Baby and toddler recipes
🌿 Green lentil and spinach iron purée
A vegan, iron-rich purée of green lentils, spinach and carrot with a squeeze of orange. Pairing plant iron with vitamin C helps baby's body absorb more of it.
Makes about 10 ice cube portions
Ingredients
- 50g Green lentils (rinsed)
- 1 medium Carrot (peeled and diced)
- a large handful Spinach
- 1 tbsp juice Orange (freshly squeezed)
- 1 tsp Olive oil
- 400ml water
Method
- Simmer the lentils and carrot in the water for 25 to 30 minutes until the lentils are completely soft.
- Add the spinach for the last 2 minutes.
- Blend until smooth, adding the olive oil and orange juice.
- Cool to warm before serving.
Serving it to your baby
Lentil purées thicken as they cool, so loosen with water as needed. From 7 months blend less. Useful for vegan and vegetarian babies, who need plenty of iron-rich plant foods.
For the rest of the family
Stir through extra lentils and roasted veg, then season with cumin, salt and lemon for an adult lunch bowl.
Storing and reheating
Cool quickly (within an hour), then keep in a covered container in the fridge for up to 2 days, or freeze in ice cube trays for up to 3 months. Defrost in the fridge overnight, reheat until steaming hot all the way through, stir, then cool to warm before serving. Never reheat more than once.
Weaning with OBubba
Plan meals and log what your baby loved.
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Questions parents ask
Are lentils hard for babies to digest?
Lentils are fibre rich, so some babies get more wind at first. Start with small amounts and build up.
Is orange juice OK for babies?
A little juice used in cooking to add vitamin C is fine. Juice is not needed as a drink for babies.
OBubba gives general information based on UK guidance. It is not medical advice and does not diagnose anything. Every baby is different. If your baby has a known allergy, severe eczema or a medical condition, speak to your doctor or health visitor before starting solids. Learn baby first aid, and in an emergency call your local emergency number (999 in the UK).