bac_FamilyDinner

Bugs Bunny Soup
Bridget Swinney MS, RDN, LD

November 6, 2024 Recipes

This creamy soup is for all the silly “wabbits” in your house! It’s a perfect start to a healthy family meal and great for those who don’t always like the texture of veggies.

The carrots in this recipe are rich in vitamin A, which are important for a healthy immune system, vision, and skin. Carrots also contain Lutein and Zeaxanthin, which are antioxidants important for a growing baby’s eye and brain development during pregnancy and also in the early years of life. Lutein, Zeaxanthin, and other carotenoids are also found in breast milk, depending on how much is in the mom’s diet.

A 1-cup serving of this soup provides:
100% of the Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) of vitamin A for children up to 13 years old
86% of the RDA of vitamin A for 14-year-olds to adults.

Ingredients:

  • 1 tablespoon oil (canola, olive, or avocado oils are best)
  • ½ medium onion, chopped (about 1 cup)
  • 3 stalks of celery, threads removed and sliced (1 heaping cup)
  • 1 pound of peeled and sliced carrots or baby carrots (about 4 cups)
  • 1 ½ cups water
  • 2 teaspoons granulated chicken
  • ½ teaspoon dill
  • 2 cups milk (any type)
  • Pepper to taste
  • Sour cream or plain yogurt (optional)
Sour-cream
Makes about 5 cups

Directions:

  • Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and celery and cook until almost see-through.
  • Add water, broth mix, and dill. Stir until the broth mix is dissolved.
  • Add carrots. Cover and cook at a medium simmer until carrots are fork-tender, stirring occasionally. (10-15 minutes)
  • Remove from heat. Pour the mixture into the blender with milk, blend on low, then medium-high until smooth.
  • Add pepper to taste. Because the broth has sodium, adding more salt is unnecessary.
  • Add a spoonful of plain yogurt or sour cream on top when serving, to make it extra creamy!
Bon Appetit!
Cooking Tip

The thinner the carrots are sliced, the faster they’ll cook.
If you want thicker soup, put in a little less milk when blending.

REFERENCES:

National Institutes of Health. Vitamin A and Carotenoids.
https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminA-Consumer/

Giordano E, Quadro L. Lutein, zeaxanthin and mammalian development: Metabolism, functions and implications for health. Arch Biochem Biophys. 2018 Jun 1;647:33-40. doi: 10.1016/j.abb.2018.04.008. Epub 2018 Apr 11. PMID: 29654731; PMCID: PMC5949277.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5949277/

FoodData Central. Carrots, baby, raw.
https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/168568/nutrients

Zielinska MA, Hamulka J, Wesolowska A. Carotenoid Content in Breastmilk in the 3rd and 6th Month of Lactation and Its Associations with Maternal Dietary Intake and Anthropometric Characteristics. Nutrients. 2019 Jan 18;11(1):193. doi: 10.3390/nu11010193. PMID: 30669320; PMCID: PMC6356523.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6356523/

Mahmassani HA, Switkowski KM, Scott TM, Johnson EJ, Rifas-Shiman SL, Oken E, Jacques PF. Maternal Intake of Lutein and Zeaxanthin during Pregnancy Is Positively Associated with Offspring Verbal Intelligence and Behavior Regulation in Mid-Childhood in the Project Viva Cohort. J Nutr. 2021 Mar 11;151(3):615-627. doi: 10.1093/jn/nxaa348. PMID: 33484136; PMCID: PMC7948203.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7948203/

Mahmassani HA, Switkowski KM, Scott TM, Johnson EJ, Rifas-Shiman SL, Oken E, Jacques PF. Maternal diet quality during pregnancy and child cognition and behavior in a US cohort. Am J Clin Nutr. 2022 Jan 11;115(1):128-141. doi: 10.1093/ajcn/nqab325. PMID: 34562095; PMCID: PMC8755080.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/pmid/34562095/

Feeding a 6-7 Month Old

Feed solids with a spoon and from a bowl, never from a bottle.

Feeding a 10-12 Month Old

Breast milk is the most important source of nutrition for your baby, even after you start offering solid foods.

Feeding a 8-9 Month Old

Feed solids with a spoon. Never put cereal in a bottle.

Tips

Mom new born home

Breast milk and formula feeding:

Around 2-3 weeks, 6 weeks, 3 months, and 6 months of age, babies may experience a growth spurt when they feed more often.

As they grow babies can hold more milk, so feedings may become further apart and take less time.

To prevent choking, always hold your baby when feeding. Never prop up a bottle to feed.

Start offering whole milk when your baby is one year old.

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months and that breastfeeding continue for at least 12 months and beyond.

feeding solid foods

Feeding solid foods:

Wait to offer solid foods until your baby:

  • Can sit up and hold up their own head.
  • Opens their mouth when they see food.
  • Can close their lips around a spoon.

To prevent choking, always hold your baby when feeding. Never prop up a bottle to feed.

Try one new food at a time. Wait 5 days before trying another new food to watch for allergies. Food allergies may include wheezing, rash, or diarrhea.

Introduce peanut butter around 6 months. Spread a small, thin smear of peanut butter or nut butter thinly on a cracker.  Watch your baby for any reaction for the next 2 hours.

Babies under one year should NOT have honey due to the risk of botulism. Also, babies should not have foods that can cause choking like nuts or whole grapes.

All babies are different. Talk with WIC or your baby’s healthcare provider about your baby’s needs.

Feeding Cues

Feeding a 4-5 Month Old

Before teeth come in, wipe gums with a soft, clean wash cloth after each feeding, especially before bed.

Feeding a 0-3 Month Old

Newborns have tiny tummies and need to be fed often. In the first few weeks, you may need to wake your baby to feed if they sleep longer than 4 hours.

Growth Spurts

Many babies are fussy during a growth spurt and will want to nurse longer and more often. This is called cluster feeding. This is your baby’s way of helping you increase your milk supply so that you can keep up with their needs. Remember, the more your baby nurses, the more milk your body makes.

Growth spurts can happen at any time, and every baby is different.

They often happen at these ages:

two-three-weeks

2 to 3 Weeks

6 Weeks

three-months

3 Months

six-months

6 Months

What foods can I get?

Authorized Food List
Authorized Food List

Where can I shop?