Pork dishes for a 2 year old child. Meat dishes for children. Beef pie “Cowboy” for children

Minced meat is prepared from natural minced meat or from cutlet or dumpling mass. Fat, tendons, and films are cut off from meat intended for minced meat, cut into small pieces, passed through a meat grinder twice, water is added, salted, and kneaded thoroughly. Natural chopped cutlets, schnitzels, and steaks are prepared from this minced meat.

For cutlets, white bread without crust, previously soaked in water or milk and squeezed out, is added to the ground meat, the mass is passed through a meat grinder again, salted, water is added and mixed thoroughly. Bread and water in the cutlet mass should constitute no more than 20-25 and 30% of the amount of meat, respectively.

Cutlets, meatballs, meatballs, rolls, zrazy, meatballs, which differ in shape and size, are prepared from the cutlet mass. Cutlets have an oblong oval shape with pointed ends, meatballs have a rounded, flattened shape, meatballs have a spherical shape, and meatballs have the shape of small balls.

For intestinal diseases, the bread in the cutlet mass is replaced with viscous rice porridge; for diabetes and obesity, it is replaced with cottage cheese. Minced meat for quenelles differs from cutlet minced meat in that instead of bread, beaten egg whites, butter, and milk are added to it and, after mixing, beaten until a homogeneous fluffy mass is formed. Salt the minced meat for the quenelles at the end of beating.

Minced meat must be prepared immediately before cutting and preparing the dish. So that when cutting the minced meat does not stick to your hands and it is easier to give it the desired shape, your hands should be moistened with water.

STEAM MEAT CALLS

Pass the meat pulp through a meat grinder twice along with white bread soaked in milk, add butter, salt and mix thoroughly. Cut the minced meat into meatballs and steam them, placing them on a water bath rack moistened with water. Meat - 100 g, bread - 25 g, milk - 30 ml, butter - 5 g.

STEAM MEAT ZRAZA, STUFFED WITH EGG AND CARROTS

Flatten the well-beaten cutlet mass with a damp hand on a cutting board, place boiled chopped eggs mixed with boiled, finely chopped carrots in the middle of the meat flatbread. Connect the edges of the flatbreads, giving them the shape of a pie, place on the grease of a steam pan, greased with oil, pour cold water into the pan (1/3 of the volume) and cook the zrazy under the lid until tender (20-25 minutes). Meat - 100 g, white bread - 20 g, water - 25 ml, eggs - 1/4 pcs., carrots - 15 g.

MEAT ZRAZI WITH RICE OR BUCKWHEAT PORRIDGE*

Roll out small cakes about 1 cm thick from minced meat cutlets on a cutting board moistened with water, place boiled rice in the middle of each, mixed with onions sautéed in butter and chopped hard-boiled eggs, or buckwheat porridge with sautéed onions. Pinch the edges of the flatbreads, giving them an oval shape, lightly fry them in butter and place in the oven for 10-15 minutes. Meat - 100 g, white bread - 15 g, rice - 10 g, onion - 7 g, eggs - 1/4 pcs., butter - 7 g (buckwheat porridge - 20 g).

MEAT QUENELS (CHICKEN)

Pass the beef or chicken meat cut into pieces twice: through a meat grinder, add milk, butter, beat everything well, then add, stirring carefully, beaten egg white, salt. Cut the minced meat into dumplings weighing 20-25 g and steam it, placing it on a wire rack in a water bath. Meat - 100 g, milk - 30 ml, butter - 5 g, eggs (white) - 1/2 pcs.

MEAT QUENELS WITH STEAM COOK

Combine the meat, minced twice, with grated cottage cheese, mix, mince again, add egg, butter, beat, add salt. Form quenelles from the resulting mass and cook them in a water bath. Meat - 75 g. cottage cheese - 30 g, eggs - 1/2 pcs., butter - 3 g

STEAM CHICKEN CUTLETS

Remove the skin from the breast and legs of the chicken, remove the tendons and films and prepare a cutlet mass from the chicken meat and soaked squeezed white bread, form into cutlets and steam. You can put them in a small saucepan greased with oil, add a little water and, tightly closing the lid, place it in a large saucepan with boiling water. Boil until done (15-20 minutes). Chicken meat - 100 g, white bread - 20 g, milk - 25 ml.

STEAM MEAT CUTLETS

Pass the meat through a meat grinder, mix with white bread soaked in water and squeezed out, pass through the meat grinder again, beat gradually adding cold water, form cutlets. Place on the wire rack, pour water into the pan under the wire rack, close with a lid and | put on fire. When the water boils, reduce the heat - a low simmer will make the cutlets softer. Meat - 100 g, white bread - 20 g, water - 30 ml.

