Opinions differ on the question of when to give cabbage ☘️ to a child and what its benefits are. The reason for this is the possibility of provoking bloating in the baby’s intestines. Therefore, other types of cabbage are added to the diet first, and then white cabbage. Parents often refuse such vegetable “supplements”, underestimating its role in the nutrition of their children. Let's look at the main points of using cabbage in baby food.

Vitamins and nutrients

White cabbage ☘️ contains many useful components. Not a single vegetable can compare with it in this regard. In terms of protein content, it is in the lead and is located next to carrots and beets. This vegetable is valued for its acids, which cannot be replaced. These acids ✨accelerate cell growth, normalize adrenal function, without them the process of hematopoiesis is impossible.

⭐️ The white cabbage beauty is valuable because great content vitamins and minerals, as well as:

• the ability of vitamin C to retain its properties in cabbage for a long time;
• the presence of vitamin K, which normalizes lipid metabolism, heals wounds, strengthens bones and teeth;
• a large amount of bioflavonoids;
• vitamins of group P, B;.
• rare vitamin U, which helps heal stomach and duodenal ulcers, as well as an effective assistant in the fight against gastritis;
• niacin, the main function of which is to reduce cholesterol and normalize lipoprotein;
• carotene;
• vitamin D.

Benefit

⭐️ Basic beneficial features:

• regulates intestinal function, eliminating constipation;
• increases the secretion of gastric juice, increases appetite;
• with the help of fiber it eliminates toxins and restores microflora;
• activates metabolism;
• strengthens blood vessels.
• reduces swelling;
• activates blood flow;
• prevents the formation of fats and lowers cholesterol levels.

Cabbage has an analgesic effect and the ability to treat cholelithiasis.

Introducing cabbage into a child's diet

Doctors recommend starting to include cabbage in the children's menu after the child has mastered ✨ cauliflower and Brussels sprouts. When asked at what age it can be given to a child, baby nutrition experts answer unequivocally: not earlier than five months for an “artificial baby” and six months for an infant, and it is better to give it from the age of one year.

⭐️ But you should remember these points:

• young children should not be given fried cabbage;
• if your baby has a tummy ache, remove cabbage from the menu;
• If you suspect an allergy from cabbage, you should consult a pediatrician or allergist.

If a child has diarrhea as a “frequent guest”, cabbage is not yet included in the diet. A child aged two to three years, who can eat sour food, is given sauerkraut, but in small quantities.

Contraindications

There are more benefits from cabbage ☘️, but you also need to know what harm it can cause. It is harmful to give your baby a lot of cabbage. An excess of it leads to bloating, nausea, and flatulence.

⭐️ Contraindications are:

• the baby has a stomach or intestinal ulcer;
• bleeding in the gastrointestinal tract;
• increased peristalsis;
• enterocolitis.

Basic cooking rules

Children unfamiliar with the vegetable can be introduced only after the previous product has been completely mastered. The cabbage variety is hypoallergenic and rarely causes an allergic reaction. But caution must be exercised.

For the first couple of months, the baby is given cabbage puree ☘️ with the addition of milk, salt, etc. And when the stomach adapts to the new vegetable, you can try combining it with products already introduced into the baby’s diet, for example, mashed potatoes.

It is better not to give raw vegetables to small children, and fried vegetables should not be given at all. The vegetable is well absorbed in borscht, mashed potatoes or casseroles.

What you can cook - let's diversify the menu

✨ In children's diets from the age of two, you can introduce cabbage leaf dishes such as casserole, soup, stew with the addition of zucchini, potatoes.

❤️ Recipe No. 1. For cooking chicken breast Boil lightly, drain the broth. refill with water. A secondary broth is obtained in which the meat is cooked until cooked. Add baby beef sausages homemade(it's not obligatory). Sausages and meat are crumbled after cooling. Next, chop pickled cucumbers (half a kilo), a couple of carrots, a medium onion, and tomato paste. Add greens, bay leaves and garlic.
The shredded vegetables and other ingredients are sent into the broth and boiled until the vegetables are cooked, take out the shredded cabbage and send it there to cook. When it's cooked. Combine the ingredients by adding a spoon tomato paste, boil again.

❤️ Recipe No. 2. Take 300 grams of meat for the soup (you can use chicken breast). Add tomato paste, medium carrots, 4 cloves of garlic, a kilo of white cabbage, about four ripe tomatoes and an onion.

