Pureed spinach baby food

Spinach Puree - Healthy Little Foodies

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By: AmyPosted: Jul 13, 2020Updated: Jul 13, 2020

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Spinach puree is loaded with goodness and is great mixed with a range of sweet and savoury purees.

Spinach is an excellent source of many vitamins and minerals including Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin K1, Folic acid, Iron and Calcium.

Although nutritionally appealing, many children do not enjoy the bitter taste of spinach. Babies, however, are a lot more accomodating with new flavours. Introducing this leafy green vegetable to your baby will allow them to get used to the flavour and hopefully, they will be more accepting of it when they are older.

Choosing and Storing Spinach

Look for spinach leaves that are green, crisp and without any tears or darkening.
Avoid limp or yellowing leaves.
Don’t wash the spinach before you refrigerate it. If you wash it before you store it, the leaves have a tendency to deteriorate quicker.
Refrigerate unwashed spinach in a loose plastic bag; it'll keep for three to four days.

How to Make Spinach Puree

Remove the stems from the spinach and discard
Wash the spinach thoroughly and shake off excess water.
Steam the spinach until the leaves are tender and wilted, around 3-5 minutes.
Run cold water over the spinach to stop the cooking process. Drain well.

5. Transfer the leaves to a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. Add a touch of water or baby milk to reach desired consistency.

Spinach Puree for Babies

Spinach puree may not be the most appetising puree on its own. If your baby isn't accepting of it then why not try mixing it with some other purees. The combinations are endless and don't forget you can add spices and herbs to baby food for extra flavour.

Why not try mixing spinach puree with

Apple Puree
Banana Puree
Blueberry Puree
Carrot Puree
Cheese Sauce
Parsnip Puree
Pumpkin Puree
Pea Puree
Mashed Potato
Sweet Potato Puree
Pureed Lentils
Pureed chicken or fish

Other Ways to Use Spinach Puree

Spinach puree (also known as Palak Puree) is used in many Indian dishes including curries and soups.

You can also use spinach puree to add a veggie boost to pasta sauces, smoothies and baked goods such as muffins and brownies.

Spinach Yield

Spinach is made up of about 90% water, so when cooked it loses a huge amount of volume.

150g (3 packed cups) of spinach may look a lot but it only yeilds ¼ cup of pureed spinach.

Storage Instructions

Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 24 hours.
Freeze the puree in ice-cube trays and once fully frozen, quickly pop them all out and place into a freezer bag or container. Return to the freezer and store for up to 2 months. (Freezing it this way allows you to take out small portions as needed.)

Looking for more puree recipes? Check out our Puree Category Page for a range of fruit and vegetable puree recipes.

Looking for more healthy kid recipes?Sign up for my free recipe newsletter to get new family friendly recipes in your inbox each week! Find me sharing more kid-friendly inspiration on Pinterest and Instagram.

5 from 3 votes

Author: Amy

Spinach Puree

Spinach puree is loaded with goodness and is great mixed with a range of sweet and savoury purees.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

▢ 150g (3 packed cups) Spinach

Remove the stems from the spinach and discard.
Wash the spinach thoroughly and shake off excess water.
Add enough water to the bottom of a pan so that it does not rise above the steamer basket. Place a steaming basket, with the washed spinach leaves in it, into the pot.
Cover and boil the water until steam has formed. Steam the spinach until the leaves are tender and wilted, around 3-5 minutes.
Transfer cooked spinach to a colander and run cold water over the spinach to stop the cooking process.
Drain well and if needed, gently squeeze the spinach to remove excess water.
Transfer the leaves to a blender and blend until smooth. You may wish to add 1-2 teaspoons of water/baby milk to achieve the desired consistency.

Washing Spinach: It is important to thoroughly wash the spinach. If especially dirty, plunge the leaves into a large bowl of cold water and rinse thoroughly under cold water

No Steamer?: You can blanch the spinach. Add the spinach to a pot of boiling water, stir and let it cook for around 1 min.

Yield: 150g (3 packed cups) of spinach will yield around ¼ cup of spinach puree.

Storage:

Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 24 hours.
Freeze the puree in ice-cube trays and once fully frozen, quickly pop them all out and place into a freezer bag or container. Return to the freezer and store for up to 2 months. (Freezing it this way allows you to take out small portions as needed.)

