Mixing It Up

I often cringe when I see the well-meaning parents of small babies feeding them their pureed baby food. My cringing is not because the food is pureed, or from a jar, or cold, or green… it’s how they’re fed.

Open jar #1.

Feed baby as quickly as possible.

Open jar #2.

Feed baby as quickly as possible.

Clean up.

Have you ever witnessed this? I have, and with my first baby, I think I was guilty of this a few times. Now that baby has grown into a picky, texture-sensitive, non-eater. He is finally, carefully inching into eating cold foods. If something is too soft, he gags. Now I don’t really claim to know if all of his picky was are due to early feeding habits, but I am thinking about nipping this problem in the bud with baby #2.

So here’s what I am doing to broaden his palate at the tender age of 6 months. I make sure that his plate (divided bowl) is as varied as one I would serve to the rest of my family. We are past the “try one food for 5 days” stage, so I can mix it up a bit. For example, today’s offerings:

Breakfast:

Mango and banana puree

Vanilla flavored Greek yogurt

Lunch:

Pureed sweet peas with whole grain couscous

Blueberry-Applesauce

Ritz cracker

Supper:

Pureed homemade macaroni and cheese

Mashed avocado with a dash of cumin

Fresh mango puree

I also serve him meats, but he just happened not to have any today. He likes chicken and beef, but he really went nuts for some of my grilled Porter House steak a couple of weeks ago. By the way, so did I. Ha ha!

The point is that babies like variety as much as older humans do. I try to vary the temperatures of his foods, sweets and savories, textures, and introduce him to some light seasonings. He really responds excitedly to the dishes that I add a bit of herbs or spices to. In The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding: Seventh Revised Edition (La Leche League International Book) , I remember reading that babies’ first exposure to their family’s culture is through the taste of their mother’s breast milk. The flavors of the foods and seasonings that a mother eats carry through to her milk. If you don’t buy it, just try eating an extra-large order of buffalo wings and see how your nursing baby reacts. Then again, don’t do it. I can tell you from experience that it just makes you and your baby miserable for about 24 hours.

Here are some foods and combinations that my little guy has liked. Maybe it will give you some ideas to try with your own little nibbler.

Cantaloupe and banana

Applesauce with blueberries

Mango and banana

Pureed spinach with cream cheese and parmesan cheese (fresh)

Sweet peas with whole wheat couscous

Mashed potatoes, steak, and brown gravy

Yellow squash, mashed potatoes, and parmesan cheese

Sweet potatoes with brown sugar and cinnamon

Butternut squash and banana

Green bean puree with chicken

I also take the time to tell my baby very clearly what it is that I am offering him. I let him know when I am giving him a bite of something different. He quickly recognizes food names and shows more or less excitement based on how much he likes a certain food. He wiggles like a grass snake when I say, “Banana.” He has even said banana several times, and now if I ask him if he would like to eat, his little jaws start smacking open and closed. I’d say he’s definitely gotten the idea.

Try to have fun and not stress around meal time. Learning to eat is messy, so just wear some old clothes and keep a wet cloth nearby. This time will be over before you know it. Cherish every moment! I am.

Keep lovin’ and keep cookin’.



Homemade Applesauce

I've never been a big fan of applesauce from the store. However, I do remember cutting the core out of apples, stuffing them with brown sugar, and baking them. My sister and I would scoop out the warm goodness with spoons as often as we were allowed to make them.

So in my quest to make my baby's food, I wanted to make applesauce that was nutritious and tasty.

Peel, core, and quarter about 3 pounds of apples. I used a mixture of organic granny smith and honey crisp apples. Then use a vegetable peeler to get a strip of lemon zest. Be careful not to get into the bitter white layer below the zest. Toss the zest in with the apples and add 1 1/4 cup of water.

Cover and cook over med-high heat until the apples are very tender.

Sprinkle on a bit of cinnamon if desired, and remove the lemon zest.

My apples were so tender that simply stirring them produced a nice texture for adults or older children.

Puree the applesauce in a blender until smooth. Then give it a test run.

Looks good! More, please!

Stop taking pictures and feed me!!

I use a set of BPA-free containers for the freezer. They have handy little freezer trays and labels, and they are reusable. Simply thaw them in the refrigerator or a bowl of hot water.

So for very little money and time, you can make applesauce for your little one.

Keep lovin' and keep cookin'.