Introducing protein into a baby's diet: the benefits of rabbit meat, recipes for its preparation

Rabbit is a healthy dietary meat that is easily digestible and rarely causes an allergic reaction. Therefore, pediatricians advise introducing this product in the first months of complementary feeding for infants. And if a child is allergic to protein, a rabbit is also suitable for first feeding. In addition, it is recommended for lactating and pregnant women.

At first, the rabbit is given to the baby in the form of crushed meat puree without salt and other spices. As a child gets older, his diet expands. He learns to chew, the body easily copes with the digestion and assimilation of different foods. Therefore, the baby can already prepare more varied dishes. Let's look at how to cook a rabbit for a child. And we’ll find out how long to cook rabbit meat.

Steamed rabbit puree

A simple, nutritious, easily digestible rabbit dish for kids. You need potatoes, broccoli, you can add tomatoes and carrots. First, divide the rabbit into portions, soak for several hours and then cook until tender (approximately 30 minutes). You can cook using a double boiler. Pour potatoes into a bowl, followed by vegetables and meat. Pour in water (70 ml). Set the bowl to steamer mode. We wait 7 minutes. Let cool for a couple of minutes, then turn over. Afterwards, grind with a blender.

Canned meat: pros and cons

Manufacturers of baby food offer a wide range of canned food, both with pure rabbit meat and with a mixture of vegetables and protein products. Convenient small jars are easy to take on the road or even for a walk; you can use them for future use and not have to prepare the dish every day. But is it safe to use canned food even from leading baby food manufacturers?

1. It is impossible to check the quality of meat, no matter what is written on the can. It is clear that the use of an expensive product will make canned food also inaccessible, which is not very profitable for manufacturers.
2. Canned food usually contains starch and preservatives. Even if they are safe, they are completely unnecessary for your 8 month old baby.
3. Violation of storage conditions that you cannot check before purchase leads to the fact that canned food may be unsafe.

Mom will be much calmer if she buys a rabbit herself, cuts it up and freezes it. It is not difficult to prepare, because it is important to offer the baby chopped and well-cooked meat.

Rabbit cutlets in the oven

A hearty rabbit dish that goes well with any side dish. First, divide the bread loaf into small pieces, pour half a glass of milk onto it and leave to soak. Grind the onion in a blender and add to the minced meat. Grind the soggy loaf and add it to the minced meat with onions. Put two eggs. Salt to taste. Mix thoroughly until a homogeneous mass is obtained. Grease a baking sheet with vegetable oil. Form cutlets, roll in breadcrumbs and place on a baking sheet. Bake the cutlets in the oven for 25-30 minutes at 200 degrees. For the youngest children, the cutlets can be steamed.

Features of eating rabbit by children

We figured out the beneficial properties and made sure that a child needs a rabbit. But when should you give the first meat food? This question worries young parents. Doctors recommend introducing meat into complementary foods at 6-8 months . This should not be done before, since the baby’s stomach is not yet accustomed to the new way of eating; the rabbit will seem too heavy for a small organism and will cause rotting inside.

One more point: a rabbit cannot be the first food. It should follow other types of food. The first complementary foods are vegetable and fruit purees and cereals. And only then does meat supplementation appear.

Rabbit meat for first feeding.

Separate the rabbit fillet from the bones, making sure to clean the membranes. Place the meat in a saucepan, add water and place on low heat. As soon as the meat boils, cook for 30-40 minutes until cooked. You can check the readiness by piercing it with a fork: if the juice does not come out, then the meat is cooked. Turn off the heat and take out the rabbit. Cool the meat and cut into small pieces. Place the meat in a blender, adding a little boiled water. Grind the meat until pureed. Can be combined with vegetable puree or milk. Next, put the meat in jars and put it in the refrigerator.

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Possible harm and introduction to complementary foods

An allergic reaction to rabbit meat is extremely rare. Therefore, such meat can be introduced into complementary feeding for infants as early as 7-8 months. Moreover, this may be the first type of meat tasted. In some cases, pediatricians advise including chicken and turkey first, and only then beef and rabbit. When and what kind of meat to introduce, see more details here.

