All about mushrooms!
Mushrooms are such a perfect ingredient, they are nutritious and delicious! They can be sautéed, roasted, puréed, there are so many ways to incorporate mushrooms into your diet. They have a lot to offer in terms of their nutrition:
- they provide a source of vitamin D which helps your body to absorb calcium and helps strengthen the immune system
- they contain potassium which ensures proper function of the muscles and nerves
- mushrooms are classed as a superfood meaning they are high in nutrients and have plenty of health benefits
- they contain most B vitamins, including folate and minerals like copper, selenium and zinc, which are all essential nutrients that children need to thrive
- mushrooms are rich in fibre meaning they help to maintain a healthy digestive system
Make sure to always be careful when eating mushrooms. If you eat the wrong one, you could be in truffle!
There are currently over 14,000 different kind of mushrooms that grow across the globe but not all of them are edible! You should never pick a mushroom that you see growing in the wild (unless you are an experienced forager).
Mushroom safety & how to prepare them
It can be really beneficial to introduce mushrooms into recipes when your baby is six months old. Introducing them at this age means they can get used to the texture and flavour which can help them to love a wider variety of foods as they grow older.
Always serve cooked mushrooms instead of raw and make sure they are sliced into age appropriate pieces. The stems of the mushroom should be avoided too as the round stem could be a choking risk. Make sure to always supervise your child while they are eating and always feed them upright.
Here's how you should prepare mushrooms safely for your children:
Six months:
Slice mushrooms into large strips and sauté them until soft. This means they turn into finger food and your child can pick them up and suck on all the exciting juices.
Nine months:
As your child get older and develops more skill they develop a better grip. This means you can offer slightly smaller pieces of mushroom. Introduce them into recipes such as sauces and meatballs by chopping up the mushrooms finely.
One year and up:
This is when you can start chopping the mushrooms into slices and including them in more recipes or even have them as a side dish.
Why not give mushrooms a go with our yummy, 'farmer reggie's stewed veggies' recipe. This dish is super tasty and includes two different kinds of mushrooms.
Thank you very mush for reading
