system and helps the body cope with viruses, infections, and colds. Actively resists harmful radicals and takes care of skin condition.
• Vitamin T. This rare vitamin normalizes metabolic processes, promotes the formation of muscle mass and a muscle corset.
• Potassium and sodium.
• They have a mild diuretic effect, helping to remove excess fluid from the body and relieving swelling.
• Iron. Helps cope with anemia. Fiber and dietary fiber.
• The product has a mild laxative effect and normalizes intestinal motility, helping people with “lazy” intestines and chronic constipation.

Pectins are an excellent adsorbent - they bind and remove radioactive elements, heavy metal salts, bacteria and their toxins from the body.

Side effects

Despite the numerous beneficial substances, you should not overuse sweet and aromatic pumpkin. This miracle vegetable contains no less carotene than carrots. This means that the potential risk of developing an allergic reaction in an infant is quite high. A fairly high percentage of carbohydrates and sugars makes pumpkin “persona non grata” on the diabetic menu. Those who are personally familiar with the diagnosis: stomach and duodenal ulcers should not overuse dishes from the red beauty.

Infants should not offer raw pumpkin. Fruits purchased on the market may contain chemicals that are destroyed and released from the pulp into the water during heat treatment. Remember the main rule is moderation.

Since pumpkin contains a lot of carotene, you should give your baby food from it no more than once every 2-3 days. Otherwise, your little one will turn yellow.

When can a vegetable be added to a baby’s main diet?

If the child is “artificial,” experts recommend introducing the baby to new tastes from 5-6 months, and after six months if the mother is breastfeeding the baby.

Introducing an unfamiliar product into a child's diet is a responsible step. As a rule, white and green vegetables and fruits are offered as first complementary foods, since they are least likely to cause an allergic reaction. The “warning” orange color is a kind of “natural recommendation” to introduce pumpkin later, in the company of carrots, beets and other bright fruits - after 7 months, if you observe a pronounced reaction, put off the new product for another month.

• When offering your baby an unfamiliar dish, do not forget about the basic rules of complementary feeding:
• An untested product should be introduced at the beginning of the day, preferably during the second feeding.
• At the first sign of an allergy, complementary feeding should be stopped. But you shouldn’t give up the new product for long. After a month, you should try again.
• Before giving the puree to your baby, heat it in a water bath to a temperature of 37-40 degrees.
• Give complementary foods only from a spoon.
• The “distance” between new products should be at least 2 weeks.

Pumpkin has a sweetish taste. Having tried the dessert, the baby may refuse the relatively tasteless ones: cauliflower, zucchini or broccoli. It is worth postponing the introduction of the orange vegetable. And if you already have porridge on your menu, try seasoning it with pumpkin puree.

Cooking correctly

The best option for introducing your baby to a new product would be a homogeneous, tender and aromatic pumpkin puree. You can purchase ready-made complementary foods in jars, saving time. It will not be difficult to prepare pumpkin at home by choosing the right raw materials.

To do this, you need to take fruits whose weight does not exceed 3-5 kg. The younger and smaller the pumpkin, the less fibrous their structure, the juicier the flesh and the pleasantly sweet taste. Pay attention to the color and outer shell. The peel should be smooth, without rot or dents, and the tail should be dry.

How to cook pumpkin for a child? Despite its impressive size, weight, and fairly dense texture, the vegetable is easy to prepare and does not require long hours of waiting for it to be ready. It can be fried, steamed, stewed, baked. You can use only one component, or create a real fruit and vegetable “bouquet”. It all depends on your capabilities and the characteristics of the baby’s body.

The table below provides information on how long to cook pumpkin for complementary feeding.

Table - Pumpkin cooking time (pulp cut into large cubes or thin slices)

Dish recipes

There are many ways to cook pumpkin for a child. The following are recipes for simple, but at the same time healthy and tasty dishes.

Mono-component puree

1. Wash the pumpkin thoroughly, remove seeds and large fibers.
2. Cut into small pieces or cubes and place in a saucepan.
3. To prevent the pieces from burning to the bottom, add a little water.
4. Cook covered over low heat for 20-25 minutes until soft.
5. Drain the water.
6. Puree the resulting mass using a blender. To make the puree more homogeneous and to get rid of large pieces that can cause a gag reflex in a baby, you need to rub the boiled pumpkin through a sieve.

Pumpkin puree for a baby, prepared according to the following recipe, will not only normalize digestion, but will also help cope with gases, relieving the baby of bloating.

Pumpkin puree with dill

1. Cut the pumpkin pulp into pieces and boil in water, a slow cooker, steam or bake in the oven.
2. Add a pinch of finely chopped dill to the soft mass (the stems should not be used).
3. Puree in a blender.
4. Too thick puree can be diluted with breast milk or the baby's usual formula. You can add a little vegetable broth or a drop of boiled water.

Apple puree with pumpkin

1. Cut the washed, peeled and seeded apples and pumpkin into arbitrary pieces and place in a saucepan, adding a minimum of water.
2. Cook over low heat, covered, for at least 20 minutes.
3. Drain off excess liquid.
4. Cool the pumpkin-apple mixture.
5. Grind with a blender or rub through a sieve.
6. Instead of an apple, you can use zucchini, carrots or pears.

