It’s that time of year when you see zucchini and summer squash EVERYWHERE! We are always looking for new ways to use these summer squashes so why not summer squash for babies? Zucchini and summer squashes are easy to prepare and can be easily frozen so they makes for a great food that you can serve to your little one starting at 8 months old.
Wondering the best way to cook summer squashes for your little ones? It’s super easy and can be done multiple ways.
STEAM – Leaving the skins on, just cut in rounds or half moons. Put about an inch of water in a pot and add a stainless steel steamer, then place the squash inside. Steam until cooked through and skins are soft.
ROAST – Cut squashes in half, brush on a bit of good olive oil & spices (yes, babies can have spices too) and cook at 400 degrees until the middle is completely soft. When roasting, it’s best to just scoop out the inside and throw the skin away.
SAUTE – Cut summer squash into rounds or half moons. Add a small amount of good olive oil with spices to a saute pan, heat on medium high heat then add summer squash. Cook until squash is cooked through and golden brown.
SUMMER SQUASH PUREE
Once the squash is completely cooked and cooled a bit, you can begin to puree. Since Zucchini is so watery, there is no need to add more water to the mixture unless you feel it’s necessary. Use an immersion blender or some sort of blender that can puree the food until smooth. Then all you need to do is place the squash puree into BPA-FREE ice cube trays, cover and freeze for 24 hours. Take the cube out and then place in a labeled freezer bag. All you need to do is take out as many cubes as you need for the meal. BABY TIP – each ice cube is 1 ounce, equaling 1 serving.
MAKING COMPLETE MEALS
You can keep it super easy and prepare the summer squash as directed above or mix the summer squash with other complementing foods that are suitable for that age to make it a complete meal. Here are some of my favorite combinations that work well with summer squash.
Summer Squash + Acorn Squash + Barley
Summer Squash + Sweet Potato + Quinoa
Summer Squash + Peaches + Oats (great for breakfast)
Summer Squash + Dried Plums (great for those with constipation issues)
Making these complete meals might take a bit more time but in the end you have a meal ready to go for your baby. You can blend all the foods together, adding enough water to make it the right consistency for your baby and freeze in ice cube trays. Store as you would in the above recipe and take out what you need when serving it to your little one.
Trina O’Boyle is a Drexel Hill mom of two, a contributor to MK’s MomSpeak blogroll and an organic cooking expert. Check out her meal plans, recipes and ruminations at O’Boy Organic.
