Today, I am going to talk to you about the vegetable beetroot also called "red beetroot". For your information, there are many varieties of beetroot: white, black, golden... however, as these are not widely consumed in France, we will concentrate on the red beetroot. It is available all year round but the peak season is from May to October. But then, can we give it to baby? What is beetroot made of? Does it have any nutritional benefits? From what age? In what texture? How should it be offered to baby? The answers to these questions and many others are in this article.
Who is she?
Red beetroot is a plant whose root is edible and belongs to the category of vegetables. It is easily recognisable by its bright red/purple colour (this is due to the betalain). Beware of the stains it easily leaves on clothes! It can be eaten both raw and cooked and is made up of 88%water, 7% carbohydrates (it is sweeter than the average vegetable) and 2.5% fibre (this little laxative effect will help the slow transit of some babies).
It is also very interesting for its contribution in :
- Potassium : contributing to the normal functioning of the nervous system and muscle function
- Vitamin B9 (or folate) : contributes to the growth of maternal tissues during pregnancy, normal blood formation, normal functioning of the immune system and reduction of fatigue
Its properties
Beetroot has many properties: anti-inflammatory, antioxidant (thanks to betanin and polyphenols), antiviral and anti-diabetic (thanks to saponins). Beetroot contains a significant amount of nitrate, a compound with beneficial effects on cardiovascular health. Be careful, nitrates should not be confused with nitrites, the latter being harmful to health!
This root can be introduced to your baby from the beginning of food diversification, i.e. around 4 months, cooked of course and in the form of puree, until it can be presented raw, grated or in thin slices for example, depending on your child's chewing capacity or around the age of 18 months. To help you in your preparations and in the quantities given to baby, a beetroot weighs on average 300g!
You can buy it raw and steam it preferably for 15 to 30 minutes depending on the size, to preserve its nutritional qualities. A little trick to peel it once cooked: plunge it into cold water and rub the skin with your hands, it will come off easily. Or more quickly, you can buy it cooked and vacuum packed! All that's left to do is grind it to the desired texture or add it to one of your dishes!
Some recipe ideas...
To help you, here are a few ideas for recipes using beetroot to make with your children:
- Cold beetroot soup
- Beetroot hummus
- Beetroot muffins
- Beetroot mousse with goat cheese
- Grated cooked beetroot (or grated raw for older children)
- Goat's cheese terrine with beetroot
- Beetroot purée or patties or gratin
- Roasted beetroot
- Beetroot salad with orange
- Beetroot Risotto
- And why not a beetroot brownie!
Now you know all about beetroot! All you have to do now is put on your apron and impress your baby!
Dietician - Nutritionist specialising in paediatrics
Sources
- CIQUAL : Ciqual Table de composition nutritionnelle des aliments (anses.fr) (april 2021)
- APRIFEL : Beetroot : calories and nutritional value | Aprifel (april 2021)
- INTERFEL : Beetroot : presentation, production, consumption - Interfel - Les fruits et légumes frais (lesfruitsetlegumesfrais.com) (april 2021)