How to cook pumpkin porridge for children to eat solids helps children gain weight rapidly

With its soft texture and mild natural sweetness, pumpkin is one of the few options that are extremely suitable for early weaning babies. If you do not know what to do, let aFamilyToday Health suggest you a few simple ways to cook pumpkin porridge while saving time.

Pumpkin is an extremely nutritious food because it contains many essential vitamins and minerals that play a role in strengthening the immune system, helping your baby to grow and develop well. The interesting point is that this fruit and vegetable is available all year round, especially around September and October, when pumpkin tastes the most delicious.

Instead of a boring long-term dish, why don't you pocket more ways to cook pumpkin porridge to enrich your child's snack menu?

When should a new mother feed her baby pumpkin porridge?

According to experts, the most appropriate time for mothers to introduce this dish is when the baby is 6 months old . Because the baby's digestive system is now fully developed, solid foods besides breast milk can be absorbed. Moreover, the external food source also ensures the balance of nutritional needs of the child.

Once you get used to this food, you can combine pumpkin with many different vegetables and meat to enhance the flavor. However, you need to make sure your baby is not allergic to any of the ingredients in the food!

Revealing amazing health values ​​from pumpkin porridge

As mentioned above, pumpkin contains many nutrients essential for your child's development. Specifically, this fruit is quite low in water, but rich in starch, vitamins B, C and important minerals such as calcium, potassium, magnesium, iron, zinc and especially carotene (precursors of vitamin A).

It is these ingredients that make up many of the "golden" benefits of pumpkin, including:

1. Good for bones and eyes

Looking at the nutrients just listed above, it can be seen that pumpkin is quite rich in carotene, which is essential in maintaining eyesight, protecting the eyes from problems such as macular degeneration and cataracts. crystal .

In addition, pumpkin also provides a rich amount of calcium, this mineral is extremely important in the growth and development of children. In addition, magnesium, iron, and zinc in this food also support the efficient absorption of calcium, thereby helping to build strong bones.

2. Strengthen the baby's immune system

Pumpkin porridge is a great source of nutrients good for the immune system such as vitamins A, C, and zinc. These are all effective antioxidant agents that protect the body from the harmful effects of free radicals, and at the same time strengthen the child's resistance .

Many studies also show that in pumpkin there are some biochemicals that promote phagocytosis, against harmful bacteria and viruses from the outside environment.

3. Improve memory and concentration

This fruit and vegetable is rich in glutamine acid, a nutrient essential for brain function. Glutamine acid plays an important role in supporting metabolic responses in nerve and brain cells, thereby helping to improve memory and concentration for children.

4. Against helminths

Infection is common in babies and young children. In such case, you should cook pumpkin porridge for your baby to use. The reason is that this food possesses effective anti-worm properties.

Tell mom how to cook pumpkin porridge for baby

aFamilyToday Health shares to you a few ways to cook pumpkin porridge with other nutritious ingredients:

1. Pumpkin shrimp porridge

Shrimp is also one of the foods rich in certain nutrients that mothers should add to the baby's snack menu . In addition to the same nutrients as pumpkin, shrimp is also a rich source of vitamin D to help children absorb calcium optimally. With pumpkin shrimp porridge, mothers can give to children from 6 months on.

The ingredients need to be prepared

Fresh shrimp: 100 grams

Pumpkin: 100 grams

Glutinous rice: 1 small handful

Cooking oil for babies to eat with spices

Doing

- You wash the sticky rice and soak it in water for about 2 hours to bloom. This way will help you shorten the cooking time, and at the same time, puree the rice to make it easier for the child to swallow.

- Pumpkin peeled, washed, sliced ​​into small pieces.

- Fresh shrimp washed, removed the head, tail, peeled, removed the black thread on the back and then washed with water. Let the shrimp drain for a while, then grind or crush them, at this time you can marinate with a little fish sauce or seasoning seeds (optional).

- Put the rice and pumpkin in a pot of water, cook until boiling. During the cooking process, you should stir regularly so that the porridge does not stick to the bottom of the pot.

- When you see the porridge cooked, the rice seeds are evenly sprung, you let them cook again, and when the shrimp is ripe, season with spices or scallions depending on your baby's taste.

