Baby and toddler recipes

🥦 Steamed broccoli trees with olive oil

Name: Steamed broccoli trees with olive oil
Prep time: 3 min
Cook time: 7 min
Total time: 10 min
Yield: about 6 florets
Ingredients: 6 large florets Broccoli; a few drops Olive oil

Broccoli florets steamed until tender, with the stalk as a ready-made handle for tiny hands. Broccoli brings vitamin C, folate and fibre, and holding it helps baby explore green flavours at their own pace.

From 6 monthsPrep 3 minCook 7 minFreezes wellNone of the 14 major allergens

Makes about 6 florets

Ingredients

6 large florets Broccoli (with a long stalk left on)
a few drops Olive oil

Method

Cut florets so each one has a long stalk to use as a handle.
Steam for 5 to 7 minutes until the stalk is soft but the floret still holds its shape.
Drizzle with a few drops of olive oil for extra energy and flavour.
Cool to warm. Test a piece before serving: it should squash easily between your thumb and finger.

Serving it to your baby

At 6 months baby holds the stalk and munches the bushy top. If bits come away in baby's mouth, that is fine and good practice. From 9 months offer smaller florets. Always stay with baby while they eat and keep them sitting upright.

For the rest of the family

Toss the family's broccoli with lemon zest, garlic and grated parmesan, and season adult portions.

Storing and reheating

Cool, then keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days. Freeze on a lined tray, then bag up, for up to 3 months. Reheat in the oven until hot through, then cool before serving. Never reheat more than once.

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Questions parents ask

Can babies have broccoli as a first finger food?

Yes. Soft steamed broccoli florets are one of the best first finger foods because the stalk is easy to grip from around 6 months.

My baby only sucks the broccoli. Is that OK?

Yes. Sucking, licking and gumming are all part of learning. Early on, much of the value is getting used to taste and texture rather than eating a lot.

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).