Baby Food Ideas

When my son was six months old, I started feeding him cerelac. He liked and had all the flavors available, Rice, Wheat, Fruits, Vegetables, Dates and what not!. I had no problem for two months. When he turned eight months old, he refused to eat it. I tried all flavors but none helped me. He saw the bowl of cerelac and made his mouth shut.

I didnt force him more. I gave him only milk, biscuits and Juice for two days.Then I enquired many people around me, searched the internet and found more baby food ideas. I gave canned fruits and vegetables made specially for babies. He liked it very much. As many say they are not very good for babies compared to home made food, I cooked and mashed Apple, added little Salt and served him. He didnt like it much and had only 1-2 spoons. Then I tried the same with Carrots. He didnt eat at all.

I realized that preparing all food separately for babies is not necessary, We can also feed what we prepare at home. Whenever I prepare Moong Dhal Kuzhambu or Channa (Kondai Kadalai) Kuzhambu, I keep aside few cooked dhals aside for my son before making it. It is easy to feed babies what we prepare at home yet, very nutritious.

Here are those Ideas:

Six Months old:

Cerelac or Rice/Wheat Porridge.

Channa

Soak Channa overnite.
Cook for more time(more whistles than usual).
Peel the skin and mash with fingers before serving.

This can be given as side dish to the rice/Wheat porrdige or cerelac.

Juice

Feed Juice (4-6 tsp) in spoon or in sipper cup and need not dilute.
Avoid feeding juice in Bottle, your child would refuse to drink water.

Seven Months Old:

Idli with little Sambar or Coconut Chutney.

Cooked Potato with little Salt.

Eight Months Old:

Cooked Sweet Potato.
Fully Ripe Banana.

Moong Dhal

Soak Moong Dhal for 1-2 hrs.Cook for more time(more whistles than usual).
Mash it with Potato masher and serve.This is an ideal food that helps to learn
chewing better when child gets the first teeth.

Cooked Nendran Plaintain

Choose Plaintain that is completely ripe, its skin must be fully black. Cook and remove seeds before serving.

Ground Cooked Rice

Cook Rice. Grind/Blend coarsely along with Curd, Rasam or Paruppu/Dhal Curry(with less or no chillies).

Biscuits

Dip Biscuit pieces in formula/milk. Avoid biscuits with nuts.

10 Months Old:

Non-crispy Dosa with little Sambar or Coconut Chutney.

Upma.

All vegetables that is cooked in Sambar or Sabji or Avial or Curry like Potato, Carrot, Pumpkin, Radish and Drumstick. Avoid vegetables when cooked as sidedish as it would be just cooked and not well cooked.

Bread

Dip bread pieces in formula/milk. This can be given as evening snack and also is very helpful while travelling. Remove the outer brownish parts of bread.

Soups -- Make sure they are not very hot.
Drumstick(Murungaikkai Soup) 

One Year Old:

Stop Cooked and Ground Rice. Instead cook rice for more time(more whistles than usual in cooker) and mix with Curd, Rasam, Kadala Paruppu Kootu  or Paruppu/Dhal Curry.
Sathu Maavu Kanji or Nutritious Flour Porridge. It is available readily in the market or you can prepare your own.
Semiya and Kitchadi.
Poori.
Idiyappam.
Aapam.
Sakkarai or Sweet Pongal.
Plain cake.
Peeled Oranges.
Thinly sliced and chopped Apple.

When babies turn 1.5 years old, you can serve Chapati, Milagu(Pepper) Pongal with no Pepper and all others you prepare.
For more Baby Food Ideas, check out here and Shilpa’s Ideas.

When your baby eats complete food, Is there anything to worry?!!!

Laxmi