Turnip greens

How to serve turnip greens by age

6 months+

Cooked and blended into soft foods

Cut the leaves away from the stems and thick center ribs, simmer until very soft, then blend or chop very finely. Stir into mashed potato, mashed turnip, sweet potato or mashed black-eyed peas and serve on a pre-loaded spoon.

Size

Cooked, then blended or very finely chopped and mixed into a mash or purée, with no whole leaves, ribs or stems left.

Check before serving

Lift a spoonful and look for leaf pieces or bits of rib. If you see any, blend or chop it again.

US and UK advice differ here. The AAP suggests mashed food or soft pieces no larger than ½ inch; the NHS suggests soft finger-sized pieces your baby can hold in their fist. Both agree the food must squash easily.

9 months+

Finely chopped in dishes

Stir finely chopped cooked turnip greens into rice, grits, mashed beans or scrambled egg (once egg has been introduced). Mixing them into other foods is easier for babies than loose leaves.

Size

Pieces no bigger than about 1 cm (just under ½ inch), mixed into soft foods.

Check before serving

Squash a piece between your thumb and finger. It should be soft, not chewy or stringy.

12 months+

Chopped cooked greens in family meals

Serve chopped, slow-cooked turnip greens in soups, stews, bean dishes or alongside cornbread. Take your child's portion out before adding salt, ham hock or bacon.

Size

Chopped pieces about 1 cm (just under ½ inch), mixed into dishes.

Check before serving

Check for chewy pieces or bits of rib before serving.

18 months+

Cooked, chopped or blended in dishes

Keep serving turnip greens cooked until tender and chopped into family dishes, or blended into sauces and soups. Raw turnip leaves are tough and hard to chew, so they're best cooked for young children.

Size

Chopped pieces about 1 cm (just under ½ inch), or blended into dishes.

Check before serving

Check for chewy pieces or bits of rib before serving.

Always have your child sit upright in a high chair or at the table, and stay with them the whole time they eat. Keep to the size and texture for their stage. Every baby develops on their own timeline.

How to prepare turnip greens

1. 1

   Cut the greens off the turnip roots. Rinse each leaf under running water, gently rubbing both sides, as the leaves can hold grit.

2. 2

   Cut the leaves away from the thick stems and center ribs, and throw those away. Roll up the leaves and slice them into thin ribbons.

3. 3

   Simmer in unsalted water for about 15 to 25 minutes, until very soft. Don't add salt or salty meats.

4. 4

   Let them cool, squeeze out the extra water, then blend or chop very finely and stir into a food your baby already eats.

How much to offer

Start with a teaspoon or so of cooked turnip greens mixed into a familiar food. Your baby decides how much to eat: stop when they turn away or close their mouth. Lots of smearing and mess is normal at first.

Common mistakes

Questions parents ask

If your baby refuses turnip greens

• Bitter vegetables often take 10 or more tries. Keep offering a little, alongside foods your baby already likes.
• Blend them into foods your baby already likes, such as mashed potato, beans or grits.
• Eat some yourself at the same meal. Babies copy what they see.
• Funny faces don't mean they dislike it. They're getting used to a new taste and texture.

Never force or pressure your baby to eat. Some days they'll eat more, some days less, and that's normal.

Buying and storing turnip greens

• Keep fresh turnip greens in the fridge, at or below 40°F (4°C), cut away from the roots.
• Cooked turnip greens keep for 3 to 4 days in a covered container in the fridge. Rice dishes are the exception: cool them within 1 hour, keep them in the fridge for no more than 1 day, and reheat them only once.
• Cooked, chopped turnip greens can be frozen in an ice cube tray for 3 to 4 months (blended purées within 3 months). Thaw them in the fridge and use them within 24 hours. Reheat only once, to 165°F (74°C), until steaming hot, then let them cool before serving.
• Throw away any food left out at room temperature for more than 2 hours (1 hour if it's hotter than 90°F / 32°C).