Nutrient Dense Baby Foods: Chicken Liver Pate
Welcome to my ninth edition of my Nutrient Dense Baby Foods series for Homemade Mommy! Last week I provided you with a fantastic Vanilla Custard recipe to add to your baby’s diet. This week I am explaining why and how to add pureed meats.
Making your own baby food is simple and saves you several dollars on both grocery AND medical bills! Feeding your baby the most nutritious foods without the added preservatives or other chemicals is going to help keep your baby healthy.
Why should you add pureed meats to your baby’s diet?
At 6-8 months of age, the Weston A. Price Foundation recommend’s adding pureed meats such as lamb, turkey, beef, chicken, liver and fish to your baby’s diet. This is because at this age your baby’s digestive system, although still immature, has the enzymes required to digest fats and proteins as opposed to carbohydrates. This makes the meats easier to digest than the cereals that are often encouraged at this age. (source)
Nutrient-dense organ meat should also be included in the types of meats you can feed your baby while begin the weaning process. As your baby begins to consume less breast milk, he or she requires nutrients like protein, zinc, iron and B-vitamins. Meat is one food group that has these nutrients in ample amounts.
According a study conducted by Dr. Nancy Krebs, breastfed infants who received puréed or strained meat as a primary weaning food beginning at four to five months grew at a slightly faster rate. Inadequate protein or zinc from common first foods may limit the growth of some breastfed infants during the weaning period. Infants who received meat had high protein and zinc levels. Read my post about including liver in your baby’s diet here.
How do you prepare meat for your baby?
- Add homemade stock or filtered water to a pan.
- Add meat.
- Cook over medium high heat until completely tender.
- Allow meat to cool by placing it in the refrigerator.
- Cut into 1-2 inch chunks.
- Grind up the meat with this attachment for your Kitchenaid mixer or a food mill.
Note: I ground the meat using the “fine grind” attachment and it came out great. You can add water, formula, breast milk or cooking juices to the ground meat to feed to your baby.
Nutrient-Dense Baby Liver Pate
Ingredients
- 1/4 pound raw organic liver cut into chunks
- 1/4 cup bone broth
- 1-2 teaspoons organic butter
- 1 pinch sea salt
Instructions
- Cut raw organic liver into small chunks.
- Combine liver, bone broth, and butter in a saucepan.
- Bring mixture to a boil, then reduce heat.
- Simmer for 8 minutes.
- Transfer liver mixture with liquid to a blender.
- Add additional butter and pinch of sea salt.
- Blend to desired consistency.
- Pour into ice cube trays or freezer containers.
Notes
– Freeze in ice cube trays for convenient portions
– Transfer frozen cubes to freezer bag
– Will keep in freezer for up to 3 months
– Thaw single portions as needed Nutritional Benefits:
– Rich in iron
– High in vitamin A
– Excellent source of B vitamins
– Contains zinc and copper Serving Tips:
– Thaw overnight in refrigerator
– Warm gently before serving
– Start with small portions
– Can mix with breast milk or formula to thin Preparation Tips:
– Use highest quality organic liver available
– Ensure all equipment is thoroughly clean
– Make larger batches to freeze
How long does it keep in the fridge? Is it possible to freeze the pate? I would like to make a batch.
Thanks!
It wouldn’t last in the fridge very long. You might try freezing in ice cube trays.
Did you strain the livers? Mine came out so soupy. I’m bummed because I used perfect bone broth and pastured chicken livers for something that came out less than decent, even. I guess the disappointing part is that my toddler is unable to feed this to herself.
Can you try to cook it down to thicken? This is meant for much younger infants. I would keep it even simpler for toddlers and just sauté the liver and give them the pieces!