MEAT PUDDING

Pass the meat and the bread soaked in milk through a meat grinder twice, add salt, dilute with milk to a mushy consistency, add the yolk, mix, then carefully fold in the beaten egg white. Place everything in a pan generously greased with butter and sprinkled with breadcrumbs and steam (keep steamed for 40-45 minutes). Meat - 50 g, bun - 15 g, milk - 15 g, eggs - 1/2 pcs., butter - 5 g.

STEAMED MEAT MEATBALLS

From minced meat, prepared as for cutlets, roll 2-3 round balls with a diameter of 3-3.5 cm, put them in a frying pan, add water so that it reaches half of the meatballs, cover with a lid and put in the oven for 30 minutes. Meat - 90 g, white bread - 20 g, water - 90 ml.

STEAMED MEAT CUTLETS BAKED IN MILK SAUCE**

Prepare steamed meat cutlets as described above, transfer them to a portioned frying pan or a small pan greased with oil, pour milk sauce over them and bake in the oven. Meat - 100 g, bread - 20 g, water - 30 ml, milk sauce - 30 g.

STEAMED MEAT ROLL*

Prepare the cutlet mass, place it on damp gauze in a 5 cm layer. Place hard-boiled finely chopped eggs in the middle. Lifting the gauze on one side, connect the edges of the cutlet mass, level the surface of the roll through the gauze, give it a round shape, place it on the grate of a steam pan and cook for 30-40 minutes. Ready (take out the roll together with the wire rack, remove the gauze, cut into pieces. Meat 100 g, white bread - 20 g, milk - 20 ml, eggs - 1/4 pcs.

STEAMED MEAT ROLL STUFFED WITH OMLETTE**

Add a raw egg to the cutlet mixture and mix well. Place the minced meat on gauze moistened with cold water, spread it into a 1.5 cm layer, and place a steamed omelet made from eggs and milk on top. Connect the edges of the gauze so that the edges of the roll overlap one after the other. Transfer the roll to the rack of a steam pan and cook until tender (about 30 minutes). For the roll: meat - 100 g, white bread - 20 g, milk - 30 ml, eggs - 1/4 pcs. For the omelet: eggs - 1 pc., milk - 25 ml.

MEAT MEATBALLS IN MILK (SOURCREAM) SAUCE**

From the cutlet mass, form meatballs weighing 20-30 g, lightly fry them in butter, transfer to a shallow pan and pour in milk (sour cream) sauce. Cover the pan with a lid and simmer over low heat for 15-20 minutes. Cutlet mass - 100 g, butter - 5 g, sauce - 40 g.

STEAM MEAT BALLS

They are prepared from cutlet mass. Place the formed meatballs on the rack of a steam pan with boiling water, close the lid and steam for about 15 minutes.

MEAT MEATBALLS*

Form small balls from minced meat, prepared as for cutlets, place them in a frying pan with a small amount of water (no more than 1/2 the height of the meatball) and simmer under the lid for 10-15 minutes. Meat - 100 g, white bread - 20 g, water - 30 ml.

MEAT MEATBALLS IN SOUR CREAM (MILK) SAUCE*

From the cutlet mass, to which a raw egg has been added, form meatballs slightly smaller than a walnut, place in a frying pan greased with butter, fill halfway with water and cook in a sealed container at low boil for 10-15 minutes. Pour the cooked meatballs with sour cream (milk) sauce and boil. Meat - 100 g, white bread - 15 g, eggs - 1D pcs., milk - 20 ml. sauce - 50 ml.

Jellied MEAT MEATBALLS*

Add vegetable oil, egg, salt, beat to the cutlet mass, form into meatballs, and steam them. Dissolve pre-soaked gelatin in hot broth or vegetable broth and strain. Pour a little broth or vegetable broth with dissolved gelatin into a shallow form that has cooled to 30°C, add the cooled meatballs, add the rest of the broth or broth, and let it harden. Meat - 100 g, white bread - 25 g, milk - 30 ml, vegetable oil - 5 g, eggs - 1/3 pcs., vegetable broth or broth - 150 ml, gelatin - 3 g.

BOILED MEAT GACHE**

Boil the meat, pass through a meat grinder twice, combine with milk sauce, beat well. Stirring, bring to a boil, and add butter before serving. Meat - 100 g, milk - 15 ml, wheat flour - 5 g, butter - 5 g.

