Right Age, Health Benefits And Recipes

Beans, which are seeds of leguminous plants, have a unique nutritional profile and bioactive properties that make them an important part of a well-balanced diet. However, consuming beans is often associated with flatulence and gas and might be hard on a baby’s digestive system. So, can you include beans in a weaning baby’s diet?

This post tells you about beans for babies, their health benefits, side effects, and age-appropriate ways to include them in the diet.

When To Introduce Beans To Babies?

Beans can be added to a baby’s diet from the age of six to seven months, when they begin consuming solids (1) (2). The protein and iron-rich foods can be a valuable addition to your baby’s weaning diet.

Gastrointestinal issues, like flatulence, may occur in sensitive infants during the first few times of consuming beans. However, it should not be a concern if the baby is healthy and not in any discomfort. Soaking beans for at least four hours before cooking (3) and feeding in small quantities may help reduce flatulence.

Which Beans Are Good For Babies?

Some common dry beans considered suitable for babies are black beans, white beans, kidney beans, pinto beans, fava beans, cannellini beans, mature lima beans, and chickpeas or garbanzo beans (4). You can begin feeding any type of beans but check for the suitability of the bean variety to your baby.

For infants, you can feed well-cooked beans in an easy-to-digest, mashed/puree/soup form.Older babies and toddlers can consume well-cooked bean pieces as finger foods.

How Much Beans Can Babies Consume?

You can introduce one to two tablespoons of pureed beans once a day (1). Once the baby completes eight months, you can serve them two tablespoons of mashed beans a day. Toddlers older than 12 months can consume two tablespoons of cooked beans per serving, twice a day (5) (6). Increase the quantity gradually.

Nutritional Value OfBeans

In general, beans are a good source of protein, PUFA, dietary fiber, and micronutrients like folate and iron (6). Below is the proximate composition of one cup of two common cooked beans with the recommended dietary allowance per day for each nutrient (7) (8) (9) (10) (11) (12).

 Source: U.S. Department of Agriculture, World Health Organization, and Oregon State University

*AI = Adequate intake 

The nutrient composition of beans varies from one another. Hence, adding a variety of beans in the diet is the best way to ensure optimum nutrient intake.

Possible Health Benefits Of Beans For Babies

Beans could provide various health benefits when consumed with a well-balanced diet.

1. Support nutritional needs: Beans contain a considerable amount of macronutrients and micronutrients that can support your infant’s development. Some of the important nutrients that beans can provide are folate, magnesium, potassium, and essential amino acid lysine (13).

2. Promote digestive health: Beans are rich in dietary fiber and resistant starch. Dietary fiber adds bulk to the diet and helps maintain healthy bowel movement. The resistant starch after fermentation in the large intestine exhibits prebiotic properties to support the gut bacteria (13) (14).

3. Contribute to overall immunity: Beans contain significant amounts of protein and zinc that can support the immune system (15). Besides, they contain bioactive compounds, like phenolic acids, flavonoids, and anthocyanins, exhibiting antifungal, anti-inflammatory, and immunomodulatory properties (16).

Precautions To Take While Feeding Beans To Your Baby

Follow these simple precautionary measures to ensure the safe consumption of beans bybabies and toddlers.

1. Prefer high-quality, USDA-certified packaged organic dry beans from a reputed manufacturer and seller.

2. Avoid canned beans as they tend to be high in sodium, additives, and preservatives. Rinsing canned beans with water could wash away the additives, but may also wash away some water-soluble nutrients.

3. Presoak beans for at least four hours before cooking. It will soften the outer skin making cooking and digestion easy. It may also reducethe antinutrients and non-digestible carbohydrates that cause gas and interfere with mineral absorption.

4. Germinating and roasting beans can also reduce their antinutrient and non-digestible carbohydrate content (17) (18).

5. Avoid using softening agents, such as baking soda, to cook beans. It may help cook beans faster, but could expose your baby to excess sodium.

6. Do not add acidic ingredients, such as tomatoes and vinegar, until beans are well-cooked. Acidic foods can slow down the cooking.

7. Introduce beans in pureed form and gradually move to mashed versions. Once the baby turns a toddler, you can serve cooked beans as finger food.

