Pumpkin for a baby: when to give, how much to cook, how to cook

The first complementary food for a little person is stressful for the digestive system. Not every product is suitable for a delicate stomach. Pumpkin is a vegetable recommended by pediatricians for administration to babies under 1 year of age. It contains many nutrients and microelements that help normalize intestinal function and cope with fecal obstruction. Therefore, it is recommended to know how to cook pumpkin.

Useful properties of pumpkin

Pumpkin is specially introduced into complementary foods for babies. This is due to the fact that the nutrients contained have a beneficial effect on a rapidly growing organism.

The following useful properties are distinguished:

It has a choleretic effect, which is necessary as a preventive measure to prevent liver pathologies;
The vegetable contains a large list of vitamins, among which beta-carotene stands out. It is required for the organs of vision and the skeletal system. At the same time, it affects the increase in the child’s overall immunity;
After eating the dishes, a diuretic effect is felt. This has a positive effect on kidney function;
Contains a large amount of dietary fiber, which, once in the stomach, regulates the digestion process;
Vitamin T helps strengthen the muscle corset and mass;
Prepared decoction or freshly squeezed juice, adding 1 liter. honey has a beneficial effect on the baby’s nervous system, calming him. The substance affects the child’s attention, memory, improves sleep;
A significant list of vitamins (D, C, iron, silicon, calcium, B vitamins) has a beneficial effect on the growth and mental development of the baby.

If the child has a good appetite and quickly gains weight, then the orange beauty is perfect for consumption. It does not contain many calories and is considered dietary.

The vegetable has practically no contraindications, but before using it, young mothers should find out whether there is a prohibition on taking it.

Baked pumpkin puree with apple

This version of pumpkin dessert will appeal not only to you, but also to your children. Trust little chefs to chop up the baked pumpkin pieces with a spoon. And in an instant you will have an assistant, and the baby will become an adult in his own eyes!

Ingredients:

fresh pumpkin - 200 g;
sour apple (“Golden”, “Semirenko” or “Antonovka”) - 200 g;
bee honey - to taste;
nuts - to taste;
salt - a pinch.

Preparation:

First, rinse the apples and pumpkin; there is no need to peel them. Pack the food in food foil - shiny side inward. Or don't use foil at all, but it will come out faster. Place on a baking sheet and place in the oven at 180-200°C for 35-40 minutes.
Grind the nuts into crumbs. If necessary, peel the skins first - if these are walnuts, almonds or peanuts.
Then remove the vegetables and cool slightly at room temperature. Using a spoon, scoop out the baked pulp from the pumpkin and apple and place in one bowl.
Add honey, salt and crushed nuts. Use a blender to blend everything into a homogeneous mass.
Serve the dish hot for breakfast, dessert or a light snack during the day - an afternoon snack.

You can add chopped dried fruits or fresh berries to such a sweet dish.

When is it better to avoid pumpkin - allergies?

The only contraindication to taking this tasty product is individual intolerance by the child. The child develops an allergic reaction and exhibits symptoms of intestinal upset.

Allergies are identified in each child individually. One baby develops a slight rash on the cheeks or other places, called diathesis. Another child has yellowing of the skin of the palms and the whites of the organs of vision.

Therefore, to determine whether a child has an allergic reaction, it is worth initially conducting a small test. Give the minimum dosage – ½ or ¼ tsp. If after 15 minutes - half an hour no redness appears, the dish can be safely introduced. If redness appears, the child should not give it.

Pumpkin pancakes

From 3.5 years

Source: instagram @maxayx

Ingredients:

Pumpkin 200 g
Cottage cheese 50 g
Oatmeal 5 tbsp. l.
Raisin
Egg 1 pc.
Soda ¼ tsp
A pinch of salt
sugar 0.5 tbsp. spoons

Preparation:

Pour hot water over the raisins and let stand for 20 minutes.
Cut the pumpkin into small pieces and bake in the oven until done. About 30 minutes. Puree the cooled pumpkin using a blender.
Grind oatmeal in a coffee grinder.
Mix cottage cheese, egg, soda and salt. Grind well.
Add pumpkin puree, oatmeal, raisins and sugar to the curd mass, mix.
Fry in a heated frying pan with a small amount of vegetable oil.

Rules for introducing pumpkin into complementary foods

The first feeding is an important event and a stressful state. It is unknown how the digestive organs will react to new food. Therefore, it is recommended to feed with green or whitish vegetables. Red-haired beauty is allowed as a second vegetable, along with beets and carrots.