BAKED BOILED CHICKEN SOufflé**

Pass the boiled chicken meat through a meat grinder twice, add milk, flour, egg yolk, mix everything, add the whipped white. Place the mixture in a greased pan and bake in the oven for 30-35 minutes. To prevent the soufflé from burning, it is better to place the form in a deep frying pan with water. Boiled chicken - 60 g, milk - 30 ml, flour - 3 g, eggs - !/2 pcs., butter - 3 g.

MEAT SOUFFLE**

Cut the meat without films and tendons into pieces and simmer in a small amount of water until half cooked, then add stale white bread or crackers soaked in cold water, pass everything through a meat grinder with a fine grid, add broth, mashed yolks and stir, gradually adding whites whipped into foam. . Place this mass in a pan, greased with oil and sprinkled with breadcrumbs, and bake, covered, in the oven or in a water bath. Meat - 100 g, white bread - 20 g, milk - 30 ml, eggs - 1/4 pcs., butter - 3 g.

BOILED MEAT PUDDING

Pass the boiled meat through a meat grinder twice, combine with white bread soaked in milk, add salt, dilute with milk to a porridge-like consistency, add the egg yolk, mix, then carefully add the whipped white. Place the resulting mass in a pan greased with butter and sprinkled with breadcrumbs and steam until ready (keep in the steam pan for 20-25 minutes). Meat - 100 g, white bread - 15 g, milk - 30 ml, eggs - 1/2 pcs., butter - 3 g.

BOILED MEAT (CHICKEN) PUREE

Cut the meat into small pieces, put in a pan with water and cook until done. Pass the boiled meat 2-3 times through a meat grinder with a fine grid, add the broth in which it was cooked, stir thoroughly, and boil for 1-2 minutes. Add butter to the finished puree. Meat - 100 g, water - 100 ml, butter - 5 g.

BOILED MEAT SOUFFLE

Boil the meat, cool, mince three times, combine with white (sour cream or milk) sauce. Mixing thoroughly, add the yolk of a raw egg, add salt, and gradually add the beaten white to the meat puree. Beat the mixture well, transfer to a frying pan greased with butter and, closing the lid, bring to readiness over low heat. Meat - 100 g, sauce - 35 g, eggs - 1/2 pcs, butter - 3 g.

STEAM BOILED MEAT SOUFFLE

It differs from the one described above in that the mass prepared for the soufflé should be placed in a greased form and steamed until tender in a water bath.

STEAM BOILED CHICKEN SOUFFLE

Pass boiled chicken meat 2-3 times through a meat grinder with a fine grid, combine with well-cooked rice porridge, stir, add yolks, melted butter and whipped whites. Stir the resulting mass, transfer it to a greased form and cook in a water bath. Pour the finished soufflé with butter. Boiled chicken - 100 g, rice - 10 g, milk - 30 ml, eggs - 1/4 pcs., butter - 8 g.

LIVER PATE

Simmer the liver in a frying pan under a lid along with onions and carrots in a small amount of water until soft. When it cools down, mince the carrots and onions several times, add salt and whipped butter. Form the liver mass into a roll and cool. Liver - 75 g, carrots - 15 g, onions - 10 g, butter - 7.5 g.

LIVER PUDDING WITH CARROTS

Pass the liver through a meat grinder, add grated boiled carrots, butter, raw egg yolk, ground crackers, salt, beat thoroughly, carefully add the beaten egg white. Place the mixture in a mold greased with butter and steam for 40 minutes. When serving, drizzle with melted butter. Liver - 60 g, carrots - 20 g, eggs - 1/2 pcs., ground crackers - 10 g, butter - 5 g.

NOTE TO PARENTS

1. Frozen meat is defrosted at a temperature of 18~20°C, slowly. At the same time, the released meat juice is absorbed back. 2. Beef will cook faster and taste better if you rub it with mustard powder in the evening.

3. To make stringy and tough meat loosen better, it is recommended to chop it across the grain with the blunt side of a knife. To avoid loss of juice when frying highly loosened meat, it is rolled in flour, egg laison (eggs mixed with water and milk) and breadcrumbs.

4. Schnitzels and chops become softer if you brush them with a mixture of vinegar and vegetable oil 1-2 hours before cooking.

5. Chopped cutlets are easier to cut if you add a little potato starch to the minced meat.

6. Before breading the cutlets in breadcrumbs, they are moistened in laisonné. This makes the cutlets taste better.

7. If, when cooking the broth, foam sinks to the bottom, you should add a little cold water: the foam will rise to the surface and can be easily removed.

