Although she is almost nineteen months old, my toddler daughter still loves the baby food that I lovingly prepare for her. I like that I can ensure that she eats a well-balanced diet full of vegetables and fruit. She loves the taste and the texture. She does eat unmashed foods, but she still loves her homemade baby food. One of the most recent baby foods that I cooked for her was zucchini with sugar snap peas.
Sugar snap peas are very low in saturated fat, cholesterol, and sodium. Although fairly high in natural sugars, peas are a good source of riboflavin, vitamin B6, pantothenic acid, magnesium, phosphorus, and potassium and a very good source of dietary fiber, vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin K, thiamin, folate, iron, and manganese. Zucchini is also low in saturated fat and sodium and very low in cholesterol. Although also fairly high in natural sugars, zucchini is a good source of protein, vitamin A, thiamin, niacin, phosphorus, and copper and a very good source of dietary fiber, vitamin C, vitamin K, riboflavin, vitamin B6, folate, magnesium, potassium, and manganese.
To make the zucchini and sugar snap pea baby food, I started with some fresh veggies that I had picked up from my local grocery store. I washed both vegetables. Then I chopped but did not peel the zucchini. The bright green skin of a zucchini is incredibly nutritious, containing the highest levels of beta carotene, folic acid, vitamin C, vitamin A, vitamin E, potassium, iron, calcium, magnesium, phosphate, and zinc of the entire vegetable. I then put both the zucchini slices and the sugar snap peas in a microwave safe bowl with a little extra water for cooking.
After cooking the vegetables in the microwave for about fifteen minutes, I let the concoction cool slightly. I then spoon the cook zucchini and peas into my baby food processor with just a little extra leftover water from the bowl. I then mashed the mixture into a thick, textured baby food. For younger babies, simply add more water for a thinner puree. Once the vegetables were mashed, I spooned the baby food into ice cube trays for easier freezing. I finally moved the frozen cubes into a freezer bag for easier storage. As my daughter needs food, I simply thaw a few cubes in the refrigerator or microwave. My daughter thoroughly enjoys her zucchini and sugar snap pea baby food.
Do your children like zucchini and sugar snap peas, either mixed or separately?
Image Credits
Sugar Snap Peas and Zucchini © 2013 Heather Johnson
Washing the Sugar Snap Peas © 2013 Heather Johnson
Washing the Zucchini © 2013 Heather Johnson
Uncooked Sugar Snap Peas and Zucchini Slices © 2013 Heather Johnson
Cooked Sugar Snap Peas and Zucchini Slices © 2013 Heather Johnson
Mashing the Zucchini and Sugar Snap Peas © 2013 Heather Johnson
Zucchini and Sugar Snap Pea Baby Food Cubes © 2013 Heather Johnson