If you introduce the orange beauty earlier, there is a possibility of dermatitis caused by an allergic nature. Stomach upset occurs: loose stools, vomiting or colic.

Therefore, initially, to check the reaction, add no more than 0.5 tsp to the dish, and then increase the mass to 0.04 kg.

At what age can you start giving

Giving an artificial pumpkin to a baby is allowed from 5-6 months. For breastfed babies, it is advisable to wait a while with complementary feeding and start introducing it after six months.

It is recommended to introduce your baby to pumpkin after introducing zucchini, broccoli and cauliflower. When a child tries a red vegetable, he is unlikely to want to be content with tasteless dishes.

How often can you give

After a test has been carried out for the presence of contraindications, you can alternate the available vegetables. If you often give your baby pumpkin, you can provoke negative consequences: yellow palms will appear not from an allergic reaction, but from oversaturation of the body.

Pumpkin for babies is recommended 2 times in 7 days. The vegetable is given as an independent dish, and 1 tsp is added. in the form of a dessert.

Basic recommendations for introducing the product into a child’s diet

When offering a new product, you must adhere to the following rules:

The product that the child tries should not be administered at night; it is recommended to be given in the morning, before the second feeding. The time is chosen so that the child is hungry and eats the offered portion. A morning test will make it clear whether there is an allergy.
First input – 0.5 tsp. If the baby likes it, the norm is gradually increased.
At the first signs of an allergic reaction, stop feeding. It is recommended to try again in a month.
Give food using a spoon.
Pumpkin puree for babies is not served chilled. It is heated in a water bath to a temperature not higher than +37..+400C.
There is no need to rush with new ingredients. It is necessary to maintain a gap of 14 days between new dishes.

Feed when the baby is healthy. It is not recommended to give vegetables or fruits before vaccination and after vaccination. It will be difficult to determine what caused the allergy.

At what age is it recommended to introduce pumpkin?

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.

For infants, pumpkin dishes are recommended to be introduced from 7-8 months. For artificial babies from 6 months.

Rules for introducing a new product:

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.
For the first time, it is not recommended to combine pumpkin with other products.
After taking pumpkin puree, the next main feeding should be 2 hours later.
Pumpkin is introduced gradually. That is, for the first time the pumpkin content can be 50 grams, gradually increasing to 150 grams.
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.

Is it possible to give raw pumpkin?

The red fruit has a large list of useful substances. Raw pumpkin, in contrast to the finished dish, differs in the composition of vitamins and minerals. This is due to the fact that when exposed to temperatures, beneficial substances evaporate.

You should not give the raw ingredient to your child. Fibers stimulate indigestion: pumpkin weakens, severe pain, bloating, increased flatulence, and profuse vomiting are detected.

You should not experiment and give food that is difficult to chew when raw. Without heat treatment, the fruit is allowed for children reaching 3 years of age.

How to choose and preserve a pumpkin

Not all types of pumpkin are equally good for preparing culinary masterpieces. For example, it is better not to buy large-fruited fodder pumpkin at all. This species has poor taste. For culinary purposes, it is better to choose certain varieties of pumpkin, which are described below.

Butternut squash is oblong, orange with a bluish tinge. Contains few light-colored seeds. The pulp is sweet, with a spicy nutmeg aroma and flavor.
Honey pumpkin is round, juicy orange in color. The pulp is sweet, boils well and quickly.
Winter sweet squash – covered with greenish-olive skin. Inside there is juicy, dense pulp. It takes a long time to boil, but is great for casseroles. The longer it is stored, the sweeter it becomes.
Titan is a large-fruited bright orange table pumpkin. Sweet, boils well. There are a lot of large seeds inside.
Miracle is one of the varieties of nutmeg pumpkin, gray-orange in color and heart-shaped.

There are many other varieties, among which the most popular are those described below. If you grow pumpkin yourself, there will definitely not be a problem with choosing. But, if you have to buy this product, listen to the following tips.

Don't buy sliced pumpkin. It is unknown how long it is stored, and oxidation processes occur very quickly.
Choose ripe fruits with a dried tail.
Do not buy a pumpkin if it is damaged in any way. Such fruit may be rotten.
A good pumpkin smells, even when uncut. Rub your skin and you will feel the aroma. If there is no aroma, it may be a forage pumpkin hybrid.
Don't buy a pumpkin without a tail. In this case, it is impossible to determine whether the fruit is ripe.
The pumpkin skin should be dense, without stains or damage.
Do not buy pumpkin with woody skin - it is not sweet and cooks very poorly. This option is not suitable for a children's diet.