For the first time, a rabbit for complementary feeding is given in boiled, crushed form. You can mix meat with vegetable puree. Let the baby try half a teaspoon of complementary foods and watch the baby. If there are no negative consequences, your child can safely prepare a variety of dishes with rabbit meat. But be sure to follow the recommendations!

Gradually increase the dosage of the rabbit to 50 grams, after a year - to 100 grams. It is not recommended to give the product more than three times a week. If your baby exhibits symptoms of food allergies, stomach upset, bowel problems and other problems, temporarily eliminate the product from the diet and contact your pediatrician.

Rabbit meat should not be eaten if the motility and tone of the gallbladder is impaired, with arthritis and gout, or with kidney disease. This product contains harmful purine compounds. And the liver, among other things, is capable of accumulating toxins. Such substances negatively affect the functioning of internal organs and often lead to poisoning. Therefore, you should not abuse such meat!

How long should you cook a rabbit for a baby and what else can you cook?

When the question arises of choosing a healthy diet for a baby, every mother strives to give her child only the best, high-quality and healthy products at the beginning of his gastronomic journey. It’s great if the choice fell on rabbit meat. This meat has always been considered a coveted delicacy dish, along with the commonly available chicken or beef - tender, aromatic, it is a rare holiday guest both in the old days and on modern tables, and it’s very in vain - delicious meat will bring as much benefit as joy from the taste and aroma.

Meat is a new product in the diet

Protein is a building material for muscle tissue, so it is a necessary component of the diet of any person, especially a tiny one who still has time to grow. Many young parents are afraid to give meat too early, so it is always better to ask for advice from a doctor who observes the newborn and knows the peculiarities of its development. It is the doctor who decides where to start complementary feeding: for example, for children who are not gaining weight well, they are recommended to give porridge first. And babies who are actively growing and getting better are the first to try vegetables. Therefore, the choice of products depends on various factors.

Meat is usually offered to babies around 8 months. If the child is on artificial nutrition, and the first complementary foods were introduced at 4 months, then protein can be offered for about six months. They start cooking poultry first; it is advisable to choose turkey meat, since it, as a rule, does not cause allergies, unlike chicken meat. An alternative would be rabbit - a surprisingly gentle and safe product.

The benefits of rabbit meat

It is impossible to quantify the benefits of rabbit meat; it is a storehouse of vitamins and all kinds of minerals, superior to all known types of meat, it contains:

It is especially important that rabbit meat, due to the endless number of useful components, can improve the body’s absorption of healthy fats and proteins, strengthen the health of the walls of blood vessels, reduce the dose of radiation received, act as an assistant in creating a menu for patients with the gastrointestinal tract, and simply become a wonderful option for a nutritious diet.

In addition, having a minimal amount of allergens in its composition, rabbit meat can easily enter the diet of children without harming the delicate stomach, but on the contrary, instilling the right taste preferences and helping to experience the novelty of taste.

In terms of the amount of proteins, rabbit meat is many times ahead of the usual beef and pork, which is a real treasure trove for a baby with reactive characteristics - he didn’t eat a lot, but got a lot of useful things. For the same reasons of its excellent composition, rabbit meat is useful for children because it “normalizes” fat metabolism - while the child’s body is just learning to adapt to new types of complex fats, carbohydrates and proteins, simple rabbit meat will help them go through the path of addiction without complications.

Composition and benefits of the product

Rabbits grow quite quickly and by the age of two months they weigh about one and a half kg. In this case, the animal carcass contains 85% meat. It is hard and dense in rabbits. Due to this, the meat and fat layer can be easily separated from the bone. And after cooking, the carcass becomes soft, tender and literally melts in your mouth. The older the animal, the fattier and higher the calorie content the meat. Therefore, it is better to take a young carcass.