Vegetable puree

1. You will need 50 g pumpkin, 30 g potatoes, 30 g carrots, 30 g cabbage, 30 g zucchini, vegetable oil.
2. Cut thoroughly washed vegetables into pieces and place in a bowl.
3. Add a little water and simmer over low heat, covered, until done.
4. Puree using a blender.
5. For older children, you can add a little salt.

Pumpkin goes well with many plant foods that are good for babies. And it can also become an excellent companion to meat. The following recipe will tell you how to make pumpkin puree for babies with the addition of meat.

Pumpkin puree with meat

1. 150 g of washed and peeled pumpkin without seeds, cut into pieces and simmer in a small amount of water, covering with a lid.
2. Separately, boil 50 g of chicken or turkey meat.
3. Grind the ingredients with a blender.
4. Season with a small amount of vegetable oil, which will soften the puree and help preserve vitamin A.

Semolina porridge with pumpkin

1. This dish is suitable for kids who are already familiar with cow's milk.
2. Cut the washed and seeded pumpkin into pieces.
3. Place 3 tablespoons of chopped pumpkin in a saucepan.
4. Boil lightly in a small amount of water.
5. Pour in 1/3 cup of milk and bring to a boil.
6. Without stopping stirring, add a spoonful of semolina in a thin stream.
7. Cook for 5 minutes, also stirring constantly to prevent the formation of semolina lumps.
8. Beat the finished porridge.
9. Cool to 37-40 degrees.

Milk pumpkin soup

An alternative to homogeneous puree for a child can be pumpkin soup.

1. Boil the pumpkin raw material until half cooked.
2. Pour in boiling breast or cow's milk. By changing the ratio of ingredients, you can adjust the consistency of the future soup.
3. Cook until the pumpkin is completely cooked.
4. Cool and blend with a blender until creamy.
5. Add a drop of vegetable oil.

Baked pumpkin

1. Place the peeled and seeded pumpkin on a baking sheet and bake in the oven until cooked.
2. Grind with a blender or mash with a fork.
3. Add a drop of vegetable or cow oil. Can be diluted with warmed milk.

Pumpkin in reserve

Despite the fact that a whole pumpkin can be stored for quite a long time at home under the bed, the cut fruit quickly deteriorates even in the refrigerator. Freezing will help preserve all the beneficial properties of the orange beauty for several months and use ready-made semi-finished pumpkin in small quantities as needed.
Cut the washed and peeled pumpkin into small cubes, place on a board and place in the freezer. Place the frozen pieces into a bag. Pumpkin prepared in this way can be turned into aromatic and healthy complementary food at any time.

Baby portions are so small that it is quite difficult to guess the amount of food. If you've made enough pumpkin puree for an army, you can freeze the excess into disposable plastic cups. These “portioned cubes” can be added later to the porridge being prepared or simply reheated.

You can prepare pumpkin puree for the winter using the following recipe.

You will need one medium-sized ripe pumpkin, about 1 cup of brown sugar, 1 liter of water, 200 g of cranberries and just a little cloves for flavor.

1. Peel, wash and cut the pumpkin into small pieces.
2. In an enamel saucepan, mix water with sugar and add pumpkin.
3. Stirring constantly, bring the pumpkin mixture to a boil.
4. Squeeze juice from washed and dried cranberries.
5. Add cranberry juice to the pot with the pumpkin.
6. Cook, stirring, for about 20 minutes.
7. 5 minutes before the puree is ready, throw a couple of “cloves” into the future puree.
8. Drain the water and puree the resulting mass in a blender.
9. Transfer the puree into sterilized jars and close with lids.

Now you know how to cook pumpkin for a baby, when to introduce this orange vegetable into complementary foods, and how to preserve this healthy baby food product for the winter. Let your little one’s menu be not only healthy, but also delicious!

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Pumpkin is a multi-component vegetable that has a good effect on the child’s body. However, it should be introduced into the diet gradually in small portions.

Rules for introducing a new product:

1. Feeding with pumpkin dishes should take place in the morning. This will allow you to monitor the child’s condition and his body’s reaction to the new product throughout the day.
2. For the first time, it is not recommended to combine pumpkin with other products.
3. After taking pumpkin puree, the next main feeding should be 2 hours later.
4. Pumpkin is introduced gradually. That is, for the first time the pumpkin content can be 50 grams, gradually increasing to 150 grams.
5. For children without teeth, the pumpkin should be crushed with a blender or rubbed through a sieve.

If a pumpkin dish suits your child, then after 2-3 weeks it can replace one feeding.

How to understand that a pumpkin is not suitable for your baby?

Despite the fact that pumpkin is a very healthy product, due to its high content of Beta Carotene, in some cases it can cause an allergic reaction.

