Cooking kale for baby food

Kale Baby Food Puree Combinations (Stage 2)

I’m coming at you with some more baby food recipes today! These three new baby food puree recipes feature kale. Kale is one of my favorite leafy greens and it’s so easy to add to stage 2 (and beyond) baby food! I’ll go over how to add healthy ingredients like apples, spinach, carrots, and bananas to kale to make delicious purees for baby below. These recipes are dairy free and only include whole ingredients.

There are endless possibilities when it comes to baby food combinations. Please feel free to try different combos depending on what ingredients you already have on hand. Also, check out my 6 Baby Food Combinations blog post if you’re looking for more ideas. I go over how to make purees and feature more fruit and veggie combinations in that post.

How to prepare kale for baby food

To prepare the kale for the baby food puree, make sure the kale is washed thoroughly with the stems removed. Then chop the kale into about 1-inch pieces. Alternatively, you can usually find kale already cut and prepared in the grocery store if you want to save time. Either way, fresh clean kale is what I am using in these recipes.

How to cook kale for baby food

If you are just cooking kale for baby food in general, all you need to do is add about ¼ cup of water to a saucepan (enough to cover the bottom of the pan). Heat the water so it is boiling and then add the prepared kale. Stir and let the kale wilt for about 1-2 minutes. It will turn bright green and become soft. Remove from the heat and then add it to your blender to puree. I will go over how to cook the kale with the recipes below but I thought it would be helpful to know how to steam the kale alone if needed.

3 Kale Baby Food Puree Combos

Kale + Spinach + Apple Puree

Puree Ingredients: ½ cup kale (washed and cut) + ½ cup spinach (washed) + ½ cup apple (washed, cut, and peeled)

Directions:

Steam: In a small saucepan or pot, add enough water to cover the bottom of the pot (about ¼ cup but add more water as you steam the apples if all the water evaporates). Then add the peeled apple slices to the pot. Cover and heat on medium-high. Steam the apples until they are soft when poked with a fork. Then remove the cover and add the clean kale and spinach. Stir and let the kale and spinach wilt (about 1 minute).

Drain: Once the kale and spinach are wilted, remove the pot from the heat and drain the excess liquid into a small bowl. Set aside.

Puree: To make the puree, add the steamed apples, kale and spinach to a blender or food processor. Blend until puree forms. Add the leftover pot water, if needed, for desired consistency.

Kale + Spinach + Carrot Puree

Puree Ingredients: ½ cup kale (washed and cut) + ½ cup spinach (washed) + ½ cup carrots (washed, cut, and peeled)

Directions:

Steam: In a small saucepan or pot, add enough water to cover the bottom of the pot (about ¼ cup but add more water as you steam the carrots if all the water evaporates). Then add the peeled and cut carrots to the pot. Cover and heat on medium-high. Steam the carrots until they are soft when poked with a fork. Then remove the cover and add the clean kale and spinach. Stir and let the kale and spinach wilt (about 1 minute).

Drain: Once the kale and spinach are wilted, remove the pot from the heat and drain the excess liquid into a small bowl. Set aside.

Puree: To make the puree, add the steamed carrots, kale and spinach to a blender or food processor. Blend until puree forms. Add the leftover pot water, if needed, for desired consistency.

Kale + Apple + Banana Puree

Puree Ingredients: ½ cup kale (washed and cut) + ½ cup apple (washed, cut, and peeled), ¼ cup banana (peeled)

Directions:

Drain: Once the kale is wilted, remove the pot from the heat and drain the excess liquid into a small bowl. Set aside.

Puree: To make the puree, add the steamed apples, kale and peeled banana to a blender or food processor. Blend until puree forms. Add the leftover pot water, if needed, for desired consistency.

How to Store Homemade Baby Food Purees

I go over how I store baby food more in-depth in my 6 baby food combinations blog post but in general, I use glass containers to store the purees in the fridge. The homemade baby food usually lasts about 3 days in the refrigerator. I also use these food safe silicone trays from Amazon to freeze the baby food purees. Once the purees are frozen I add the frozen cubes to a freezer safe ziplock bag. Then when I’m ready to use the puree, I just unthaw the individual cubes and keep the rest frozen. They usually last in the freezer for up to 3 months.