8. The boiled broth is topped up with boiling water only.

9. In order for the soup with homemade noodles in meat broth to be transparent, the noodles are first dipped in boiling water for 1-2 minutes, drained in a colander, and then boiled in the broth until tender.

10. To better singe the bird carcass, it is cleaned of remaining feathers, dried and rubbed with flour or bran in the direction from the legs to the neck to raise the remaining hairs.

11. If during gutting the bird the gall bladder is crushed, then the areas stained with bile should be immediately rubbed with salt and then washed.

* -- for children over two years old

** - for children over one and a half years old.

Vladislav Gennadievich LIFLYANDSKY - Doctor of Medical Sciences, Professor

Viktor Veniaminovich ZAKREVSKY - Candidate of Medical Sciences, Associate Professor

All caring parents strive to give their child as much as possible. The same applies to nutrition: mom is not too lazy to get up early to please her beloved child with a full breakfast containing everything she needs. Our recipes for meat dishes for children will help you prepare delicious food so that the child’s body receives the protein and other useful substances it needs for growth. Proteins, contained in large quantities in the main component of these foods, will provide the child with energy for the whole day and give him strength for achievements.

But it just so happens that children don’t want to hear anything about the benefits of the food they eat; the taste of what they eat is much more important to them. Appetizing and beautifully presented, meat dishes for children will definitely please them and disappear from their plates, as if by magic. Well, mothers, in turn, can be completely calm: their child has received a lot of useful elements that are so necessary for normal development.

Elementary biology or the benefits of meat

Regardless of the food system adopted in the family, it is important for the child to receive a whole range of substances, many of which are found only in meat.

The body needs protein to “build” muscle mass.
Potassium and magnesium provide energy to our brain.
Zinc, selenium and B vitamins are substances that the body urgently needs for the normal functioning of all systems and organs.

Well, now let’s move on directly to mastering recipes that will help us create a culinary masterpiece for the youngest members of the family!

Unusual meat “Hedgehogs” for children

Ingredients

Beef – 0.5 kg + -
- 1 glass + -
- 1 PC. + -
- 1 PC. + -
- taste + -
- optional + -
- 2 tbsp. l. + -
Spaghetti - for needles + -

Step-by-step preparation of baby hedgehogs

A family of funny hedgehogs ran out of the forest straight onto your baby's plate! We are absolutely sure that this children's meat dish will certainly be appreciated and will amaze him with its unusual presentation and excellent taste.

Grind the meat twice using a meat grinder or grind it in a food processor.
Boil the rice until cooked and let cool slightly.
Finely chop the onion or grind it in a blender.
In a large bowl, thoroughly mix the resulting minced meat, onion mass and rice.
Season with pepper and salt the base of our dish. Mix everything well.
Using your hands or a spoon, we form small “balls” of minced meat, stick spaghetti (future needles) into the meat balls on top and bake the “hedgehogs” in the oven.

Our hedgehogs are almost ready! All that remains is to place a couple of lettuce leaves on the baby’s plate and put cute animals on it. These cutlets are not greasy, but very juicy - even the most picky child will definitely like them. Well, what about the benefits of combining meat and

Carrots in “meat boats” for children

Ingredients

Beef - 300 g;
Chicken eggs - 3 pcs.;
Wheat flour - 1 tbsp;
Carrot - 1 pc.;
Vegetable oil - 2 tbsp.

Step-by-step preparation of meat boats

In the world of children's fantasies, everything is possible! And going on an adventure across the mashed potato sea on a cutlet ship is easy too!

We process the meat in a meat grinder into a homogeneous mass, add flour and beat in one egg.
Mix everything until smooth.
Hard-boil the remaining two eggs and let them cool.
Boil the carrots and grate them and the eggs on a fine grater. Add a spoonful of vegetable oil to this mixture.
We form “boats” from the minced meat, put a little carrot and egg filling in the middle and lightly press the edges of the product. Don't worry if the filling is not visible at all due to the minced meat - the edges will open slightly during the cooking process.
Bake in a preheated oven until done.

This meat dish for children goes well with a vegetable side dish, so it’s worth supplementing it with stew or mashed potatoes. All that remains is to decorate the portion beautifully and you can invite your child to the table!

Children's roll “Meat snail”

Ingredients

Pork - 300 g;
Beef - 400 g;
Chicken eggs - 4 pcs.;
Stale bun - 1 pc.;
Onion - 1 pc.;
Vegetable oil - 2 tbsp;
Salt - to taste.

Cooking meat dishes for children

This guest crawled out from under the leaf right onto the plate to personally greet your baby.