After introducing crumbs of pumpkin dishes into the diet, you should carefully monitor the child’s behavior. If this product is not suitable for the child, symptoms may appear within 5-6 hours:

• Redness on the skin, itching, rashes;
• Congestion of the nasal passages, sometimes a cough appears;
• Body temperature may increase;
• Stool disorder;
• The child becomes capricious and restless.

If at least one of these symptoms is detected, then pumpkin should be immediately excluded from the diet. Everything should pass within a short time. However, if the mother notes that the product is excluded, and the side effects do not go away, then it is necessary to visit a doctor. In this case, antihistamine therapy is prescribed and the diet remains the same.

For children prone to allergies, it is recommended to introduce pumpkin at 10-11 months. It is believed that by this age the child’s body is stronger and can already digest this product well.

All children's bodies are different and their perception of new products is individual. Pumpkin is one of the leaders in the content of nutrients, but it is not recommended for some children:

1. Tendency to allergies.
2. Diseases of the gastrointestinal tract.
3. Diabetes.

How often can you serve pumpkin dishes?

Many parents believe that if a product is useful, then it should be given to their child as often as possible. However, this is completely wrong. And such concern can lead to unpleasant consequences. Dishes containing pumpkin should be present in the baby’s diet no more than 2 times a week. This is enough for the normal development of the baby.

If the child suffers from regular constipation, then pumpkin purees can be increased to 3-4 times a week. The fiber content in this vegetable allows you to normalize your baby's stool.

How to choose the right vegetable?

Pumpkin is a fall vegetable. It can be round or oblong, green or orange.

The most ideal option would be a pumpkin from your own plot. However, if you decide to purchase it in a store or market, you should remember the following recommendations:

• The fruits must have a natural color. For the first, you should give preference to green vegetables;
• The pumpkin should not have cracks or dents. This vegetable is not suitable for preparing baby food;
• The pumpkin tail should be dry. This indicates its natural maturation.

You should not buy cut pumpkin. If stored improperly, pathogenic bacteria can develop, which will only cause harm.

Pumpkin storage

Store whole pumpkin in a cool, dry place, out of direct sunlight. If the integrity of the fruit is compromised, it must be hermetically wrapped in cling film and stored in a cool place.

This vegetable can also be cut into desired portions and stored in the freezer. Before cooking, the product is defrosted and ready for heat treatment.

What to prepare from pumpkin for the first feeding?

Pumpkin puree recipe:

In a clean saucepan, boil 100 grams of pumpkin for 23-30 minutes. Drain off all excess water and rub the finished product through a sieve. It should be remembered that the puree should be of a uniform consistency, free of lumps and fibers.

To ensure that the vegetable does not lose its valuable vitamins and microelements, the pumpkin must be thrown into boiling water. This will allow you to preserve the beneficial substances of this product as much as possible.

If the baby likes pumpkin and the body reacts positively, then the mother can not limit herself to just puree, but delight the baby with interesting pumpkin dishes.

Several simple and healthy recipes from autumn vegetables A

Pumpkin is a versatile product that can be used to prepare first courses, casseroles and desserts. Which can be present in the diet of every baby.

Cream soup with dill and cream

To do this, take 250 grams of peeled pumpkin and the same amount of water. Boil in a saucepan for 25 minutes. Drain the liquid and add 15 grams of fresh dill and 50 milliliters of low-fat cream. Combine all ingredients and place on low heat for another 5 minutes. Then we grind it on a sieve, and the dish is ready to eat.

Vegetable soup

To prepare this soup you will need: 0.5 l. water, 1 potato, 50 grams of carrots, 50 grams of zucchini, 150 grams of pumpkin. Cut the vegetables into equal pieces and cook for 30-35 minutes over low heat. Everything is ground together with the liquid. For older children, you can mash the dish a little with a fork so that he learns to chew food on his own.

Baked pancakes with pumpkin and cottage cheese

Grind 100 grams of cottage cheese through a sieve.

Grate 150 grams of pumpkin. Mix everything and add 1 protein.

Grease the prepared baking sheet with olive oil. We form pancakes on it with a spoon at a distance of 5 centimeters. Bake in a preheated oven to 180 C° for 30 minutes. This dish is perfect for children from 10 months.

Pumpkin and apple puree

Pumpkin and apples are taken in equal proportions. Cut into small pieces and place in a saucepan. Pour some water into the bottom and simmer for 20-25 minutes. Afterwards we grind everything on a sieve or blender.

Baked pumpkin

The pumpkin is cut into small pieces and placed on a baking sheet greased with olive oil. At a temperature of 180 C°, bake for 25-30 minutes.

A variety of pumpkin recipes will allow mothers to constantly surprise their little gourmets, while the dishes will remain as healthy and tasty as possible.

It should be remembered that this product can be given to the baby no more than 2 times a week, so as not to provoke allergic reactions.

Alexander Gushchin

I can’t vouch for the taste, but it will be hot :)

Mar 2 2017

Content

How many dishes can be prepared from bright, orange pumpkin! The simplest option is to cook porridge or make puree, which should be rolled into jars for the winter so that you can enjoy the taste of the vegetable even in cold weather. How to preserve all the benefits of the queen of autumn and prepare a treat for the whole family from it?

