As your baby begins to try foods for the first time, it is important that he or she eat foods that are rich in iron and zinc. Broccoli is full of iron and other important nutrients that are essential for baby’s growing body and brain. And it is easy to make!
Here are steps to cook broccoli for your baby:
Step 1: Cut and wash your broccoli
If you’re using frozen broccoli, you can skip this step. But if you’re using fresh broccoli, remove the stalks and rinse with water.
Step 2: Boil the broccoli
Place the broccoli into a medium pot, cover with water and bring water to a boil. Reduce heat until the broccoli is soft (about 15 minutes). Drain and let cool. As a tip, to speed up the cooling process you can rinse the broccoli with cold water.
Step 3: Puree or Serve as a Finger Food
For a smoother texture, you can puree the broccoli in a blender. Add water, breast milk or infant formula and blend until it is smooth. If your baby is already enjoying soft finger foods, you can simply offer him or her bite-sized pieces of broccoli.
That’s it! Enjoy! And remember, talk to your child’s pediatrician or health care provider about any questions or concerns.
To learn more, check out these additional resources related to this topic:
- More bite-sized videos about introducing first foods – 1,000 Days
- Foods and Drinks for 6 to 24 month olds – Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
- Information about Iron – Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
- Starting Solid Foods– American Academy of Pediatrics’ Healthy Children