We transform both types of meat into minced meat using a meat grinder. Mix beef and pork mixture.
Boil three hard-boiled eggs, let them cool slightly and peel them.
Cut off the dry crust from the bun and crumble the pulp into a deep bowl. Add a little water or milk to soften it.
Add a raw egg and minced meat to the container with the bread mass. Mix the ingredients thoroughly.
Chop the onion very finely and fry in a frying pan with a drop of oil.
Pour the onion into the minced meat, add salt and mix.
Grease the foil with the remaining oil and spread the minced meat evenly on it. But not all that we have, but about half. Place boiled eggs (whole!) on top. Cover the eggs with the remaining minced meat and give the resulting roll a rounded shape.

Wrap the roll tightly in foil, place on a baking sheet and place in the oven for thirty-five to forty minutes.

Well, now you may be wondering: why is it still a “snail”? It's all about the presentation of each portion! Just before serving, we cut the roll and see in it several layers twisted in a spiral, reminiscent of the body of a snail.

To achieve a stronger resemblance to her, add antennae with sour cream sauce and plant her in a clearing of lettuce. It can be either the leaves of the plant in its pure form or a regular chopped mix of vegetables. Useful and creative!

Such meat dishes are eaten by children without whims, they are remembered for a long time and are met with delight again.

We sincerely hope that after implementing our culinary recipes and ideas for serving portions, you will no longer have to wonder how to get your baby to eat something healthy. These meat dishes for children are good precisely because, with the maximum content of nutrients, kids really like them, and they won’t have to be persuaded for a long time to eat the contents of the plate. This approach is a great way to turn an ordinary meal into a whole performance.

Bon appetit to your beloved child, and new culinary masterpieces to you!

Which is faster to cook. However, a child over 3 years old can already be offered another type of meat - beef, especially since the vitamins and nutrients in it are the same as in veal.

The most important rule when cooking beef is to simmer it long enough for it to acquire the necessary softness. It is optimal to cut the meat into small pieces - this way it cooks faster, and it will be easier for the baby to bite and chew. We have selected various recipes for cooking beef for a child - choose any one. You can serve this dish with a vegetable salad, porridge or vegetable puree. As a rule, beef recipes (cutlets, meatballs, etc.) for children contain components such as vegetables, herbs, and sometimes fruits.

Beef stew with vegetables

Ingredients

200 g beef
1/2 carrot
20 g parsley or celery root
1/2 head of onion
1 tablespoon tomato paste
2 teaspoons butter
salt

Cooking steps

Trim off excess fat from the meat, melt the butter in a saucepan, put the meat in, add salt and fry until a crust forms. Add finely chopped onions, carrots, parsley (or celery) and fry the meat and vegetables for another 10 minutes.

Then fill the meat halfway with water, add tomato paste and simmer for about 1.5 hours (determine the degree of readiness by piercing with a fork - the finished meat is easily pierced).

After this, cut the meat into small slices, put it back into the pan where it was stewed (into the resulting juice), and bring to a boil.

Beef Stroganoff

Ingredients

400 g beef
3 carrots
1 onion
1 glass of water
4 tablespoons sour cream
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 tablespoons flour

Cooking steps

Cut the meat into cubes 0.5 cm thick, put in a pan with oil and fry. Then add the grated carrots and onions and fry, stirring, the meat and vegetables for another 5 minutes.

Pour water over the meat until it slightly covers it, add tomato paste and simmer covered over low heat. When the meat becomes soft, add sour cream and flour mixed with butter and bring to a boil.

Beef stewed with prunes

This recipe is very original and healthy: prunes help improve the functioning of the digestive system.

Ingredients

500 g beef
1 carrot
1 onion
2 teaspoons tomato paste
10 pieces pitted prunes
2 teaspoons butter
2 glasses of water

Cooking steps

Peel the carrots and cut into thin slices.

Remove films from the meat, simmer in oil until half cooked, add prepared onions and carrots, tomato paste and simmer covered over low heat for 1 hour.

Then add the washed prunes, from which the seeds have been removed, and continue simmering until done. Serve the meat along with prunes and carrots, pouring over the sauce in which it was stewed.

Dietary beef goulash

Ingredients

250 g beef meat
1 onion
1 teaspoon flour
1/2 cup broth
1 teaspoon butter
1 teaspoon sour cream
salt

Cooking steps

Salt the browned meat, add finely chopped onion, flour, and fry everything together. Then transfer the meat to a saucepan, add broth, add tomato paste and simmer under the lid over low heat for 1-1.5 hours.

