Do you know How to Make Green Bean Baby Food? It’s a question we always get, and for a good reason: green beans are easily one of the most nutritious foods for babies. Not only are they inexpensive, but they’re also easy to cook and easy to mash once cooked!
In this blog post, we’ll teach you how to make green bean baby food—and much more. Welcome! Let’s get started.
What are Green Beans?
Green beans are a type of “bean” in the legume family. They’re named for the green colour that develops when picked fresh from the plant. But it’s not evident from the outside that green beans have any nutritional value. There are many different types of beans, which vary in taste and nutritional content.
But that aside, green beans are very nutritious. Because they’re a low-calorie and high-fibre food, they’re great for parents trying to ensure their baby’s nutrition.
Green beans are also an excellent source of vitamins A and K, manganese, and dietary fibre. The carotenoids in these vegetables, such as lutein and zeaxanthin, help support healthy vision in babies.
How to Choose Green Beans?
There are different ways babies can enjoy green beans: you can steam or boil the veggies and then mash them, blend them, or puree them. If the baby is already eating finger foods, you can try slicing or chopping the green beans into small pieces that are easy for the baby to grasp.
Alternatively, you can cut the ends off a whole bean and serve it as is. You’ll want to test the green beans for firmness before serving them to your baby.
How to Make Green Bean Baby Food?
Making green beans for a baby is easy, but the best way to do it depends on your baby’s age, size, and eating habits. To make fresh green beans, you can either steam or boil them first in a small amount of water.
To preserve the nutritional content of the green beans as much as possible, avoid adding salt while steaming or boiling them.
Ingredients:
- 1 pound (or 2/3 lb) tender green beans, washed and trimmed*
- 1/4 cup water
Directions:
- Prepare the green beans by trimming them and washing them. Note that if you are using frozen green beans, it may be necessary to thaw them first.
- Put 1/4 cup water in a pan over medium heat and bring to a boil.
- Add the green beans and cover with a lid.
- Cook for 5 to 8 minutes until the green beans are tender but not mushy.
- 8. Drain the water from the beans in a colander and let them cool; then mash with a fork or blend to your desired consistency for baby’s meals.
Tips:
- Before freezing, add some water to the green beans so they don’t turn dry and hard after being frozen.
- If you want to increase the green beans’ nutritional content, add some fresh or frozen green peas. Steam the peas for about 5 minutes until soft but firm. Then add the peas to your mash along with the beans. Or, you can add peas to your baby’s green bean meal after it’s already been mashed or pureed.
- Although green beans are already a great source of vitamin K, adding some spinach or kale will increase the vitamin K content even more. Steam these greens for 5 to 8 minutes until soft but firm enough for the baby to chew. Then add them to your baby’s green bean mash or puree.
Storing and Serving Green Bean Baby Food
1. Serving the green beans to the baby:
If your baby is still eating purees, you’ll want to warm up the green bean puree slightly before serving. Put the puree in a bowl, microwave it for a few seconds, or heat it on the stovetop over medium heat.
2. Serving options:
Babies often start eating food independently by picking it up with their fingers and sucking off bits of food as they go. If your baby is old enough, you can make the green beans into finger foods.
Cut each green bean in half lengthwise and slice each half into four pieces so that they look like little fingers. Alternatively, if you’d like to avoid cutting the green bean fingers, you can use a knife to cut a slit across each piece of green beans.
This will allow you to peel them open for the baby to eat. Of course, you’ll want to provide a bowl of water for the baby, or he may wind up with green fingers and a mouthful of green beans!
3. Storing the green beans:
You can refrigerate your homemade green bean puree in an airtight container for up to three days. You can also freeze it in small freezer bags or containers and keep it in the freezer for up to 3 months if desired.
Tips and Tricks for Making Green Bean Baby Food
- Remember to always wash your hands before handling food. This will help avoid passing any germs on to your baby, who is still very young and developing his immune system.
- If you’re using frozen green beans, ensure they’re fully thawed before putting them in the steamer. You may also want to squeeze a little bit of lemon juice on your beans after they’re cooked if you plan on freezing them—this will keep them from turning a dull colour after being frozen for an extended period.
- Start by spoon-feeding your baby the moment he shows interest in eating food. This should help him develop good eating habits from the start.
- If you’re making green beans for a baby who isn’t yet sitting up, you may choose to cook them beforehand and then warm them up in the microwave before serving. This will help them keep their shape, retain their nutritional content, and make it easier for family members to mash or puree them.
Conclusion
Green beans are a great addition to any baby’s diet. They’re nutritious and delicious, and easy to cook—but there are a few things you should keep in mind while preparing them. If you plan on freezing your green beans, squeeze some lemon juice on them after they’ve been cooked.
This will help slow their discolouration after being frozen for an extended period. Also, if you’re making green beans for a baby just starting to eat finger foods, you may want to slice them in half lengthwise and then slice each half into four pieces to look like little fingers.
This will make them easier for the baby to grasp and eat. Lastly, don’t forget that green beans are grown in soil enriched with cow manure. If your baby is allergic to cow’s milk, he may also have an allergy to green beans. Fortunately, this is not common.