Leeks baby food

Simple Leek Baby Food Puree (4+ Month/Stage 1)

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by Michele Olivier on March 17, 2014 (updated Aug 18, 2020)

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This Simple Leek Baby Food Puree is a creamy and smooth puree that is perfect for one of baby’s first foods! Great baby food for 4 months and up – stage 1 puree!

In this post, I started talking about how I just finished reading the book French Kids Eat Everything by Karen Le Billion and how much that book made me change my prospective on how to feed my toddler. The real reason I started reading that book was because my husband and I were having a huge problem with little Ms E throwing her dinner, plate, cup and utensils at us [more often then not just at my husband] during dinner. She wasn’t hungry and wouldn’t really touch her food, except to throw it at us that is. This behavior was not acceptable to either of us but I wasn’t quite sure how to make her stop. Do I punish her and make her go to time out? Not giving her dinner at all? Take her food away and make her leave the table? I wasn’t sure what the right answer was or how to proceed.

Then I read this book and it changed the way I thought about feeding my daughter and I realized that I was making her act out in the way. Yes, me!

And here I thought I never did anything wrong!

I would let her snack and graze all day long. We would go for a walk and I would give her some food. In the car and she would get another snack. Snuggle time while reading books was yet another handful of this or that. I thought I was doing the right thing by only giving her organic and healthy snacks but I was actually making it so that at meal time she wouldn’t be hungry and she would then just want to play and act out. So like the French parents do, I took her snacks away. No not all of them, just the grazing snacks. So now I try very hard to only give her one simple snack in the morning and another one in the afternoon.

Here is what I aim to make her eating schedule look like;

8:00am – Breakfast
10:00am – First snack with fruit and cheese or hummus and cut up veggies
12:00pm – Lunch
4:00pm – Second snack with a pouch of fruit and veggie puree, crackers and peanut butter or yogurt.
6:00pm – Dinner

This does vary and sometimes she doesn’t need her snacks because she just isn’t hungry. Sometime she is starving after her snack and I try very hard to not give in and let her have a snack. She just has to wait until the next meal time. The French parents in the book do not give their children the morning snack but I decided that for now, she did need a little something before her lunch.

After a few days of transitioning out of the grazing method of eating, you know what happened? She stopped throwing her food at us and starting eating it. All of it. She is actually hungry when she sits down to a meal now and she doesn’t want to waste any of her delicious food.

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2 leeks white and light green parts only, roughly chopped
1 small white potato peeled and roughly chopped

Fill a medium saucepan with 2 inches of water and bring to a boil over medium heat. Place the potatoes into a steamer basket, cover and cook for 7 minutes.
Add the leeks on top of the potatoes, cover and cook for an additional 5 minutes or until the leeks are tender. Reserve steamer water. Let cool slightly.
Transfer the leeks and potato into a blender or food processor and puree on high for 1-2 minutes or until smooth and creamy, adding in reserved water in tablespoon increments if needed.

Age: 4 months and up

Yield: 10 ounce

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!

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NEW TO MAKING PUREES?

THEN CHECK OF MY GUIDE ON WHICH KITCHEN TOOLS YOU ACTUALLY ARE GOING TO NEED TO MAKE THE CREAMIEST AND SMOOTHEST BABY PUREES. HINT, IT’S NOT MANY!

Can My Baby Eat Leeks

We received a message today from Laura in the UK, asking if it is OK to give leeks to her little boy (age 6 1/2 months) .

We’ve published our reply here, just in case YOU may have a similar question!

“Leeks are a wonderful source of nutrition – high in folates, vitamin C, iron and potassium. The green parts also provide your baby with beta-carotene (fruits and veggies don’t HAVE to be orange in order to contain beta-carotene – some green veggies contain it, too).

Leeks are not highly allergenic (although you should always look for signs of allergic reaction with ANY new food and you should not introduce other new foods at the same time as introducing leeks). However, they MAY lead to wind (or gas) in some babies… and in some grown ups, too!

There are no set guidelines as to the introduction of leeks into the diet (although you should, of course, always check with your doctor before introducing new foods to your baby). Our baby food recipes contained leeks from 6 months of age with no unwelcome side effects – in fact, our little ones loved the delicate ‘onion-y’ taste that leeks brought to their meals.

Some parents, however, choose to wait until a little later in their babies’ first year to introduce leeks and this is to be recommended if your little man is prone to gas (wind).