Rabbit meat contains vitamins A and C, B1 and E, B2 and B11, B6 and B9, PP. Among other things, the product contains phosphorus and fluorine, iron and sodium and calcium, cobalt and manganese, zinc and copper, chlorine and potassium, iodine and other important minerals. The benefits of rabbit meat include the following properties:

• Increases immunity and body tone, accelerates recovery from infectious diseases, helps to recover from illness and operations;
• Strengthens teeth, gums and bones. Takes part in the formation of the bone skeleton, teeth and nails;
• Relieves fatigue, prevents rapid fatigue, gives vigor and strength;
• Helps with insomnia and improves sleep;
• Relieves pain in muscles and joints, eliminates headaches and dizziness;
• Eliminates dry skin and has a beneficial effect on the condition of the skin;
• Revitalizes and strengthens dry hair, helps with hair loss;
• Stabilizes the functioning of blood vessels and the heart, normalizes blood pressure;
• Relieves acne on the face and cracks in the corners of the mouth;
• Stimulates memory and saturates brain cells with oxygen;
• Relieves irritability and improves mood, has a beneficial effect on the condition of nerve cells;
• Improves material metabolism;
• Reduces eye pressure and maintains visual acuity;
• Lowers blood sugar levels;
• When playing sports, it helps build muscle mass.

Rabbit meat is a dietary food low in calories. It helps reduce weight and improve digestion. Rabbit meat is useful for anemia, gastritis and stomach ulcers, colitis, hypertension, diabetes and some other diseases.

Rabbit fat heals wounds and relieves inflammation. This component is added to some cosmetic products that rejuvenate the skin and improve the condition of the hair, and help with various problems of the skin and nails.

Basic rules for cooking rabbit for a baby

Being a universal product, rabbit meat is good both fried and boiled. It will also be delicious to bake or stew - everything is at the will of the cook, the main thing is not to be too lazy to use bay leaves and black pepper, these seasonings will amazingly reveal the taste and aroma of rabbit meat.

Before any manipulations with rabbit meat, it is necessary to rinse it with lukewarm running water.

How to defrost correctly

When planning to cook for your baby, you need to defrost the meat at room temperature, placing a paper towel, and under no circumstances use warm water for defrosting - this will cause the rabbit meat to lose a large amount of nutrients.

How to soak a rabbit before cooking

The need to soak rabbit meat must be looked at from several perspectives: taking into account the age of the killed animal and its origin, the method of slaughter, and the freshness of the carcass itself. A young, fresh homemade carcass often does not require soaking, while the carcass of an old, wild, hunted hare requires special soaking, otherwise the meat will be bitter, tough and smell terrible.

By soaking in ordinary water you can get rid of bitterness and unpleasant taste, but this method of soaking will not affect the taste. It is enough to change the water three or four times, every 15 minutes during the hour allotted for soaking.

At the last draining, you can add any marinade, or a mixture of them, to the water to choose from:

Apple extract/Sour cream/Mushroom sauce/Dill/Basil/Oregano/Rosemary/Nutmeg/Parsley/Lemon/Thyme/Garlic/Onion/Milk/Cranberry/Soy sauce

Soaking in sparkling mineral water will remove all excess from the meat and make it soft. The same effect can be achieved by soaking meat in whey. Milk will add sweetness to the meat. Garlic with vegetable oil or onion juice overnight will add piquancy to even the most conventionally prepared dish.

Vinegar with water in the proportion of 1 liter of water / 2 tbsp. l. vinegar (wine or apple) will eliminate the unpleasant smell and taste of an accidentally caught, not quite fresh carcass of an old rabbit. White wine, red wine, beer, cider are generally the best way to soak rabbit meat, but this is already a song for gourmets; it is better not to offer such a delicacy to a very young child.

How long to cook a rabbit for a child

When cooking rabbit meat for a baby, it is important to place the meat in a pan with already boiled water to increase the chances of preserving proteins and vitamins in large quantities. The process itself from boiling to readiness takes from one and a half to two and a half hours, taking into account the quantity and component - a little tender meat without bones will cook in an hour, while the front part of the carcass with bones will cook for about three hours. It’s clear how to cook a rabbit, but it’s always worth estimating, looking at the selected part of the carcass, how long it will take to cook the rabbit.

How to cook rabbit for soup

When starting to prepare boiled rabbit meat for your baby, you should pay special attention to chopping the product - you need to cut across the grain so that the cooked meat is more tender and flavorful. You also need to take into account that when cooking, more nutrients will disappear, which is very important when preparing a diet.

You can check the readiness of the rabbit meat with a regular fork. You need to pierce a small piece. If cloudy pink juice flows out, it’s not cooked; if it’s clear, the product is ready; if the juice doesn’t flow out at all, the product is overcooked.