Shred the cabbage and cook in a large saucepan so that it is easy to stir. The carrots are peeled and grated coarsely. But the onions are cut into smaller pieces. The meat is also chopped, a frying pan is placed on the stove, and vegetables and meat, except cabbage, are placed on it. After the vegetables are cooked, they are added to the boiled cabbage, after adding water. Bring the contents of the saucepan to a boil, adding tomato paste to taste and seasoning with herbs. The dish is ready.

At what age can children be given cabbage, what vitamins and microelements it contains, as well as recipes for children’s dishes that can be prepared from cabbage in our material.

Cabbage is the name of the two-year-old herbaceous plant and fruits of the same name. Cabbage came to us from the coast Mediterranean Sea around the 9th century and we really liked it. Already in the 12th century, cabbage was cultivated throughout Rus'. Later it became a staple food.

Useful properties of cabbage

Cabbage is good for good kidney function and thyroid gland, hematopoietic processes. Cabbage is rich in vitamins C, A, B1, B2, B3, P, PP, H, provitamin B.

Cabbage contains almost no starch and sucrose. Therefore, it is very useful for those who follow a low-carb diet. Thanks to fiber, cabbage helps remove cholesterol from the body and normalizes intestinal microflora. Cabbage also contains potassium, calcium, magic, iron, and phosphorus.

Contains rare vitamin U, which promotes the healing of duodenal and stomach ulcers.

Almost 90% of cabbage consists of water. It has useful qualities, including dietary and taste. Cabbage also contains a high percentage of protein. It contains rare vitamin U, which promotes the healing of duodenal and stomach ulcers.

Table: Composition and nutritional properties of cabbage

100 grams of cabbage contains 28 kcal

Contraindications to eating cabbage

You need to use cabbage very carefully if you have flatulence, diarrhea, or increased acidity of gastric juice. It is not recommended to eat fresh white cabbage for peptic ulcer disease.

At what age can cabbage be given to children?

Children can only eat cabbage from the age of one and a half years. This is because cabbage can cause bloating and colic, and children's bodies are very sensitive to gas formation.

Cabbage can be introduced into a child’s diet, either as an independent product or as part of dishes. For starters, you can add it to the soup. Later - with casseroles and salads.

Cabbage for children: cabbage recipes

What can be prepared from cabbage for children: we have prepared recipes for the most popular dishes for you. These are borscht, salad, stewed cabbage and cabbage rolls.

Borscht with cabbage: recipe for children aged 2-3 years

The main difference between borscht for children and borscht for adults is the fat content of the broth. You can cook with vegetable broth, chicken broth, lean beef, or use meatballs.

Ingredients for borscht:

• Potatoes - 2 pcs.
• Carrots - 1 pc.
• White cabbage - 200 g
• Onion- 1 PC.
• Tomato juice - 0.5 cups
• Beetroot 0.5 pcs.
• Meat to taste: chicken thigh, beef 200 g or minced meatballs 200 g

How to cook borscht for a child:

1. Place the meat in cold water and cook for 40-50 minutes (it is better to cook the meatballs separately). Remove the finished meat from the broth and strain the broth. Cut the meat into pieces.
2. Peel the potatoes, cut them, put them in the broth and put them on the fire.
3. In the meantime, you need to finely chop the onion, grate the carrots and beets and sauté them in a frying pan with vegetable oil. Then pour a little broth into the frying pan, cover with a lid and simmer over low heat for about five to seven minutes.
4. When the potatoes are almost ready, combine vegetable stew with broth. Add shredded cabbage and cook for 10 minutes. Add some salt. Add tomato juice, bring to a boil, turn off and leave the borscht to simmer under the lid.

When serving, place sliced ​​meat or meatballs on a plate.

Lifehack: If your child does not like vegetables floating in borscht, offer your child borscht puree by grinding regular borscht in a blender.

If the previous advice did not work, try cutting the vegetables as coarsely as possible while cooking borscht, this will make it easier to separate them from the liquid part when serving. To make the borscht more filling, mash the borscht potatoes with a fork or beat them with a blender and mix everything thoroughly.

Cabbage salad: cabbage recipe for children aged 2-3 years

When making coleslaw for your baby, don't be afraid to change the recipe to suit your baby's tastes. You can add carrots, nuts, and herbs to this salad. You can use red cabbage or even two types of cabbage at the same time: red and white cabbage.

