iron richmeals for babies and toddlers

8/13/2019 Iron Richmeals for Babies and Toddlers

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Easy Iron-rich Meals forBabies and Toddlers


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Recipes suitable from 6 monthsYoung babies and toddlers needplenty of iron in their diets toensure healthy mental and physical

development. In fact, babies aged7-12 months need more iron thana grown man! Here are somegreat iron-rich recipes for thewhole family to enjoy and to helpencourage your baby or toddler toeat lean beef and lamb both aregreat sources of iron our bodies canuse easily.

Knobbly mince1 small carrot, peeled and grated kumara, peeled and grated1 tsp oil100g lean beef or lamb mince cup beef or vegetable stock or

use tsp stock powder to cupwater

1Tbsp tomato pure*

1. Microwave or boil carrot andkumara in a little water until soft.2. Heat oil in frying pan, add mince

and stir well breaking up with theback of a spoon as it cooks until itforms small pieces about the size ofa pea.3. Add carrot, kumara and stock.Cover and simmer until the meatand vegetables are tender, about 10minutes.

Babies 6-7 monthsPure the meat and vegetablemixture in a food processor or babymouli. Mix with a little of babys milkif necessary to achieve a smoothconsistency your baby can swallow.

Parents and babies from 8 months*Add 1 Tbsp of tomato pure whenadding vegetables.


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Casserole Lamb1 tsp oil500g lean diced lamb1 cups beef or vegetable stock or

use tsp stock powder to 1cups water

cup cauliower, diced1 small potato, peeled and diced cup frozen peas

1. Heat the oil and brown the lamb.Add the stock, cover and simmerfor 30 minutes. Simmer gently,as boiling will cause the meat tobecome tough.2. Add the potatoes and cook afurther 30 minutes before addingthe cauliower. Cook only until thevegetables are tender.3. Add the peas and heat through. Total cooking time should be about1 hours.

Babies 6-7 monthsPure the meat and vegetablemixture in a food processor or baby

mouli. Mix with a little of babys milkif necessary to achieve a smoothconsistency your baby can swallow.

Babies 8-9 monrhsServe as cooked, chopping up thelarge pieces of meat and mashingvegetables roughly with a fork.

Older children and parentsCook the lamb with a diced onionwhen browning lamb. Add 1 tsp ofcurry and 2 Tbsp sultanas to the stock.

Tip: It is practical to freeze meat andvegetable pures in an ice cube tray.When solid, transfer to a plastic bag,seal and return to the freezer.


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Lambs Liver &

VegetablesA small spoonful of cooked andpured lambs liver added to sievedor mashed vegetables gives anexcellent iron boost.

150g lambs liver, sliced carrot, peeled and diced

courgette, diced or cup frozenpeas1 kumara (or potato or pumpkin),

peeled and diced

1. To prepare the liver, peel awaythe ne covering of the skin anddiscard any tough tubular bits.

2. Cut into several slices about 1cmthick and gently pan fry for 5-8minutes.3. Cook the vegetables in about cup of water until soft. Drain thevegetables, keeping the cookingwater.4. Mix the drained vegetables withthe liver and serve as appropriate,

either pured or diced.

Babies 6-7 monthsPure the liver and vegetables withthe vegetable cooking liquid. Ifnecessary, pass through a sieve.

Babies 8-9 monthsServe as cooked, or with the liver dicedto give different textures.

Tip: When rst introducing liver toyour baby, keep a piece in the freezerand simply grate off the amount

required each time. Add the frozenshavings to simmering, almostcooked vegetables then mash orpure the vegetable/liver mix.

Avoid giving your baby more thanthree teaspoons (15 grams) of livera week. While liver is an excellent

source of iron, it is also rich invitamin A. Vitamin A is importantfor health but too much can beharmful.


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Shepherds Pie1 Tbsp oil500g lean beef or lamb mince420g jar pasta sauce*1 stalk celery, nely chopped6 button mushrooms, sliced1 carrot, peeled and nely chopped1 courgette and/or other seasonal

green vegetables, nely chopped2 cups mashed potato or cooked

pasta

1. Brown mince in the oil in a hotpan, breaking the mince up intosmall pieces with the back of aspoon. This is best done in twobatches.2. Stir in pasta sauce andvegetables except the potato.

3. Cover and simmer gently for 15minutes.4. Spoon mixture into a pie dish

Babies 6-7 months*At this age, leave out the pasta sauce.