More Baby Food Recipes:

6 Homemade Baby Food Combinations (Stage 2)
3 Sweet Potato Baby Food Combinations (Stage 2)
How To Make Baby Oatmeal
Applesauce Baby Pancakes

Let's connect!

I love hearing from you! If you want to see more baby related content or have a question, please let me know. Feel free to leave a comment and follow us on Instagram for more recipes and behind the scenes action. Have a great day!

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Blender

Kale + Spinach + Apple

½ cup kale washed and cut
½ cup spinach washed
½ cup apple washed, cut, and peeled
a little bit of water if needed, to thin

Kale + Spinach + Carrot

½ cup kale washed and cut
½ cup spinach washed
½ cup carrots washed, cut, and peeled
a little bit of water if needed, to thin

Kale + Apple + Banana

½ cup kale washed and cut
½ cup apple washed, cut, and peeled
¼ cup banana peeled
a little bit of water if needed, to thin

Choose one of the combinations above. Follow the instructions above to steam the fruit and veggies.
Add the ingredients to a high powered blender or food processor to make the puree. Add some leftover water if needed to thin.
Serve or store in the refrigerator or freezer. See above section on how to store baby food for more details.

Tried this recipe?Tag @withsweethoney on Instagram!

Apple + Kale Baby Food Puree (6 months and up)

by Michele Olivier on July 11, 2017 (updated Feb 25, 2021)

Jump to Recipe

5 stars (4 ratings)

This smooth and sweet Apple + Kale Baby Food Puree is a fun and easy way to introduce mighty kale to your little one. Great for 6+ months – Stage 2 Baby Food.

Apple Kale Baby Food

Kale can be a tough vegetable to introduce into your baby’s diet.

Too much kale in a puree and it can become super bitter 🙊.

Too little kale and you are missing out on essential nutrients.

To find the perfect balance – we are going to steam the apples until just tender and then cook the kale for a super short time to make sure we find the magical combination of kale and apple that baby will love 💚.

REASONS TO LOVE THIS Apple + Kale BABY FOOD PUREE:

great baby food for 6+ months
stage two puree
2 simple ingredients
super smooth and creamy
delicious green puree
easy to make – less than 15 minutes
freezer-friendly
budget-friendly
homemade
healthy
organic – can easily (and cheaply) use organic apples and kale

Ingredients

Apple – this is the base of the puree. Apple puree is sweet, simple and provides a solid base for almost any puree for baby without it being too watery. Most babies love apple puree so using it as a base for any vegetable combination is a common way to get baby to eat denser vegetables. But don’t count apples out for adding in a ton of nutrition. Apples are loaded with two different kinds of fiber, vitamins C, K and B6, potassium and they are a great source of antioxidants. These nutrients combined make apples an anti-inflammatory food that helps improve digestion, promotes bone health, aides pulmonary function and helps fight cardiovascular disease.

Kale – mighty kale! The superfood which every adult loves (or hates) to eat. Kale is loaded with vitamins K, A, C and B6, manganese, copper, calcium, iron and folate, just to name a few of its many nutrients. Put all of these together and kale helps support a healthy heart, promotes eye health, and aides in brain development in babies! Kale is truly super food for both you and baby.

How to Make this Baby Food

Peel, core and chop apples.
Place the apples into a steamer basket, and steam for 8-9 minutes.
Add in the kale and steam for 1-2 more minutes or until the kale is just wilted.
Place all ingredients into a blender and puree for 1-2 minutes on medium-high speed until completely smooth.
Serve to baby or freeze for a later meal.

Favorite WAy to Serve this Puree

I like to serve this puree with a big spoonful of plain full-fat yogurt mixed in, because when you are going to serve this many nutrients to baby you might as well go all the way. Go big or go home, is my motto! Plain full-fat yogurt is a great way to add in some healthy fats that are great for brain development, probiotics to promote a healthy gut and calcium for healthy bones and muscles.

Any way you serve this puree, it will be a winner in your little ones eyes (and mouth)!