Ingredients for coleslaw:

• Chicken fillet - 100 g
• White cabbage - 150 g
• Cucumber - 1 pc.
• Vegetable oil

How to make cabbage salad for a child:

1. First you need to thinly slice the cabbage.
2. Boil chicken fillet, cut it into cubes.
3. Also cut the cucumber into cubes.
4. Mix everything and season with vegetable oil.

Braised cabbage: cabbage recipe for children over 3 years old

There are also a great many recipes for stewed cabbage. It all depends on personal preferences. We offer basic version. You can vary it up by adding lean meat, bacon or mushrooms for adults.

Ingredients for stewed cabbage:

• White cabbage - 500-800 g
• Carrots - 1-2 pcs.
• Onions - 1 pc.
• Tomato juice - 100 ml
• Water - 100 ml
• Vegetable oil
• Salt, pepper, green onions

How to cook stewed cabbage for a child:

1. First you need to chop the cabbage, cut the carrots into circles or semicircles, and chop the onion.
2. Add a couple of tablespoons of vegetable oil to a thick-bottomed pan and heat. Sauté onions and carrots until soft, add cabbage.
3. Then add tomato juice and water. Bring to a boil and simmer until done.

Cabbage for children can be stewed without tomato juice. And for adults, add fried bacon to the finished dish.

Stuffed cabbage rolls: cabbage recipe for children over 3 years old

The good thing is that you can cook this dish once, and then divide it into parts and store it in the freezer, simply reheating a new portion when needed.

Ingredients for cabbage rolls:

• Cabbage - 1 head
• Rice 0.5 cups
• Low-fat minced meat 300 g
• Carrots - 1-2 pcs.
• Onions - 1-2 pcs.
• Tomato juice or paste

How to cook cabbage rolls for children:

1. First, you need to boil a head of cabbage until the outer leaves are soft (moderately soft, not tissue-soft). Remove the top leaves and return the head of cabbage to boiling water. Then again remove the leaves that have become soft and continue to cook the head of cabbage.
2. Boil the rice until half cooked. Raw rice the cabbage rolls will not cook through, but when completely cooked it will turn into a paste.
3. Peel and chop the carrots and onions. First, saute the carrots in a frying pan until soft, then add the onion and simmer the vegetables a little more.
4. Mix rice, minced meat, vegetables. Add some salt. Mix thoroughly. This will be the filling for cabbage rolls.
5. Now we will “twist” the cabbage rolls. Let's take it cabbage leaf and wrap the filling in it so that it does not peek out from the cabbage roll.
6. Place the cabbage rolls tightly on the bottom of a pan with a thick bottom, greased with vegetable oil. The cabbage rolls must lie seam side down, otherwise the filling will spill out.
7. Fill the cabbage rolls with water and tomato juice so that the liquid does not cover them. Bring to a boil, and then reduce the heat and simmer for about 40-60 minutes.

Now you know at what age you can give your child cabbage and recipes for dishes that can be prepared from cabbage for children.

Read even more recipes in the section. Read about when to introduce new foods into your baby’s diet, about the beneficial properties of these foods and how to diversify your baby’s menu with new dishes.

At the age of 5-6 months, the child’s body can already allow for variety in nutrition. It is at this time that the introduction of complementary foods into the child’s diet begins, since milk or formula cannot fully ensure the further development of the infant’s body. The very first dishes for babies are vegetable purees: as well as white cabbage. So, let's try to figure out when you can give your child white cabbage.

Useful properties of the vegetable

Many mothers prefer to avoid white cabbage because they believe that it is difficult for the baby’s digestive system to digest. In fact, if prepared correctly and in a reasonable dosage, cabbage will not harm the child. On the contrary, it has a number of useful properties:

• Hypoallergenic.
• Low in calories, therefore recommended for overweight children.
• Promotes the production of enzymes necessary for normal digestion.
• Contains many vitamins: A, E, C, U, K and others. Vitamin U improves the functioning of the stomach and liver. Vitamin K promotes healthy bone and teeth formation.
• Contains many amino acids that ensure the growth and development of the child.

And yet it should be recognized that this wonderful vegetable also has its drawbacks:

• White cabbage contains a lot of coarse fiber, which can irritate the gastrointestinal tract.
• Abuse of it causes increased gas production in the baby, which is why the baby is bothered by intestinal colic.

