Baby food: Squash purée recipe

This squash purée baby food is great for weaning, and packed with vitamins.

From six months onwards you can start the gradual process of weaning your baby onto solids. While it's an exciting milestone, knowing where to start can seem a bit daunting. Apart from the obligatory baby rice, single vegetable purée is a good first food and the sweet, mildness of butternut squash is a first flavour your baby is likely to enjoy. Its soft flesh can be puréed completely smooth and the consistency can easily be loosened with some of your baby’s regular breast or formula milk. By around eight months, your baby will probably have become a dab hand at slurping and swallowing, at which point you can begin to leave the purée with slightly more texture. Get more advice from our baby weaning guide.

Ingredients

• 1 butternut squash

Method

1. Cut butternut squash in half, scoop out seeds.
2. Place an inch of water in a baking pan, then place squash halves "face" down in the pan. Check on water level while baking.
3. Bake in a 400 degree oven for 40 minutes or until the "shell/skin" puckers and halves feel soft then scoop squash "meat" out of the shell.
4. Place squash "meat" into your choice of appliance for pureeing and begin pureeing.
5. Add water as necessary to achieve a smooth, thin consistency.
6. You can also peel the squash, scoop out the seeds and then cut into chunks and boil/steam until tender (like when boiling potatoes for mashed potatoes) then follow steps 4 and 5.

Tips for making squash puree:

Buy a butternut squash that feels heavier than it should be for its size. One with a large neck and smaller bulb will have the smallest number of seeds and offer the most ‘meat’. 

Is butternut squash good for babies?

Butternut squash is an excellent choice for weaning because young children tend to enjoy the mild, sweet flavour. It's also a really healthy choice - high in betacarotene, which helps support a healthy immune system, as well as B and C vitamins.

Is butternut squash a stage 1 baby food?

Yes, you can offer butternut squash to you baby as soon as they are ready to start on solid foods. It's a good food to keep on the menu throughout the weaning process and, once your child is fully onto solid food, is a good side dish for toddlers.

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