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Although it is recommended that babies are breastfed exclusively until they turn six months old, it could benefit to introduce vegetables into your kid’s diet, little by little
The best way to introduce vegetables is to start with vegetable soups. From clearing up a blocked nose and serving as appetisers to tantalising the taste buds, soups provide a host of benefits. The water content in the soup compensates for the liquid intake needed by your child’s body. The mashed and pureed consistency of the vegetables in the soup aids in easy consumption and facilitates digestion. If your baby is suffering from cold and cough, then make sure you offer them a warm bowl of soup with vegetables rich in nutrients to fight the infection.
Contrary to the common myth that only non-vegetarians could benefit from soups, vegetarians also have a wide variety and array of options to make soups and feed their child. Read on to find out the benefits of a soup diet for your baby and the different options you have to make some tasty and delicious soups for your little one.
Benefits of Including Vegetable Soup in Your Child’s Diet
Soups are great food, not just for adults but for babies too. In fact, they are the best food for picky eaters and can be served as appetisers to build up hunger and have a wholesome and substantial meal. Soups have a lot of benefits when prepared fresh and had in the right way.
1. Striking the Vegetable Intake Rate
A big struggle to meet the daily requirements of vegetables, parents could opt to serve vegetable and legume soup to kids. Sneak in the vegetables that your child dislikes in pureed form, along with large quantities of the vegetable he loves to mask the flavour and make him eat the same. It may sound like a shortcut method, but it will eventually work in the long run with your child getting used to the taste and slowly adjusting to it.
2. Hydrating Effect
Be it watery and thin or thick and creamy in consistency, soups are a great way to hydrate the body. Soup compensates for the liquid intake your child needs if he does not drink enough water during the day.
3. Storehouse of Nutrition
Soups made of vegetables, pulses, rice or legumes are enriched with nothing but minerals, calcium, proteins, and carbohydrates required for healthy growth. When we cook vegetables for a curry or gravy, we discard the fluid, thereby, discarding the water-soluble nutrients. But in the case of soups, the nutrients make their way directly to the tummy, owing to its runny consistency.
4. Comfort Food
Soups are best for winters when you want to beat the cold with something to warm up your child’s baby and build his immunity during flu season. Some nutrients present in the food are absorbed best when had warm, and soups make the best choice to consume it.
5. Medicinal Value
A warm bowl of soup is best when your sick child is having difficulty swallowing solid food. Soups provide relief from cold, coughs, chest congestion and fever. Soups spiced with garlic, peppers and turmeric help in treating cough and even digestive disorders. Tomato soup flavoured with basil helps in treating cold and cough.
6. The Solution to Weight Gain
Thick, creamy buttery soups are a great way to help kids increase weight. Soups made of rice, lentils or noodles can be served as a mid-morning snack or in the evening to increase the intake of calories and nutrients. It can also be served as a side dish to main meals.
7. Simple to Consume
If your baby has not yet mastered the art of chewing food or does not have their set of teeth fully developed, then soups are the best way to flush down vegetables into their tummy. It requires no chewing and pureed forms are best for small babies.
Why Homemade Vegetable Soups Are Best for Babies
Instant soups are readily available and easy to serve, but definitely not the healthiest option. A quick glance at the contents of these packaged foods will reveal the number of artificial flavours and ingredients it is loaded with. In addition, they are stuffed with salt, thickening agents, corn-starch and preservatives. So, in a nutshell, they offer no nutrition and are not a good choice at all. So, how to prepare vegetable soup for babies that are healthy and nutritious? Home-made soups made from freshly sourced vegetables, cooked in the hygienic confines of your home with zero chemicals and less salt are the best option you can give your kids.
8 Veg Soup Recipes for Infants
Are you looking at how to make veg soup for babies? Well, look no further. Here is a compilation of some lovely vegetarian options of soups for a generous amount of nutrition and energy all packed in the warmth of a bowl of soup. Just the right recipe you need to comfort your little one’s soul.
1. Spinach Soup
Spinach is a green leafy vegetable packed with vitamins and minerals and is an absolute essential to include in your baby’s diet.
Ingredients
- 1 cup of chopped spinach leaves
- Salt to taste
- 1 tbsp of cheese
- A handful of boiled potatoes and corn kernels (optional)
How to Make
- Boil spinach leaves with a bit of salt.
- Let them cool, and puree them in a blender.
- Warm up the puree before serving.
