Puree foods for introducing food to 6months old
Bf’ing a baby seemed to be so easier than making him eat healthy food. Yes, making my baby eat healthy foods initially just after introducing him to semi-solids at 5months was very difficult. All he loved was cerelac, which I wanted to give him just as a breakfast. Introduction to other foods is actually a challenge. Along with this, the ideation of different foods to make baby develop “taste” is like extra stimulating the Grey matter:). So, here comes a compilation of all sorts of food and specially “Puree foods” which I made my baby feed on from 6months -10months .
Introductory foods for baby:
1. Finger foods as in Banana, Tofu, Cooked carrot slices, Cheese slices, Soft idli piece
2. Soft foods as in Moong daal -Rice Khichdi (served post sieving)
3. Wheat Porridge (with or without sieving)
4. Upma : In form of namkeen upma or even in milk (Suji Kheer)
5. Milk oats
6. Masala oats (with some tomato puree added to taste yummy)
7. Pureed foods
Pureed foods were a manner to me to introduce my baby to all nutritious vegetables and fruits. The best part was that he did enjoy having them. Their colours added an extra spark to my baby and a satisfaction to me of making him eat a complete diet.
Reasons why to have puree food in baby’s diet?
Since baby at this age of 6months usually do not have teeth and are not aware of chewing. Hence semi-solids or very soft solids make a great start which do not get stuck in the throat of a baby. Further, pureed foods are easily digestible.
At this age, its not just Milk which gives sufficient nutrients. Ensure that your baby is not filling his tummy just with milk. Now that your baby is not just sleeping but rolling, crawling and soon will walk, his needs are increasing and varying. His grey matter is multiplying and on a very fast pace of growth. He is no longer a baby but is a “Toddler and will grow to Kid soon”.
Growing toddler needs varied vitamins, minerals, proteins which are important for his strong mental and physical health. And to meet this prime objective, it is rather mandatory to introduce your child to variety of foods a day fulfilling the essential requirements.
In this article, I would like to have focus majorly on some of “Puree foods for toddlers” which I have tried upon my baby. It will have certain puree food combinations (vegetarian), sometimes vegetable puree, sometimes fruit puree. Do try alternating between 2-3 foods at a time & tap on the best one loved by your baby. Also do not just stick to one single food as different foods have different nutritional value.
Starting with sweet food very famous in our Indian Culture :
1. Rice Kheer , requiring just Milk, Rice, Sugar (add very less of Sugar, prefer organic or pure cane sugar), tinge of cardamom.
Do ensure that the rice is boiled & soft so that it seems well mixed and blended in milk. Tinge of cardamom adds lovely flavor to it. You can also try adding soft and well grounded one or half almond to the bowl being served to your baby. It can be served hot/cold basis the weather and likes.
Benefits:
Rice: Good source of Vitamin B Complex, Proteins must for Physical, muscular and brain development. It is a high source of energy.
* Here instead of rice, you can go for Semolina (Sooji), just bake sooji in ghee first and then boil in milk for 5minutes. Add cardamom and serve.
2. Porridge / Milk Oats :
Wheat porridge : Ensure that “Dalia” is grated fine and boiled (first roast it for 2minutes & then boil in water) so that it becomes soft and doesn’t comes as a separate grain. Post getting boiled properly, add milk to it & let it boil for another 5-10minutes. Can easily add some ghee and cardamom for a yummy flavor.
Milk -Oats : Roast some oats in Ghee and add some water to it. Let it boil till water is soaked (it gets soaked in nearly 4-5min). Add by milk and sugar and let it simmer for another 5-7min. Garnish with grounded cardamom.
*During winters, you can also crush and add Saffron to the milk in porridge or oats.
Let’s get on to some really Yummy fruit purees :
**While introducing any fruit puree, give one type of puree for 4-5 days to measure if child is developing any allergy towards it. If yes, stop that fruit and test another puree.
1. Avocado and Banana Puree :Blend one Soft avocado and banana together, can add a drop of vanilla essence, That’s it. A complete and perfect food is ready for your toddler to relish. It can also be frozen and served as Finger food as well. It can also serve as a good food to suck on and bite while baby is teething.
Benefits of Avocado:
It is a wonder food, a complete nourishment in itself. It has a healthy natural fat content, must for brain development. Apart it has many anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant properties and numerous essential nutrients that promote development of a child.
Don’t miss out on Avocado, do give your child avocado at all stages of life.
2. Apple and Rice / Mango and Rice : Keep apple puree or Mango puree ready. Let rice half cook and then add half of the requisite puree. Keep stirring till the puree seems absorbed. Then add some milk and remaining half puree and let it simmer. Ensure that rice is well cooked and perfectly smoothened up while absorbing the puree.
Can be served on normal room temperature.
1:1 ratio of Puree and Rice
I believe there is no need for me to narrate benefits of Apple or Mango. Benefiting kids by keeping their stomach healthy to reducing cough, Apple should be an important part of diet for baby above 6months. While mango, an exotic fruit, highly rich in vitamins is great for eyesight. It also strengthens Immunity and helps in brain development.