Nutritional Information is a ROUGH guide only, calculated using an online nutrition calculator.

Course:Puree

Cuisine:Puree

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Meet Amy

Amy Whiteford runs the blog Healthy Little Foodies. She is a mum to two, has a BSc (Hons) Food Science, PGDE Primary Education and a Certificate in Childhood Nutrition. She uses her experience and knowledge to create healthy and delicious recipes for kids. Explore the site for creative ideas, tips, and inspiration! Read more

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Best Pureed Spinach Baby Recipe

Published: Sep 5, 2022 by Ana · This post may contain affiliate links ·

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This pureed spinach baby recipe is loaded with vitamins and minerals for your healthy baby. Great to be combined with other sweet or savory baby food purees.

Why we love this recipe:

Easy baby food
Very nutritious and healthy
Great to make for big batch cooking and create puree combinations
2 simple methods
Baby-led weaning and puree made the same way

Jump to:

Health Benefits of Spinach Puree
How to make spinach baby food
Method 1: How to steam spinach for baby
Method 2: How to boil spinach for baby food?
How to serve spinach for babies
How to store
FAQ
More baby food recipes
Recipe

Health Benefits of Spinach Puree

Spinach is a great vegetable for babies, toddlers, children and adults. It is not only a very neutral vegetable in terms of taste and pretty easy for the baby to accept but also a food loaded with micronutrients.

It's a good source of fiber and has lots of iron which is a really important micronutrient for babies once they start weaning.

Calcium is another mineral found in spinach that is really important for the babies growth and development as well as vitamin C which is one of the immunity-supporting vitamins.

How to make spinach baby food

You can make this for babies in two ways - either by steaming or boiling.

Steaming retains more nutrients because most micronutrients found in spinach are water soluble so if cooked a lot of those are transferred into the cooking water leaving the cooked spinach itself a little less nutrient-dense.

Note: Spinach reduces in size drastically when cooked. 500 g of raw spinach (about 10 cups) will only give you about 1 cup of cooked spinach.

Method 1: How to steam spinach for baby

Wash the spinach
Place it in a steamer basket or steamer and steam for about 5 minutes, until it is soft and has reduced in size
Run cold water over it to stop it from cooking and cool it quickly.
Transfer to a blender and blend with water or breastmilk.

Method 2: How to boil spinach for baby food?

Wash the spinach
Place spinach in a saucepan with water and bring to boil and boil for about 5 minutes until it has reduced in size.
Drain in a colander, rinse with cold water.
Transfer to a blender and blend with water or breastmilk.

How to serve spinach for babies

As spinach puree
- It is not very appetizing on its own so the best advice we have is to make a big batch and freeze in ice cubes tray and then mix it with other single purees in order to give you baby variety. It goes well with apple puree, carrot puree, banana puree, mango puree, pumpkin puree and then you can add olive oil, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger or any spice you feel would go well.
- When mixing 1 ice cube of spinach puree, add 3 ice cubes of any other puree you are using

Spinach baby-led weaning
- Serve cooked and finely chopped from 6 months old until 1 year old
- To make it more appetizing best is to mix with other baby food with spinach like baked goods or foods that you baby will easily grab, such as spinach pancakes for baby, baked spinach and ricotta fritters, spinach cornbread muffins, blueberry spinach smoothie.

How to store

Puree is best stored in airtight containers in the fridge. In freezer use ice cube trays or specific trays for baby puree like this one from Keedo Feedo.
Store in fridge for 3 days
Store in freezer for up to 6 months
Thaw overnight in fridge in airtight container
To serve remove it 2 hours in advance from the fridge so the puree reaches room temperature and then you don't have to reheat it
Reheat in a small saucepan on the stove with a tsp of water

FAQ

What age can babies have spinach puree?

Babies can have spinach puree as soon as they start weaning. It is a really great vegetable to start with and mix with other foods as it has a neutral taste and is packed with nutrients.

Does spinach cause constipation in babies?

Spinach has not been know to cause constipation in babies so probably will not cause constipation for your baby either. However, everyone is different and their digestive systems might act differently so watch out for any signs of intolerance.

Is spinach puree good for babies?

