Why make homemade baby food, especially with Butternut Squash?
Store-bought baby food might be the easy thing on your mind since taking care of the baby is already a full-time job. You must take good care of the baby and make sure that you have fed them healthy meals. Honestly, there has always been a controversy that store-bought baby food may have been through lots of industrial processing that the natural nutrients and minerals are lost.
We personally think that being a mother may be hard but making baby food from starch ensure that the baby is eating fresh and food with essential minerals and nutrients that will help with growth and immunity. Honestly, the butternut squash is perfect for this purpose. It is easy to use and requires less time in the kitchen too.
Butternut squash is one of the best vegetables around the fall season, and it is often eaten as a dish side for holiday dinners by everyone. Even though it is eaten as a side vegetable, it has so much potential, both flavor and health-wise, for our little ones and us.
How can Roasted Butternut Squash be eaten by babies and toddlers?
We have always served the butternut squash as a puree to our kids; thinking of making a roasted butter squash might not be convincing. But the recipe we have is perfect because we are cooking and roasting the butternut squash to the point where it is soft yet has a bite to it. Therefore, roasting them to the temperature makes them soft enough for the children to eat or eat as a puree and for the mommy and daddy to have to with that delicious roast.
Butternut squash is a sweet and earthy flavor naturally, and roasting them brings out the savory notes. Moreover, we are using just olive oil and nothing more. Seriously, no extra ingredients, and we are cutting them in such fun shapes that your kids will never say no to them.
Health benefits of Butternut Squash for babies and toddlers
Butternut squash is a superfood for babies and toddlers. The vibrant yellowish-orange color is not just pleasing to the eyes but also packed with vitamins and minerals that their body needs for healthy and strong growth. Whether you have introduced Butternut squash to your baby as finger food or a baby-led weaning snack, it is perfect!
Butternut squash is full of Vitamin A and antioxidant beta-carotene that helps in making the immunity and eyesight strong. It also has omega-3 fatty acids and fiber that keep the digestive system strong. Moreover, potassium and vitamin C helps the body absorb iron from food.
One of the best times to introduce butternut squash as puree is when your baby is four months old, and by the time they are entering the teething phase, the butter squash is a finger food is a blessing. The texture is perfect for relieving the baby with the itchiness of the gums and helping your baby have enough vitamins and minerals to help with maintaining healthy during the teething. Be sure to remove the hard skin of the butternut squash and then cook it or puree it as you like.
How to select the best Butternut Squash for your baby?
The butternut squash that is perfect for babies must be soft for puree yet have a slight bite if they are eating them as finger food. We recommend looking for the exterior color and overall appearance, like how hard it is.
The best butternut squash, according to us, has to be smaller in size for babies and toddlers. If you are cooking for yourself or a holiday dinner, you are easily using the larger ones. The smaller butternut squash rips fast and has a soft texture that later avoids the choking hazards for the kids. Other than that, it must be orange in color and have hard skin without soft spots. Soft spots mean overripe; it may be ideal for puree but might not be enough for a finger snack.
Step-by-Step Instructions:
1. Peel the squash to remove the skin until you are only left with the bright, orange flesh.
2. Slice the butternut squash at the rim of the curve. Cut the solid top into 1/2-inch rounds. Remove the seeds from the center of the squash.
3. Using cookie cutters or your knife get creative with different shapes and figures. The possibilities are endless!
4. Add to a bowl and toss with olive oil. Arrange on a baking sheet and bake, adding optional spices as desired.
5. Bake 375 degrees F until flesh is soft when poked with a fork.
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