Leeks may be sauted, then added to other recipes (in much the same way as onions) – or you can try our recipe below to make a tasty leek puree. This recipe was, in fact, a favourite with our babies – but do try adding a little leek to other recipes (to check how your baby reacts to it) before serving leeks in the larger quantity required for THIS recipe.

Leek Puree With Fresh Herbs

1 tbsp butter
2 medium leeks
4oz (1/2 cup) white potato, peeled and cubed
4 fl oz (1/2 cup) homemade chicken or vegetable stock
1 tbsp natural yogurt
1/2 tsp fresh dill
1/2 tsp fresh basil
1/2 tsp fresh chives

Remove the tough, outer leaves from the leeks, cut off the root and trim the other end.
Cut the leeks in half lengthwise and swirl them around in a bowl of cold water to clean them.
Chop the leeks (including the tender green leaves), then saute them in the butter for a few minutes.
Stir in the cubed potatoes.
Add the stock and fresh herbs, then bring to the boil.
Lower the hear and simmer (covered) for around 15 mins, until the potatoes are done).
Drain the mixture (saving the cooking liquid), then puree the vegetables until smooth.
Add back enough of the cooking liquid to create the perfect consistency for your baby, then stir in the natural yogurt.
Serve – either alone, or as a side dish with meat for older babies.

VARIATIONS: Try substituting sweet potato or butternut squash for the white potato for a different – but equally delicious – flavour!

NOTE: Leeks may also be steamed or roasted, but we do not recommend boiling them for baby as – in addition to some nutrient loss – the leeks may become quite waterlogged and tasteless.”

Does YOUR baby enjoy the flavour of leeks – or do you have any leek baby food recipes you’d like to share with other readers? Did YOU introduce leeks to your baby – only to find that they gave him gas?

Please share your comments and suggestions below!

benefits and harms for children

Leek is a biennial herbaceous plant that came to Europe from the Mediterranean. It was grown in ancient Rome and in Egypt.

In both Europe and Africa, it is one of the most consumed vegetables. In Russia, where preference is given to onions, leeks are not yet in great demand, but their popularity is growing.

Contents

Benefits
Medicinal properties of leeks
Can leeks harm a baby?
In what form and when to give children onions
recipes for children
How to choose onions when buying
Polar storage
Summary for parents
- Read also:

9000

To taste sweetish, more tender than onions, does not have the bitterness and strong specific smell that are characteristic of onions.

Leek has an elongated cylindrical white bulb, long broad leaves. There are several varieties of this vegetable, which should be considered when buying, for example:

Bulgarian leek (its other name is "Bulgarian Giant") is early maturing. This is a cold resistant variety. It has large leaves and a thick cylindrical stem. It is desirable to use it immediately, and not to store.
The Karantan leek is late maturing, frost resistant. It is distinguished by a short small stalk and a sharper taste.

Useful properties

Due to the rich composition and healing properties, leeks are classified as dietary products.

Leek is one of the ten most useful vegetables. Given the interest in low-calorie foods, it should be noted that the calorie content of 100 g of leek is only 33 kcal.

This vegetable has beneficial properties that make it an indispensable tool in both traditional and alternative folk medicine.

It contains:

vitamins: C, E, PP, group B (B _1, B _2, B ₉ or folic acid), beta-carotene;
trace elements: sodium, potassium, magnesium, phosphorus, iron, calcium.

The unique property of this vegetable is that the content of ascorbic acid (vitamin C) increases approximately 3-4 times during onion drying.

Leeks have a higher protein content than onions. The characteristic smell of this onion is provided by essential oils - 100 g of this vegetable contains about 3 ml of oils.

Medicinal properties of leek

The composition of the product allows it to be used for medicinal purposes:

Due to the presence of essential oils, leek perfectly stimulates the production of gastric juice, which is important in case of enzymatic secretory insufficiency of the stomach. The uniqueness of the vegetable lies in the fact that it does not have an irritating effect on the gastric mucosa.
It is also important that the leek has a choleretic and diuretic effect.
Vegetable helps to strengthen the immune system. That is why it is so important to use it for prophylactic purposes in the cold season of the year, on the eve and during epidemics of influenza and other viral infections. For colds, leek is used as a remedy.
Magnesium and folic acid contained in this onion help to normalize the functions of the nervous system. Leek is also an excellent antidepressant, helps to preserve or restore vision. It will also help with frequent headaches.
Its daily use is recommended for autumn-spring beriberi.

