You know fall is just around the corner and the holiday season is just around the corner when you see pumpkins at the grocery store, craft store, and gardening store. Pumpkins are used in a variety of ways, but did you know you can feed your baby pumpkin? This is just one of the great benefits of making baby food at home. You can easily buy the pumpkin leaves via kirifoods.co.uk/chilled-frozen-food/frozen-vegetables/frozen-ugu-leaves-500g.html.
Pumpkins are considered a fruit and belong to the gourd family, which includes cucumbers, melons, and squash. Everything that contains seeds is considered a fruit. Pumpkin leaves are a great source of vitamin A and beta-carotene and are rich in potassium. They are also low in fat, low in calories, and high in fibre. So pumpkin is a great choice for your baby!
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Make sure you go to town and get your baby pumpkin puree. Choose a small pumpkin for cooking. Smaller squash, about 4-8 pounds, are softer and have less fibre.
If you purchased a whole pumpkin, cut it and remove the seeds from the strings, cut into pieces, and roast (bake is best), steamed, basted or boiled. Like any fruit, the longer you cook a pumpkin, the more nutrients it loses. You should cook the pumpkin immediately after opening to avoid mold. Refrigerate and freeze/chill the pumpkin immediately after cooking.
You can always give your baby a pumpkin from 7 months of age. Feel free to mash it, add cinnamon and butter, or mix it with other foods like yogurt and granola.