- You could make a variation by adding potatoes, lentils, corn kernels and cheese to hide the bland taste of spinach.
This soup can be served to babies from above 6 months of age.
2. Mixed Vegetable Soup
Mixed vegetable soup for babies is the perfect solution for those picky eaters who fuss over the sight of vegetables. Just make sure you have fed your child these vegetables individually in the past to ensure he is not allergic to any of them.
Ingredients
- 1-2 cups of chopped vegetables (carrot, peas, potatoes, spinach, corn, tomatoes)
- Salt to taste
- A dash of pepper for taste (optional)
How to Make
- Boil the vegetables well in a pressure cooker.
- Puree them, once cooled, into a thick consistency.
- Add salt to taste
3. Lentil Soup
A popular dish served to every infant in India, lentil soup or ‘dal-paani” is rich in proteins and iron. Lentils are a good source of carbohydrates and keep the tummy full for a longer time. This soup can be served from the age of 6 months and is a great first food for babies.
Ingredients
- 1/2-1 cup of lentils
- Salt to taste
- 1 tsp ghee ( optional)
How to Make
- Boil the lentils in a pressure cooker and add salt to taste
- Serve it with a tablespoon of ghee for a unique taste and good digestion.
4. Tomato Soup
Tomato soup is rich in lycopene and has antioxidants to enhance the glow of your baby’s skin. Tomato soup can be introduced from 8 months onwards
Ingredients
- 1-3 medium-sized tomatoes
- Salt to taste
- A dash of pepper
- A tsp of butter
How to Make
- Boil the tomatoes, peel off the skin once cooled, de-seed them and puree it to a soup consistency.
- Serve it with salt and a little pepper for a tangy taste.
- Top it with butter for a creamy texture.
5. Beetroot Carrot Soup
This soup is rich in beta-carotene, folate, iron, magnesium and other nutrients and is beneficial for babies who are anaemic or have low haemoglobin levels.
Ingredients
- 1-3 medium-sized carrots and beetroots
- Salt to taste
- A dash of pepper
How to Make
- Chop carrots and beetroots and cook them well to a mashing consistency. Puree it to a soup consistency.
- Serve it with salt and a little pepper for a tangy taste.
6. Chickpea and Spinach Soup
A powerful combination of nutrients and protein, this soup is rich in antioxidants, improves iron levels, promotes bone growth and also increases blood circulation.
Ingredients
- 1-2 tbsp of chickpeas soaked overnight
- 1 cup of spinach leaves chopped finely
- Salt
How to Make
- Boil the spinach separately and puree it.
- Cook the chickpeas in a pressure cooker to a mashing consistency.
- Combine the spinach and chickpeas and add some salt to taste
This is soup is ideal for babies over 10 months and you could leave small chunks of chickpeas for your toddler to chew and use their newly formed incisors.
7. Vegetable Clear Soup
Veg Clear Soup for babies is another saviour for parents whose kids hate eating vegetables.
Ingredients
- 1-2 cup of cauliflower, carrots, and broccoli for vegetable stock
- Small potatoes, peas and beans for the vegetable chunks
- Coriander for taste
- Salt
How to Make
- Boil the cauliflower, carrots and broccoli, all rich in Vitamin K, in water and drain the water.
- Boil chunks of peas, beans and potatoes to a chewable consistency and add to the stock.
- Add salt and garnish with coriander
Peas, beans and potatoes rich in protein and carbohydrates can be added as vegetable chunks for kids to chew. You can add coriander to help improve vision and aid digestion. For kids under one year, all these vegetables could be boiled and pureed. This soup involves adding cornflour to get the thick consistency but you can omit it if you wish.
8. Rice, Lentil and Vegetable Soup
This soup combines rice, lentils and vegetables to serve the appropriate portion of carbohydrates, proteins, vitamins and minerals.
Ingredients
- ½ cup rice
- ½ cup lentils
- ¼ cup chopped vegetables (carrots, potatoes, peas, beans and cauliflower)
How to Make
- Toss the rice, lentils and vegetables in a pressure cooker until it cooks well.
- On cooling, mash it nicely and add salt.
- Reheat it when serving.
- Add a generous amount of ghee for taste.
These can be served to babies after 6 months of age. It is considered to be a wholesome meal and mothers can include different vegetables on a daily basis to introduce variety. The only thing to take care of is not to overdo it. Soups are definitely good to include in a child’s diet but they shouldn’t be the only component in their diet. Soups should never substitute solid food.
