When the baby is six months old, he becomes ready for the introduction of complementary foods. After the child gets acquainted with the taste of vegetables and fruits, it is time for meat dishes. Questions arise whether it is possible to use offal in the diet and at what age children can be given the liver. Some people mistakenly think that the properties of the liver are inferior, for example, to meat tenderloin. However, it contains a large number of useful and nutrients, which makes it very valuable for the body of babies. Properly prepared fresh liver can provide children with a daily dose of vitamins and minerals.
Types of liver
In stores you can find various types of liver:
- beef (veal);
- pork;
- chicken;
- turkey liver;
- rabbit
- much less often goose, duck liver.
For baby food, chicken, veal and turkey liver are best suited. They contain all the substances important for a growing organism and are easily digested. The value of chicken liver is so great that some doctors recommend it for children to use without fail. You should refrain from goose and duck liver, it is too greasy and there will be no benefit from it for children's digestion. You should give preference to a recipe for liver paste from beef liver, rather than fish or poultry.
What is the liver good for?
The composition of the liver includes such important vitamins and minerals as:
- Vitamin A - strengthens eyesight, teeth, stimulates hair growth.
- Vitamin D (fat-soluble) - helps to absorb calcium, which forms a healthy skeleton against the background of the rapid growth of the baby.
- Vitamin PP, involved in the production of hormones.
- Vitamin B12 - is responsible for the production of new red blood cells and oxygen transfer in the body.
- Vitamin B9 (folic acid) - promotes the synthesis of RNA and DNA cells, the production of serotonin and dopamine, balancing the processes of nervous system excitation.
- Choline - improves brain activity, memory, participates in the proper formation of the central nervous system.
The liver is rich in various trace elements vital for the child - iron, magnesium, zinc, copper, potassium. They are necessary for the maturation and maturation of all organs and systems. In addition, the liver contains the amino acids needed by the growing body, which are not synthesized in the child’s body.
Each type of liver additionally has its own unique properties, for example:
- Beef liver enhances immunity, promotes rapid recovery after infectious diseases or burns. It is easily absorbed, low-calorie, increases hemoglobin.
- The pork liver has a loose structure, as a result of which it is quickly prepared and more tender in taste. Contains phosphorus, sodium, vitamin H (biotin).
- Chicken liver is most rich in useful substances, additionally contains ascorbic acid, selenium. Reduces the risk of anemia, increases the protective functions of the body.
- Turkey liver similar in taste and quality to chicken, helps to strengthen the immune system.
disadvantages
Each type of product has its drawbacks:
- beef liver is harsh and requires preliminary cleaning of the film and duct of the gallbladder;
- chicken offal can cause allergic reactions;
- any liver should be extremely fresh: with long-term storage, toxins are accumulated in it that are dangerous to the baby’s health;
- chicken liver is contraindicated in children with diseases of the bladder;
- has a specific taste that not everyone likes.
Age restrictions for children
There is no unequivocal opinion of doctors on the question of how old a liver can be given to children. It is believed that offal should be administered simultaneously with meat, that is, after meeting with vegetables and fruits. In another opinion, the liver is somewhat harder for the baby’s digestive system than meat. Therefore, you need to attach to it after the introduction and assimilation of mashed meat - at the age of 8-9 months.
How to enter the liver into the diet
Which liver to give the child to try first? At first, it is recommended to introduce the calf liver, and only after that with chicken.
To prepare the first puree you need:
- Clean the fresh liver from veins, rinse thoroughly.
- Boil a whole piece or cook in the oven for 20 minutes, without salt. In the process of cooking, you need to change the water, that is, half the time to cook in one water, half in the other.
- After the liver is ready, grind it to a homogeneous mass using a blender.
- So that the porridge obtained is not dry, you can add broth in it, in which the liver, breast milk or mixture was boiled. The consistency should be similar to liquid mashed potatoes.
