The NHS says that when babies reach 6 months they are ready to start eating solids. Weaning toddlers and older kids love mashed potato! Mashed potato also provides the perfect opportunity to disguise healthy veggies that they might otherwise turn their noses up at. Annabel Karmel's cauliflower and broccoli puree is a sneaky way to get some of their five-a-day onto your child's plate, and it doesn't even contain potato! Specially made for weaning babies though, Annabel's recipe incorporates breast milk for nutritious and creamy results. This is definitely a cauliflower and broccoli puree baby will love.
Why broccoli and caulifloweer puree beats mashed potato
There are loads of reasons why you should go for a veggie puree like broccoli puree for baby or cauliflower puree for baby over plain old mashed potato.
Here are some wins:
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Veggies are tastier than potatoes – they have more flavour and texture
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Broccoli and cauliflower have fewer calories than potatoes
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They are also rich in vitamins and minerals
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Did you know broccoli & cauliflower help to detox the liver?
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They make a yummy dip for broccoli as a finger food
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It's easy to disguise vegetables as a puree and trick little ones into eating their veg
How to serve broccoli to baby
There are a few fun ways to serve broccoli to your weaning baby.
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Use the recipe below to make a smooth broccoli puree baby will love
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Make a chunky broccoli baby food by pulsing your blender or adding chopped broccoli back in
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Give them broccoli florets to hold or dip into broccoli or veggie puree – great for baby-led weaning
Broccoli is one of the best first foods for baby-led weaning. It's a cheap ,easy-to-find superfood bursting with flavour and nutrition. The florets are easy to hold and depending on how much you cook them can be firm or mushy. Don't forget it's easy to feed cauliflower in exactly the same ways as broccoli. We have loads more baby-led weaning recipes, tips and ideas
How to make broccoli and cauliflower puree
We know making vegetable puree isn't exactly rocket science, but you're here for Annabel's recipe, and here it is. You can also learn how to make broccoli puree for baby and how to make cauliflower puree too, simply by leaving out one or the other of the vegetables from the recipe – but we recommend adding both and even other veggies to improve flavour, sweetness and health benefits.
Preparation Time
10 minutes
Serves
4
Ingredients
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50g broccoli, washed and cut into small florets
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50g cauliflower, washed and cut into small florets
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A little breast or formula milk
Method
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Put the broccoli and cauliflower into a steamer and cook for about 10 minutes, until tender.
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Puree until smooth, adding a little water from the steamer or some of your baby’s usual milk to make the desired consistency.
Tips
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Broccoli and cauliflower taste even better when mixed with a root vegetable puree
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Go for a sweet one like carrot or sweet potato, your little one will love it!
Recipe taken from the 25th Anniversary Edition of Annabel’s New Complete Baby & Toddler Meal Planner (Ebury, £14.99). Filled with timeless classics and brand new recipes, visit www.annabelkarmel.com for more information.
Meet the expert
Mother of three from London, Annabel Karmel is recognised as one of the UK’s leading female entrepreneurs after receiving an MBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours for her outstanding work in the field of children’s food. She is the UK’s No.1 children’s cookery author, best-selling international author, and feeding expert with around 50 cookbooks. FInd hundreds of children's recipes, feeding ideas and food inspiration on Annabel Karmel's website. She's on a mission to raise the standards of children’s diets and help millions of families worldwide.
Proud aunt to her teen niece, Zara Mohammed is a Digital Writer for Mother&Baby. She has 10 years freelance writing experience creating lifestyle content for various platforms, including pregnancy, women’s health, parenting, child development and child mental health, plus lots of fun seasonal family articles and celebrity news.