Leek will help children:

strengthen immunity;
increase physical tone;
improve mood;
restore energy;
improve memory;
increase alertness;
normalize sleep.

The antibacterial and antiseptic action of leek can be used in the treatment of rheumatism, minor wounds. Onion phytoncides have a detrimental effect on staphylococci, streptococci, tuberculosis bacillus.
Given the low calorie content of the product, nutritionists recommend including it in the diet of obese children.
Leek slows down the development of the oncological process in certain organs (for example, in the intestines, ovaries). Cancer cells reduce their ability to multiply rapidly.

Can leeks harm a baby?

The use of this type of onion in its raw form is contraindicated in case of ulcerative process in the digestive tract, in case of exacerbation of other chronic diseases of the digestive system.

Allergic children should be cautious about introducing leeks into the diet, like any other plant product. After using it in a small amount, it is necessary to observe the reaction of the child's body.

Of course, before cooking, the onion must be thoroughly washed and poured over with boiling water, as helminth eggs or pathogenic microbes can get on the plant.

There are no other dangers to the child from eating leeks.

How and when to give leeks to children

Leek can be consumed both fresh and as part of soups, vegetable stews and other dishes.

Opinions on the age of children for eating leeks vary. Most experts believe that you can start giving your baby onions from 7-8 months, adding it boiled or stewed to complementary foods. It is recommended to give it fresh to a child after 2-3 years.

Many children do not like onions, but leek does not cause negative emotions in them, they use it with pleasure:

For kids, it is added to mashed meat and vegetables, to soups.
For older children, a variety of salads that include raw leeks will be very useful. Moreover, you need to use not only the bulb, but also the stem with leaves.

Leek for children is prepared:

stew;
soups;
borscht;
vegetable purees;
Naval pasta.

Despite the great usefulness of leeks, you should not "stuff" children with them in large quantities, even with the best intentions to quickly provide the child with useful substances. In the baby's menu, onions should be introduced gradually, added to soups or vegetable purees, starting with ¼ of the onion.

Recipes for children

Lettuce with leek will provide the child with trace elements and vitamins. For cooking, use 3 legs of leeks, 3 tbsp. l. green peas, 2 medium-sized apples, 2 hard-boiled eggs, sour cream. Onions should be cut into half rings, eggs and apples rubbed on a coarse grater. Mix all chopped products, salt, season with sour cream.
If a child has a metabolic disorder, a salad of leek, cauliflower, celery will be useful. From spices it is better to add parsley, basil. You can dress the salad with sour cream or vegetable oil.
Leek soup requires potatoes, butter, cream, water, salt. For older children, leeks can be used in the preparation of borscht, pickle. The crushed green part of the plant can be added raw to a plate before serving.
For older children, a delicious cake can be baked. To prepare it, you need to take 400 g of yeast-free puff pastry, 2 stalks of leeks, 3 eggs, butter, cream, salt.

Salt the onion sliced into rings and simmer in a pan until half cooked in butter. You can add nutmeg to it if you like.

Put the dough into the form, forming the sides, put the onion and diced boiled eggs on it.

Bake in the oven at 180 ^° C approximately 20 minutes. Allow the cake to cool, cut into portions, serve.

Leek goes well with cheese. With this vegetable, you can cook an omelette or a regular scrambled egg; add to pizza toppings.
Stewed onions with meat or minced meat can be used in the preparation of barley, buckwheat, wheat porridge.
A mixture of freshly prepared vegetable juices made from carrots, leeks and celery is good for your health.

How to choose leeks when buying

It is sold in stores throughout the year. You need to choose onions with white bulbous legs up to 7 cm long. The leaves should not be sluggish, limp.

Young fragrant onions have a non-coarse lower part.
An old onion begins to form a real bulb.

It is undesirable to buy a vegetable if there is a peduncle in the center of the plant - such an onion has already become tough.

Leek storage

Leek goes very well with cheese.

Leek can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. So that other products do not absorb its smell and the onion retains freshness, it must be wrapped (but not washed before) in cellophane.
Do not freeze onions.
Leek can be dried.
Onions are not used when preparing canned salads for the winter.

Resume for parents

Leek has grown in popularity in recent years. And this is no coincidence, given the many useful substances contained in this vegetable.