Don't be afraid to buy a big pumpkin. Immediately cut it into portions and wrap them with cling film. You can store the pieces in vacuum bags. You will quickly use the purchased product with our recipes!

Pumpkin puree for babies, how to prepare it correctly

The best pumpkin dish for children under one year old is puree. It turns out tender, uniform in consistency, aromatic, rich in bright shade and specific taste. You can purchase the finished mass in specialized stores or at a pharmacy kiosk.

The dish can be prepared at home using various methods. The cooking process is not labor-intensive, the main thing is to choose the right quality raw materials.

To prepare aromatic complementary foods, you will need to purchase a fruit not exceeding 3-5 kg. In this case, it is worth taking not bright, saturated fruits, but preferably a yellow tint, with a slight green tint.

For the first input, this color shade will be the best option. This is due to the fact that the brighter the shade, the greater the likelihood of developing an allergic reaction. The younger the fruit, the less fibrous its internal structure. The pulp is richer, juicier, and has a pleasant sweetish aftertaste.

When choosing a fruit, it is imperative to inspect it completely so that the peel is smooth, without damage or rot.

Although the orange beauty is large and bulky, it is simple and easy to prepare. The process does not require much time or significant effort.

The vegetable can be boiled, stewed, baked or cooked in a steam bath.

When preparing pumpkin for children, it can be used as a single component or combined into original flavor bouquets. But all experiments depend not only on the availability of fruits and other vegetables at home, which can be used as an addition to a pumpkin dish, but also on the characteristics of the baby and his body.

How long does it take to cook a vegetable?

To properly prepare a delicate dish without overcooking it, you need to know exactly the cooking time. Each specific method has its own time period:

Cooks for an average of 30 minutes - 1 hour. The cooking time depends on the volume of chopped pieces;
Steam method – up to 25 minutes;
In the oven – maximum 30 minutes;
In the microwave (the fastest option) – no more than 5-7 minutes;
In a multicooker, you must select the “stew” mode. The procedure takes place within 30-40 minutes;
Frying will take a maximum of 9-10 minutes.

Initially, you should prepare boiled puree for your child to try, and then if the reaction is positive, you can try other cooking methods.

Mashed potatoes for first feeding, basic recipe

To prepare pumpkin when your child is 6 months old as complementary food, you will need to take the following ingredients: 0.5 kg of orange vegetable, at least 150 ml of water.

The raw vegetable is peeled from the outer peel and inner seeds, it is advisable to remove all the fibers. The purified product is cut into arbitrary cubes or pieces. The preferred size for making purees is 2 by 2 cm.

The prepared pieces are laid out in 1 layer at the bottom of the pan. From above they are filled with hot or boiling water. It is necessary to pour in such a volume of water that it completely covers the cubes. The cooking process is carried out under a closed lid.

It is impossible to determine the cooking duration in advance. It depends on the consistency of the fruit. You should try the vegetable for readiness for the first time after 15-20 minutes. To do this, the product is pierced with a knife or fork. If the vegetable sits tightly on the tip, you need to cook it more, it rolls off easily - the dish is ready.

Every kitchen has modern chopping equipment. A blender is suitable for grinding. The boiled pieces are loaded into a container and crushed to a thick mass, but so that there are no separate dense inclusions in it. If there is no such device, then a simple grater will do.

The resulting mass is given to the child from a spoon. Prepared puree for children can be stored in the refrigerator for 3-5 days. But to do this, it needs to be placed in small, hermetically sealed containers. The finished product is frozen. In this form, it completely retains its color, taste and nutrients.

How to make puree in a slow cooker

To prepare baby pumpkin puree at home using a multicooker, you should take a slightly smaller volume of the main component: 0.35 kg. The fruit is peeled from the upper dense peel and inner seeds.

The ingredient is placed on the bottom of the multicooker container and boiled hot liquid (0.2 l) is poured on top. You can immediately add a few tablespoons of sugar to immediately sweeten the dish or add granulated sugar after complete cooking.

When all manipulations are completed, the multicooker closes. To obtain a flavorful dish, you must turn on the “stew” mode. The program automatically turns on the time for 30-40 minutes (depending on the model of equipment).

