Quinoa is a nutritional powerhouse, but it can be tricky to introduce to little ones. Here are ideas for how to serve quinoa to babies 6 months and up without all the mess, plus how to cook perfect quinoa for baby, and baby friendly quinoa recipes!
This post has been written and medically reviewed by Kaleigh McMordie, MCN, RDN (Registered Dietitian Nutritionist).
As a dietitian, I wanted my little ones to enjoy the healthy foods that I was already preparing for our family meals as soon as they could start eating (which is why I chose baby led weaning!), and it usually worked out fairly easily. Quinoa was a whole different story. The first time I served some of the quinoa from my plate to my precious 6 month old, I watched in horror as the tiny grains flew everywhere - down the high chair, on the floor, in her hair - as she struggled to get any of them in her mouth. Despite letting the dog come in and try to clean up the mess after dinner, I was cleaning up quinoa for at least a couple days.
Lesson learned: quinoa needs special treatment for baby led weaning. I still make it for my family, and so I still want to be able to serve it to my littlest eaters (especially because I always make too much and end up with leftovers!). Over the years I've learned a few strategies to serve quinoa BLW style with less mess and more of the nutrient dense grain making its way into their mouths and bellies. Here's how!
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When Can Babies Eat Quinoa?
Babies can have quinoa as soon as they are developmentally ready for solids, usually around 6 months of age.
While technically classified as a seed, quinoa is cooked and used as a grain. It is highly nutritious - prized for it's complete protein makeup and high fiber and nutrient density. It should be cooked before serving to babies. The soft texture and tiny grain size make quinoa an ideal first food for babies.
How To Cook Perfect Quinoa For Baby
Quinoa is easy to cook! To make perfectly fluffy quinoa:
- Rinse. Place dry quinoa in a fine mesh strainer and rinse under cool water. This helps to avoid any chances of your quinoa tasting bitter. Drain well.
- Add to a pot. Place the quinoa in a saucepan or pot with a tight fitting lid. Add water (or broth or other liquid) and salt, if desired. I find a little salt really helps the flavor (and I'm not worried about a small pinch in family meals for baby. You can read more on salt here.)
- Cook. Bring the quinoa to a boil over medium high heat. Once boiling, give it a stir, lower the heat to a low simmer and cook with the lid on for 15 minutes. Don't forget to set the timer! (I've burned a lot of quinoa.)
- Steam and fluff. Turn off the heat and let the quinoa rest for 5 minutes with the lid on to help absorb any excess moisture. Then uncover and fluff with a fork. Done!
How To Serve Quinoa for Baby Led Weaning (6 months and up)
With some foods, I recommend altering the serving for different ages and stages (palmar grasp vs pincer grasp, etc) as your baby grows. With quinoa, I would stick with the following methods until baby is at least 12-18 months or can use utensils fairly well (which may not happen until your little one is 2 to 3 years old). Unless you are feeling brave and want to experiment with how far a spoonful of plain cooked quinoa can travel in all directions!
Here are my recommendations for serving quinoa using a baby led weaning approach, starting at 6 months, or when your baby is ready for solids.
Stirred into another scoopable food
Stir cooked quinoa into yogurt, applesauce, oatmeal, mashed potato or sweet potato, scrambled egg, pasta sauce, or another soft, scoopable food that will hold the tiny grains together. I like a mixture of plain Greek yogurt and some sort of flavor booster, such as my no sugar berry compote or a sprinkle of cinnamon. Or if you're already serving a sauce, such as tzatziki or hummus, use that! Offer the mixture on a pre-loaded soft spoon, or in a rimmed plate or bowl and allow baby to scoop it up with his hands. It's still messy, but not as messy as plain quinoa.
Made into balls, fingers, or patties
Using a binding agent, such as hummus (one of my favorites for quinoa!), mashed beans, avocado, banana, or a natural nut butter of your choice, roll quinoa into balls or another BLW-friendly shape like a finger or a patty. Baby can easily pick up this type of finger food and bring it to his mouth to munch on without all the mess and frustration. (See below for specific quinoa ball recipes!)
Baked into recipes
Baking quinoa into baby friendly recipes like quinoa muffins, pancakes, meatballs, or a casserole is a great way to serve quinoa to little ones that will avoid the mess. There are plenty of recipes available online, and I have a few suggestions below that I've created as well. But you can always improvise and stir a small bit of leftover cooked quinoa into pancake or waffle batter to improve the nutritional value, and often you can use it in place of bread crumbs and liquid in meatballs!
Quinoa porridge
While quinoa won't come together in a thick, sticky porridge the way oatmeal or rice will, you can still make a thinner quinoa porridge by boiling quinoa with the milk of your choice and a bit of applesauce or mashed banana. Use a little more liquid than if you were cooking plain quinoa, and cook uncovered for an additional 5 minutes, stirring. Alternately, you can simmer cooked quinoa with a splash of milk, stirring, until you have a porridge. Don't forget to flavor it with cinnamon, vanilla, or any other spices!
Baby Friendly Quinoa Recipes
Sweet (but with no added sugar!)
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FAQ
Quinoa is considered a superfood because it is so nutritious! Not only is quinoa a complete source of protein (it contains all 9 essential amino acids), it is also high in fiber, iron, omega-3 fats, magnesium, manganese, antioxidants, and other vitamins and minerals. It's an excellent first food for babies, and can be an especially good choice for babies who follow a vegetarian diet or don't eat a lot of meat.
While you don't have to rinse quinoa, it does greatly reduce any chance of a bitter taste, which you may have with quinoa sometimes. Sometimes I rinse it, sometimes I don't depending on how much time I have.
No, quinoa is not a common food allergen.
While any food could be choked on, quinoa is not a high choking risk. Always be sure to supervise closely any time he is eating!
Yes! Cooked quinoa can be made into a puree to make a nutritious baby cereal. Add cooked quinoa to a blender or food processor with a little water, milk, breastmilk, or liquid of your choice and puree until smooth, adding more liquid as needed.
Whatever you have! I find that white tends to be softer and more fluffy, while red or black have a little more bite to them.
Perfectly Cooked Quinoa for Baby
Make perfectly cooked quinoa for baby and the whole family with this easy recipe.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 3 cups 1x
- Category: side dish
- Method: stovetop
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 1 cup dry quinoa (185 g)
- 2 cups water or low sodium broth
- optional: pinch of salt
Instructions
- Place dry quinoa in a fine mesh strainer and rinse under cool water. Drain well.
- Add quinoa to a saucepan or pot with a tight fitting lid with water and salt (if using).
- Bring quinoa to a boil over medium-high heat. Once boiling, stir, cover and reduce the heat to maintain a low simmer. Cook for 15 minutes (set the timer!), covered.
- Turn off the heat and let the quinoa rest for 5 minutes with the lid on. Remove the lid and fluff with a fork before serving.
Notes
- While rinsing isn't absolutely necessary with all brands of quinoa, it does greatly reduce any bitterness you might have with quinoa. If I rinse it, I reduce the cooking liquid just a tiny bit.
- Store cooked quinoa in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, or in the freezer fo rup to 3 months.
- See blog post above for ideas on serving quinoa to babies with less mess!
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