The benefits and harms of pumpkin puree

First, it’s worth understanding what the benefits and harms of pumpkin puree are. The basis of the dish is a vegetable rich in carotene and vitamin A, which have a positive effect on vision and improve skin condition. The B group of vitamins helps support the functioning of the nervous system, fight insomnia, and relieve fatigue. In addition, pumpkin contains a lot of ascorbic acid, which protects the body from infections. Magnesium and potassium are important for the heart and blood vessels, and iron is important for the process of hematopoiesis.

Pumpkin pulp is rich in fiber and fiber, which are necessary to cleanse the intestines and normalize the functioning of the digestive tract. The low calorie content of the vegetable attracts those who are on a diet, and folic acid is especially useful for pregnant women. Antioxidants and fruit acids contained in pumpkin help normalize kidney function and remove waste and toxins from the body.

In addition to the benefits, pumpkin also has some harm and contraindications for use. These include individual intolerance and allergies. People with ulcers and gastritis patients should not get carried away with vegetables, as this can exacerbate the disease. Diabetics should also be careful when consuming pumpkin pulp because it contains a lot of sugar and can cause an increase in glucose levels.

How to make pumpkin puree

To prepare pumpkin puree, you need to take a ripe fruit with a dense peel, which has no flaws or spoiled places (it is optimal to choose homemade varieties for puree - Butternut or Kroshka). The vegetable is peeled, seeds, and loose areas, and the pulp is cut into cubes or slices. Then they need to be cooked using a slow cooker, in the usual way, or baked in the oven.

You can prepare pumpkin puree with a fork, mashing the pieces until smooth, or grind through a sieve, but it is more convenient to use a blender, mixer or food processor. A couple of minutes is enough to turn the soft pieces into a creamy mass. The finished product can be diluted with broth and made into cream soup by adding pasta or any boiled cereal (rice, millet). To prepare for the winter, hot puree should be placed in jars, sealed and stored in a cool place.

How long to cook pumpkin for baby puree? The process lasts from half an hour to an hour depending on the chosen cooking method. In a slow cooker, cooking lasts 40-50 minutes, in a saucepan - up to an hour, in a pressure cooker - 20-30 minutes, in the oven baking lasts about an hour. You need to season a tasty, healthy dish for your child with vegetable oil or butter. Cottage cheese, cream, and sour cream are often added to baby purees.

Pumpkin puree in a slow cooker

To add variety to your diet, try making pumpkin puree in a slow cooker. The fruits make a fragrant dessert or a delicious first food for infants. The peeled pulp is cut into pieces and steamed in a multicooker bowl. It should simmer for 15 minutes until it becomes soft. Then the pieces need to be slightly cooled and crushed to a puree. If you plan to prepare a savory dish or side dish, you can add cheese, spices, salt, and ground black pepper.

Pumpkin puree recipe

Before you prepare pumpkin puree step by step, you should take care of choosing a suitable recipe. There are many options for tasty treats: for baby feeding and for storing for future use, salty and sweet treats, for dessert, baking and as a base for soups. On the Internet you can find many photos and recipes for pumpkin puree - every housewife will be able to choose the best option.

Pumpkin puree for the winter

• Cooking time: 1 hour.
• Number of servings: 10 persons.
• Calorie content of the dish: 48 kcal.
• Purpose: for dessert.
• Cuisine: European.

Pumpkin puree for the winter can be prepared using two methods - from boiled or oven-baked pulp. You will need citric acid or sour juice (pomegranate, cranberry, orange) for canning. The piquant fruity sourness successfully sets off the sweetness of the vegetable and gives the delicacy a pleasant, unique taste. From the quantities given below you can get about four liters of puree.

Ingredients:

• pumpkin – 3 kg;
• sugar – 1 kg;
• pomegranate juice - a glass.

Cooking method:

1. Peel the vegetable, cut into cubes, place on a baking sheet, and bake for 40 minutes at 180 degrees.
2. Grind with a blender, place in a larger container, fill with juice, sprinkle with sugar.
3. Cook over low heat for 10 minutes.
4. Transfer hot puree into sterilized jars.
5. Seal and cool. Only after this can the jars be stored in the refrigerator or sent to the home cellar.

Pumpkin puree recipe for babies

• Cooking time: half an hour.
• Number of servings: 2 persons.
• Calorie content of the dish: 10 kcal.
• Purpose: for lunch.
• Cuisine: European.

The recipe for pumpkin puree for babies will be useful for young mothers who are planning to introduce a new dish into the baby’s diet. For better absorption of carotene and vitamin A, a drop of vegetable oil is added to the finished pumpkin puree for babies. A prerequisite is careful grinding of the product, in which lumps may form during cooking.

Ingredients:

• pumpkin – 100 g;
• water – half a glass;
• vegetable oil - a drop.

Cooking method:

1. Peel the vegetable. Cut into small slices, place in a ladle or saucepan, and cover with water.
2. Place on the fire, close the lid, and simmer for 20 minutes until done.
3. Drain the liquid and rub through a sieve.
4. Mix with oil. The finished product cannot be stored for a long time; it must be eaten immediately.

