Beetroot Puree - A Simple Recipe for Your Weaning Baby

 

Beetroot puree - a simple recipe for your weaning baby

Beetroot is a vibrant, deep-red vegetable that's as nutritious as it is naturally sweet — making it a wonderful first food for your baby. It's packed with fibre, iron, calcium, potassium, and vitamin C, all of which support your little one's growth and development. Beetroot also helps improve blood circulation, which is great for your baby's developing brain and body. Read on for some simple beetroot puree recipes to get you started.

Beetroot puree recipe

This basic beetroot puree is a great first food to introduce from around six months. It's simple to make and has a naturally sweet flavour most babies enjoy.
  1. Peel one fresh beetroot and cut it into small chunks. Always remove the skin before cooking — it can be hard for little tummies to digest.
  2. Steam the beetroot chunks for around 10 minutes, or until they are completely soft. If you don't have a steamer, place the chunks in a metal sieve or colander over a pan of boiling water and cover with a lid.
  3. Transfer the soft beetroot to a blender, add a small splash of water, and blitz until completely smooth.
Tip: If your baby is ready for more texture, you can mash the steamed beetroot with a fork instead of blending — it's a great next step as they progress through weaning.

Combine with other ingredients

Once your baby has tried plain beetroot and had no adverse reactions, it's a great time to start mixing it with other foods. Because beetroot is naturally sweet, it pairs beautifully with fruits like apples and plums. You can also try blending it with potato or carrot for a more savoury, filling meal. Here are two easy combination recipes to try next.

Apple and beetroot puree

The natural sweetness of apple balances perfectly with earthy beetroot — a combo that tends to go down a treat with little ones.

Ingredients

– 2 apples, peeled, cored and cut into chunks
– 1 beetroot, peeled and cut into chunks
– A small amount of your baby's usual milk (breast or formula) or water

Method

  1. Steam the beetroot chunks for about 15 minutes until beginning to soften.
  2. Add the apple chunks to the steamer and cook together for a further 8 minutes, until both are completely soft.
  3. Transfer everything to a blender and blitz, adding a little of your baby's milk or water until you reach a smooth, spoonable consistency.
Storage tip: Spoon any leftover puree into an ice cube tray and freeze. You can pop out individual cubes as needed — just defrost thoroughly before serving.

Plum and beetroot puree

Sweet, slightly tart plum is a brilliant match for beetroot, and the deep purple colour makes it a visually fun meal for curious babies.

Ingredients

– 2 beetroots, peeled and cut into 1cm chunks
– 2 red plums, halved and stones removed

Method

  1. Place the beetroot and plum halves into a small saucepan and pour in just enough water to cover them.
  2. Bring to the boil over a high heat, then reduce to a low simmer, cover the pan, and leave to cook for 10–15 minutes until the beetroot is very soft.
  3. Drain the excess liquid and blend everything together until smooth. Add a little of the cooking water if you need to loosen the consistency.

Will it affect my baby's nappies?

If you open your baby's nappy after a beetroot meal and notice the contents look red or pink, there's no need to panic — this is completely normal. Beetroot contains natural pigments that pass through the digestive system, which can give both wee and poo a reddish tinge.
Your baby's digestive system is still young and maturing, so it's quite common for food to appear relatively unchanged in their nappy. You might also spot small flecks or chunks of food if you're doing baby-led weaning.
This is all a perfectly normal part of your little one's development — their gut will get stronger and more efficient as they grow and experience more foods.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

15 Simple Homemade Baby Food Recipes for Beginners

Sleep Training for Babies: When & How to Start

Beetroot for Babies: Health Benefits, Recipes & Precautions