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Baby Food Recipes: Beets and Beet Greens

Instead of buying baby food for my daughter, I make my own at home with fresh fruits and vegetables. One of the most recent baby foods that I whipped up was beets with beet greens. My daughter loves the sweet taste of the beets. I love that beets and beet greens are super healthy for her growing body.

Beets are very low in saturated fat and cholesterol. Although fairly high in sugar, beets are also high in vitamin C, iron, magnesium, dietary fiber, folic acid, potassium, and manganese. Beet greens are also low in saturated fat and cholesterol. Although fairly high in sodium, beet greens are also a good source of protein, folate, pantothenic acid, phosphorus, and zinc and a very good source of dietary fiber, vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin E, vitamin K, thiamin, riboflavin, vitamin B6, calcium, iron, magnesium, potassium, copper, and manganese. The strong sweet flavor of the beets overpowers any leafy green taste from the beet leaves, so even the pickiest of eaters should like a mixture of beets and beet greens.

To make beets with beet greens baby food, begin by thoroughly washing the beets and the leaves of the beets. Then cut the greens off of the beets. Tear or cut the leaves into smaller pieces. Place the greens in a microwave safe bowl with a little bit of water. Cook the greens in the microwave for about ten minutes or under the leaves become tender. Allow the cooked beet greens to cool slightly.

Unwashed Beets in Kitchen Sink Washed Beet Greens

Cooked Beet Greens Pureed Cooked Beet Greens

While the beet greens are cooking, wash and peel the beets. Cut off the tops and bottoms as well. Then chop the beets into small pieces. Place the pieces of chop beets into a microwave safe bowl with a little bit of water. Microwave the beets for about ten minutes. (Keep a close eye on the beets. Otherwise, you might have a bit of an explosion of beet juice in your microwave that resembles my little mishap.)

Washed and Peeled Red Beets Sliced Red Beets

Exploded Beet Juice in Microwave Pureeing the Beets with the Beet Greens

As the beets cook and then cool slightly, place the cooked greens in a food processor or blender with any leftover water from cooking. Add as much more water as needed to make the food processor work correctly. Blend the cooked beet greens. Then add the cooked beets and resulting beet juice to the pureed greens. Blend until the consistency that your baby likes. Finally, spoon the beet with beet green baby food into ice cube trays or freezer safe containers. You can then thaw out your homemade baby food as you need.

Beets and Beet Greens Baby Food Cubes

Does your baby like beets? Did you realize that beets and beet greens were so healthy?

Image Credits

Unwashed Beets in Kitchen Sink © 2013 Heather Johnson
Washed Beet Greens © 2013 Heather Johnson
Cooked Beet Greens © 2013 Heather Johnson
Pureed Cooked Beet Greens © 2013 Heather Johnson
Washed and Peeled Red Beets © 2013 Heather Johnson
Sliced Red Beets © 2013 Heather Johnson
Exploded Beet Juice in Microwave © 2013 Heather Johnson
Pureeing the Beets with the Beet Greens © 2013 Heather Johnson
Beets and Beet Greens Baby Food Cubes © 2013 Heather Johnson

Third Person Singular Simple Present Verbs

Third Person Singular Simple Present Verbs

The Simple Present of English Verbs

The Simple Present of English Verbs