When and how to introduce a child into the menu

Children who are on breastfeeding, can try cabbage at 6 months. At this point, they are already familiar with zucchini, cauliflower, potatoes and some cereals. A vegetable unfamiliar to a baby can be introduced only 1 week after the introduction of the previous product. It is important that the absorption of the previous new product occurs without allergic reactions.

White cabbage is hypoallergenic; it almost never causes allergies in children. But still, the baby may have an individual intolerance to the product, so mom should be on guard for 1 day after the first serving of cabbage puree. By the way, the very first portion of puree should not be more than 0.5 teaspoon. If there is no negative reaction from the body, then in the future the portion is doubled each time, gradually increasing to 150 grams at a time.

When can you give combined purees with cabbage? For the first couple of months, the baby is given cabbage puree without the addition of milk, salt, butter or other ingredients. When the child has adapted to the new vegetable, it is time to combine it with other products (which have already been introduced into the child’s diet). So, cabbage goes well with potatoes, carrots and zucchini.

At what age is white cabbage introduced into complementary foods? It should be noted that the introduction of white cabbage too early (before 6 months) is not recommended, since it may be too heavy a product for the child’s small, unadapted stomach. For bottle-fed babies, cabbage is introduced at 5 months of life, and for infants - from 6 months.

Raw vegetables can be given to children from 3 years of age, provided that they do not have diseases of the gastrointestinal tract.

Cooking recipes for children

White cabbage puree is perfect for a first acquaintance. It's easy to prepare:

1. Clean the head of cabbage from the top leaves and wash.
2. Cut into small thin strips.
3. Place the cut pieces in an enamel bowl and fill them with water.
4. Cover the pan with a lid and leave the vegetable to cook on the stove over low heat (you can use a slow cooker or double boiler instead of a stove). If the cabbage is purchased, drain the first broth.
5. When the vegetable is cooked, discard it in a colander.
6. Using a blender or sieve, grind the boiled leaves. Add a few tablespoons of cabbage broth or boiled water to the resulting puree to achieve the desired consistency.
7. Now you can give food to the child.

Complementary feeding with white cabbage causes disappointment for many mothers, since it often causes increased gas formation in the baby. But the beneficial properties of the vegetable do not allow us to completely reject this product. In this situation, it is common sense to combine cabbage with other foods (but only after the baby has successfully adapted to them). Various combined vegetable purees and soups are very healthy for the child and are also safe.

Puree soup (from 7 months of age)

Ingredients: potatoes - 1 piece, carrots - 0.5 pieces, zucchini - 100 grams, white cabbage - 100 grams, pumpkin - 100 grams, water.

Preparation: Peel, wash the vegetables and chop them. Place the chopped vegetables in a saucepan and add enough water to cover them. Place the pan on the stove. After boiling, vegetables should be cooked for 20-30 minutes (until ready). Remove the vegetables from the water and puree them in a blender. If necessary, add a little vegetable broth to the puree.

Video recipe for vegetable puree (from 7 months of age)

Video recipe for another one vegetable puree:

How to choose good cabbage

Selection tips:

• Do not buy cracked or bruised fruit.
• Choose a fruit with thin leaves and small veins on them.
• Give preference to early varieties.
• Check the vegetable by touch: it should be strong and moderately dense.
• Cabbage can be stored in the refrigerator for 1 week. Just wrap it in a bag or film first.

Let's sum it up

White cabbage is a traditional food of our ancestors. Dishes made from it are very popular today, thanks to the affordability and beneficial qualities of the vegetable. The baby's menu must contain cabbage dishes. Children begin to be introduced to this vegetable no earlier than 5-6 months. When introducing complementary foods, it is important not to give too much cabbage at once. In most cases, white cabbage is well digested by children and does not cause allergies in them.

Your baby is growing, gaining strength, and mother’s milk or formula alone is no longer enough to provide adequate nutrition for the baby. It's time to feed the baby! Cauliflower puree for babies is one of the first dishes recommended by doctors to introduce a baby to adult food. Do not start complementary feeding with fruit purees. There is a high probability that after this the baby will refuse vegetables.

But remember that world experts recommend starting complementary feeding no earlier than 6 months. For infants, subject to normal weight gain, it is allowed from 7. Until this age is reached, breast milk and formula perfectly nourish the baby, and the baby’s digestive tract is still immature and not ready for new foods. If complementary foods are introduced prematurely, the baby may have problems with digestion and bowel movements.