Yes, spinach puree is a great food to give to your baby because it contains iron and calcium that are really important nutrients for your baby during their growth and development.

More baby food recipes

If you've tried this or any other recipe on the blog, then please rate it and leave us a comment below!

Recipe

Best pureed spinach baby recipe

This pureed spinach baby recipe is loaded with vitamins and minerals for your baby. Great combined with other sweet or savory baby food purees.

5 from 1 vote

Author: Dora

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 5 mins

Cook Time 5 mins

Servings 8

Fridge Life? 3 days

Freezable? 3 months

▢ 500 g spinach

Method 1: How to steam spinach for baby

Wash the spinach
Place it in a steamer basket or steamer and steam for about 5 minutes, until it is soft and has reduced in size
Run cold water over it to stop it from cooking and cool it quickly.
Transfer to a blender and blend with water or breastmilk.

Method 2: How to boil spinach for baby food?

Wash the spinach
Place spinach in a sauce pan with water and bring to boil. Boil for about 5 minutes until it has reduced in size
Drain in a colander, rinse with cold water.
Transfer to a blender and blend with water or breastmilk.

500 grams (10 cups) of raw spinach yields only about 1 cup of cooked spinach
It is not very appetizing on its own so the best advice we have it to make a big batch and freeze in ice cubes tray and then mix it with other single purees in order to give you baby variety. It goes well with apple puree, carrot puree, banana puree, mango puree, pumpkin puree
When mixing, for any 1 ice cube of spinach, add 3 ice cubes of any other puree you are using
For baby-led weaning serve it cooked and chopped

Serving: 1gCalories: 14kcalCarbohydrates: 2gProtein: 2gFat: 0. 2gSaturated Fat: 0.04gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.1gMonounsaturated Fat: 0.01gSodium: 49mgPotassium: 349mgFiber: 1gSugar: 0.3gVitamin A: 5861IUVitamin C: 18mgCalcium: 62mgIron: 2mg

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

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Spinach puree: composition, useful properties

Description

Spinach is one of the most useful vegetables in the world. Therefore, it is not surprising that mashed spinach has become associated with a healthy diet, and also entered the list of products recommended for children. This product is a rich source of vitamin A and calcium, elements that are essential for the healthy growth and development of babies. In cooking, spinach puree is used as a base for making soups, sauces and creams.

Interesting! The popularity of spinach and spinach products among children was facilitated by the release of comics, and later the animated series about the adventures of the sailor Popeye. This lovable hero became extremely strong by eating a can of canned spinach.

Origin

Persia (modern Iran) is considered to be the birthplace of spinach. This product owes its appearance in Europe to the Moorish conquests in Spain, as well as to the campaigns of the crusaders. The Spanish monks were the first to appreciate the beneficial properties of spinach, and this vegetable began to be grown in monastic gardens.

In the 16th-17th c. spinach is becoming a popular delicacy in many European countries: it was added to bread, juice was used to decorate dishes, and pureed soups were prepared with the addition of other vegetables.

As a baby food, spinach puree was prepared at home until the middle of the 20th century. The Industrial Revolution ushered in a baby food market that became associated with convenience. The leading manufacturers of spinach baby puree are HJ Heinz Company, Nestle, Nutricia, Organix, Humana, etc.

Preparation

Spinach puree is easy to make at home. To do this, it is important to follow a few tips:

You can puree fresh or frozen spinach. When choosing fresh spinach, it is necessary to give preference to not sluggish leaves of a dark green color without inclusions.
Rinse fresh spinach leaves with plenty of water and pat dry with paper towels. Don't let spinach soak in water, as this can reduce the amount of nutrients in the product.
It is recommended to steam spinach in boiling water to reduce acidity. To do this, you can use a colander, place the washed leaves in it and dip in boiling water for about 1 minute.
Steamed spinach leaves are ground in a food processor or blender to a puree. To achieve the desired consistency of the product, add a little water to it.
Spinach goes well with many vegetables and other foods. When preparing spinach puree, boiled carrots, potatoes, chicken, fish, rice can be added to it.

Important! Most pediatricians recommend introducing mashed spinach to babies no earlier than 8 months of age, and then only if home grown spinach is used.