How to select and store a rabbit

For cooking, choose only fresh meat from a young animal. A high-quality piece is distinguished by an elastic and dense structure, light pink color and lack of odor. Young meat weighs up to one and a half kg. An old animal is darker, heavier and smells like hay. Do not choose a carcass that is too large, otherwise the dish may turn out dry and stale.

Choose a carcass without spots, cuts or chapped skin. Press down on the surface of the meat; the pit will straighten out when you remove your finger. Do not take thawed pieces. On these you can observe the presence of ice or water. High-quality meat that has been tested always has certificates and a special mark.

You can store rabbit meat for up to two days in the refrigerator and up to one month in the freezer. Before use, be sure to rinse the carcass and remove the film. The rabbit is cut in the same way as chicken. If you don't want to cut the product, you can buy fillet pieces.

How to choose meat when buying

When buying rabbit meat at the market or in a store, you should use the following tips:

• the smell of fresh young rabbit meat is pleasant; the presence of the smell of hay indicates that the rabbit is old;
• the color of the meat should be pale pink, and the structure should be dense and elastic;
• it is better to buy young rabbit meat; its carcass weight does not exceed one and a half kilograms;
• fresh meat cannot have a weathered or slippery, wet surface;
• with high-quality processing, the carcass must be completely drained of blood and have no scraps of skin;
• There should be no pieces of ice or frozen blood in the package of frozen rabbit meat.

When buying meat at the market, fur is often left on one of the legs of the carcass as confirmation that the meat is indeed rabbit.

When purchasing frozen meat in a store, you should pay attention to the expiration date on the product label.

• Fresh meat should be stored in the refrigerator for no longer than 2 days. It is not recommended to use plastic bags for packaging; you need to put the meat in a pan and cover with a lid.
• Frozen rabbit meat can be stored for up to a month.
• Meat from an open can can only be used within 24 hours.

Useful tips

At first, parents must control all stages of the process themselves. We are talking about purchasing a carcass, its subsequent processing and preparation. It is acceptable to use special mixtures, but this is more expensive and it is not always possible to be 100% sure of the quality of the product. Complementary meat with turkey, rabbit and other types of product must meet the following requirements:

• It is recommended to feed the baby with the meat of animals or birds that were raised independently;
• if this is not possible, it is recommended to purchase the product at retail outlets that have the entire list of permits and sanitary documentation;
• Regardless of what kind of meat was boiled, it should not be in the refrigerator for more than 24 hours.

A convenient and safe storage method is to divide the piece into portions.

Rabbit recipes for children

Purees for the little ones

• Rabbit meat – 2– grams;
• Water – 0.6 l.

This recipe is optimal for feeding an infant. Take a piece of meat, or better yet fillet, peel off the film and fill it with water. Cook until done, then pass through a blender along with the broth. The result is a liquid puree that the baby can easily eat and absorb. If desired, you can add mashed potatoes to the dish.

Soufflé in a slow cooker

• Rabbit fillet – 100 grams;
• Milk – 1⁄2 cup;
• Chicken egg – 1 pc.;
• Pumpkin pulp – 50 grams;
• White bread - 1 piece.

Cut the rabbit into small pieces, soak the bread in milk. Beat egg yolks, meat, bread and pumpkin in a blender. Beat the egg whites separately and add to the resulting mixture. Divide the mixture into molds and cook in a slow cooker for forty minutes. The result is an airy, tender and soft rabbit soufflé for children. The dish is suitable for a child up to one year old.

Rabbit rice soup

• Meat – 300 grams;
• Rice – 50 grams;
• Potatoes – 6 pieces;
• Onion – 1 head;
• Greens to taste.

Rinse the meat and cook for forty minutes, then remove and cut into small pieces. After this, he returns the rabbit back to the water. Peel the potatoes and cut into strips. Place it on the rabbit. Bring to a boil and add washed rice. Peel the carrots and onions, chop finely and lightly simmer in vegetable oil. Ten minutes before the soup is ready, add the stewed vegetables and simmer for a few minutes.