Which cabbage is suitable for a baby

If you are choosing between cabbage, broccoli and cauliflower, then you need to give preference to cauliflower. It is easily digested, does not make the tummy bloat, and the vegetable does not cause allergies in small eaters. Cauliflower has a delicate and mild taste, which is good for baby. It is better not to give regular cabbage to your baby. It can cause a very swollen tummy. It is better to choose a suitable cauliflower recipe.

Cauliflower - valuable dietary product. It is recommended as a source of iron. This is especially true if the baby Iron-deficiency anemia. Cauliflower contains phosphorus, magnesium, calcium, potassium and sodium, vitamins A, D, B and E, as well as K, H, PP and all the mineral salts necessary for the body.

How to choose cauliflower

When choosing a head of cabbage, pay attention to the following points:

1. The inflorescences should be dense and white with a slight yellowish or greenish tint
2. The leaves along the edges should be green, not limp and yellowed. This is a sign that the cabbage has been lying around for a long time.
3. Make sure that there are no black or gray spots on the inflorescences. If they are, then the vegetable has already begun to deteriorate.

When there is no fresh cabbage, you can make puree from frozen vegetables. In such a product useful substances much less than fresh, but it still contains valuable proteins and fibers. Make sure there are no pieces of ice in the frozen cabbage. This indicates that the product has been re-frozen. If possible, it is better to freeze fresh inflorescences yourself in the summer.

How to cook cauliflower for a baby

The recipe for making puree is very quick and simple. You will need about 100 g of cauliflower.

Before cooking, you need to disassemble the cabbage into inflorescences and soak them in cold salted water for about an hour. This is necessary to clean the vegetable from possible chemicals and small insects.

If you are making the puree on the stove, add enough water to the pan to cover the vegetables. Place on the stove, wait until it boils, reduce heat and cook for another 10 minutes. Then drain the inflorescences in a colander. Cooked cabbage usually turns yellowish in color. You cannot cook vegetables in aluminum pans.

Vegetables cooked in a double boiler retain the maximum amount of nutrients. Steam the cauliflower for about 15 minutes.

Can be cooked cauliflower and in a slow cooker. Its preparation time is at least 25 minutes.

First try the finished inflorescences yourself to see if they are soft enough. Undercooked purees make worse results. If the cabbage is ready, then it's time to chop it. This can be done using a blender or sieve. The mass should be as homogeneous as possible. There is no need to salt anything; babies up to one year old do not need salt at all.

While chopping, gradually add the remaining vegetable broth from the pan to the cabbage. If you are just starting to feed your baby, the consistency of the resulting puree should be only slightly thicker than breast milk or formula. In this case, the recipe recommends taking mother’s milk or the formula that the baby eats as a liquid. Over time, you need to make the mass thicker. Baby puree is ready!

Remember that the temperature of the dish should be lukewarm, like breast milk or formula. It is better to introduce complementary foods in the morning so that you can monitor during the day whether the child has an allergic reaction to the product. You need to start with half a teaspoon, gradually increasing the volume. By the age of one year, the baby should eat 100 g of the product.

You cannot store puree; you need to prepare a new one each time. Some people freeze fresh finished product, but then it will lose some of its useful substances and will not differ from the purchased one.

White cabbage in a child's diet

If your baby is not yet one year old, you should not introduce him to this vegetable. This type of cabbage contains a lot of coarse fiber, which will lead to increased gas formation in the baby. After a year you can start, but together with other vegetables. The creamy soup recipe is quite simple.

1. Any vegetables are taken in arbitrary proportions. For example, a potato tuber, a piece of zucchini, half a carrot, a piece of cabbage, pumpkin. Don't forget about the onion, take a quarter of a small onion
2. Vegetables are peeled, washed and cut into small pieces
3. Everything is poured into a suitable container (not aluminum) and filled with water until it covers the vegetables
4. Cook the soup for about 20-25 minutes. Then everything is mixed with a blender or kneaded with a fork.

Is it possible to feed a baby canned purees?

Cauliflower from jars also has a right to exist. Moreover, now production baby food strictly controlled, the manufacturing recipe is followed. Products used to make purees High Quality and technologies are used to preserve vitamins.

Jarred baby puree is useful if you are visiting, or maybe you simply don’t have the time or desire to cook.

When buying jars, look at the expiration date and the concavity of the lid. You should hear a slight pop when opening the jar. You should not store an open jar.

You shouldn’t disdain this vegetable, it really is the right product for a child. Cabbage puree, prepared by you or from a jar, will only benefit your baby. Bon appetit to your little one!