Pumpkin and apple puree for the winter

• Cooking time: 2.5 hours.
• Number of servings: 5 persons.
• Calorie content of the dish: 50 kcal.
• Purpose: for dessert.
• Cuisine: European.
• Difficulty of preparation: medium.

Pumpkin and apple puree for the winter has a pleasant sweet and sour taste. It is very useful in winter and spring, when we are so lacking in vitamins. To prepare pumpkin puree for the winter at home, you will need to prepare the vegetable, boil it with the addition of apples, and grind it to a pulp. Then the hot mass is poured into jars and carefully sealed.

Ingredients:

• pumpkin – 1 kg;
• apples – half a kilo;
• sugar – 80 g;
• citric acid – 10 g.

Cooking method:

1. Peel the fruit and scrape out the pulp.
2. Wash the apples, remove the core, cut both components into pieces.
3. Pass through a meat grinder or grind with a blender, sprinkle the resulting apple pulp with sugar.
4. Cook for two hours in a saucepan over low heat, add citric acid.
5. Place the puree in sterilized jars, seal, and store.

Pumpkin and potato puree recipe

• Cooking time: half an hour.
• Number of servings: 4 persons.
• Calorie content of the dish: 16 kcal.
• Purpose: for dinner.
• Cuisine: European.
• Difficulty of preparation: medium.

A step-by-step recipe for pumpkin and potato puree will help housewives make a tasty dietary dish that is well absorbed by the body. This delicacy is also suitable for children, thanks to the large amount of vitamins and microelements. Adding potatoes makes the dish more satisfying and rich. To add a special aroma to the finished treat, you can add a little unrefined, aromatic butter or cream.

Ingredients:

• potatoes – 7 pcs.;
• pumpkin - half a kilo;
• garlic – 3 cloves;
• salt - a pinch;
• olive oil – 50 ml;
• parsley – 25 g.

Cooking method:

1. Peel the vegetables, cut into small pieces, add water.
2. Cook for 25 minutes, add salt. Drain the liquid, add chopped garlic and oil.
3. Instead of olive oil, you can put butter or cream with 10% fat content.
4. The next step is making the puree.
5. Serve with chopped parsley.

Pumpkin puree with cream

• Cooking time: half an hour.
• Number of servings: 3 persons.
• Calorie content of the dish: 41 kcal.
• Purpose: for lunch.
• Cuisine: European.
• Difficulty of preparation: medium.

Pumpkin puree with cream is more like a soup, which pleasantly warms and satisfies. The dish has a spicy taste due to the addition of aromatic spices - garlic, nutmeg. The delicacy will look especially elegant if you sprinkle it with pumpkin or sesame seeds or serve it with croutons and grated cheese. The thickness of the soup can be adjusted by adding broth.

Ingredients:

• pumpkin – 0.4 kg;
• onion – 1 pc.;
• chicken broth – 400 ml;
• cream - half a glass;
• garlic – clove;
• nutmeg – 2 g;
• olive oil – 40 ml;
• sesame – 20 g.

Cooking method:

1. Cut the onion into rings, crush the garlic with a knife. Sauté in oil until translucent, remove the garlic.
2. Peel the pumpkin, cut into small pieces, and add to the onion.
3. Pour in the broth and simmer covered for 20 minutes.
4. Grind the mass with a blender, and then season with spices and add cream.
5. Boil, remove from heat.
6. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and serve with croutons.

Pumpkin and carrot puree

• Cooking time: half an hour.
• Number of servings: 2 persons.
• Calorie content of the dish: 9 kcal.
• Purpose: for dessert.
• Cuisine: European.
• Difficulty of preparation: simple.

Pumpkin and carrot puree is very sweet and bright, has a beautiful orange color. The dish is rich in vitamin A and carotene, excellent for baby food. It is best to serve the delicacy with heavy cream or a piece of butter, seasoned with raisins, dried fruits or nuts. For sweetness, you can add a spoonful of honey or maple syrup and sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Ingredients:

• pumpkin – 150 g;
• carrots – 1 pc.;
• water – 600 ml;
• olive oil – 10 ml.

Cooking method:

1. Wash and peel the carrots. Remove the peel from the pumpkin, cut the pulp into diamonds, and the carrots into circles.
2. Pour a glass of water over the vegetables and cook for six minutes (they should remain slightly firm).
3. Add the remaining water and oil, heat for another 10-12 minutes, beat with a blender until smooth.
4. Serve with your favorite ingredients.

Pumpkin soup from Yulia Vysotskaya

• Cooking time: 1 hour.
• Number of servings: 4 persons.
• Calorie content of the dish: 62 kcal.
• Purpose: for dinner.
• Kitchen: author's.
• Difficulty of preparation: medium.

Yuliya Vysotskaya's pumpkin puree soup will appeal to all family members. The rich, thick consistency of the dish helps you quickly fill up and warm up during the cold season. Garlic and hot peppers add spiciness to the soup, and orange juice gives it a piquant sweetness. Serve the treat with finely chopped herbs, slices of garlic (to taste) and crackers.