Serve sour cream with the finished dish.

Beef baked in foil with potatoes and mushrooms

Ingredients

200 g beef
1 potato tuber
1 champignon
2 tablespoons cream
2 tablespoons butter
salt

Cooking steps

Season the beef fillet with salt, beat well and fry in a hot frying pan until cooked.

Peel the potatoes and cut into slices.

In a separate frying pan or small heavy-bottomed saucepan, fry the potatoes on both sides, adding 1 teaspoon butter.

Peel the mushrooms and cut into small pieces. Heat half a teaspoon of oil in a frying pan and fry the champignons. A few minutes before it’s ready, add the cream and simmer, stirring constantly, until fully cooked.

Place beef chop on a sheet of foil and potatoes on top. Place fried mushrooms on top of the potatoes. Sprinkle everything with a little salt and press the edges of the foil tightly.

Place the meat and potatoes in foil in an oven preheated to 180-200 degrees and cook for about 30 minutes.

Beef, fried in breadcrumbs (after 5 years)

Ingredients

200 g beef
2 teaspoons breadcrumbs
2 teaspoons butter
1/2 cup milk
1/2 egg
salt

Cooking steps

Cut the meat from the bones, remove fat, tendons and films, cut into thin slices and lightly beat.

Mix a raw egg with milk, add salt and moisten the prepared slices of meat in this mixture, then roll them in breadcrumbs and fry in a frying pan greased with butter on both sides until golden brown.

Beef stewed with vegetables and mushrooms (from 5 years old)

Beef with vegetables is a universal dish that combines hearty meat, vitamin-rich vegetables, and an appetizing appearance. However, since this dish contains mushrooms, it is not recommended to offer it to a child under 5 years old (but mushrooms can be excluded without losing nutritional value).

Ingredients

100 g beef meat
1 potato tuber
1/2 carrot
1/2 onion
2 champignons
1/2 tomato
1 tablespoon sour cream
1 teaspoon tomato paste
1 teaspoon butter
greens: dill lettuce leaves for decoration

Cooking steps

Peel potatoes, carrots, onions and mushrooms. Cut the meat into cubes and simmer a little in a frying pan with butter.

Mix sour cream with tomato paste. Cut the carrots into pieces, potatoes into cubes and sauté in a saucepan with a little water and oil.

3. Cut the mushrooms into small pieces, the tomato into cubes, and chop the greens. Place the prepared products in a saucepan, add salt, pour in a mixture of sour cream and tomato paste and simmer over low heat for 30-35 minutes.
10

Boil the beef until tender and cut across the muscle fibers into small pieces. Pour in a small amount of vegetable broth and simmer covered for 5-10 minutes. Then pour in the sauce and boil.

Serve to the table, sprinkled with parsley

How to choose the right beef

In order for children's beef dishes to really benefit your baby, they must not only be prepared correctly, but also be able to choose the main component - meat. Beef dishes for children are prepared only from fresh, high-quality ingredients, but meanwhile, purchasing a stale or contaminated product can cause irreparable harm to the child’s health.

Firstly, you should buy beef on the market only when there is absolute confidence that the animal whose meat is being sold is free of diseases. Since there are diseases that a person can become infected with through meat. But the product arriving on the shelves of large retail outlets is tested.

Pressing on it with your finger will help you understand how fresh the meat is - if a reddish pit remains in this place, which then smoothes out, it means you have a quality product. Don’t forget to smell the piece – there shouldn’t be any rotten or sour smell!

Examine the beef from all sides: “marbled” color with streaks of white fat is a sign of the quality of the product. The product must be free of slime or mold.

Ask the seller where the meat came from - the further it has traveled, the more likely it has been treated with antibiotics or other substances to preserve shelf life.

You can store the purchased product fresh in the refrigerator only for 2-4 days at a temperature of 0 to +5 degrees.

There comes a time when parents think about expanding the child’s menu: they want to offer him beef. At what age can this be done? Is this type of meat good for a baby? Today we will talk about the benefits of this product, why it should be present in children’s diets and in what quantity.

What are the benefits of beef?

This category includes meat from cattle: cows and bulls. It is considered healthier than pork, it is more nutritious than chicken and much more satisfying. The beneficial properties of beef are due to its composition:

B vitamins. There are several of them in beef:
- B2 is an indispensable participant in redox reactions, has a positive effect on vision, and helps improve skin condition.
- B5 - important for the metabolism of proteins, fats, cholesterol and carbohydrates. Activates the production of hemoglobin, increases the absorption of amino acids, and stimulates the adrenal cortex. Its deficiency can be judged by problems with the skin and oral mucosa.
- Vitamin B6 is extremely important for the central nervous system, the correct course of excitation and inhibition reactions depends on it, this element ensures the transformation of amino acids, it is necessary for the production of red blood cells. Vitamin B6 deficiency can be judged by the child's poor appetite, flaccid skin, and low hemoglobin levels.
- Vitamin B12 is important for the active development of muscle cells and hematopoiesis. Its deficiency contributes to the development of anemia.
Phosphorus - normalizes the acid-base balance, promotes mineralization of the skeletal system and teeth. With its deficiency, the likelihood of a child developing rickets or anemia increases sharply.
Iron - ensures the occurrence of redox reactions, as well as the transport of oxygen to cells. If it is not enough, the child quickly gets tired, becomes lethargic, and there is a high risk of hypochromic anemia.
Potassium - corrects water and electrolyte balance, blood pressure, has a positive effect on the heart muscle.
Vitamin PP - ensures the conversion of nutrients into energy. If it is deficient, the skin looks bad and the child may become capricious and irritable. This substance also affects the functioning of the digestive system.

Beef also contains copper, which promotes the absorption of iron and proteins. Thanks to it, the body's cells receive oxygen, which is so important for their development. A deficiency results in problems with the cardiovascular system, and there is also a high probability of connective tissue pathologies. In addition, beef contains chromium, zinc and molybdenum.

At what age can a child eat beef?

Beef, as a rule, does not cause allergies, so it (along with rabbit meat) is recommended to be used as the first meat supplement. It is recommended to introduce the product into the diet, taking into account not only the age, but also the characteristics of the child:

if the baby is on artificial nutrition - from 7 months, by this time the babies are already accustomed to vegetables, some gradually acquire the skills of chewing food;
if the daughter or son is weakened, their body weight is significantly less than normal, the hemoglobin level is low, it is advisable to add beef to the menu at 6 months;
Infants should not be introduced to this product early; this process can be delayed until 8–10 months, depending on the child’s condition.

It is worth consulting with your pediatrician about adding beef to your baby’s menu, especially if the baby has chronic diseases. Is your child feeling unwell? Then postpone the introduction of new complementary foods until another, more convenient occasion. This recommendation is due to the fact that meat is a heavy product that puts a significant burden on the digestive system; it should not be offered during a period when the body is weakened.

Features of cooking beef

Mothers, especially those raising their first child, often ask how best to cook beef. Children best assimilate industrially prepared products - during processing, meat fibers undergo homogenization, as a result, the cell membranes are destroyed, the meat becomes softer, it is better digested, which is extremely important for the child’s body. Such beef can be safely offered at 8-9 months, even to infants.

The main disadvantage of industrial baby food with beef is its high cost. A small jar will cost a decent amount. Many mothers prepare meat for their children themselves out of distrust of canned food. Are they right? Only partially, since the products of reputable baby food brands are usually of high quality - babies perceive them excellently!

For the first “tastings”, puree is best suited. About twenty years ago, you had to go through a lot of pain grinding meat into minced meat, and after cooking, rubbing it through a sieve. Today everything is simpler - you can use a blender, and in a matter of seconds it will turn boiled beef into a homogeneous mass.

Rules for introducing beef as complementary foods

Before adding a product to your baby’s diet, monitor his behavior and well-being. Does your baby have snot or is he coughing? There is no need to take risks - nothing bad will happen if he gets acquainted with a new product a few days later. Offering beef to a weakened child may worsen his condition. Other recommendations:

the optimal size of the first portion is 1/3-1/4 teaspoon; you can give him the product separately or add it to a vegetable dish or soup;
within 24 hours after the “tasting”, monitor the baby’s reaction, whether he is as cheerful as usual, or whether there are signs of malaise; in case of any alarming manifestations, you should postpone getting used to beef for another period;
If everything is fine, every other day you can offer a whole teaspoon of meat puree - the portion should be increased gradually.

By 9-10 months, the maximum daily intake of beef is 35-40 g, closer to one year it can be increased to 50-70 g. Gradually, you can move on to preparing cutlets, you can also add meatballs to the baby’s soup. Experts suggest giving meat for lunch; it is best absorbed in combination with vegetables.

Beef recipes for kids

We bring to your attention a selection of delicious and healthy dishes for the little ones. Remember that they will be much healthier if you cook them with passion!

Meat soufflé

Products: for 200 g of beef meat (better than tenderloin, it is softer) you will need 2 tablespoons of milk, the same amount of flour, 1 egg and a teaspoon of butter.

The beef must be thoroughly cleaned of films and tendons, and then boiled. Next, you should pass it through a meat grinder (or grind it with a blender), and then mix it with the rest of the ingredients (except protein) until a homogeneous mass is obtained. Important! The protein is added in whipped form at the very end of mixing - this must be done very carefully so that the dish remains airy. Bake for half an hour in a mold previously coated with melted butter.

Meatballs for kids

They are ideal for adding to first courses. You will need: 200 g of meat, 50 g of bread, a quarter glass of milk, an yolk, a teaspoon of butter.

Grind the prepared meat (without fat and films) in a meat grinder along with the soaked bread, then add the egg yolk with butter to the mixture and mix. Form into balls no larger than quail eggs. Boil in salted water for 10-15 minutes or add to soup.

Steam cutlets

For 100 g of beef, cleared of films and fat, you will need 20 g of bread and 2 tablespoons of water. Grind the meat using a meat grinder, then prepare minced cutlets. It must be salted and then ground again. Make cutlets and place them on a steamer rack. If you don't have one, you can use a colander placed in a pan of water. After boiling, reduce heat and cook until tender.

Meat pudding

For 100 g of meat you will need 30 g of loaf soaked in milk or water (it is better to take only the pulp, without the crust), 2 tablespoons of milk and 1 egg.

Grind the meat and loaf in a meat grinder, then add a pinch of salt and milk with the yolk. Add the protein carefully - first beat it into a stable foam. Bake in a mold that has been pre-greased with butter and sprinkled with breadcrumbs.

Precautionary measures

Beef is rich in purine bases, which are converted into uric acid in the body. Its excessive accumulation can cause gout or osteochondrosis, and the likelihood of developing other diseases also increases.

You will need

To prepare meatballs/cutlets/meatballs you will need:
- meat - 200 g;
- a slice of soaked loaf - 1 piece;
- potatoes - 1 piece, or;
- carrots - 0.5 pcs, or;
- boiled rice - 50 g.
To prepare meat pudding you will need:
- egg – 1 pc;
- meat – 50 g;
- milk – 50 g;
- a slice of bread – 15 g.
To prepare meat soufflé you will need:
- chopped boiled meat - 100 g;
- a slice of bread - 1 piece;
- egg - 1 pc;
- water - 0.5 tbsp;
- butter - 1 tsp;
- salt to taste.
To prepare the pate you will need:
- meat - 100 g;
- chicken liver – 50 g;
- carrots - 1 piece;
- onion - 1 piece;
- butter - 1 tsp;
- salt to taste.

Instructions

The simplest version of a meat dish for a 1-year-old child is minced meat balls. It is no longer necessary to grind the minced meat as before, but the texture should be such that the child cannot choke on pieces of meat if he cannot chew them. Chopped meat is mixed with a soaked loaf, grated potatoes, grated rice porridge or vegetable component and steamed or cooked in the oven. Meatballs are added to soups or served as a separate dish with mashed potatoes, porridge or a side dish of sautéed vegetables. Since a child does not chew food as thoroughly as an adult, it is better to serve meat with sauces that make it easier to swallow. Cutlets/bitches/meatballs can be served with sour cream or cream sauce.

If you add whole rice to the minced meat, you will get a favorite children's dish - hedgehogs. Cooking the dish takes a little longer until the rice is completely softened. This is both a second course and a side dish. For better absorption, hedgehogs are served with tomato or cream sauce. However, it is not recommended to cook this dish often, since rice fixes the intestinal contents.

Dishes with a uniform, smooth texture are familiar and pleasant to the baby. The assortment of meat dishes can be diluted with dishes such as soufflé, pudding or pate. To prepare a classic meat pudding, you will need to pass the meat through a meat grinder along with a loaf soaked in milk. Then the mass must be diluted with milk to the consistency of porridge and salted. Into this base you must first add the yolk, and then the separately beaten white. The fluffy mass should be carefully mixed into the minced meat so that the pudding turns out tender and airy. The pudding is steamed in a mold greased with butter for 30-40 minutes.

To prepare a meat soufflé, you need to grind the meat in a meat grinder and combine it with soaked bread. As when preparing pudding, the minced meat is combined with the yolk and whipped white. Soufflé, unlike pudding, requires baking in the oven for 20-25 minutes at 180°C. To prepare the pate, you need to boil the meat, liver and vegetables until tender and grind in a blender with a small amount of broth and butter. This pate can be served with a side dish of vegetables or mashed potatoes.