Pure the meat and vegetablemixture in a food processor or babymouli. Mix with a little of babys milkif necessary to achieve a smooth

consistency your baby can swallow.

Babies 8-9 monthsServe the layers separately so babycan experience different tastes andtextures.

Older children and parentsAdd garlic, Worcestershire sauceor vegetable stock for additionalavours.

and top with mashed potato.5. Bake at 180C for about 15minutes or until top is golden.


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Meaty Hot Pot500g diced beef or lamb casserole

meat such as beef chuck, bladesteak or boneless lamb

420g can baked beans small swede (or kumara), peeled

and cubed2 carrots, peeled and chopped1 onion, peeled and chopped2 Tbsp tomato pure*

1 cups water2 large potatoes, peeled and thinlysliced

1 tsp oil

1. In a large casserole dish, mixtogether the meat, beans, swede orkumara, carrots, onion and tomatopure.2. Stir the water into the casserolemix.

3. Cover and cook at 180C for hour.4. Remove the casserole from the

oven and top with sliced potatoes,brushed with oil.5. Return to the oven, uncoveredfor 1 hour. Serve with seasonalvegetables.

Babies 6-7 months*At this age, leave out the tomatopure.

Pure the meat mixture or mash witha fork and serve with mashed potatoslices and mashed vegetables.

Babies 8-9 monthsChop up the large pieces of meat andmash the vegetables roughly with afork.


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Mustard Roast

Beef 600-800g piece of lean beef sirloin,topside, bolar or chuck

2 Tbsp mild prepared mustard2 Tbsp oil4 medium potatoes or kumara,

peeled and quartered4 carrots, peeled and cut into

chunks2 parsnips or swede, peeled and cutinto chunks

2 leeks or other seasonal vegetables,cut into chunks

1. Place the beef on a rack in aroasting dish. Roast at 180C for 45minutes.

2. Remove from the oven andspread the top of the beef with theprepared mustard.3. Toss the vegetables in the oil

and scatter around the roast beef.Return to the oven for a further 45minutes or until the meat is tenderand the vegetables cooked. Removethe beef from the oven and allowthe meat to stand for 10 minutesbefore carving. Place the vegetablesin the oven at 150C to keep warm.4. Serve the roast beef thinly slicedwith the vegetables.

Babies 6-7 months Take a selection of the meat, potatoand vegetables and pure separatelyto a smooth paste. If a little dry,moisten with babys milk or somemeat juices from the pan.

Babies 8-9 monthsCut the meat into bite-size pieces andgive the vegetables as nger food.


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Mince & Pasta

Bake1 Tbsp oil500g lean beef or lamb mince1 onion, peeled and nely chopped2 courgettes or seasonal green

vegetables, chopped8 button mushrooms, sliced400g can tomatoes in juice,

chopped2 Tbsp tomato purePinch dried mixed herbs (optional)

FOR THE TOPPING1 cup uncooked macaroni-style

pasta shapes250g pottle cream cheese cup cheese, grated

1. Heat the oil in a frying pan andbrown the mince well, breaking up

with a spoon as it cooks.2. Add the onion, green vegetablesand mushrooms to the meat and

continue cooking for 2-3 minutes.Stir in the remaining ingredientsand bring to the boil. Transfer themixture to an ovenproof dish.3. Cook the pasta in boiling wateruntil tender, about 10-12 minutes.Drain well and stir in the creamcheese and the grated cheese.Spread evenly over the top of

the mince and sprinkle with theremaining cheese.4. Bake at 200C for 15-20 minutesor until golden brown. Serve withcrusty bread and a tomato andonion salad.

Recipes suitable from 8 months

Babies 8-9 months

To serve, break the pasta into smallmanageable pieces as necessary.


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Moroccan

Diced Lamb1 Tbsp oil500g lean diced lamb1 onion, peeled and diced tsp ground cumin tsp paprika1 carrot, peeled and diced12 dried apricots, diced

300g can chickpeas1 cup beef stock or water or use tsp beef stock powder to 1cup water

1. Heat oil in a frying pan andbrown diced lamb well. Place in acasserole dish.2. Add the onion, cumin andpaprika to the pan and and cook inthe residue oil until lightly brown.Scatter over the lamb.3. Add carrots, apricots andchickpeas (including liquid from thecan).

Meatloaf 500g lean minced beef or lamb420g can of baked beans2 cups soft breadcrumbs1 eggPinch dried mixed herbs or use 1

Tbsp chopped fresh herbs4 Tbsp tomato sauce

1. Using a food processor, combineall the ingredients.2. Spoon the mixture into a greasedloaf tin.

Babies 8-9 monthsChop up any large pieces of meatand serve with mashed potato andchopped vegetables.