Ingredients:

• pumpkin - half a kilo;
• potatoes – 2 pcs.;
• carrots – 1 pc.;
• apple – 1 pc.;
• onion – 1 pc.;
• garlic – 2 cloves;
• hot hot pepper – 1/3 pod;
• butter – 20 g;
• olive oil – 20 ml;
• water – 60 ml;
• cream - half a glass;
• orange juice – 40 ml;
• nutmeg – 5 g;
• ground ginger – 10 g.

Cooking method:

1. Cut the pumpkin pulp into large cubes, potatoes and carrots into small slices.
2. Onions, garlic, peppers must first be peeled and then chopped.
3. Melt the butter, mix with olive oil and fry the onion and garlic in this mixture until transparent.
4. Sprinkle with spices, fry for two minutes, add carrots. Cook over high heat for a minute, add water and boil. Reduce heat, cover, simmer for 10 minutes.
5. Add pumpkin, potatoes, peppers, fry for three minutes.
6. Add apple slices, cook for two minutes, pour boiling water to the level of the vegetables. Simmer for half an hour.
7. Beat with a blender until puree, add cream, juice, spices. Bring to a boil, but do not overcook.
8. Sprinkle with grated cheese, seeds, and garlic croutons.

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Pumpkin is a universal product. It is necessary for babies because it has a fairly pleasant taste, and its vitamin and mineral composition is simply impressive. Pumpkin fruit that was collected in the fall is especially useful - such a pumpkin really ripens naturally, which means that the baby will benefit from it more. But what age of a child allows him to eat pumpkin? How to prepare pumpkin puree for babies correctly, and most importantly, healthy and tasty?

Useful composition

Pumpkin can rightfully be called an orange beauty. It has aromatic, dazzlingly bright, sweetish-tasting pulp, hidden under a thick and fairly tough skin. It is easy to transport over long distances and stores well indoors, but cutting it to cook is not easy due to the hardness of the crust. However, such protection is more of a plus of the vegetable than its minus: the product does not spoil for a long time, and its vitamin and mineral composition does not change.

By the way, about the benefits of pumpkin. Why is it so useful for babies?

1. Pumpkin puree contains beta-carotene, which is converted in the body to vitamin A, which, in turn, is responsible for good vision and healthy skin.
2. Pumpkin is rich in vitamin E, which helps absorb vitamin A and enhance its properties. Vitamin E is an excellent antioxidant; it helps slow down cell aging and normalizes protein-fat metabolism.
3. B vitamins in puree, which can be included in a child’s diet, have a good effect on the development of the baby’s nervous system, relieve tension, improve memory and attention.
4. Pumpkin puree for babies, the recipe for which is incredibly simple, is rich in ascorbic acid, which helps improve immunity.
5. Pumpkin complementary foods contain vitamin K, which is involved in cell growth, improves blood clotting, and prevents osteoporosis.
6. Due to the vitamin T content, the child receives normal development of muscle mass and muscle corset. The vitamin contributes to the normal metabolic process in the child’s body.
7. Pumpkin contains iron, which helps with anemia.
8. The benefit of pumpkin, according to Dr. Komarovsky, lies in the content of pectins, which help remove heavy metals, toxic substances, waste, bacteria and radioactive elements from the body.
9. Pumpkin complementary foods, which a child regularly consumes, fill the small body with potassium and sodium. These components are an excellent diuretic that has decongestant properties.
10. A child should also cook pumpkin because it contains fiber and valuable dietary fiber, which stimulate the digestive system, improving its peristalsis. In this case, pumpkin puree for babies, the recipe of which allows you to prepare it for the winter, is an excellent prevention of constipation.

In addition, this vegetable contains calcium, which helps strengthen bones, magnesium and phosphorus, thanks to which the infant receives a healthy and strong nervous system, and zinc, which prevents the occurrence of inflammatory processes.

However, it is worth remembering that pumpkin puree for babies (see the recipe for the winter below) may not have a very good effect. So, for example, the vegetable is contraindicated if the child suffers from gastritis, gastrointestinal ulcers, or diabetes. Pumpkin is also undesirable for children who are allergic to foods high in carotene. And even though pumpkin complementary foods are healthy, you should not give it to your baby raw: a vegetable bought at the market may contain a dangerous amount of nitrates, which will harm the baby’s health.

When to include pumpkin in a child's diet?

The age at which a child can try orange vegetables is no earlier than the 7th month after birth. You need to cook it, and even more so introduce it into your baby’s diet, very responsibly. In fact, the complementary feeding scheme and the recipe for making purees are not much different from the preparation of other vegetable products. But still we cannot help but mention this.