TOOLS YOU’LL NEED

Medium Saucepan
Steamer Basket
Blender or Food Processor
Freezer Tray
Storage Containers for Fridge

MORE STARTER BABY FOOD RECIPES YOUR BABY WILL LOVE:

7 Organic Starter Baby Purees for Under $20
15 Stage One Baby Purees (that actually taste delicious)
10 Super Starter Purees for Baby (Tips, Recipes and Starters Guide on How to Feed Baby)
5 Minute Mango Baby Food Puree
Sweet Potato Baby Puree – 3 Delicious Ways

DID YOU MAKE THIS APPLE AND KALE BABY FOOD PUREE?
I’D LOVE TO KNOW HOW IT TURNED OUT! LEAVE A COMMENT AND A ⭐️ RATING BELOW 👇

4 apples, peeled, cored and roughly chopped
1/2 cup kale, roughly chopped

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, bring 2 inches of water to a boil. Place the chopped apples into a steamer basket over the boiling water, cover and steam for 8-9 minutes or until tender when pricked with a fork. Place the kale over the apples, cover and steam for an additional 1-2 minutes or until the kale is just wilted. Let cool slightly. Reserve steamer water.
Place all of the ingredients into a blender or food processor and puree for 1-2 minutes or until completely smooth. If your puree is too thick, add in the reserved steamer water, breast milk, formula or water into the blender in 1/4 cup incraments until you achieve your desired texture. I had to use 1/2 cup of reserved steamer water for the puree featured above, but amounts of added liquid will vary with each batch.
Serve to baby or freeze for another meal.

Spice It Up: Feel free to add in 1/2 tsp cinnamon, 1/4 tsp ginger, 1/8 tsp cloves, 1/2 tsp vanilla extract or all of the above for a spice sensation!

Age: from about 6 months and up

Yield: roughly 18 ounces

Storage: Fridge – store in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. Freezer – can be frozen for up to 4 months (this and this are my favorite freezer storage containers).

Favorite Kitchen Tools: Get a list of my favorite kitchen tools to make the best baby food here!

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @babyfoode on Instagram and hashtag it #babyfoode!

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3 First Food Recipes

Cauliflower is rich in phytochemicals that help prevent cancer. Cauliflower also contains vitamin A, vitamin C and even calcium. Read on to find out when to introduce cauliflower into baby food and how to prepare cauliflower for your baby's first feeding.

Read also: How to cook meat for feeding: 3 recipes for babies

Allergy to cauliflower in babies is extremely rare, however, despite this, it is not recommended to use it as the first vegetable for feeding. This is due to the fact that, as with broccoli, it can cause increased gas formation in infants. If the child did not have problems with digestion, then you can introduce mashed cauliflower at 6-8 months. Otherwise, it is better to wait up to 8-10 months. nine0005

Earlier we wrote about how to cook broccoli for the first feeding, and today we will tell you how to cook cauliflower for feeding babies.

How to cook cauliflower for baby food

The best way to cook cauliflower for baby food is not to boil it, but to steam it.

Steaming cauliflower retains most of the nutrients. Baked or boiled cauliflower are also cooking options. nine0005

Purebred for infants

Ingredients:

1 Color Cabbage

How to prepare:

Step 1: Wash cauliflower under cold water.

Step 2: Remove green leaves to reach florets.

Step 3: Break the inflorescence into small pieces; use only the florets for mashed cauliflower for the first feeding. This will give you a smoother, smoother puree. Steam until soft. nine0005

Step 4: Place the cooked cauliflower in a blender and puree until smooth.

Step 5: Add water as needed to achieve a smooth, tender consistency.

Read also: How to feed carrots: carrot puree for babies

Cauliflower, potato and zucchini puree for babies

Ingredients:

2 potatoes;

1 zucchini; nine0005

1 cup cauliflower

How to cook:

Step 1: Peel the vegetables and cut into small pieces.

Step 2: Steam vegetables in a steamer or in a basket over a pot of boiling water.

Step 3: Puree the vegetables with a blender, using a little water to get the right consistency (usually 1-2 tablespoons is enough).

You can also use breast milk (or formula if formula-fed) to mix into the puree. nine0005

Cauliflower and Broccoli Baby Puree

Ingredients:

50g broccoli, washed and cut into small florets1: 9061
50 g cauliflower, washed and cut into small florets:
some breast milk or formula.

How to cook:

Step 1: Place the broccoli and cauliflower in the steamer and cook for about 10 minutes until tender. nine0005

Step 2: Puree the vegetables until smooth, adding a little steamer water or breast milk (formula if your baby is formula-fed) to puree the desired consistency.

Step 3: Broccoli and cauliflower mix well with carrot or sweet potato mashed vegetables.