3. Bake at 160C for 1 hour. Coolin the tin for 10-15 minutes beforeturning out.

4. Place casserole dish in oven andcook at 160C for approximately 1hours until the lamb is tender.

Babies 8-9 monthsCut into pieces and serve withchopped vegetables. These smallpieces of meatloaf might also beenjoyed as nger foods.


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Savoury Mince:1 Tbsp oil

1 onion, peeled and chopped500g lean beef or lamb mince

Mini Meatballs

Recipe Ideas for Toddlers

2 Tbsp tomato pure

400g can tomatoes in juice1 tsp mixed herbs or 1 Tbspchopped fresh herbs (optional)

Mini MeatballsReplace the tomato pure andcanned tomatoes with 1 egg and 1cup of soft breadcrumbs. Combinethe ingredients well before rolling

into approximately 20 balls. Tosslightly in plain our. Heat a littleoil in a frying pan on medium heat.Cook meatballs for approximately15 minutes or until no longer pinkinside, turning regularly. Cut intopieces and serve with choppedvegetables and pasta. These smallpieces might also be enjoyed as

nger foods.

Mince BasketsReplace canned tomatoes witha 420g jar of pasta sauce. Oncesavoury mince has simmered for20-30 minutes until the mixture is

thick, set aside. Line greased muffintins with slices of fresh bread (crustsremoved). Sandwich bread is best.If using toast bread, roll it out andatten the bread rst. Fill eachwith some savoury mince and topwith a slice of tomato and a littlegrated cheese. Bake at 200C for10-15 minutes until golden brown.

Serve with a green salad or seasonalvegetables.

Heat the oil in a frying pan, and cook the onion gently for 5-6 minutes, untiltender. Add the mince, breaking up with the back of a spoon to form smallpieces until cooked thoroughly and no longer pink. Stir in tomato pure,canned tomatoes and herbs. Bring to the boil and simmer gently for 30minutes until reduced and thick, but still moist.

This savoury mince can be served in a variety of ways:


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TacosAdd a 420g can of baked beans tothe cooked savoury mince and llwarmed taco shells topped withgrated cheese. Serve with salad, oryour favourite vegetables.

Mince WrapsAdd a 425g can of kidney beans (orbaked beans) to cooked savourymince. Spread a large spoonful ontoa tortilla with some grated cheese.Fold the bottom over the mince androll up tightly sideways. Secure witha toothpick and grill the wraps untilhot. Remove the toothpick beforeserving. Alternatively serve savoury

mince in mini pita pockets withgrated carrot, chopped cucumberand tomato.

Baked PotatoBake or microwave 4-6 mediumsized potatoes. Combine thesavoury mince with the esh ofeach potato, reserving the cookedskin. Fill the potato shells with themince and potato mixture. Top withgrated cheese and serve with yourfavourite vegetables.

Mini PizzasSpread 2 Tbsp of the savoury minceonto a spilt bun or roll. Top eachbun with 1 Tbsp spaghetti andsprinkle with grated cheese. Placeunder a hot grill until the cheese ismelted. Cut into slices for toddlers.Check the cheese is not too hotwhen serving.


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Mini Burgers

Using the same recipe as MiniMeatballs, shape into small meatpatties and place on a soft roll withtomato, lettuce and grated carrot.

SpaghettiBolognese or Pasta

Serve the savoury mince overspaghetti or stir through yourfavourite pasta. Serve with salad orseasonal vegetables.

Other ideas:STEAK FINGERS - Grill, fry or barbecue beef or lamb steak and cut into smallshapes or ngers. Serve as part of a platter with cherry tomatoes, sticks ofcheese, carrot, celery, cucumber or red capsicum and pieces of fruit.

STIR FRIED BEEF OR LAMB WITH VEGETABLES

LAMB CHOPS grilled or barbecued. Lamb cutlets are ideal too as kids canhold onto the bone easily.

LITTLE SANDWICHES with thin slices of cold roast beef or lamb with salad.

For more information about iron and health

and/or recipes please contact:Beef and Lamb New ZealandFreephone 0800 733 466 or visit www.nzbeeamb.co.nz

Acknowledgements:Plates, spoons and props courtesy of Auckland stores: Urban Loft, Allium and Stevens.

iron richmeals for babies and toddlers

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