Leafy Greens (particularly asian ones)

Lexi seemed to be content with the variety of veggies and fruits that I chose for her. I would mix and match them with either rice or pastina. (Of course I didn't start the pastina till she was 8 months, I think). Lexi still only has 4 teeth, but I would recommend starting pastina whenever your child has a few teeth and can really mash things up with their gums. So I stopped making new foods since I had such a huge variety already.

After a while I got bored with the same things, so I decided to try some leafy greens.
Now in the Asian culture we have many leafy greens to choose from (not just spinach, kale, collards, etc.), and they have a more mild taste than most of the common leafy greens that you see in the regular supermarket.
Now if you have an Asian market around you I would recommend looking for these veggies, They are my favorite! =o)

I used Shanghai Choy (Pictured below)


and baby Bok Choy. (Pictured below)


These tend to be more bland in taste, but not completely tasteless. I would stay away from mustard greens and Chinese broccoli as these greens tend to be bitter. I don't think the babies will like these. But of course, you are more than welcome to try them.

Process:

• As you can see, the veggies have layers (kind of like celery) which gives plenty of areas for dirt to hide in. I peel away each of the layers and place them in a colander.  Run them under water to rinse them, making sure each one has been rinsed. 
• I get a pot of boiling water ready.
• I blanch/cook the veggies for a few minutes, until they are tender. 
• Put them in the food processor.
• Puree until the veggies are cut into very tint pieces. 
• Put in ice trays and freeze.

I thought that these were a nice change to the typical greens that you see in the supermarket and they do not change the flavor of the other foods when mixed. They do offer some good vitamins as well.

• Calcium: 74 mg
• Iron: 0.56 mg
• Magnesium: 13 mg
• Phosphorus: 26 mg
• Potassium: 176 mg
• Sodium: 46 mg
• Zinc: 0.13 mg
• Vitamin C: 31.5 mg
• Thiamin: 0.028 mg
• Riboflavin: 0.049 mg
• Niacin: 0.350 mg
• Pantothenic Acid: 0.062 mg
• Vitamin B6: 0.136 mg
• Vitamin B12: 0 mcg
• Folate: 46 mcg
• Vitamin A: 3128 IU
• Vitamin E: 0.06 mg
• Vitamin K: 25.1 mcg

 

 

**FOR ADULTS TOO!!!

So if you want to try something new, even for yourself. These are some great veggies. (If you are making them for yourself, which I recommend: they are my favorite!, you can just blanch them slightly and then add them to stir fry's or just on the side with some soy sauce. I also use them when I make some chinese noodle soups. Yum! If you want me to post some recipes for using these veggies for adults, LET ME KNOW! =o)  

Have fun!!!

-Mindie