To start trying a new dish is only in a homogeneous form, in the amount of 0.5 teaspoon, every day increasing the serving, until there is 70-80 grams.
When the baby gets used to the taste, you can mix the liver with broccoli or mashed potatoes. At the age of over 1 year, liver dishes for a child can be prepared in the form of small pieces, since he already knows how to chew.
How to choose the right liver
When choosing a liver for your child, you should pay attention to the following points:
- Good appearance: even color, shiny smooth surface.
- The presence of spots or plaque indicates a stale product.
- You should buy from trusted suppliers to be sure that the animal has not been injected with growth hormones or antibiotics. The liver is a filtering organ and is able to accumulate negative chemicals in itself.
- The offal should have a slight sweet smell.
Cooking rules
Knowing how to cook a chicken liver for your child correctly, you can avoid his refusal due to insufficient juiciness or a special taste. To keep the liver soft and loved by the baby, it is worth following the rules:
- Rinse thoroughly under running water, cut out fat.
- Do not cook the liver for more than 20 minutes, it becomes stiff from a long temperature exposure.
Depending on how old the children are, you can offer them a liver in the form of homogeneous soufflés or pastes, casseroles, small cut pieces, pancakes from chicken liver. Recipes of several particularly popular dishes that children with a big appetite eat are presented below.
Liver pancakes
It is preferable to cook pancakes from chicken liver. The recipe is very simple:
- 500 grams of liver;
- one onion;
- 3-4 slices of white bread soaked in milk (or 4 tablespoons of breadcrumbs);
- 3 tablespoons of sour cream;
- two eggs;
- salt to taste.
In a blender or using a meat grinder, mix the liver, onion, bread. Add sour cream, eggs, salt to the resulting mass. Let it brew for 20 minutes. Heat a frying pan and put fritters on it with a spoon, frying over high heat for 3 minutes on each side. After turning, you can close the lid.
Fritters are ready, you can serve with sour cream.
Souffle
Great for hepatic soufflé children . Ingredients:
- 200 grams of liver;
- one carrot;
- one onion;
- 1 tablespoon semolina;
- 30 grams of milk or mixture;
- one egg.
Grind onions, carrots and liver with a blender, break an egg into the resulting mixture, add semolina and milk, mix. Put in the bowl of the multicooker and put to bake in the baking mode for 30 minutes (or place in the form and put in the oven preheated to 180 ° ).
At what age can children be given souffle liver? From 8-9 months, it is well baked, tender in texture and pleasant to taste.
Beef liver pate
Pate recipe can be varied by adding various ingredients according to the wishes and preferences of the child: carrots, onions, potatoes, meat, herbs and so on. You will need:
- 300 grams of liver;
- vegetables (carrots, onions, zucchini);
- one chicken or quail egg;
- 20 grams of butter;
- salt to taste.
Vegetables and liver are boiled until cooked. After that, cut into pieces and grind in a meat grinder or blender until a homogeneous composition. Oil and salt are added to the resulting mixture. The paste is ready, it can be served with a side dish (mashed potatoes) or in the form of a sandwich, spreading on bread.
Braised Chicken Liver
One simple way to cook a liver is to stew it with vegetables and serve with rice. Required:
- 300 grams of liver;
- one onion;
- one carrot;
- 1 cup chicken stock.
Rinse the liver, dry it with a paper towel and cut into small pieces. Grate the carrots, chop the onion into cubes. Put the liver on a preheated pan with vegetable oil and fry it over medium heat for 5 minutes. After that add vegetables and fry together for 10 minutes. Then pour the broth, close the lid and simmer over low heat for another 10-15 minutes.
Boil rice on the side dish, make a slide out of it on a plate, put the stewed chicken liver on top and pour the gravy on top.
Dishes from the liver are tasty and healthy food for children. Cooked by the above methods, the liver becomes tender and loses its specific flavor. But to decide at what age you can give the liver to children, it is still taking into account the characteristics of this product.