Between the ages of four and six months, babies stop feeding exclusively on breast milk and start trying new foods. These include vegetables which, when puréed, open up a new range of flavours and invite them to experiment with new textures. Correctly selecting ingredients is a key for winning over their stomachs.
At around four-six months, babies' digestive systems are more mature and therefore prepared to accept new foods and become accustomed to new flavours. Soft vegetables are the first ingredients that your paediatrician will recommend.
- It is usual to start with vegetables such as potatoes, carrots, leeks and green beans. These are all easy to digest, do not contain too much fibre and have a delicate flavour. You can add vegetables such as pumpkin or courgette four-six weeks after starting with the first vegetables.
- You can begin preparing purées with a potato base and adding one of the above vegetables each time. This way, if your child feels sick, you can easily identify which vegetable was the cause.
- When preparing them, make sure that the ingredients are very fresh so that their nutrients are perfectly preserved.
- Be scrupulous when washing and peeling the vegetables so that no dirt or chemical residues remain. Try to cook them in the right amount of water for a short time to preserve more nutrients in the purée.
- Once you have mashed the vegetables, add a tablespoon of raw olive oil to improve the texture and flavour.
Remember that it is normal for children to only eat a few spoonfuls in the early days as they grow tired quickly at that age. If you can't get the child to eat, make the purée again using only one vegetable, e.g. carrot, which is sweeter. Alternatively, add a little of their normal formula so the flavour will not be so strange.