Babies can be comfortably introduced to solid food from 6 months of age. Some start as early as 4 - 5 months also. I have seen some introducing banana and cerelac to babies from 11 days old too! They give a little of these solids for dinner so that the baby will sleep comfortably with a full tummy. But all these are unwarranted. Mothers milk is the best food for babies until 6 months (preferably until one or even more). Even water is not needed now. Then slowly you can start introducing formula and solid food. When you start solid foods, introduce a cup of water with meals. Doctors in western countries recommend you to give cows milk only after age one. From 12-24 it is best to give undiluted full cream milk to your toddler.
For a healthy active toddler, it is essential to give wide variety of wholesome homemade meals.
http://www.homemade-baby-food-recipes.com/ - This website was a great deal helpful to me when introducing different foods to my little one. It helped me know the recipes and the right month to introduce the right food.
http://www.annabelkarmel.com/ - Annabel Karmel's book 'Top 100 baby purees' is also worth a read. It helps you know the possible food combos that can be safely and pleasantly combined together.
MY LITTLE ONE'S FOOD
Here I wish to record the yummy foods that my little one fed on. When he grows up, he can see here the list of foods his caring mother lovingly prepared for him :)
He was introduced to solids around 5 months of age. His first food was banana (malai valaipalam) mashed with little cooked rice. Here in Melbourne I gave him 'Monkey banana' which closely resembled and had the taste of malai valaipalam. I give him the regular banana after he has turned one. After banana, we introduced him to other liquids like chicken soup, mutton soup, dal water, pomegranate juice, grape juice (all filtered and given in bottle). Then there is the special porridge powder (sattu maavu) his grandmom lovingly prepared for him. I prepare this on alternate days.
Fats are good for babies, so I add a spoon of ghee in any rice or porridge dish I prepare for him. I also add few dried fruits and nuts in his porridge. I never use sugar in any of his dish. I use only jaggery as the sweetener. And use salt in sparing amount only.
My little one is not a picky eater until now and after 10 months, he almost fed on everything we cooked at home. He seemed to enjoy all spicy stuffs too :) Here are the other foods I prepare specially for him
Rishi's favorite foods...
- Mashed banana with avacado
- Apple oatmeal porrige (apple+oats+jaggery+milk+ghee)
- Pear oatmeal porridge
- Carrot custard (carrot+egg yolk)
- Sweet potato, carrot puree
- Carrot beetroot puree
- Paneer/ tofu with mixed vegetables
- Mashed fruits with custard
- Flavored storebought yoghurt
- Strawberry with creamed cottage cheese
- Cooked vegetables with grated cheddar cheese
- Avacado, cream cheese and tuna
- Ragi porridge (I gave after 10 months)
- Dalia porridge (with mixed vegetables)
- Broccoli, spinach & peas rice
- Sattu maavu porridge
- Salmon curry rice
- Chicken curry rice
- Chicken/ Mutton/ Mushroom soup rice
- Dal rasam rice
- Dal rice topped with generous ghee
- Ghee uttappam with milk
- Dosa/ Idli with chicken curry
- Curd rice
- Couscous with mixed vegetables
Use breast milk/ formula as a thinner. Use storebought cereal mix, egg yolk as thickener. For sweeter version of porridge i use jaggery and milk. I add salt and buttermilk for savory version.
My go-to dish for him is Mixed Vegetable Rice - Add chopped vegetables, garlic, salt, pepper and little water in a microwave safe bowl. Microwave for few minutes. Then add cooked rice, ghee and milk. Microwave again for a minute. After cooled, pulse it coarsely in a mixer.
His go-to favorite snack is banana and apple slices! I never give biscuits to snack upon.
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