- Scoop the porridge into a bowl, wait until the porridge cools down, then add the cooking oil for the baby to stir and let the baby use it while the porridge is still warm. In case your baby has not teething or has not eaten raw foods, you should grind or sift the porridge to smooth before giving it to your child!

2. Pumpkin beef porridge

Pumpkin beef porridge is not only delicious but also adds a lot of nutrients such as protein, iron, and zinc to support digestion and help your baby strengthen its resistance. How to cook this pumpkin porridge is also quite simple and does not take too much time to make.

The ingredients need to be prepared

Pumpkin: 100 grams

Minced beef: 50 grams

Rice: 25 grams

Seasoning to taste all kinds

Doing

- Similar to the above, peeled pumpkin, washed, then sliced ​​into small pieces.

- Beef for the pan, add a little oil (the kind for children) and then stir-fry, you can add a little fish sauce to make the meat taste rich.

- Rice is washed, put in a pot with pumpkin, add a sufficient amount of water and then turn on the stove to cook until rice and squash are well done.

- When porridge, you add the beef above, stir well, add a little fish sauce if you want and then turn off the heat.

- Ladle porridge into a bowl, wait for it to cool down, add cooking oil for the baby to stir and feed the baby while the porridge is still hot.

3. Pumpkin salmon porridge

Salmon is famous for its high protein content and healthy fatty acids such as omega-3, omega-6 ... Eating salmon regularly will help children smarter, limit the risk of disorder. attention deficit hyperactivity (ADHD). With such great benefits, what are you waiting for without trying this pumpkin porridge with salmon cooking for you to enjoy.

The ingredients need to be prepared

Salmon fillet: 30 grams

Pumpkin: 30 grams

Rice: 30 grams

Scallion, spices (optional)

Doing

- Rice is washed, put in a pot, poured water to cook.

- Pumpkin washed, peeled, diced, placed in the simmering with porridge.

- To avoid fishy salmon, you should wash it with alcohol, fresh ginger juice or vinegar. Let it sit for a while, then steam it and cook it with a spoon or fork. The mother must make sure the fish bones are removed to avoid choking.

- Fish meat drop into a pan, add a little oil and fry it. When the pumpkin and porridge are soft, you add the fish stir-fry, mix well, cook for 2–3 minutes, then season with green onions, spices and then turn off the heat.

4. Pumpkin oat porridge

Pumpkin oat porridge is a vegan option when mothers need to change their baby's taste. The combination of these two foods makes a delicious, nutritious porridge that cannot be denied.

Especially oats are rich in fiber, and high in beta-gluten, a nutrient that plays a role in improving immunity and improving children's health. With pumpkin oatmeal porridge, mom will not worry about your child's loss of appetite or slow weight gain !

The ingredients need to be prepared

Thin-rolled oats: 40 grams

Pumpkin: 100 grams

Spices of all kinds

Doing

- Oats soaked with 100ml of water to expand.

- Pumpkin peeled, washed, sliced ​​and cooked with water until cooked. Put in a blender or use a sieve to puree.

- Similar to pumpkin, oats, after soaking, take out and cook with water. Then mix the pumpkin and oats mixture and cook for another 3–5 minutes.

- When the porridge is cooked, you draw it into a bowl, wait for the porridge to cool down, then add about 1 tablespoon of olive oil, mixing is done.

Things to note in how to cook pumpkin porridge for babies

When processing, to avoid loss of many nutrients, mothers should cook pumpkin right after slicing.

Cooked pumpkin should not be stored in the refrigerator (especially the freezer), because squash is easy to discolor, not safe for babies to use.

Avoid giving your baby pumpkins every day as this will lead to an excess of carotene. Expression is that the skin on the forehead, palms, feet ... will turn lemon yellow.

Be sure to remove the pumpkin seeds so that there is no problem of choking on the neck.

Hopefully, with the above suggestions on how to cook pumpkin porridge, you have more ideas about the baby's snack menu. In addition to pumpkin, you should practice for your baby to get acquainted with many different foods so that he or she will be fully nutritious!