After the period has expired, the ingredients are removed from the multicooker and ground. The resulting puree can be sweetened on top if sugar has not been added before.

In a steamer

Preparation is carried out in the same way as when cooking or using a multicooker: the peel and inner seeds with lint are peeled. The cut cubes are placed in the steamer device, at the bottom of the basket. The duration of evaporation is 20 minutes.

Subsequently, the finished fruit is crushed in a blender. If the child already knows how to chew, he has his first teeth, you can mash the finished dish with a fork and let the child “moisten” the fleecy structure.

Before eating, the prepared dish must be cooled. Only then offer it to the baby.

In the oven

For cooking in the oven, the same preparation procedures are followed. The cut cubes are then placed in a container with high rims. Next, water is poured onto the baking sheet.

It is recommended to take ½ cup, but this norm is not clear. This is due to the fact that housewives have different baking trays or other containers, so it is necessary to pour in so much hot water so that it completely covers the product.

The duration of baking in the oven should not exceed 15 minutes. But to check readiness, you need to check the pieces. If, after time, the pieces are poorly pierced and hang on the knife, you need to continue baking until the fruit is completely ready.

Cooking duration

To properly boil pumpkin, you need to know how long the product is cooked, provided that the pulp is cut into small slices:

Cooking pumpkin takes 10 - 15 minutes.
Steaming lasts 20 - 25 minutes.
Cooking in the oven takes from 20 minutes to half an hour.
Cooking in the microwave will take 5 - 7 minutes.
In a slow cooker, the pumpkin is cooked in the “stew” mode for 30 - 40 minutes.
Frying the pumpkin lasts 8 - 10 minutes.

Recipes for children 1 year old

Babies who have reached the age of 1 year already eat many dishes, so regular pumpkin puree is not suitable for babies. Mothers have to look for new dishes to prepare to please their growing children. Recommended recipes:

Dill puree - the product is boiled or stewed in the oven. Then finely chopped dill is added to the prepared mass. But the greens should be without dense stems.
Apple puree – the apple is peeled and cut into pieces. Both ingredients are placed on the bottom of the pan and filled with liquid. Boil over low heat for no more than 2 minutes. Let cool, grind in a blender, combining the ingredients, sweetening a little with sugar.
Puree with meat – 150 gr. pumpkins are prepared as for regular puree. 50 grams are cooked in advance. chicken or turkey, crushed in a blender and combined with pumpkin puree. To soften the dish and preserve all nutrients, additional vegetable oil is added.

Having tried these dishes, the baby will be satisfied, at the same time he will be satisfied with sweet pumpkin and refresh himself with an apple or meat. The main thing is to follow the cooking technology and adhere to the recommended time so as not to overcook the product.

How to make soup

If your child is tired of puree, it can be easily replaced with a tasty and original soup. To do this, you will need cow's or goat's milk along with the red fruit. But it is worth considering that the latter is not always suitable for small children, although it has a larger list of useful substances in its composition. If the baby is not allergic to goat's milk, then it is recommended to dilute it 1 to 1 with water.

The orange beauty is boiled until half cooked. Boiled milk product is poured into it. You can use breast milk. The thickness of the soup depends on the proportions of the ingredients taken. The duration of boiling depends on the volume of the dish being prepared and the readiness of the vegetable.

After the orange beauty is completely cooked, it is cooled and crushed using a blender to obtain a homogeneous mass. Be sure to add a small amount of vegetable oil.

Porridge with pumpkin

It is better to use semolina as porridge. To prepare a dish, take no more than 150 grams. fetus It is boiled in 100 ml. boiling water 0.1 liter is added to the resulting mass. milk.

As soon as the consistency boils, add 1 tbsp. decoys. In this case, it is necessary to stir it. This process is necessary to avoid the formation of dense lumps.

Cooking time for porridge is 5 minutes. If the pieces of the vegetable were not mashed before the semolina was introduced, then the porridge after cooking is crushed in a blender.

Tender puree

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

Remove peel and seeds.
Cut into cubes.
Place in a saucepan and add water 1 cm from the bottom (that is, just a little).
Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover with a lid.
Simmer over low heat (until slightly simmering) for 20-25 minutes.
Beat with a blender or rub through a sieve to obtain a creamy consistency.
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.
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 juice

It is recommended to give the juice as complementary food to the child along with the crushed mass. Initially, it is administered in 2-3 drops, increasing as necessary.