Composition

Fresh spinach is rich in vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients. In the process of making puree, some of them are destroyed, but this product continues to be a good source of useful trace elements.

For example, one cup of spinach puree contains: 213 mg vitamin A, 3 mg pantothenic acid, 2.1 mg nicotinic acid, 0.1 mg riboflavin, 0.1 mg thiamine, 16.9 mcg folic acid, 151 mg phosphorus , 81 mg potassium, 42 mg calcium, 19 mg sodium, 2.1 mg magnesium, 1.5 mg iron, 30 mg selenium, as well as small amounts of copper, manganese and other elements.

Curious! Although spinach puree contains iron and calcium, these nutrients are not well absorbed by the body. This is prevented by the oxalates contained in the product.

Useful properties

Eating spinach puree contributes to:

regular replenishment of the diet with vitamins and minerals, prevention and treatment of beriberi;
increase the body's resistance to various infectious diseases;
strengthen blood vessels;
to cleanse the blood, increase hemoglobin and combat anemia;
development and strengthening of bone and muscle tissue.
improvement of vision, prevention of many eye diseases;
normalization of the functioning of the pancreas, improvement of digestion;
the establishment of carbohydrate metabolism in the body;
cleanse the body, as it has a slight laxative effect;
Spinach products have a mild sedative effect, provide healthy sleep and rest, help overcome fatigue, help treat various disorders of the nervous system.

Precautions

The benefits of mashed spinach are significant, but there are a few things to keep in mind:

spinach products contain a large amount of oxalic acid, so their abuse can lead to the development of diseases of the liver, kidneys, gallbladder and duodenum or exacerbate existing diseases of these organs;
large amounts of spinach puree thin the blood and are inconsistent with certain medications such as warfarin;
Spinach products increase the risk of gallstones and kidney stones because they are high in oxalates;
spinach is a vegetable that can accumulate pesticides as it grows, which can cause serious disturbances in the functioning of the body.

How to choose and store

When choosing spinach for puree, it is desirable to give preference to a vegetable grown in natural conditions. It is important that the spinach leaves are young and fresh. Old spinach leaves contain less nutrients and more oxalic acid. Spinach leaves should be washed just before mashing.

Homemade spinach puree cannot be stored for a long time. It is best to consume it completely as soon as it is cooked. As a commercial baby food, this product should be kept within the expiration date printed on the package.

When buying baby spinach puree, it is important to pay attention to the integrity of the container, as well as the composition of the product. It should not contain chemical dyes, preservatives and other food additives.

Calories 16kcal

Energy value of the product (ratio of proteins, fats, carbohydrates): Proteins: 2.0g ( ∼ 8 kcal)
Fat: 0.1g ( ∼ 0. 9 kcal)
Carbs: 2.5g ( ∼ 10 kcal)
Energy ratio (b|g|y): 50% | 5% | 62%

Product proportions. How many grams?

In 1 tsp. 17 g.
In 1 tbsp. spoon 50 g
In 1 glass 350 g
In 1 jar 200 g.

Spinach puree recipe with photo step by step

Spinach puree

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Composition/ingredients

Change composition

servings:

Cooking steps

Cooking time: 15 min PT15M

Step 1:

Prepare all necessary items. Spinach is best fresh. There is small-leaf spinach, but large spinach leaves are suitable for this dish. Cream of any percentage of fat content. If cream is not available, milk can be used.
Step 2:

Wash the spinach well. Pay special attention to this process, because. spinach grows close to the ground and may contain particles of it. It is best to wash spinach with very hot water. Then dry the spinach leaves well and chop them. You can cut it in any way - it does not play a big role.
Step 3:

Melt the butter in the pan in which you will cook the spinach. The oil must be completely natural, with a fat content of at least 82%.
Step 4:

Add the chopped spinach to the pan and keep the pan over low heat.
Step 5:

Salt the spinach. I use ordinary white table salt, but you can also take salt with additives, for example, Svan or Adyghe salt. If you are a lover of spicy dishes, you can also add some other seasonings to spinach: garlic powder, ground paprika, hot pepper - choose to your taste!
Step 6:

After adding the salt, the spinach will release its moisture and shrink a lot. Cook it, stirring, over low heat for about 5 minutes.
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