Makes other vegetables green with envy.

One of the healthiest baby foods, and baby food ingredients you’ll ever find, green beans are a nutritious, wholesome addition to your little one’s diet. Loaded with calcium, plus vitamins K, C, and A, the positive nutrients in green beans help to build strong bones, your baby’s immune system and also help to prevent future conditions. These conditions include Alzheimer’s, atherosclerosis, diabetic heart disease, colon cancer, asthma, arthritis, acne, and ear infections. Since green beans are recognized as a food that does not cause allergic reactions, most pediatricians indicate that green beans can be introduced to your baby at the early age of four to six months.

A favorite of babies – and the moms who love them.

Best when boiled or steamed in a small amount of water, begin by cooking green beans uncovered for a few minutes, then covered for the remainder of the cooking time. Fresh green beans should be cooked no longer than 15 minutes total to avoid a mushy texture and color change. Green beans are great pureed – add water as necessary for a smooth consistency – and can also be diced into bite-sized, “finger-food” pieces. Many babies enjoy the taste of green beans, especially when mixed with carrots, potatoes, summer squash, brown rice, lentils, chicken, beef and tofu. When buying green beans for your baby recipes, remember that firmer is better and fresh green beans, stored in a sealed plastic bag, will keep in the refrigerator for about a week.

Interesting green bean facts.

Green beans were first grown in Latin America about 8,000 years ago. Christopher Columbus, and other explorers, discovered green beans planted next to maize. Green beans originally had a very thick “string” running along the outer curve of the pod, leading to their nickname of “string beans”. Scientists discovered a way to grow green beans without the string in 1894. Green beans are also sometimes called “snap beans”, as they snap when you bend them in half. There are 130 different varieties of green beans, and they can also be white, purple, golden, and red.

Try one of these tasty green bean recipes the next time you’re looking for a new recipe for your family.

• Grilled Green Beans
• A ‘Hungry Bear’ meal with Grrr-oodles 
• Steamed Green Beans