A closer look at summer vegetables for your baby

The summer season brings its own special pleasures: Swimming with baby, barbecues, and sun-ripened fruit. Summer is undeniably the most wonderful season for fruit. But vegetables are not to be left out, with artichokes, aubergines, courgettes, and tomatoes also stealing the show. It is therefore the ideal time to introduce your child to new flavours.

Choose local, seasonal vegetables

Today, it is easy to find tomatoes all year round on market stalls. Yet the tomatoes we eat in winter have no flavour at all! Weaning introduces your child to the concept of taste, and it is this early experience that will help them develop good eating habits. But how can you introduce your child to taste if the food you serve them is devoid of any flavour? The answer is simple: choose seasonal fruit and vegetables!

It is no secret that a seasonal vegetable, picked at the peak of ripeness, has far superior taste and nutritional qualities compared to one that has ripened during transport or in a greenhouse. Indeed, seasonal vegetables are richer in vitamins and minerals. What's more, greenhouse cultivation can use up to ten times more energy than open-air production due to the use of heating systems. Eating seasonal vegetables is therefore better for the environment and kinder on the wallet. This is why it is so important to respect nature's natural cycle — and nature is wonderfully generous, providing us with fresh produce all year round!

Summer vegetables suited to your baby's age

As well as the seasonal constraint, there is also the matter of weaning to consider. At the start of weaning, it is best to favour carrots and green vegetables, which carry little risk of allergic reaction. Gradually, new vegetables can be introduced, or mixed with starchy foods, dairy products, fish, and meat. It is not always easy for a new parent to know whether a vegetable is in season, or whether it is suitable for their baby.

To be sure that the vegetable you want to cook is indeed a summer one and is suitable for your baby's age, feel free to print out this handy memo and pop it up in your kitchen!

A few tips for cooking summer vegetables for your baby

Before preparing a recipe for your baby, make sure it contains at most one ingredient your child has not already tried. This way, in the event of a food intolerance, you can identify with certainty which ingredient is responsible. Additionally, sun-loving vegetables such as aubergines, cucumbers, tomatoes, and peppers are best served peeled, as the skin is not very easy for little ones' tummies to digest.

Before your baby's first birthday, it is recommended to give cooked vegetables. If your baby has no teeth, you will need to blend them very finely to achieve a very smooth texture. Otherwise, you can mash them so that your child gets used to chewing and discovers new textures.

We hope these few tips have helped you introduce new flavours to your child. Do let us know in the comments which summer vegetables your little one enjoys most.

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