How to make baby food with frozen peas

Compared to vegetables like carrots, peas have a higher protein level. In addition, Pea is a good source of dietary fiber, vitamin A, iron, folate, thiamine, vitamin C and manganese. It also has high levels of vitamin K. One of the health benefits of green peas is blood sugar control.

Peas also contain a unique range of health-promoting phytonutrients. One of these phytonutrients, a polyphenol called coumestrol, has recently come to the fore in research to protect against stomach cancer. A study in Mexico City found that daily consumption of green peas, along with other legumes, reduced the risk of stomach cancer, especially when the daily intake of coumestrol from these legumes was approximately 2 milligrams or more. Since one cup of green peas contains at least 10 milligrams of coumestrol, it will not be difficult for us to get these wonderful health benefits.

Don't forget the unique phytonutrients in green peas that provide us with key antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Some researchers are now suggesting that the link between consumption of green peas and legumes and a reduced risk of type 2 diabetes may be due not only to the relatively low glycemic index of green peas (around 45-50), fiber or protein in the composition, but also to unusual combination of antioxidants and anti-inflammatory phytonutrients.

minerals and vitamins peas

Green peas stand out as an organic food. Agricultural research has shown that planting peas can provide important benefits to the soil. First, peas belong to a category of crops called "nitrogen-fixing" crops. With the help of bacteria in the soil, peas and other crops can extract nitrogen gas from the air and convert it into more complex and usable forms. This process increases the nitrogen content of the soil without the need to add fertilizer. Peas also have a relatively shallow root system that can help prevent soil erosion, and once the peas are harvested, plant debris tends to break down relatively easily to enrich the soil. Finally, crop rotation of peas with other crops has been shown to reduce the risk of pest problems.

Although Green Peas are extremely low fat foods (approximately one-third of a gram of fat per cup), the type of fat and fat-soluble nutrients they contain is impressive. Recent studies have shown that green peas are a reliable source of omega-3 fats in the form of alpha-linolenic acid (ALA).

About 30 mg of ALA can be found in one cup of green peas. About 130 mg of the essential omega-6 fatty acid, linoleic acid, can also be found in a cup of green peas. This very low but high-quality fat content helps us get important fat-soluble nutrients from this legume, including significant amounts of beta-carotene and small but valuable amounts of vitamin E.

So let's not neglect green peas in summer and dry peas in winter. In the diet of children, this is a very useful product.

Green peas cannot be a first food because they cause discomfort and gas. Russian pediatricians advise introducing green peas to children after 10-12 months, and American pediatricians - after 8 months.

Legumes should not be given more than 2 times a week.

Dishes from mature peas can only be given after 2 years of age in soups. Canned peas can be given after 3 years. A portion of the first complementary foods is not more than 30-50 grams, if the child has digestive problems, then let the portion be smaller so that the body gets used to it faster.

Children under 2-3 years old can eat green peas up to 80 grams. Mature grains are given in an amount of not more than 100 grams after 3 years.

Fresh peas can be offered from 2-2.5 years old, only young sweet varieties.

Green peas are considered a hypoallergenic product, so they can be safely given to a child.

green peas complementary foods

There is an opinion of doctors that it is better to give green peas up to 12 months, so that the body learns to digest it, because later it will be more difficult to do.

The first feeding with green peas comes in the form of mashed potatoes, which are boiled until cooked and rubbed through a sieve, so it is better absorbed.

Ruth Yaron's Super Nutrition for Your Baby states that whole green peas are dangerous for children under three years of age and should be given mashed, ie. crush with a regular fork. I usually just crush them with my fingers before giving them to a child. But we eat it instead of popcorn, so this way, I peel off the green shell, squeeze it with my fingers and give it, this is enough for a two-year-old child so that he does not choke.

