Spinach scrambled eggs

Name: Spinach scrambled eggs
Total time: 10 min
Yield: 1 adult and 1 baby
Ingredients: 1 handful (about 30 g / 1 oz) fresh spinach; 2 eggs; 1 tbsp breast milk, formula or water; 1 tsp vegetable oil

Soft scrambled eggs with cooked, finely chopped spinach stirred through, cooked until no liquid egg is left. Ready in 10 minutes. Offer it once your baby has had egg on its own without a reaction.

From: 6 months
Time: 10 min
Makes: 1 adult and 1 baby

Contains eggOptional extra contains milk

Ingredients

1 handful (about 30 g / 1 oz)fresh spinachthick stems removed, or 1 cube of frozen chopped spinach
2eggs
1 tbspbreast milk, formula or waterfrom 12 months, a splash of whole cow's milk works too, once dairy has been introduced on its own
1 tspvegetable oil

Steps

1Wash your hands. Rinse the spinach well under running water, gently rubbing the leaves.
2Heat the oil in a nonstick pan over medium heat. Add the spinach with a splash of water and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, until fully wilted (cook frozen spinach until hot). Tip it onto a board, squeeze out the extra water and chop it very finely, so no whole leaves or long strands are left.
3Whisk the eggs with the breast milk, formula or water, then stir in the spinach. Don't add salt. Wash your hands, utensils and work surfaces after contact with raw egg.
4Wipe the pan, return it to medium-low heat and pour in the egg mixture. For 6 months, let it set in a thin, flat layer, stirring gently only now and then, so it can be cut into strips. For older babies, stir gently into soft curds.
5Keep cooking until no visible liquid egg is left anywhere: the curds can stay soft and moist, but not runny or wet. Egg dishes should reach 160°F (71°C).
6Let it cool for a few minutes, cut or break it up for your baby's stage, and check the temperature before serving.

How to serve it by age

6 months+

Offer only after egg has been introduced on its own. Cut the flat egg into strips about the size of an adult finger, roughly 6–8 cm long and 2 cm wide (2½–3 × ¾ in), or offer large soft clumps your baby can grab. Each piece should squash easily between your thumb and finger, with no wet or runny egg and no long strands of spinach.

9 months+

Offer small, moist curds no bigger than about 1 cm (just under ½ inch) for pincer-grasp practice, or keep serving strips.

12 months+

Serve curds about 1 cm (just under ½ inch) on their own or with toast strips once wheat has been introduced, as part of a family breakfast.

Where US and UK guidance differ on this recipe

United States(AAP and CDC)Your setting

Cook scrambled eggs until no liquid egg is left: USDA FSIS says scrambled eggs should not be runny, and egg dishes should reach 160°F (71°C). The CDC lists runny eggs as a riskier choice for children under 5.

United Kingdom(NHS)Your setting

The NHS says hens' eggs with the British Lion stamp (a red lion) are safe for babies lightly cooked, so a softer scramble is fine once your baby has had well-cooked egg without a reaction. For the first tastes, cook it until no wet egg is left. Other hens' eggs, and duck, goose and quail eggs, should be cooked until the white and yolk are solid.

We cover US and UK guidance in detail. Elsewhere, check your national health service's advice too.

If your baby reacts

This recipe contains egg. The optional extras contain milk. Introduce one new allergen at a time, mixed into a food your baby already eats, before serving it in a dish with other new foods. Contact your pediatrician, GP or health visitor if you notice mild signs after eating, such as a few hives or a little vomiting. See signs of a reaction.

Call 911999your local emergency number (such as 112 in Europe or 000 in Australia) now if your baby has trouble breathing, wheezing, can't cough or cry, has lips, mouth, tongue or throat that suddenly swell, or becomes pale, bluish, floppy or unresponsive. Also call if hives come with repeated vomiting.

Leftovers and the rest of the family

Storing it

Best made fresh. Leftovers that haven't been served keep for 3 to 4 days in a covered container in the fridge. Reheat only once, until steaming hot, 165°F (74°C), then let it cool before serving. Throw away anything left in your baby's bowl. Don't leave scrambled eggs at room temperature for more than 2 hours, or 1 hour if it's hotter than 90°F (32°C).

For the grown-ups

Scramble 4 to 6 eggs with a bigger handful of spinach and take the baby's portion out first. Season the adults' eggs with salt, black pepper, chili or grated cheese at the table.