Baby Food Recipes with Spinach

Spinach is among the popular vegetables in the world, because of its benefits, not only for grownups but also for babies. Spinach is a great source of essential vitamins and minerals that helps your baby to improve organ functionalities. For instance, spinach is a great source of vitamin C, which helps in iron absorption. Also, there is a high content of potassium and calcium.

In this article, we talk about introducing spinach to your baby’s diet and we give you 4 easy and quick recipes for healthy, homemade baby food.

The recipes in this article:

Recipe 1 – Spinach and Carrots
Recipe 2 – Spinach and Banana
Recipe 3 – Spinach, Blueberries, and Avocado
Recipe 4 – Spinach, Sweet potato, and Chicken

You might also be interested in our recipes with broccoli, kale or cauliflower.

When can a baby eat spinach?

You can slightly introduce spinach to your baby at 10 months and fully introduce it once your baby turns 12 months. So a baby can eat spinach at age 10-12 months. Initially feed it to your baby as a puree but in the 12th month add some vegetables. It is, therefore, advisable to consult your medical practitioner before introducing spinach to your baby.

How to prepare spinach for baby food

Step 1: Only pick the fresh spinach leaves and wash them thoroughly.
Step 2: Boil or steam spinach leaves until they all appear wilted.
Step 3: Drain the entire cooking water and then blend until they become smooth.
Step 4: Add purified water until a desired limit to the puree.
Step 5: Cool down the puree before feeding your baby.

You can freeze and store the puree by pouring it into small kitchen food containers or in an ice cube form.

Recipe 1: Spinach and carrot puree (age 10-12 months+)

Ingredients:

• 2 Cups of spinach
• 2 Carrots

Instructions:

Step 1 – Prepare the spinach following the instructions above.

Step 2 – Clean and peel the carrots and cook them for 10-20 minutes.

Step 3 – Using a hand mixer or a blender, make a nice puree.

Recipe 2: Spinach and banana mash (age 10-12 months+)

This is the perfect dish to start introducing spinach to your baby. The banana makes it nice and sweet.

Ingredients:

• 2 Cups of spinach
• ½ Banana

Instructions:

Step 1 – Boil or steam the spinach leaves and drain the cooking water.

Step 2 – Peel and chop up the banana.

Step 3 – Add both ingredients to a blender and blend until they become smooth. You can add some breast milk or formula if you want.

Recipe 3: Spinach, blueberries, and avocado (age 10-12 months+)

Healthy and full of antioxidants!

Ingredients:

• 2 Cups of spinach
• 1 Cup of blueberries
• 1 Avocado

Instructions:

Step 1 – Boil or steam the spinach, drain the water, and add the spinach to a blender.

Step 2 – Wash the blueberries and add them to the blender.

Step 3 – Using a sharp knife, cut your avocado into two halves just around the pit lengthwise.

Step 4 – After that follow by score pitting with your knife and twist it to pull out the avocado pit.

Step 5 – Using a spoon, scoop the avocado meat out of the avocado skin and place it in the blender.

Step 6 – You can add some breast milk, formula or water if you want the mixture to be slightly thinner. A sweet and tasty baby food recipe your baby will love!

Recipe 4: Spinach, sweet potato, and chicken (age 10-12 months+)

This recipe is a perfect and tasty dinner recipe.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups sweet potato (peeled, cubed)
• 2 cups spinach leaves
• 1 cup skinless, boneless, chicken (cubed)
• cup breast milk or formula
• cup water

Instructions:

Step 1 – Put a steamer insert into a saucepan and fill the pan with water until it is just below the steamer.

Step 2 – Bring the water to a boil before placing the sweet potatoes in the steamer. Steam for about 8 minutes until softened.

Step 3 – Add the spinach and steam for about 5 more minutes until the sweet potatoes can be mashed easily

Step 4 – Bring another saucepan of lightly salted water to a boil.

Step 5 – Add the chicken and cook until no pink is left. This will take roughly 10 minutes

Step 6 – Combine the chicken, sweet potatoes, spinach, breast milk, and water in a blender until creamy.

Feeding guide for spinach

Keep in mind that this feeding guide is only for spinach.

Are these recipes freezable?

All can also be refrigerated and make for good meal prep for the week! You should store your batch of baby meals in a refrigerator using an airtight container for up to 72 hours.

You can freeze these baby food recipes into different portions by employing ice cubes or small food storage containers.

Which kitchen tools to use

In order to prepare these baby food recipes, you will need the following kitchen tools:

• Blender or food processor
• Knife
• Vegetable peeler
• Cutting board
• Saucepan
• Food storage containers or an ice cube form

Tips for choosing and storing Spinach

Select:

Select fresh spinach rather than frozen spinach because frozen spinach has a high content of nitrates. Avoid spinach with blemishes, yellow leaves or holes made by pests. If you fold a leaf of fresh spinach will unfold. The stem of healthy spinach should feel pulpy and be supple. Always choose organic varieties.

Storing:

Wrap your spinach with a plastic bag and carefully put it in your refrigerator. It should not take more than four days in the refrigerator. You should not wash spinach before storing it.

Nutritional and health benefits

Spinach is rich in fiber, iron, vitamins E, C, B1, and K.

1. Natural Laxative

Spinach is a great source of dietary fiber which has various benefits on your baby’s digestive system. Spinach has various elements that help your baby to attain a smooth bowel movement as well as helping to prevent constipation. Therefore, spinach is among the best ways to help your child ease any indigestion.

2. Improves your Baby’s Immunity

Immunity us the ability to fight diseases. Spinach has a high content vitamin K as well as other fundamental nutrients that help in building your baby’s body to fight illnesses and parasites. Therefore, spinach is categorized as a great source of immunity because it helps your baby fight many health issues.

3. Protects Liver

Although the liver is categorized as a strong organ in your baby’s body, it can also be infected with various diseases. Spinach provides positive results in protecting your baby’s liver from these infections.

4. Good Eyesight

Spinach is rich in vitamin A or beta carotene; it helps your baby to both maintain and improve eyesight.

5. Hydrates your Baby

Research shows that spinach has a ninety percent water content. Therefore, spinach has its natural fluid, which helps in hydrating your baby.

6. Helps your Baby Attain a Healthy Circulatory System

Protein and Iron improve your baby’s circulatory system. Spinach is a great source of iron and protein. These nutrients help by building the hemoglobin profile in your baby’s body. This is among the popular benefit of spinach.

7. Healthy and Strong Bones

Spinach is a great source of magnesium, phosphorus, and calcium. These nutrients are fundamental in strengthening your baby’s bones as well as aiding a healthy development.

8. Cures Gastric Disorders

A baby usually suffers from gastric disorders because the intestines and stomach are not fully grown. Gastric disorders cause uneasiness as well as discomfort to your baby. It is essential to feed your baby with spinach because it will ease the gastric disorders.

9. Kills Worms

It is, therefore, possible for parasitic worms to develop in the sensitive and delicate stomach and intestine linings of your baby. Spinach intake gets rid of these worms that can feed off your child’s intestine, causing weakness or various diseases.

10. Enhances your Baby’s Muscles

Spinach is a great source of proteins which help in muscle development in the entire body.