Pea soup with smoked meats is best introduced to a child at the age of 5.

peas complementary food

Allergy to green peas and peas

Peas come in several varieties, but green and yellow peas are the most commonly consumed. Pea allergy exists but is not very common. In most cases, pea allergies in children are due to cross-reactivity between peas and other legumes. It is also important to cancel that green peas are considered hypoallergenic , but mature peas are already included in the middle group of allergenic products .

Children may be allergic to peas, especially if they have had an allergic reaction to other legumes. Legumes is a family of products that includes peas, chickpeas, peanuts, beans and lentils, etc.

There is a high degree of cross-reactivity between lentils, chickpeas and peas. In addition, pea allergy can also occur due to IgE-mediated (antibody-mediated) cross-reactivity between peas and peanuts.

A child's body can react to such allergens in peas as isoflavone reductase, globulin, glutelin, vikilin, vivilin. And most importantly, these allergens are resistant to heat and chemical treatment.

Cases of reactions to the inhalation of vapors from cooking peas have been observed. Cases of allergies to boiled peas have also been reported, but no allergies to green peas have been found in these patients.

There is a chance for a child to become allergic to peas over a period of time, especially if the portion is too large. But before giving peas to a child, it is recommended to consult a doctor and always adhere to the 4-7 day waiting rule when peas are introduced into complementary foods or any other food in the diet. It is better to give less than more.

Symptoms of pea allergy vary among children. Some symptoms may be mild, while others may be severe. Mild symptoms include rashes, hives, itching in the mouth, throat, lips or entire face, stomach cramps, vomiting and coughing, etc.

Severe symptoms include shortness of breath, shortness of breath and rapid heartbeat, anaphylactic shock which can cause choking and severe breathing difficulties.

It is best to seek medical attention regardless of mild or severe allergy symptoms. Timely action will help to avoid complications, as well as help in diagnosis and treatment.

How to give green peas to children?

For the first feeding green peas should be boiled in clean water. Beat with a blender and give in the form of pea puree. Babies love bright green puree because of its sweet taste and smooth texture. Depending on how much your child eats, you can store the puree in small bags, ice cube trays, or in a zip-lock freezer bag. Up to 2 years, it is better to give the child only in the form of baby puree. Either neat or mixed with other vegetables.

Why love pea puree?

• Versatility: Ideal as a first bean puree for children and as an addition to a range of dishes. It is worth trying to serve peas with fish, seafood, chicken or use as a sauce.
• A sensory explosion: pea puree hits all the senses, from delicious taste, fresh aroma to bright green color.
• Quick and easy to prepare : Prepare a gentle puree in less than ten minutes.
• Available all year round : Using frozen peas means the family can enjoy this puree no matter the season.
• Freezing : Peas are ideal when frozen, either pureed or as peas.

How to select and store peas

Only about 5% of grown peas are sold fresh. The rest are either frozen, or canned, or dry.

When purchasing fresh green peas , we are looking for strong pods, velvety and smooth. Their color should be a lively medium green. Those whose green color is particularly light or dark, or yellow, whitish or mottled grey, should be avoided. Also, don't choose pods that are swollen, soaked in water, or have mold residue. The pods should contain peas of sufficient quantity and size so that they do not have a lot of empty space. It is enough to shake the pod to understand whether it is empty or full. All varieties of fresh peas should be stored in the refrigerator, as the heat will speed up the formation of sugar in the starch.

Unwashed peas stored in the refrigerator in a bag or unsealed container will keep for several days. Peas are not stored in a pod for a long time, so if you bought a lot, then it is better to peel them and store green peas separately in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 6-12 months.

Unlike round pea pods, sweet pea pods are flat. Choose the smaller size as they tend to be sweeter.

To check the quality of peas, just open one of them and make sure that it is fresh. They should be bright green in color, firm and plump.

Dry peas must be stored in a dry, dark place, preferably in glass. If peas are bought by weight, then we look at the peas themselves so that they are the same color, dry, without mold and dampness, without pests. You can store about 12-24 months, depending on the variety of peas.

