Ages: 4 months and up
Ingredients:
Fresh or frozen chopped spinach (however much you want)
1 pear peeled, cored, and diced
1 teaspoon butter
Directions:
Simmer spinach gently in butter over low heat until warmed through. Meanwhile, cook pear in a little boiling water until mushy. Drain, mash into the spinach with a fork and serve warm.
Note: Some researchers believe that if you introduce vegetables before fruits, children will enjoy vegetables more later on.
Ages: 4 months and up
Ingredients:
1 teaspoon rice flour
4 ounces milk (breast or formula milk until about 6 months old)
Directions:
Mix 1 ounce of the gently warmed milk slowly into the flour to make a paste, gradually adding the rest of the milk stirring continuously to avoid lumps. Simmer for 5 to 7 minutes. If it becomes too thick, add more milk. For variety, mix cereal with vegetable water or mashed vegetables, fruit purees or juices. Flaked millet, powdered oats, and later, semolina can all be used in a similar way.
Note: It is advisable to begin with rice and progress slowly through the other cereals: barley, millet, corn, oats, and finally, wheat. Many children have an allergic reaction to the gluten in wheat which is why it is usually wise to delay its introduction.
Ages: 4 months and up
Ingredients:
1 sweet potato
1 teaspoon butter
1⁄2 orange
Directions:
Peel, chop, and boil sweet potato in a little water, drain and then mash with a little butter. Squeeze orange into sweet potato and stir. If baby is 9 months or older, add peeled, finely chopped orange segments.
Note: Try wrapping pieces of fruit in clear, sterilized muslin secured with a rubber band, for baby to chew on.
Ages: 4 months and up
Ingredients:
1⁄2 cup dried apricots
2 sweet apples
Can use less of these ingredients if you do not want to freeze.
Directions:
Rinse the dried apricots, then cover with cold water and soak overnight. Simmer gently in the same water for about 25 minutes or until very soft and pulpy. Cool. In the meantime, peel and core apples. Cook the sliced apple in a little water or apple juice until it is soft. Puree the apricots and apples. Freeze leftovers in ice cube trays.
Note: If possible, buy dried fruit which has been naturally dried and is unsulfured. If fruit has been sulfur dried, the fruit needs to be washed in hot water or soaked and drained before use.
Ages: 4 months and up
Ingredients:
4 ounces (100 g) yellow split peas, washed and soaked overnight
1⁄2 small onion, cut in half
1 small parsnip, peeled and roughly sliced
1 carrot, peeled and roughly sliced
Sprigs of fresh parsley and thyme
1 pint water
1 ounce (25 g) butter
Directions:
Before soaking the peas overnight, rinse them in several changes of cold water, then cover with fresh water. Using the water the peas were soaked in, make up to one pint with fresh water. Put this in a saucepan with the peas, onion, carrot, parsnip and herbs. (All the vegetables will be removed later so do not chop finely.) Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for about 45 minutes or until the peas are mushy and very tender. Drain off the water and remove the vegetables and herbs, leaving the peas in the pan. Add the butter and beat into a soft puree with a spoon. Serve warm.
Note: This is a traditional British dish served to adults as well. Try adding cooked brown rice and serving to the whole family.
Ages: 6 months and up
Ingredients:
3 tablespoons commercial plain yogurt starter
2 tablespoons nonfat dry milk
21⁄2 cups milk
Large glass jar
Directions:
Prepare jar by pouring boiling water into it and letting it stand for a few minutes before emptying. (Put a spoon into jar to ensure that it doesn’t break.) Mix the dried and whole milk and heat in a saucepan carefully until it almost reaches a boil. Set aside to cool until milk is just warm. Mix in commercial yogurt starter and pour into prepared jar. Screw on lid and wrap jar in a piece of clean blanket and place it in a plastic bucket. Put the bucket in a warm spot in the house and let stand for 6 hours. Unwrap and refrigerate.
Note: How yogurt works: Bacteria live on the sugar in the milk and break it down into lactic acid which causes the milk to curdle and become like junket. As soon as the yogurt is the right thickness it must be placed in the refrigerator where the coldness stops the further growth of bacteria. If the milk is not chilled quickly enough, the curds separate and the yogurt becomes watery. If the milk is kept too warm, the bacteria are destroyed and the milk doesn’t thicken into yogurt.
Ages: 5 months and up
Ingredients:
1⁄2 cup rolled oats, unground
21⁄2 cups boiling water
Directions:
Pour oats slowly into boiling water. Cover and simmer 30 minutes. Addmilk or formula for desired consistency. As with all cereals, any fruit, vegetable or meat puree can be added.
Note: Make your initial cereal mixtures very moist when baby is first beginning to eat solids. You can increase thickness as baby gets used to the new texture.
Ages: 8 months and up
Ingredients:
1⁄4 cup yellow cornmeal
1⁄4 cup cold water
2 teaspoons wheat germ
3⁄4 cup boiling water
1⁄4 cup nonfat dry milk (optional)
Directions:
Mix together the cornmeal, cold water, and wheat germ. Add cornmeal mixture and nonfat dry milk to the boiling water. Stir constantly, bringing to a boil, then simmer for 2 minutes. Serve with pureed fruit.
Ages: 4 months and up
Ingredients:
Any vegetable you would like
Directions:
Peel and chop vegetable into small pieces. Steam or boil them in as little water as possible until they are tender, then blend them with the cooking liquid left over. Mash with a fork or put in food processor or blender.
Note: Here are some great tasting foods to add to your vegetable puree for babies 6 months and older: cottage cheese, plain yogurt, egg yolk and wheat germ. To make a soup, just add extra milk, formula, or vegetable cooking water.
Ages: 6 months and up
Ingredients:
1 cup cooked, mashed pumpkin
1⁄2 cup cottage cheese
1 tablespoon wheat germ
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Butter a small ovenproof dish. Combine pumpkin and cheese and place in dish. Sprinkle wheat germ over the top and bake in oven for 10 minutes.
Note: Wilted, bruised or old vegetables have lost much of their vitamin C, so look for fresh vegetables even if they cost a bit more. Buy the vegetables that are in season and eat them as soon as possible. Avoid canned vegetables whenever possible. Buy organic vegetables whenever possible.
No comments:
Post a Comment