Now you know how to prepare cauliflower for the first feeding. You can find more recipes for baby puree at the link below. nine0005

Read also: Broccoli and potato fish puree for children under one year old

Read also: How to freeze vegetables for feeding for the winter

Read also: Fermented milk products: the whole truth from Dr. Komarovsky

winter » Suseki

AnyutaN - Feb 14th, 2017

Categories: Puree

Tags: Freezing Cabbage, Cauliflower Puree

Cauliflower is an incredibly healthy thing. It contains a large number of vitamins and minerals that are indispensable for the body, both an adult and a child. In addition, this vegetable does not contain coarse fiber, so that, starting from 5 to 6 months, you can gradually treat the baby with cauliflower. In any form? Of course, in the frayed. Today we will talk about how to prepare cauliflower puree and prepare it for the winter. nine0005

Ingredients: oil, salt, cauliflower
Time to book: Summer, Autumn

Contents

1 Selection and preparation of cauliflower
2 Cooking methods for mashed cauliflower3 9010 9010 9010 puree recipe 9010 cabbage
4 Variety of mashed potatoes
5 Cauliflower puree for babies
6 Preparation of mashed potatoes for the winter

Selection and preparation of cauliflower

Puree can be made from fresh or frozen cabbage. Preference is undoubtedly given to the first option. This issue is not discussed at all if the dish is prepared for the baby.

Consider the rules for choosing a head of cauliflower:

the head must be dense and resilient;
inflorescences should be located as close as possible to each other and have a light beige color;
green leafy mass should fit snugly around the head; nine0105
any discoloration or damage is unacceptable.

Initially, the head of cabbage is disassembled into large inflorescences and washed under running water.

If mashed potatoes are prepared for babies, then large shoots must be additionally soaked in saline. To do this, dilute 2 tablespoons of sea or table salt in a liter of water. After dissolving the crystals, cabbage is lowered into the liquid for half an hour. This manipulation allows you to get rid of small insects that may have chosen a vegetable. nine0005

After soaking, large shoots are rinsed again and disassembled into small inflorescences. It's time to start processing vegetables.

Ways to boil cabbage for puree

There are several ways to boil cauliflower until soft. Let's analyze each of them in detail:

On the stove. Processed inflorescences are placed in boiling water and boiled for 15 - 20 minutes on medium heat. It is better to keep the lid tightly closed so that water-soluble vitamins do not evaporate. nine0105
In a slow cooker. Cauliflower can be cooked on the "Extinguishing" mode by adding a small amount of water to the bowl. In this case, the cabbage processing time is 15 minutes. The multicooker lid must be closed. Another option is to use the "Steam" function and boil the vegetable in a special bowl for 20 minutes after the liquid boils.

In a steamer. If you prefer to use a double boiler, then you also need to cook cauliflower inflorescences in it for 20 minutes. nine0105
Microwaveable. The inflorescences are placed in a container suitable for use in microwave ovens and water is added. For 1 kilogram of cauliflower, you need 100 grams of liquid. The top of the cup is loosely covered with a lid or plastic bag. Cook the vegetable at maximum power for 5 minutes. After the specified time, check the readiness of the cabbage. You can do this with a kitchen knife or fork. If the tools do not penetrate well, then continue cooking in the same mode for another 3 minutes. nine0105
In the oven. Cabbage is placed in a small baking sheet and, almost completely, is filled with water. Prepare the inflorescences in the oven for 25 minutes. The heating temperature should be 180 - 200 degrees.

Classic recipe for mashed cauliflower

cabbage – 1 head, total weight about 1 kilogram;
butter - 50 grams;
water or cabbage broth - 200 milliliters;
salt - 1 teaspoon.

Prepared cabbage is cooked until soft by any of the above methods. Fold half of the softened pieces into a blender bowl, add 100 milliliters of water and punch everything together until a homogeneous consistency. Then the second parts of the products, salt and oil are added. The procedure is repeated. Ready mashed cauliflower can be peppered with freshly ground pepper to taste.

Video channel. Recipes. Culinary" presents to your attention the recipe for mashed cauliflower and zucchini

Variety of puree

Puree of other vegetables can be added to the cabbage base. It goes well with cauliflower: carrots, onions, broccoli, pumpkin, zucchini, garlic and potatoes. You can also add chicken yolk and sour cream to the puree.

Watch the video from the Video. Recipes. Cooking, detailing how to make puree of carrots, cabbage and potatoes