The juice is prepared from the raw product. The pumpkin is cut into small pieces, pre-washed. The ingredient passed through the juicer is diluted with boiled warm water at the outlet in a 1:1 ratio.

It is recommended to give juice to your baby no more than 2 times every 7 days. It is important that the product is prepared immediately before use. You can’t let the finished liquid sit, it loses not only its color, but also its beneficial qualities.

Further introduction of the product into the baby’s diet

When the baby turns one year old, baked pumpkin dishes will suit him. Here is a delicious and healthy recipe for baked apples and pumpkin:

Prepare the pumpkin filling:

Rub through a fine grater and add sugar and starch to the resulting mass. For 100 grams of pumpkin you will need one teaspoon of sugar and half a teaspoon of starch. Mix everything thoroughly.
Cooking apples. We choose non-acidic and soft varieties. We wash and remove the core along with the seeds.
Place the pumpkin filling in the resulting cavity.
Line a baking sheet with oiled parchment paper and lay out the apples with the filling. Cooking time 30 minutes at 160 °C. Make sure the apples don't burn. Your oven may have a shorter baking time.
Sprinkle the finished casserole with powdered sugar, let cool and serve to your baby.

Raw pumpkin contains more nutritional components. However, its structure is too rigid if heat treatment is not carried out. It is better to introduce raw pumpkin into a child’s diet starting from the age of three. It should be grated and added to the salad along with various fruits. By the age of three, a child should already be able to chew food thoroughly. This is the main reason why a younger child should not consume raw vegetables. He has not yet fully mastered the chewing process.

As for the amount of pumpkin puree or soup or a mixture of vegetables, for a one-year-old child - 200 ml three times a week. In terms of the amount of pumpkin – 50 grams per day. From three years - 70-80 gr.

Pumpkin juice

There are ready-made pumpkin juices on sale. The packaging states that it should be drunk after six months of age. Juice containing only pumpkin is not produced. Usually a mixture of vegetables and fruits is prepared in the form of nectars and juices.

Self-prepared juice is recommended for a child after one year in a volume not exceeding 100 ml per day, twice a week. When using juice in the diet of children, ensure that there are no allergic reactions. If an allergy appears, it does not mean that you should completely abandon juice. Try taking a break, start after a couple of weeks with a smaller amount.

How to make preparations and methods for storing pumpkin

The whole product is stored in a dark place for a long period of time, but the cut product quickly deteriorates. Therefore, it is recommended to either use it immediately or place it in the freezer for storage. Freezing weaning pumpkin is a great storage option. The product can remain in this form for several months without losing its original properties and qualities.

The vegetable is thoroughly washed and peeled, cut into pieces. For better freezing, it is recommended to place the cubes on a cutting board and freeze. After complete freezing, pour the pieces into a plastic bag. This makes it convenient to take them out in the right quantity and cook frozen pumpkin.

In addition to freezing, you can prepare it for the winter by rolling it into jars along with cranberry juice.

Recommendations for selection

To choose the optimal fruit to give to your child, it is worth understanding the criteria. The ideal option would be your own product, which is grown on your own plot. But in most cases, conditions for growing are not provided; you have to purchase the fruit in a store or market. Therefore, when choosing, you should pay attention to the following points:

Coloring – the color of the peel should be a natural tone;
Weight – do not exceed 5 kg;
Integrity - the peel should not have cracks, dents, signs of mold or rot;
The tail is best when it is dry. this indicates full ripening of the fetus.

In addition, when you press on the skin, it should not be soft. The normal state for a vegetable is a dense structure. You can feel the specific wax, which is a natural film.

Thus, pumpkin is an excellent option for first feeding. It is subjected to various cooking methods to obtain an excellent dish for the baby. Usually the vegetable cannot be purchased in small quantities, so it is recommended to know how to freeze pumpkin for the winter without loss. The main thing is to follow the recipe technology during cooking and maintain the required time.

How long does it take to cook pumpkin?

First of all, it should be noted that the time to cook pumpkin in any way depends on the amount of product and the size of the pieces. Think about what will cook faster:

100 g chopped pumpkin;

3 kg pumpkin, cut into 5-6 cm pieces.

Of course, less time will be needed to cook the first option. Cooking the pumpkin should continue until the pieces become soft - this is a sign that they are completely cooked. Therefore, to the question “How long to cook the pumpkin until tender?” there is no clear answer.