Pesticides and peas

Peas in Russia are classified as products with a low pesticide index, apparently because they are relatively easy to grow in any of our territories, they are not whimsical, there is water and sun, they will be happy.

But in 2019, Rospotrebnadzor identified a pesticide, the herbicide 2,4-D acid, in the Mistral brand of peas. Hope they fixed it.

Of course, it is better for children to buy an organic product that is grown without pesticides and nitrates.

complementary food peas

Contraindications

Peas are a difficult product to digest, which complicates the child's gastrointestinal tract. Therefore, if children suffer from colitis or enteritis, then you should refrain from the early introduction of peas into complementary foods and consult a doctor. Also, peas can increase gas formation, which will lead to abdominal pain. With frequent diarrhea or constipation, it is also not advisable to give peas in large portions. Green peas are not recommended for kidney disease. Boiled peas also contribute to an increase in uric acid in the body and the accumulation of salts. You can not this product with diseases such as cholecystitis, nephritis, kidney stones, increased blood clotting, gout and any intestinal diseases.

Suggested way of consumption

Steaming or roasting green peas is an easy and healthy way to prepare this vegetable. Throwing peas in ice water after cooking makes for an even smoother puree for your baby! Peas are sweet and delicious, and can be added to children's meals for a nutritional boost.

Up to 1 year, green peas can only be boiled or baked in the oven, and then made into baby puree. After a year, you can cook soups or add 1/3 of green peas to mashed potatoes, you get an interesting color and taste.

The most common cooking method is traditional when used in combination with vegetables or potatoes. Boiled peas are also often used in salads or with rice. A well-known option is cooking green peas with meat stewing method . Another alternative would be Pea Soup or Delicious Vegetable Puree. In Russia, you can also find pies with peas, pate, pancakes, cutlets, cereals, etc.

My favorite recipe for baby puree is to mix peas and other vegetables in a 1:3 ratio, about 1/3 of a pea. And add the fried onions before beating until smooth. It turns out tasty and satisfying.

Freezing peas

Peas are ideal for freezing. It does not lose taste, texture and smell. What more could you ask for? It can be frozen as green peas or boiled as a soup dressing. I already wrote about pea soup with bacon, how I freeze it in the form of a soup base.

Children's green peas are easy to freeze. In season, green sweet peas are bought, which get rid of the pod, and the peas are washed, dried, and then frozen in special bags. About 600 grams of green peas are enough for me for the winter. I cook soups with it, I make Olivier. Honestly, I stopped buying canned peas. Boiled and put in a salad, more benefits. You can store frozen peas for about 6-12 months. Moreover, it behaves perfectly, ice rarely forms on it, especially if it is frozen correctly.

Someone likes to blanch peas for 1-2 minutes, the shelf life is longer, but I don’t have it for more than 6-8 months.

In general, I recommend frozen over canned peas and acknowledge the benefits of fresh over frozen. Therefore, it is possible to buy fresh green peas, then we buy it, there is no way, we take frozen.

Why is it better to freeze it yourself in summer? But because the stores already sell old green peas. It is not as tender, it is suitable for soups, but not for baby food or salad. Therefore, in the summer I myself choose green peas, I am engaged in separation and freezing.

How to prepare green peas for children?

Remove green peas from the pod, rinse under running water.

Steam: Put the peas in the slow cooker or steamer and cook for about 5-10 minutes, depending on the variety of peas.

Boil: Put the peas in boiling water, cook over high heat until tender, about 15-20 minutes. Depends on the youth of the peas, the younger, the less time is needed for cooking. Ready peas are tender, it is important that the shell should not burst.

Bake: Peas are baked in the oven for about 30-40 minutes, you can add a little butter for a nice taste.

After cooking the green peas, keep them under cold running water for about 3 minutes to make the puree more tender.

Preparing puree: Put the cooked boiled peas in a blender and blend until smooth. You can add liquids or breast milk. For children 10-12 months old, you can additionally pass pea puree through a plastic sieve.

