America’s Health: Foods Your Kids Should Eat
6-9 months
Sophisticated tastes
There is no reason why your baby’s food has to be bland! Adding different types of herbs and spices will help her become accustomed to more sophisticated tastes. The younger she is when you start, the easier it will be for her to make the transition to family food.
Can I add salt or pepper to my baby’s purées to give them more flavor?
Pepper is fine, and you can add some much needed spice to blander foods. Go easy, though-a little goes a long way with small babies. Try a few grains to see if he enjoys the taste, and then go from there. Make sure it’s finely ground, however-coming across a grain of coarsely chopped black pepper can be eye-watering, and put him off his meal!
Don’t be tempted to add salt or sugar to your baby’s food, however bland.
Salt may harm your baby’s kidneys and sugar will encourage a sweet tooth. A baby is not used to these tastes so will not miss them. If you do want to jazz up his purées, there are plenty of herbs that will do the job, or consider adding flavors like garlic or mild curry powder to vegetable or meat dishes, and cinnamon or vanilla to fruit purées.
At what age can my child have sugar?
Most foods contain natural sugars, and provide your child with a good source of energy. Cane sugar, which is refined and has had all of its nutrients stripped from it, offers little more than calories, and can wreak havoc with your little one’s blood sugar levels, leaving her tired, irritable, and tearful. Unless sugar is required for a particular recipe-in homemade cakes, pancakes, or muffins, for example, or to sweeten very tart fruit-I would recommend leaving it off the menu. It’s much better to choose maple syrup, stevia, or molasses, which offer vitamins and minerals as well as sweetening, or to choose fruit juices or purées to sweeten, instead of sugar.
In reality, babies don’t need additional sugar. They soon become used to the natural sweetness of fresh, wholesome foods, and develop a taste for them. We may think their foods are bland, but if that’s what they are used to and all they know, they’ll be perfectly happy. I would recommend avoiding sugar for as long as you can – except, of course, on special occasions, when you may want to offer ice cream or some cake alongside the rest of the family.
Fruit and vegetable purées don’t seem very substantial; can I add a little milk or cheese to fill him up?
You can certainly add a little of his regular milk (formula or breast milk) or a little grated cheese for extra flavor and added nutrients. Remember, though, that first foods are not meant to be full meals, but rather small tastes to introduce little ones to various different foods. Your baby doesn’t need to be full after his meals, since he will likely go on to have his normal milk feed soon after.
Are sugarless fruit spreads OK for young babies?
Sugarless fruit spreads are fine for babies, as long as they do not contain artificial sweeteners.
They are, however, very concentrated and, for that reason, very sweet, so only a little will be required. You may want to spread them on toast fingers, or to fill tiny sandwiches. They can also be used in cooking and baking or to sweeten plain oatmeal, and will provide some extra vitamins and minerals.
The more flavors to which your little one becomes accustomed while he’s small, the wider the variety of likes that will be established.
My baby refuses formula milk; can I flavor it to make it more palatable?
Formula is designed to be a balanced form of nutrition, and should not, ideally, have anything added to it. Your baby is too young to give up her regular milk, and you will need to persevere to encourage her to take formula regularly throughout the day.
You can try incorporating formula milk into the meals you prepare, but it’s unlikely she’ll get enough to sustain her growth and development.
You may want to try switching formulas to see if another brand has a taste that she finds more acceptable. If all else fails, you could consider stirring in a little fruit juice or purée, but only if your baby is on solids. You must also ensure that you continue to mix up the formula according to the manufacturer’s instructions. If your baby continues to refuse the formula, you may need a referral to a dietitian to provide you with individualized advice.
6-9 months
Beef, squash, and tomato puree
Preparation Time: 10 Minutes
Cooking Time: 14-15 Minutes
Makes 2-3 Baby Portions
The sweet squash and tomatoes here help to make the flavor of beef more palatable for fussy babies. As your baby gets older, the cooked beef can be mashed into the squash and tomatoes, and served with small pasta shapes.
2 plum (Roma) tomatoes
1 tsp olive oil
1⁄2 cup ground round
¼ small butternut squash, peeled, seeds removed, and grated
2⁄3 cup vegetable stock or water
1. Cut a small cross in the top of each tomato. Put them in a heatproof bowl and cover with freshly boiled water. Let stand for 30 seconds, then drain and plunge in cold water. Peel off the skins. Cut the skinned tomatoes into quarters, scoop out the seeds, and chop the flesh.
2. Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan or wok and sauté the beef, stirring well, until browned and crumbly, 2-3 minutes. Add the squash and chopped tomato and sauté, stirring, until the vegetables are softened, about 2 minutes. Add the stock and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat, cover, and simmer for about 10 minutes.
3. Cool slightly before puréeing the contents of the pan in a blender, adding a little extra boiled water if the purée is too thick.
4. Freeze in individual portions. When needed, thaw overnight in the refrigerator. Reheat until piping hot, stir, and let cool slightly before serving.
6-9 months
Peach, apple, and pear purée
Preparation Time: 10 Minutes
Cooking Time: 10 Minutes
Makes 4-6 Baby Portions
Ripe, seasonal fruits can make a plain applesauce a little more interesting. I like to use peaches or nectarines, but apricots or plums are also good. If the fruit is not very sweet, you can add a teaspoon of a gave nectar, which is available from whole food markets and some supermarkets.
2 ripe peaches
1 sweet apple, peeled, cored, and diced
1 ripe pear, peeled, cored, and diced
2 tbsp water
1. Cut a small cross in the top and bottom of each peach and put them in a heatproof bowl. Cover with boiling water and let stand for 30 seconds, then drain and plunge in cold water. Peel off the skins. Cut the peaches into quarters, remove the pits, and dice the flesh.
2. Put the peaches, apple, and pear in a saucepan with the water. Bring to a boil, then cover, reduce the heat to low, and cook gently until the juices have run from the peaches and the fruits are all soft, about 10 minutes.
3. Cool slightly, and then transfer to a blender and purée until smooth. Serve warm, or cool quickly and refrigerate to serve cold. The purée can be frozen in individual portions; thaw for 1–2 hours at room temperature when needed.
Did you know…?
That herbs are a delicious and nutritious addition to your baby’s food?
They can spice up, or make more fragrant, foods that might otherwise seem a little flavorless. Any of the green herbs, such as coriander, basil, chives, and parsley can be added easily, and you can use rosemary and bay leaves while cooking fish, chicken, or vegetables.
