Baby food does not have to be bland. Spices are a great way to make food more interesting and flavorful. Consider that early introduction of spices also help you avoid using salt or sugar in any of your kid(s)' foods. This is something I'm working on for myself and am learning lots about yummy spices in my family's foods.
WHEN
As always, you should ask your pediatrician, but it seems that most don't recommend adding spices until at least 8 months old. Some of this may be due to allergic reactions, but most often it is to avoid stomach upsets. However, parents in other countries often introduce spices much earlier. As with new foods, follow the 3-5 day wait period to watch for any reactions.
WHAT
- anise
- cinnamon
- curry powder (but watch Baby carefully, as some babies have reactions)
- basil
- dill
- garlic powder
- ginger
- lemon zest
- mint
- nutmeg
- orange zest
- oregano
- pepper
- rosemary
- vanilla (alcohol-free)
- Remember that you should not add salt to your baby's food.
- apples and cinnamon
- pears and nutmeg
- carrots and nutmeg
- sweet potatoes and nutmeg and/or cinamon
- peas and garlic powder
- green beans and pepper
- brown rice or other whole grains and basil and/or rosemary
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At our 10 month appointment for our son (whom we had just begun having feeding issues with), our pediatrician recommended we go spicy. I was totally surprised! She suggested bbq sauce, hot sauce, etc. So, we tried mixing some bbq sauce in with his baby food. It didn't taste bad at all, just added a little kick, but unfortunately he did not (and still doesn't) allow us to feed him.
ReplyDeleteSpicy is something I keep in mind when we are debating whether to try a new food with him. According to her (our pediatrician) babies love spicy food...who knew!
Rochelle,
ReplyDeleteI agree, who knew. Have you tried feeding him in between him taking his own bites? I do that sometimes when I want to just get a little more in than I think is going on their own. However, I think it's totally fine if he's just an independent little guy.
Tracy
Tracy,
ReplyDeleteYes, we have tried that - sometimes successfully, other times it ends up elsewhere:) Inevitably though, he catches on after a couple of attempts and really protests. Although, it seems like he will try anything(self feeding) as long as it is the right texture/consistency.
I was really getting anxious over feeding time because he wouldn't eat (which is not good, btw) and addressed that concern with our pediatrician at his one-year appointment. Then, I asked her if my expectations were too high-"how much is he supposed to eat at this age?" She told me that if they are eating 1/8 of a cup of meat, veggies and fruit (combined) at each feeding, that is enough. That totally surprised me! I thought he should be eating way more than that. Still a struggle to get any meat in him though.
Rochelle
Rochelle-
ReplyDeleteIsn't it amazing! I'm planning to do a post about amounts of foods in the near future and I think we will all be surprised.
As for meat, I don't think it is a big deal at all. He can get very good nutrition from whole grains, fruits, and vegetables. You can also provide extra protein through tofu, yogurt, legumes, and eggs.
Also, here's a good link about protein.
ReplyDeleteProtein and Your Baby's Diet