How to prepare ripe peas for children?

Mature peas must be soaked before cooking. Ideal for the night, but can be for a couple of hours. Soaking reduces the cooking time by 20-40 minutes. Then you can simply boil in water, the cooking time is up to 2 hours, depending on the degree of splitting of peas.

But I cook all legumes differently. On my site I have already written about this method, but I will repeat.

I throw soaked peas into boiling water. I put in 2 times more water. For about 1 cup of peas, 2 cups of water. And then I cook it for 5 minutes. I usually do this in the morning or at night. To forget about peas for a few hours. After 5 minutes of simmering or boiling, I wrap the pot in something warm and forget about it. Usually about 4 hours of slow cooling is enough for the peas to reach readiness. Very convenient way, economical in terms of electricity.

Finger food and green peas

Only green peas are suitable for finger food (simply because they are tastier and brighter). It is most often chosen by mothers for tweezing. It is ideal to take peas with your fingers and send them to your mouth. Up to 2-2.5 years, it is better to take boiled green peas of sweet varieties, after which you can take fresh ones.

In principle, many doctors are sure that after 12 months it is already difficult to choke on a small pea, but they still advise crushing them with a fork in order to avoid various situations with suffocation. We also crush fresh peas for the first time.

It is also important to know that if a child swallows a whole pea, then its size allows you to go out naturally in a few days.

Ready-made baby food from peas

Mostly green peas are found in ready-made baby food, but peas can also be found in multicomponent purees. In its pure form, puree was discontinued. On the websites of baby food manufacturers, green peas are not presented in the line of one-component purees. Previously, he was at Grandma's Lukoshka, Hipp, Gerber.

• mashed green peas-Brookoli-Kabachki, from 6 months, 125 grams
• puree vegetables with pieces of beef with 12 months of 190 grams
HIPP
• PICHROUS OWN - soup with chicken, from 7 months 190 gram
• Assorted vegetable puree from 7 months 125 gram
• Puree vegetables-noodles-chicken from 1 year 220 gram (peas)

Sempler

• Sempler
  • from 12 months 190 gram
  • Puree vegetables with beef meatballs, from 9 months 190 gram
  • Sautéed vegetables with sea bass from 12 months 190 gram
  • Puree potato-vegetable-chicken stew from 12 months 190 gram
  Puree 9008 pasta navy with pieces from 10 months 190 grams (peas)

Foods that go well with peas:

green pea soup
• carrots,
• cauliflower,
• potatoes,
• Rosemary,
• TIMYAN,
• nutmeg,
• cloves,
• Carry,
• mint,
• dill,
• bay
• parsley,
• Coriandr.

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On our site Encyclopedia Baby Food there is useful information on the nutrition of your children, which is useful for everyone, and we update the site "Encyclopedia Baby Food" constantly and try to search and write only excellent, verified and necessary information for you and your children.

Disclaimer No. 1: It must be understood that the author of the articles on the Baby Food Encyclopedia website is not a medical staff, “I am not a doctor.” The information I share is based on my own experience. My goal is not to teach you how to eat or feed your child, but to talk about how we did it, what new things I learned or read. This expands the picture of Baby Food knowledge, gives you a glimpse of the whole process so you can decide if you like it or not.

Disclaimer No. 2 : However, the above does not cancel visiting a pediatrician. Before you start complementary foods, you need to get his professional opinion on the best way to introduce new foods for your baby. I also draw your attention to the fact that you need to look at the original date of the published articles, because some of the "best practices" may have changed. Always check with your child's pediatrician about complementary foods and their health.

Disclaimer #3: Keep in mind that every family is unique, every situation is also completely unique. There are no universal solutions. Only you can find what works best for you. Certain goals require certain sacrifices and priorities - not everyone wants to make those choices, and that's GREAT! Just know what you want to achieve, and be ready to get to work, putting the best of your strength!

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