I love making food for the baby that allows him to share in our family food fun and Holiday's are no different. A perfect example is Thanksgiving. There are so many good Holiday recipes that can be very simply converted to something that you can feed to the baby as well. We all know that the baby can share Sweet Potato and squash at you holiday meal, but have you thought about making a pumpkin dish for your baby?
Pumpkins are a very healthy food rich in beta-carotene, vitamin C, potassium and calcium and the season between Halloween and Thanksgiving when pumpkins are readily available is a perfect time to try them out.
Basic Veggie Puree - Pumpkin (Stage 1: Single puree):
What you need:
- Pumpkin (peeled and cut into cubes)
- Ground nutmeg (optional)
- Cinnamon (optional)
What to do:
- Put the pieces of pumpkin in the steamer (or roast in the oven)
- Cook until tender
- Place into you favorite pureeing devise
- Blend until it reaches the desired consistency for your little one
*If you have given your baby spices/seasonings and would like to add some nutmeg and cinnamon for an additional burst of flavor add a pich of one or both before pureeing.
**Mommy Tip**
To convert this to a side dish for your toddler or preschooler add a dash of nutmeg and cinnamon and combine with Super Easy Applesauce and some dried cranberries and you have a perfect side dish for children of all ages (and the whole family if desired).
Pumpkin and Parsnip puree (Stage 2 - Combo's):
Our Thanksgiving table typically includes both pumpkin (though usually only in the pie form) and parsnips. So this is a perfect holiday recipe to serve your baby so that he/she can share in the holiday fun. This should only be made for a baby who has tried one or both of the main ingedients (pumpkin and parsnips).
What you need:
- Pumpkin (peeled and cut into cubes)
- Parsnip (peeled and cut into cubes)
- Ground nutmeg (optional)
- Cinnamon (optional)
- 1 tsp chopped fresh chives
What to do:
- Put the pieces of pumpkin and parsnip in the steamer (or roast in the oven)
- Cook until tender
- Place into you favorite pureeing devise
- Blend until it reaches the desired consistency for your little one
*If you have given your baby spices/seasonings and would like to add any or all of the optional items above (nutmeg, cinnamon and chives) for an additional burst of flavor add a pich of one or both before pureeing.
Pumpkin and Rice (Stage 3 - Consistency Lovers):
This is a perfect pumpkin dish for your older baby who likes some consistency in the baby food. You will see that I suggest brown rice for this recipe. This is mainly because I try to use brown rice when cooking for the baby because of the added health benefits and I just think it has more flavor. Having said that please feel free to substitute white rice in this recipe.
What you need:
- Pumpkin (peeled and cut into cubes)
- Cooked Brown Rice
- Water or homemade chicken broth
- Ground nutmeg (optional)
- Cinnamon (optional)
What to do:
- Place the pumpkin in a saucepan and cover with water or homemade chicken broth
- Allow to simmer for about 20 minutes
- Add the cooked rice
- Add the optional nutmeg and/or cinnamon
- Cook for an additional 5-10 minutes (the rice is already cooked so you just need to heat through)
- Serve as is for you older baby who can eat food with some consistency, for a younger baby you can puree to the desired consistency
**Mommy Tip**
Serve to you older child by heating the pre-cooked rice on the side and just adding a touch of pumpkin to the rice for added flavor and a fun holiday twist on your normal rice side dish.
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