So, if your child is 8 months old, you can safely give him pumpkin puree. The first portion should be very tiny - only 1/2 or 1/3 teaspoon. To begin with, complementary foods may seem tasteless to the baby and he will spit them out. If you notice that your child has not eaten anything at all, try giving him purees again. After a successful attempt, forget about complementary feeding for 2-3 days. But at this time, be sure to monitor how the baby feels: if he is not bothered by problems with the gastrointestinal tract, he does not have rashes or inflammations on the skin, then pumpkin complementary foods can be gradually increased. But remember that pumpkin complementary foods are useful if you give it to your child 2-3 times a week, observing a time interval of 2-3 days. Otherwise, the baby’s skin may turn yellow, and the body may react with an upset stomach or severe allergies - all pediatricians, including Dr. E. Komarovsky, warn about this.

How to cook pumpkin for babies?

The first pumpkin puree must be prepared in a homogeneous consistency without adding sugar, oil, salt and other ingredients. Pumpkin itself is quite sweet, so your little one will probably like its taste. To avoid messing around with purees, you can buy ready-made complementary foods in the market, but the benefits of such a product are ambiguous: no one can answer for the quality of the product, even if it is baby food.

The best option is to make a healthy and nutritious product for your baby yourself. But then it is important to choose a quality pumpkin. How to do it?

1. Choose a fruit whose weight is no more than 3-5 kg. This indicates that the pumpkin is young, which means that the structure of its pulp is less fibrous, so the vegetable will cook faster and the finished puree will be more tender.
2. The pumpkin skin should be smooth, without rotten spots or dents from impacts.
3. The tail of the orange vegetable should not be fresh.

The pumpkin recipe for babies is very simple. But this vegetable can be prepared in different ways: it can be boiled, baked, stewed, steamed, microwaved, etc. Any pumpkin dish, be it diet soup or baby porridge, will be tasty and healthy. An infant can enjoy pumpkin puree exclusively, or he can combine it with various vegetables and fruits - the recipe for preparing this incredible product is limitless.

The simplest recipe for pumpkin puree for babies looks like this:

1. Pour boiling water over the pumpkin, cut into pieces, remove the seeds.
2. Before cooking the product, you need to remove the thick skin from it and cut the pulp into cubes.
3. Place the pumpkin in a saucepan and add enough water to lightly cover the vegetable.
4. You can cook the pumpkin for 15 minutes until the slices soften.
5. Grind the fruit in a blender, diluting with pumpkin broth if necessary.

If the baby is 8 months old after birth, you can add a couple of drops of olive oil to the puree - this way the beneficial components will be better absorbed.

If an infant is already familiar with apples, bananas, and cow's milk, then the mother can prepare milk soup or fruit porridge for him. It is worth remembering that you can only combine products that are familiar to your child.

Note that pumpkin can be cooked in different ways. For information on how long to cook the product in different cases, see the table:

Winter and autumn are the best seasons for pumpkins. There is no need to specially prepare the product for storage - at this time it is sold everywhere. Porridge made from this vegetable is incredibly healthy, and it is also available in the cold season. Therefore, there is no need to freeze pumpkin for future use if there is really no need for it. But it is very necessary to feed your baby with it, because it is healthy and nutritious.

Hello, friends, Lena Zhabinskaya is with you, and today we will talk about a delicious treat for toddlers. You will learn the best recipes for how to cook pumpkin for complementary feeding, with which your little one will eat every last spoonful and ask for more.

Also learn to avoid mistakes in preparing this product, because if it is done incorrectly, the baby will end up with vomiting and colic in the tummy. And we don’t want this under any circumstances!

Without going into discussions regarding that, we will only repeat that regardless of the type of feeding (breastfeeding, mixed, artificial), any complementary foods are introduced no earlier than 6 months.

This means that there is no talk of any pumpkin juice at 1 month or puree at 5 months!

When you start introducing your little one to vegetables, first choose zucchini and broccoli. The listed vegetables are more delicate in structure and safe from the point of view of the risk of allergies. In addition, they have a less pleasant taste compared to pumpkin, which is quite sweet.

For the same reason, fruits are introduced after vegetables - after all, smart kids may refuse to eat unleavened zucchini after a sweet pear. They are not so easy to carry out.

Therefore, answering the question of how many months can an orange beauty be born, we will not rush and will indicate approximately 8-9 months.

How is it useful for babies?

Many parents are very skeptical about pumpkin in complementary foods, because they themselves do not eat it. But this is a great option for a baby, and here's why.

The unique composition of this herbaceous plant (yes, it’s not just some kind of vegetable) will enrich the baby’s body with a huge range of vitamins. It contains beta-carotene for proper vision development. Vitamin B for a balanced nervous system. Iron and calcium for strong bones and elastic joints. Vitamin D for the prevention of rickets. Magnesium for immunity.

In addition, the special fibrous structure of the product has a beneficial effect on intestinal motility, improves digestion and helps the little one not have problems with constipation.

The bright color and rich taste of pumpkin perfectly diversify the menu of a baby who is not allowed much. I hope I have convinced you that pumpkin is worth figuring out how to cook it correctly.

Tender puree

This is the simplest, but no less delicious way to prepare delicious pumpkin puree for baby feeding.