8. Never serve cooked whole beans to babies since they can be a choking hazard. Once the baby begins consuming finger foods, you can serve well-cooked, soft, and choppedpieces of beans (19).

9. Follow a three-day wait rule while introducing beans to a baby. Do not introduce any other new food during this period.Discontinue feeding beans if you observe signs indicating allergy or sensitivity.

 Ways To Include Beans In Your Baby And Toddler’s Diet

Here are some ways to add a variety of beans to your infant and toddler’s diet.

1. You can feed mashed/pureed beans mixed with mashed/pureed baby cereal, grains, and vegetables in moderate amounts.

2. Cereal made of roasted and germinated beans is an option for babies already consuming beans.

3. Multi-bean soups with mashed vegetables are a good choice for both babies and toddlers. Also, pureed beans, like pinto and garbanzo beans, can work as soup thickeners.

4. Tiny pieces of cooked/roasted beans can be served as finger food for older babies.

5. Chopped home-baked beans added to recipes, like salads, stews, pasta, make a wholesome meal for toddlers.

6. Pancakes made of white bean or red bean are yet another healthy option for toddlers.

7. Hummus, a dip made of garbanzo beans, can be used as a spread or sauce to make sandwiches or rolls for older babies and toddlers.

8. Add well-cooked and mashed beans to cooked pieces of meat, fish, poultry, or grains and cereals, like quinoa, buckwheat, etc., to intensify the meal’s overall nutritional value.

Flavorful and Healthy Bean Recipes For Babies And Toddlers

Beans can make wholesome recipes that your baby/ toddler would enjoy consuming. Below are some recipes that are worth a try.

1. Bean and sweet potato puree

Bean and sweet potato puree is a nutrient-rich recipe for babies older thansix months.

You will need:

• ½ cup white beans (well-cooked)
• 2tbsp navy beans (well-cooked)
• 1 small sweet potato (baked potato)
• 1tsp virgin olive oil

How to:

1. Blend all the ingredients (except olive oil) in a blender or food processor until you get a smooth paste. Ensure no lumps are left.

2. Heat olive oil in a flat pan and add the blended mix to it. Cook for 15 to 20 seconds and serve immediately.

3. You can add other pureed/mashed vegetables, like pumpkin, green peas, green beans, and butternut squash.

2. Black bean soup

Black bean soup is a nutrient-dense, soulful, and appetizing recipe for babies aged eight months and older.

You will need:

• 1 cup black bean (well-cooked)
• 2 cups fresh vegetable broth
• ½ cup mashed carrots
• 1 onion (roughly chopped)
• 2 cloves garlic (mashed)
• 1tbsp cumin
• ¼ cup tofu (slices)
• 1tbsp cilantro (for garnish)
• 2tbsp sesame seeds oil

How to: 

1. Put all the ingredients in a large stockpot and cook on low flame for an hour or until vegetables look tender and beans turn mashable.

2. Once done, remove the soup from the heat and let it come to room temperature.

3. Blend the soup into a smooth puree, using an immersion blender. Ensure no lumps are left.

3. Garnish with cilantro and serve immediately.

3. Kidney beanand spinachbaby food

It is a delectable iron and protein-rich spinach baby food recipe for babies agedten months and older.

You will need:

• 1 cup cherry tomatoes (chopped)
• 1/2 cup kidney beans (well-cooked)
• 1 cup fresh spinach (chopped)
• ¼ cup cheddar cheese
• 1tsp herb mix
• 1tbsp cilantro (finely chopped)
• 1tbsp sesame seeds oil

How to:

1. Heat oil in a thick bottom pan, add cherry tomatoes and cook until they turn mushy.

2. Add kidney beans and spinach, and cook for five minutes or until spinach wilts.

3. Put the flame on low, cover the pan with a lid, and let the ingredients simmer for another five minutes.

4. Switch off the flame and let the mixture cool to the room temperature.

5. Blend the mixture to smooth puree, garnish with cheese and cilantro, and serve immediately.

Beans are a nutrient-dense food that can add value to your baby’s weaning diet. Feed at least one serving of beans daily to let your baby reap its benefits in the long run. Begin with single-ingredient bean mash/puree to age-appropriate soups, stews, and multi-bean recipes. For toddlers, mix beans with other recipes.

References: