31–32 months
Chickpeas with spinach
Main mealPrep 15 minCook 60 minPortions: 3
Ingredients
- 5 tablespoons dried chickpeas
- 1 handful of fresh spinach
- 1 small onion
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
Method
- Follow the soaking and cooking instructions on the packet; throw the soaking water away if the packet asks you to, and cook until the pulses are completely soft.
- Grate the onion very finely and cook it in the olive oil for 5 minutes.
- Wash the spinach, remove thick stalks, chop finely and cook 4 minutes until fully wilted.
- Skin the chickpeas, squash each with a fork, stir through, warm gently and serve.
Texture
A moist dish of squashed chickpeas and finely chopped greens.
Serving
Serve warm and let your child eat it with a spoon.
Preparing for choking safety
Chickpeas are round and firm, so they are skinned and squashed individually. Underdried chickpeas stay hard and are not used. Thick spinach stalks are removed.
Key nutrients
ProteinIronFolateFibre
Storage
Cool within 1 to 2 hours of cooking, then refrigerate or freeze in small portions. Use a refrigerated portion within 2 days. Eat a defrosted portion within 24 hours. When reheating, heat until steaming hot all the way through, then let it cool before serving, and reheat any portion only once. Throw away a half-eaten portion rather than storing or reheating it.
Safety
Your child should be sitting upright and someone should stay with them while they eat — never while walking, running or in a moving car. No salt or sugar is added to these recipes. Their back teeth may not be fully through, so every piece must be soft enough to squash with gums and cut to a safe size. Round foods such as grapes and cherry tomatoes are always quartered lengthways. Whole nuts and popcorn are never given. Egg, meat and fish must be cooked all the way through, and unpasteurised dairy is not used. Children do not all manage the same texture at the same age — follow your child's pace rather than pushing. If your child has an allergy, eczema, or a family history of allergy, talk to your GP or health visitor before introducing new foods. Introduce foods that can trigger an allergic reaction one at a time and in small amounts, so you can spot any reaction.
Collections this recipe appears in
Similar recipes
Chicken bulgur with grated carrot
31–32 months · Main meal
Prep 12 min · Cook 35 min
Courgette and red lentil stew
31–32 months · Main meal
Prep 10 min · Cook 25 min
Chickpeas with carrot
31–32 months · Main meal
Prep 15 min · Cook 60 min
Baked beef pasta
31–32 months · Main meal
Prep 12 min · Cook 30 min
Pan-cooked salmon potato cakes
31–32 months · Main meal
Prep 15 min · Cook 21 min
Courgette and curd cheese bake
31–32 months · Breakfast
Prep 12 min · Cook 22 min
Recipes are a suggestion; they do not replace breast milk, formula, or your child's own feeding plan. If there is an allergy or a specific dietary situation, speak with a health professional.