3. Plain Fruit Puree : Some plain fruit purees can also be a first start.
Apple puree : Post washing thoroughly and removing the outer peel, it can be either baked in oven or can be cut in small cubes and heated with very little water to soften it up. Once very soft, it can be easily mashed and fed to the baby. Apples, should not be given early in the morning, since they can be a little heavy on these small babies.
Mango Puree : Post washing and removing the peel off a ripe mango, just blend it with some milk to get a perfect thickness. Serve at normal room temperature or cold. It can also be frozen in ice trays and given to baby in the form of ice cream, which they will love.
*Apple and Mango can also be pureed and blended together to serve and fulfil the nutritional needs!
Papaya Puree : Simply blend a slice of ripe papaya in a with slight milk (can use Breast milk or toned milk)and let baby love the elegant flavour of papaya.
With the abundance of ample vitamins & minerals, it strengthens eyes sight and even heart, skeletal and intestinal muscles. It has a great use in digestion and treating constipation.
Banana Puree : A loved fruit by all and all! Just puree a ripe banana and add little milk to it and feed it to your baby.
Ripe banana is a “power pack food”. Apart from being soft on stomach, they have anti-inflammatory properties as well. Can also help treat constipation and even diarrhoea.
Try giving ripe banana and avoid early mornings. Prefer giving once the sun is out shining! Try avoiding it during winters or months of no sun.
Sapodilla (Cheeku) Puree : Ripe Cheeku has ample benefits ranging from great fibre content to rich in Vitamin A,C. With loads of Iron and copper it is very important for Blood. It also has a great role in treating cough and cold and develop immunity in babies.
With so many benefits, it is a simple puree. Mixing cheeku and slight milk and serving to baby. Sieve and then serve.
4. Apple and Pear Puree : A delicious, nutritious and filling puree it is. 1:1 ratio of apple and pear, remove the peel, add pinch of cinnamon. Boil them together in just enough water, mash it. Since pear may have some fibres, do sieve it before serving baby.
Apart from being a great source of Fibre, pear helps in digestion, improves immune system and can cure constipation specifically.
*Do watch out for allergy, pear can cause allergy in some babies (very few). If your baby gets allergic (rashes), stop it immediately and consult your doctor.
With apple, ripe pear and cinnamon, you can also add water soaked apricots (1initially) and blend it together. Apricot (any dry fruit) can be heavy for babies tummy. So keep their quantity limited only.
5. Banana -Apple puree : 1/4 cup apple puree & 1 banana, when mashed and blended together with cinnamon gives a great fruit combination for toddlers. You can even let it cool and feed babies as white cubes:)
These were the main Fruit purees I fed my baby on, there could be multiple other puree combinations. Luckily, he did not have allergy from any of the stated fruits and just enjoyed having them in different colorful forms.
Vegetable Puree :
Let them love greenies when this young! Purees stated below taste really nice and are full of nutrition for babies growth.
- Roasted Pumpkin puree / Pumpkin +Beetroot/Pumpkin+Beet+Carrot: My baby enjoyed having pumpkin alone and even when I blended it with beet root. Slice pumpkin applying traces of oil on the exposed sides and let it bake for 45min until smooth. Take the centre fleshy part and just puree it with spoon. You can also add baked/boiled beet root/carrot puree to it and feed your baby. Pumpkin is high in fibres and apart from keeping stomach healthy it helps in eyesight, and provides great energy. Also it is great source of vitamin C helping in developing immunity. It contains serotonin, which helps baby relax and even sleep in a better way.
Beetroot, well known to keep heart healthy, it also avoids has lots of iron and help improve haemoglobin levels.
2. Pumpkin and Baked beans : Boil pumpkin with just enough water and mash with baked beans and serve. Its a great combination for babies.
3. Potato+Carrot +Sweet potato Puree : Just boil them all and puree together. A sweet vegetable puree is ready for your baby to relish.
4. Pea + Mashed Potato + Zucchini Puree: In India, finding zucchini can be difficult, but do try to get it if it is seen in modern marts. The green color itself with creamy flavour with entice your baby to have this complete food. After peeling, boil zucchini and peas and blend them together. Do sieve it and then add mashed potatoes and feed your baby.
Zucchini provides a distinct taste to the puree as it gets sweetened up when baked or cooked. It has ample vitamins and a rich source of B complex. Also it is easily digestible due to fibrous content. Select small zucchini for baby which is usually soft and tender.
5. Pure Potato or Roasted potato puree : Loved by most of the babies, roast the potato in some butter or ghee, add a tinge of salt and black pepper (ensure only a tinge). Mash it up and feed it while same is creamy. If it dries up, it may prompt babies to puke.
Note : If you prefer boiling, take very less water so that nutrients do not steam away. Baking where possible can be better option than boil. Or you could even just steam away if you have ample time.
An interesting summer option for baby’s can be “Fruit Yoghurts”.
Ready the yoghurt and add freshly prepared fruit purees as strawberry / mango / banana / Blueberry. They really taste awesome when cool & will be loved by your baby for sure.
Honestly hoping that I’ve helped you burying out some of your tensions and worries Moms!Let your baby opt for 3-4 of these recipes listed and an enjoying toddlerhood!
Happy Feeding!!