Broccoli is one of the most delicious foods for the correct introduction of complementary foods for your baby. You can start to introduce it, as well as some time after zucchini, cauliflower, and with them. The vegetable is quickly cooked, in exceptional cases it can cause allergies and harm the child's body, the culture is considered optimal for the very first acquaintance of the crumbs with solid food.
Fresh vegetable
Benefits of broccoli for baby nutrition
The benefits of broccoli for babies are very high. A vegetable has many benefits:
- suitable for the first introduction of solid food, practically does not cause allergies;
- has antiulcer effect;
- protects against colds, infectious diseases;
- reduces the risk of cancer;
- strengthens bones;
- improves heart function;
- lowers blood sugar;
- cleanses the body of toxins, toxins and harmful substances;
- gives vigor, improves mood.
Nutritional value
The vegetable contains:
- a large amount of vitamins: groups A, B, C, E, K, PP, minerals and trace elements: iron, magnesium, potassium;
- a lot of protein and calcium, suitable for those children who do not eat meat;
- fiber, which gives a feeling of fullness;
- a small amount of calories, therefore, it is recommended to include cabbage in the diet for overweight children.
In what form to give
The first acquaintances often take place with canned versions of mashed fruit or vegetable crops. However, you can cook broccoli for your child yourself: both puree and soup, broth.
Gerber broccoli puree
The very first meal options will be:
- Boiled broccoli puree. For sweetness, it is permissible to add mashed apples or pears to the vegetable, if the crumb is already familiar with these fruits.
- Later, the child is offered cream soup with cauliflower and potatoes.
When meat is introduced, broccoli is added to the meat puree.
When to start typing
If we compare broccoli with white cabbage, then the latter often causes increased gas formation, therefore it is recommended for children after a year. Broccoli can be introduced as early as 6 months into the diet, when the baby begins to get acquainted with vegetables in food.
Important! The first broccoli supplement is recommended for overweight babies. The product is very nutritious and at the same time contributes to the good functioning of the gastrointestinal tract. You should not rush to give it, because in rare cases, constipation and gas may appear.
According to pediatricians, the optimal age for this culture is after 7 months, when the baby has already tried zucchini, cauliflower and porridge.
How to cook properly
There are a lot of recipes for cooking dishes with broccoli.
How to cook broccoli for your baby's first feeding:
- First, wash the vegetable thoroughly.
- Divide into inflorescences and put them in water for half an hour - this is how pests will come out, if any.
- Then the cabbage can be boiled in water, steamed.
- Then cool slightly and beat in a blender until a puree consistency.
- It is permissible to add a few drops of vegetable oil to the vegetable: olive or linseed oil. If the consistency is too thick, add boiled water to the puree.
How much to cook frozen
Step-by-step process for preparing a frozen product:
- The vegetable is dipped in boiling water;
- How much to cook frozen broccoli for a child - after boiling water, cabbage is cooked for no more than 10-12 minutes;
- If it is a slow cooker or a double boiler, then 5-10 minutes is enough;
- Broccoli does not need to be processed or defrosted.
Note! Freezing of semi-finished products should be shock - this is how all the useful substances in the product are preserved.
How much to cook fresh
How much fresh broccoli needs to be cooked for a child - after boiling water, cabbage is boiled for 10-12 minutes, in a double boiler - up to 10 minutes. If the option of steaming is selected, then the vegetable should be pre-poured with boiling water. Readiness is checked with a fork: the cabbage in the area of the stem should be soft and easy to pierce.
Additional Information. It is important to prepare the dish correctly - this will destroy only 20% of nutrients. If digested, the product will lose texture, taste, and nutritional value will decrease.
In its raw form, cabbage is more useful, but it can only be introduced into the diet for older children. Fresh broccoli is very difficult for a child's stomach to digest, and besides, the crumb can choke on the small components of the vegetable.
Important! When cooking, it is worth using the lower leaves of the vegetable - they have the richest composition of nutrients.
Helpful hints:
- You cannot cook the vegetable in the microwave.
- Once frozen, it is best to steam only.
- To cope with flatulence after use, drops of Simethicone will help, which can be used from 1 month of age. Be sure to consult a pediatrician on this issue.
Vegetable feeding rates
Complementary foods with broccoli have their own nuances:
- first, the vegetable is given in the form of mashed potatoes or micro-pieces of boiled inflorescences;
- later can be added in pieces to soup, as a side dish for meat;
- after a year, you can cook casseroles with cabbage, mix the product with other vegetables or even fruits.
Important! Pre-boiled broccoli is added to the broth. It is not recommended to boil the vegetable for a long time, since harmful substances will begin to be released into the liquid.
Complementary feeding table by month
How often to give and the amount
How much cabbage to give in the first feeding? It is always worth starting with micro doses. First, give half a teaspoon. The task is to acquaint the gastrointestinal tract with a new product and track the likelihood of allergies or other problems. If these are not observed, the dish is included in the list of safe ones, and the quantity is gradually increased, brought to 150 grams per day, but no more than once a day. It is optimal if the dish is offered 2-3 times a week.
Note! If the baby has rashes, diarrhea or constipation has begun, acquaintance with the vegetable is postponed for 2 weeks, after which you can try giving again.
What can be combined with
The vegetable goes well with:
- green fresh peas;
- boiled carrots;
- cauliflower and potatoes;
- rice;
- chicken, beef;
- red fish;
- pasta.
Creamy broccoli, potato and cauliflower soup
Possible Power Problems
What are the contraindications that can lead to negative consequences as a result of eating broccoli:
- if there are diseases of the digestive system, in particular, with the pancreas;
- with increased acidity of gastric juice;
- if you are allergic to this product.
Manifestation of allergies in infants
Note! If the baby shows a strong dislike for cabbage, then, perhaps, there is a lack of iodine in his body.
Potential problems after using broccoli include:
- Allergic reactions. They often arise in response to the presence of foreign additives in the product. So, ready-made dishes in jars usually have starch, and fresh cabbage from the market can be treated with chemicals during its cultivation;
- Diarrhea or constipation;
- Individual intolerance.
Allergic reactions appear 2-3 hours after the product is consumed. They can be expressed in:
- The appearance of red spots, rash;
- Peeling skin and itching;
- Redness and swelling of the eyelids;
- The presence of colic, gas formation;
- Diarrhea may appear.
Can cause constipation
Can a baby be constipated from broccoli? If the complementary foods were too early, or the product was given too much, then the probability is high. In infants, the digestive system develops completely closer to the year. If a reaction occurs, it is worth canceling the product for at least 2 weeks.
Broccoli is a rich product for baby's nutrition. If after the introduction into the first complementary food there were no side reactions, then you can safely continue to use the product further.