1. Remove peel and seeds.
2. Cut into cubes.
3. Place in a saucepan and add water 1 cm from the bottom (that is, just a little).
4. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover with a lid.
5. Simmer over low heat (until slightly simmering) for 20-25 minutes.
6. Beat with a blender or rub through a sieve to obtain a creamy consistency.
7. Add a little salt to the finished dish (the child needs it in small quantities, but to your taste the food should seem under-salted), a spoonful of vegetable oil and 1-2 spoons of dry milk mixture.
8. Mix everything thoroughly - the most delicate aromatic sweetish puree is ready!

Transfer the remaining puree into disposable plastic cups, filling each halfway, wrap in a disposable plastic bag and freeze - we will add them to other dishes.

This is also a great way to freeze the product for the winter. After hardening, the contents are easily removed from the cups and poured into one bag for safe storage in the freezer.

You can, of course, put it in the refrigerator, but you can re-offer this food to the baby only within 24 hours, which is too short for a second serving of pumpkin; after all, it is enough to eat it a couple of times a week, not more often.

Pumpkin soup

When you want a little variety and light food. Also, soup is preferable to puree during the stages of recovery from illness or on the day of vaccination, when the amount and concentration of food should be reduced.

1. Remove peel and seeds.
2. Cut into cubes.
3. Place in a saucepan and fill one third with low-fat milk.
4. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, simmer (until slightly simmering) for 20-25 minutes.
5. Beat everything with a blender, add drinking water if necessary to obtain a more liquid consistency.
6. Add a little salt to the finished dish (it should not be salty to your taste) and a couple of tablespoons of vegetable oil.
7. Feel free to eat the remaining soup yourself, and if you don’t want to, it’s better to freeze it, as indicated in the puree recipe.
8. Mix everything well, add a spoonful of low-fat sour cream, mmm, the delicious vitamin soup is ready!

Millet porridge with pumpkin

This is a timeless classic that even adults love. And we adapt it for kids!

1. We take the pumpkin puree out of the freezer and bring it to a boil in a saucepan or cook the fresh pumpkin as indicated in the puree recipe for 20-25 minutes.
2. We prepare millet porridge according to the instructions on the box (if it is purchased), but not a full portion, but two-thirds of the portion that is allotted to you by age.
3. If you prepare the porridge yourself, you need to grind millet cereal in a coffee grinder, pour 100 ml of water into a saucepan, bring to a boil, add 1 teaspoon of millet flour, cook for 3 minutes.
4. Combine the resulting porridge and pumpkin puree (fresh or frozen) in a proportion of approximately 2/3 porridge and 1/3 pumpkin, mix thoroughly, add a couple of spoons of baby formula to the finished dish.
5. We treat the little one with a hearty and healthy treat.

Pumpkin with chicken

A hearty, complete lunch or dinner. Sweetish pumpkin and tender chicken go well together.

1. Cut the chicken fillet into cubes, add water, bring to a boil, cook for 30 minutes.
2. Peel the pumpkin from seeds and peel, cut into cubes, fill one third with water, bring to a boil, cook for 25 minutes.
3. We transfer pieces of chicken fillet to the pumpkin in the proportion of 1/3 chicken and 2/3 pumpkin.
4. Add a little salt and a spoonful of vegetable oil.
5. Bon appetit, little one!

Pumpkin-apple dessert

The popular combination of the sweetness of pumpkin and the sourness of an apple makes it a win-win option for a healthy snack for a child.

1. Peel the pumpkin from the peel and seeds, cut into cubes.
2. Fill one third with water.
3. Bring to a boil and cook for 25 minutes.
4. Peel the apple, cut into cubes, add to the finished pumpkin in a 50 to 50 ratio.
5. Beat everything together with a blender.
6. If desired, add a couple of tablespoons of dry milk mixture to the finished dish and mix.
7. A healthy dessert for your baby is ready!

Cooking errors

You have already noticed how long the fruit is cooked in all recipes - 20-25 minutes. This is a lot, and for good reason. It's all about the special fibrous structure of the orange beauty. If you don’t finish cooking it, the finished dish will contain fibers, which your baby won’t like and he may even refuse to eat it.

Also, the structure of the product is quite dense compared to zucchini, cauliflower and broccoli - they are easily kneaded into porridge after 15 minutes of cooking. Not so with pumpkin.

If you cook it not long enough, lumps may appear in the finished dish even after blending. This can cause a gag reflex in the baby. Especially if you start complementary feeding with vegetables and these are one of your first foods, and you are about 7 months old.

Moreover, it is forbidden to give raw pumpkin to infants - this is already completely dangerous for the delicate stomach, which will probably not cope with digestion and the baby will suffer from indigestion or poisoning.

Therefore, be careful, now you know how to prepare pumpkin for complementary feeding correctly.

How much and how to give

It’s worth starting your acquaintance with 3-4 teaspoons of one-ingredient puree or soup. The next day, if all is well, the dose can be doubled, then two more according to the rules of geometric progression, bringing it up to the volume of the baby’s stomach by the end of the week.

The volume of the baby's stomach is small and at 7-8 months it is 80-120 ml, and at 9-12 months 150-200 ml. This will be the very portion that you can focus on.