Attention, all parents! 

Have you ever wanted to prepare a  nutritious and flavorful sauce for your baby, toddler, or child - but you didn't know how?

A sauce that still has protein as well as some essential nutrients such as iron or zinc. A sauce that is flavorful and cannot only be eaten by the kids, but also by the parents.

That's what today's recipe is all about.

The following recipe has:

• protein added from the lentils and sunflower seeds (or cashews)
• lots of flavor from the rosemary, lemon zest, and other spices
• minerals such as iron and zinc from the lentils and sunflower seeds (or cashews)
• some natural sweetness and creaminess from the carrots and potatoes
• a low salt content
• omega-3 from drizzling an omega-3-rich oil just before serving

Here are some tips along the way

Make sure you soak the lentils for at least 8-10 hours before boiling them

This will reduce the amount of phytic acid which in turn helps the body to take in more minerals. You also want to rinse the lentils before and after boiling.

 Don't burn the vegetables, but let them caramelize only slightly instead

You don't want the vegetables to be burnt or dark roasted before deglazing. While this would add flavor to a regular sauce for adults, you want to feed your child food that has not roasted too much. A slight caramelization will help to bring out flavor while reducing any harmful burnt particles.

Don't deglaze with soy sauce

Soy sauce contains lots of salt in most cases and we want to avoid high salt contents for our young children. Their kidneys are not yet capable of processing huge amounts of salt, so make sure to keep salt at a minimum. In this recipe, we're only adding a pinch of salt before letting the sauce simmer.

Let the carrots simmer for at least 30 to 40 minutes

Carrots will develop a naturally sweet flavor if cooked or steamed for longer periods of time. This will enhance the flavor of the sauce for your child.

How to make the sauce thicker

Here's a simple trick for making the sauce thicker and even more nutritious.

Blend in some boiled (wholewheat) pasta

Simply blend the sauce together with some pre-boiled pasta until you get a thicker consistency. This makes the sauce easier to eat for your baby or toddler and you're getting some additional nutrients from the pasta.

Disclaimer

We don't claim that this recipe will give your child every nutrient it needs, nor are we promoting a fully vegan diet for your children. We just want to show you possibilities and inform you about nutritious vegan recipe options that you can include in your child's eating routine.

You should always consult a nutritionist or doctor about the nutritional needs of your children and make sure they eat a balanced and nutrient-rich diet.

Watch the full recipe on YouTube

Ingredients

5 carrots

3 potatoes

1 onion

1 leek

2 tbsp smoked paprika

1-2 tbsp tomato puree

3-4 stalks of rosemary

3 tbsp balsamic vinegar

2 cans of crushed tomatoes

around 1 l (35 oz) of water

3 cloves

3 bay leaves

Zest of 1 lemon

1 pinch of salt

(Optional) 3-4 tbsp nutritional yeast

1-2 cups cooked lentils

1 cup of soaked sunflower seeds or cashews

Serve with

Omega-3-rich oil (e.g. omega-3-rich flaxseed oil)

Freshly boiled pasta (blend into the sauce if needed)
 

Instructions

1. To boil the lentils, soak them first in water for 8-12 hours, then rinse them well and cook them in a pot with water for around 30 minutes until soft. Rinse again and set aside.
2. Start by soaking the sunflower seeds or cashew nuts for 4-6 hours before you start cooking. Rinse shortly before using them.
3. Peel the potatoes and (optionally) carrots. Roughly chop the potatoes, carrots, leek, and onion.
4. Bring a pot to medium heat, add some oil, then throw in the chopped vegetables.
5. Fry for a few minutes until they start to stick to the bottom. Add the tomato paste, rosemary, and smoked paprika, and stir well.
6. Deglaze it with balsamic vinegar (or grape juice). Let it simmer again for 2-3 minutes.
7. Add in the crushed tomatoes and water. Add the lemon zest and the remaining rosemary. Add the cloves and bay leaves to a paper tea sieve and hang it inside the sauce. Add a pinch of salt.
8. Let the sauce simmer with a lid on top for 30 to 40 minutes until everything is soft.
9. Add in the lentil and sunflower seeds (or cashews). You can also add nutritional yeast (optional).
10. Blend the whole sauce until you get a thick, creamy texture.
11. If your child cannot eat that well yet, add some boiled (wholewheat) pasta and blend it well, too. This makes the sauce thicker, more nutritious, and easier to eat for babies.
12. When serving, drizzle some omega-3-rich oil on top.