Spinach For Children - Nutritional Value, Health Benefits & Recipes

Usually newborns are breastfed exclusively for 6 months, starting from the time of their birth and are slowly fed semi-solid foods. Many parents wonder when to start giving solid foods to their baby and what food to initiate the process. So, if you are planning to introduce semi-solid food to your baby, there can be no better food than spinach to go with once he/she completes 12 months of age.

Spinach(Palak) Benefits for Kids

We grew up watching a lot of cartoons and Popoye was one of them, who mainly promoted children to eat spinach. The moment he consumes spinach, he acquires energy to fight the baddies. So, seeking a good example from this cartoon, you can feed your child to eat spinach right from a young age so he/she can fight against all kinds of bacteria and viruses that have the potential to turn in to various diseases. Since a child’s immunity is at a developing stage, this superfood will do wonders to his/her health. Helpful Read: Is Spinach (Palak) Cause Allergy in Children?

Nutritional Value in Spinach(Palak)

Spinach has a lot of good nutritional value, which you can see as mentioned below.

• Spinach has a high level of water content, which will help in keeping your baby hydrated naturally.
• Eating spinach helps protect the liver from various diseases.
• Spinach, when consumed, helps kill the parasitic worms, which can harm the baby and weaken him/her.
• As babies do not have a fully matured system, they suffer from gastric problems frequently, which can be reduced by consuming spinach.
• The presence of calcium and vitamins in spinach makes it good for your baby’s developing bones.
• The protein in spinach helps with the development of muscles in your growing baby.
• All the nutrients combined in spinach ensures that the body’s immunity remains high, thus, helping in fighting off the viruses and bacteria.
• With the high amount of dietary fibre present in spinach, it makes a natural laxative for the baby that will aid in smooth bowel movement and also fight constipation and gas. If your child is struggling with the uneasiness of digestion, spinach is a great way to treat the same.

Healthy Spinach (Palak) Recipes

If you are convinced with the idea of feeding spinach to your baby, there are various recipes for the same. You can try them all with an ease. 

#1. Spinach Puree

How to Cook?- Cut the spinach and wash it under running water thoroughly. Steam it for about 5 minutes and drain the water. Allow it to cool down and then grind it as you add a little water to it to bring it to perfect consistency. You can even add carrots or sweet potatoes to it.

#2. Spinach Apple Puree

• 2/3 Apples peeled, cored and chopped
• Fresh spinach 2/3 cups
• Water 1 cup
• Cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon
• Ginger powder 1 teaspoon
• Cloves 1 teaspoon

How to Cook-

• Add the apples, water, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves in a saucepan over medium heat.
• Allow it to cook for 15 minutes. During this time, keep it covered and stir occasionally.
• Now add spinach to the apples.
• Cook for 2 more minutes and then let it cool slightly.
• Add all the ingredients into a blender and puree for a minute.
• Serve the puree fresh.

#3. Baby’s Soufflé of Spinach

• Fresh or frozen spinach
• Ricotta or cottage cheese 2 cups
• 3 eggs or 4 yolks
• A pinch of garlic
• A pinch of basil

How to Cook-

• Mix all ingredients and spoon them into an oiled baking dish.
• Bake the mix at 375 F for 20 minutes till you see it golden.
• Check whether the insides are done before taking it out and serving.

Also Read: Monsoon Diet Tips, Recipes For Your Child

#4. Oats, Avocado, Spinach

• Dried Old-Fashioned Oats 2 cups
• 2 Avocados
• Spinach 1 cup
• Water, breast milk or stock 1/2 cup

How to Cook-

• First, take oats and water in a saucepan and heat it on low flame for 10 minutes and keep stirring it.
• Add spinach to the mix and continue to cook for a couple of minutes.
• Mix all the ingredients in a blender till puree.

Some infants can be allergic to spinach, which may appear in the form of small rashes, which can get itchy, pain in the abdomen or diarrhea, swelling around nose, eyes and experiencing shortness of breath. If your child struggles with these symptoms, you can consult a doctor soon.

While your child won’t enjoy the taste of spinach at first, you can put your tricks to use in feeding him/her the same.