It can and should be given to children. For babies, mothers can add it to vegetable purees after 7-8 months. For children over 3 years old, the range of dishes, the component of which is leek, is wider. Especially useful are salads in which the leek is used raw.

Due to the composition of the leek, it is also used in dietary baby food.

3 prescriptions for children over 1 year old. Complementary dishes from the chef. Leek with zucchini and other baby food recipes by Alain Ducasse

We continue to acquaint parents of babies with how we prepare complementary foods in France. Firstly, spices and aromatic herbs are added to them - this is how they bring up the taste. Secondly, for children after a year they are not afraid to cook full-fledged dishes - such as, for example, clafoutis. And thirdly, cooked according to these recipes turns out to be very tasty for adults too, so the time of standing at the stove does not increase. Here are three more recipes from Alain Ducasse's book.

Carrot with ginger and sesame (from 18 months)

This spicy carrot dish goes well with anything - meat, fish, chicken. So you can cook it for the whole family, and just grind a portion of the baby in a blender. And if the child is already accustomed to solid food, you can not chop and leave the circles of carrots.

Cooking carrots and ginger. Peel and wash 150 g carrots. Cut 2-3 slices and put in ice water. Cut the rest of the carrots into slices diagonally. Peel a small piece (1 cm) of ginger root. Chop very finely: you should have about 1 teaspoon. Steam carrots and ginger for 15 minutes. Put half of the cooked vegetables on a plate and keep warm. The rest, adding 40 ml of the milk mixture, process in a blender into a smooth puree.

Preparation of sesame seeds. While the carrots are cooking, heat a small skillet (no oil added). Sprinkle in 1 teaspoon of sesame seeds and fry until golden brown. Sprinkle sesame seeds on a paper towel. Stir in carrot-ginger puree with 1 teaspoon olive oil.

Final stage. Wash and pat dry 1 sprig of parsley. Tear off the leaves and chop. Put carrot-ginger puree on a plate. Garnish with slices of boiled carrots around. Dry slices of raw carrots and stick in mashed potatoes. Sprinkle with chopped parsley.

Sesame contains a lot of fatty acids. Cooked ginger isn't as spicy, and it's also high in antioxidants.

Leek Clafoutis with Comte Cheese (from 18 months)

Clafoutis is already a complete dish that can also be prepared for the whole family. Having mastered this recipe, you can experiment with vegetables - this can be, for example, sliced carrots or parsnips, alone or with leeks, as well as young onions with feathers.

Cooking leeks and parsley. Wash 150 g of the white part of the leek thoroughly and cut into very thin rings. Steam for about 10 minutes until the leeks are very soft. Meanwhile, wash and chop 5 parsley leaves. Transfer the cooked leek to a bowl, add the chopped parsley. Stir and put half into a non-stick baking dish. Freeze the rest.

Preparing clafoutis. Preheat oven to 180°C. Crack 1 small egg into a bowl. Slowly add, while whisking, 100 ml of formula milk. Add 1 teaspoon cream and whisk again. Season a little with grated nutmeg. Sift 15 g of wheat flour into a bowl. Whisking vigorously with a whisk, gradually pour in the egg-milk mixture. Pour half of the mixture over the leeks laid out in the mold. Freeze the rest.

Final step and baking. Grate 10 g mature Comte cheese. Sprinkle over the clafoutis. Place the mold in the oven and bake for 20 minutes. Take the clafoutis out of the oven. Let cool.

Freezing the ingredients is a great time saver, especially if you are cooking your child separately. Freeze the leeks together with the clafoutis mass right in the baking dish. Next time, all you have to do is grate the cheese and send the mold to the oven.

Polenta with marrow and thyme (from 10 months)

This dish is, after all, exclusively for children. Soft cubes of zucchini are just what you need to teach your child to eat small pieces. And if you add 20 g of fish or chicken fillet to polenta, you will get a full-fledged small dish.

Courgette preparation. Wash 1 zucchini, approximately 150 g. Trim the ends and cut the zucchini in half. Cut one half into very small cubes, the other into larger pieces. Steam large pieces of zucchini for 10 minutes, adding 1 small sprig of fresh garden savory. Meanwhile, heat a drop of olive oil in a frying pan. Saute small cubes of zucchini over high heat for 2 minutes, reduce heat and cover with a lid. Cook until the zucchini is very soft. Then keep warm. Remove the savory from the steamer. Separate 2-3 leaves.