Sprinkle the finished soup with chopped herbs and eat with sour cream. It turns out not greasy, but rich, satisfying and tasty. This recipe is recommended for children over two to three years of age. Do not forget that it is not advisable to give small children meat broths, but rice strengthens the stomach well.

Rabbit cutlets

• Meat – 1 kg;
• Milk – 50 ml;
• Chicken egg – 1 piece;
• Bread – 1 piece;
• Breadcrumbs;
• Pepper and salt to taste.

Pass the meat through a meat grinder. Soak the bread in milk and also swirl, mix with meat and break the egg. Add spices and mix ingredients. Form the minced rabbit into cutlets and roll in breadcrumbs. Then fry the pieces on each side in vegetable oil until cooked. Serve crispy cutlets with porridge or vegetable puree. The dish is recommended for children over one and a half years old. At 1 year old, a child can cook rabbit meatballs.

Stewed rabbit

• Meat – 1/2 kg;
• Sour cream – 1/2 l;
• Carrots – 1 piece;
• Onion – 1 head;
• Salt to taste.

Soak the meat in cold water for three hours, cut into pieces and coat with salt and leave for another hour. If your baby already eats garlic, you can coat the pieces with crushed garlic mass. Fry the meat in vegetable oil on each side until a light crust appears.

Place the meat in a saucepan. Peel the vegetables, chop finely and lightly fry in the pan where the rabbit was fried. Then put it in a saucepan and pour sour cream on top, cover with a lid and simmer for 35-40 minutes after boiling. Instead of meat, you can cook rabbit liver.

Liver is a delicate offal that is easily digestible. It contains a large number of vitamins and performs beneficial functions. Liver can be given to children as early as 1 year, but after the introduction of regular meat. For more information about the benefits and harms of the liver for a child, read the link https://vskormi.ru/children/pechenochnye-oladii-dlya-detej/.

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In cream

• Cooking time: 3 hours.
• Number of servings: 5-6 persons.
• Calorie content: 214 kcal.
• Purpose: lunch.
• Cuisine: Russian.
• Difficulty: above average.

7 important tips from a pediatrician on how to introduce meat into your baby’s complementary foods

A very tasty, popular treat for a festive feast is rabbit stewed in cream. Creamy mushroom sauce goes perfectly with tender dietary meat. It is advisable to serve this dish with mashed potatoes, spaghetti or any porridge. Rabbit meat is decorated with fresh celery, dill or parsley. Champignons or porcini mushrooms are excellent mushrooms.

Ingredients:

• rabbit carcass – 1 pc.;
• cream (10%) – 200 g;
• onion – 1 pc.;
• champignons – 200 g;
• carrot – 1 pc.;
• parsley root;
• lemon juice – 2 tbsp. l.;
• butter – 50 g;
• nutmeg - a pinch;
• salt pepper.

Cooking method:

1. Rub the marinated rabbit pieces with salt and pepper.
2. Chop the onion, carrot and parsley root into strips.
3. Fry the rabbit meat in melted butter and transfer it to the duckling pan.
4. Saute vegetables and mushrooms, cut into slices, in the remaining oil.
5. Combine all ingredients, salt and pepper.
6. Pour the contents of the saucepan with cream. Simmer over low heat for one hour.
7. Then add lemon juice and nuts to the dish.
8. Before serving, let sit for a little while with the lid closed.

A child is one year old - how to prepare a delicious puree soup with vegetables

This soup is ideal to give to those children who are already familiar with vegetables and do not have an allergic reaction to them. The soup is prepared quickly and easily, and even adults will not refuse to try it.

What you will need:

• 1 tomato without skin
• 50g zucchini,
• ½ carrot
• ¼ onion,
• 50 g cauliflower.

Before you start cooking, all vegetables should be washed, peeled and cut into small pieces. And to make the dish even tastier, it is better to cook it in a small saucepan, for example, 1 liter.

How to give your child meat supplements?

Exactly the same as they fed him with other foods the first time. Mix a quarter teaspoon of rabbit meat with breast milk, mix thoroughly and give it to the baby to try. If your child reacts positively to a new dish, feel free to add it to the menu.

Meat complementary foods can be introduced in another way; pediatricians often talk about it: a microscopic amount of meat is added to vegetable puree so that the child’s body gradually gets used to the new taste and substance. Meat complementary foods will become a familiar dish for the baby and will not cause allergies.

Why shouldn't you use canned food?

Supermarkets offer young parents collections of jars, canned goods with poultry, rabbit meat, broccoli and chicken... The variety is huge. There is no need to prepare jars; you can stock up for future use and treat your child with canned food with peace of mind. But the simple “recipe” for these dishes is the only plus. Otherwise, such products are not useful for the baby, and may even harm.

1. It is unknown what kind of meat manufacturers put in the jars. Manufacturers can use genetically modified products due to their low cost and volume, which should not be included in children's menus.
2. The composition does not inspire confidence; in addition to the fact that ordinary products are listed there, the list includes preservatives and corn starch, which adds more volume. As a result, the percentage of meat becomes insignificant.
3. It is easy to get poisoned from canned meat. Manufacturers do not always accurately indicate shelf life. The baby's body is very sensitive and may react to preservatives with an allergic reaction. Play it safe and prepare it yourself.
4. The price of such jars is not encouraging. For a small box of “healthiest” puree, which cannot be stored open for a long time, and therefore is bought for one or two times, you need to pay a considerable amount. It is more profitable to buy a rabbit carcass, cut it up, turn it into minced meat and use it, after freezing it, for six months or a year.

Don’t trust attractive advertisements or convenient jars; the baby’s health is a hundred times more important.

Canned food with meat

It is important to note that when purchasing canned food, very often the manufacturer adds a huge amount of additives to the meat puree. For example, rice flour, lemon juice, canola oil, corn oil, rice starch and more. I'm not saying that this is bad, but some supplements may not be included in the baby's complementary foods. Of course, the jar can sit and wait until you introduce the product into your baby’s diet, but it’s better to carefully read the ingredients.

Please note that meat puree is much more expensive than vegetable puree. It’s also important that the consistency is thick; if everything flows smoothly in the jar, then it’s better not to take it, there’s too much water in there. Meat puree without additives is thick and there is nothing to flow there; this puree is more reminiscent of a stew with a uniform consistency. It needs to be lightly mashed with a fork before serving; it is tender, thick, but not dry. It also happens that there is broth at the bottom of the jar, and meat puree on top, this is also normal, just stir before serving.

Why is a rabbit valuable?

Unlike poultry and pork, rabbit meat contains the entire set of amino acids, so its protein is completely absorbed. It contains almost twice as much iron, phosphorus and vitamin B12 as beef. This is very important for the development of bone tissue, preventing anemia and physical exhaustion. Tryptophan, lysine, methionine and other amino acids are involved in the construction of the muscle, nervous system, and general metabolism.

Magnesium, potassium, copper and a number of other microelements ensure normal cell division, complete absorption of nutrients, and regulate the functioning of the heart and other internal organs. This is a hypoallergenic product: it does not irritate the mucous membranes of the gastrointestinal tract and does not provoke exacerbations of inflammatory processes. Rabbit meat is allowed for children even if they are intolerant to animal protein. Its regular use helps to quickly restore strength, strengthens the immune system, and is useful for healthy and weakened children.

Contraindications to rabbit meat can only be severe disorders in the liver, kidneys or individual intolerance.

How much formula does a baby need?

Just a little, the main thing is not to overdo it. Meat products require caution when consumed by young children. Until the baby is one year old, the dose should not exceed seventy grams. Up to nine months, it is recommended to give from twenty to fifty grams.

If you overdo it, it will be difficult for your baby’s stomach to digest meat products.

Do not forget to consult with the doctor who is observing your baby. He will advise you on how to feed your child a rabbit, based on individual characteristics.

Feeding a baby correctly: breastfeeding technique

Introducing complementary foods for many parents is quite a difficult task, because you need to decide where to start, maintain a pause between new products, and monitor the baby’s reaction. But the most important thing is to choose safe and truly healthy foods. Among these is dietary meat: how do we cook baby rabbit? There are many answers to this question, because the dish should be tender and tasty.

Of course, at first you will have to cook the baby separately. This is a rather labor-intensive process, but it’s so nice to give your baby new tastes and impressions.