Mothers are usually
recommended to exclusively breastfeed their babies for the first six
months. After six months, breast milk alone doesn't provide your baby with
enough nutrients, particularly iron, so you will need to gradually introduce
other foods.
Waiting until six
months to introduce your baby to solid food protects her health. It reduces the
chance that she will develop allergies or pick up an infection from
food. When your baby reaches the six month mark, her immune system is stronger
and better equipped to face any germs. However, there are times when your baby
might need to start solid foods sooner. Many experts recommend introducing baby
food between 17 and 26 weeks if your baby is not gaining enough weight or
remains hungry after breast feeding. This is true for all babies including
babies with allergies or premature babies.
The key is to
introduce solid foods one at a time, a new food item every 4 to 5th day. You do not need to add sugar
or salt to your baby’s food but it should be nutrient rich. You should wait for your baby to turn
6 to 7 months to introduce gluten, which is mainly found in wheat. Dairy milk should not be given
before your baby’s first birthday although small amounts can be added to food
that is being cooked.
Cereal and
grains should be introduced to babies once they complete six months,
rice, oats, ragi, wheat, barley, quinoa etc are all excellent options. From six
months you can give ordinary cereals such as porridges, both sweet and savory
and a yummy dessert using healthy ingredients once in a while is fine too!
At around 6-9 months
once your baby has developed a taste for food, you can start to combine flavors
and be a little more adventurous. The below recipes are tasty, wholesome and
are extremely easy to prepare and are sure to be easy winners with your little
ones. These recipes are collected from various sources; Annabel Karmel, Tarla
Dalal and of course friends and family. Enjoy!
Caution: Some recipes
make use of milk and other dairy products as ingredients. Please use this only
on advice of your pediatrician or child’s doctor.
Ingredients
1 cup Milk
1 tablespoon Sprouted
Ragi flour
4 to 5 Almonds; soaked
overnight (optional)
4 to 5 Raisins; soaked
overnight (optional) (refer
notes)
1 to 2 teaspoon Grated
Jaggery/Sugar (optional)
A pinch of Cardamom
powder
Method
Grind together the
soaked almonds and raisins to a smooth paste.
Boil 3/4 cup milk in a
sauce pan. Into the remaining 1/4 cup of milk, add ragi flour, ground almond
and raisin puree and mix well without any lumps. Add this to the boiling milk
and let it cook for 5-6 minutes or until nice and thick. (or to the consistency
your baby likes) Continuously stir to avoid any lumps.
Now switch off flame
and add jaggery/sugar and cardamom powder (if using). Mix well.
Serve warm to your
baby.
Notes:
1. The addition of
raisins and almonds is optional but this definitely enhances the flavor of the
whole dish. If you are using them to prepare the ragi malt, and if your little
one has been introduced to lumpy foods, you can add a few finely chopped raisins
to this too.
2. Remember to mix the
ragi flour with milk before adding it to the boiling milk to avoid lumps.
3. Cook the Ragi mix
over the flame for atleast five minutes so that the raw taste disappears and
the flavor of the porridge is accentuated.
4. You can add a dash
of ghee while cooking the porridge. Ghee aids in easier digestion of the ragi
which can sometimes be a little heavy on a baby’s stomach; and also enhances
flavor of the porridge.
5. You need not use a
whole cup of milk for this recipe. You can do half water and half milk too.
6. You can even make a
savory version of this porridge with lentils and veggies.
7. If you do not plan
to use cow’s milk to cook the porridge, you could cook this simply with water.
Adjust the consistency with breastmilk or formula to give it more flavor.
2. Oats and Apple
Porridge
Ingredients
2 to 3 tablespoons
Oats (refer notes)
1/4 cup finely chopped
Apple (any sweet eating apple like Royal Gala, Shimla etc.)
1 teaspoon Butter
1/2 to 3/4 cup full
fat milk; boiled (refer notes)
1 to 2 teaspoons
grated or powdered Jaggery/Sugar
Method
Heat butter in a broad
non-stick pan and add the oats into it. Sauté the oats on a low flame for about
two minutes or till the oats turns a light brown in color. Pour in the milk,
chopped apples, and jaggery/sugar and cook on a gentle sim till the porridge
turns thick and the oats is cooked well. (adjust consistency as per baby’s age
and preference; cook for a few more minutes than the laid down cooking time)
Once done, switch off
flame and cool the porridge. Blend to a smooth puree and serve warm or serve as
it is. (pureeing is really not necessary if the oats has been cooked well to a
mashed consistency)
Variations:
1. Plain Oats Porridge with no
fruits.
2. Oats cooked with
Apples, Apricots and Pears
3. Oats cooked with
dry fruits like raisins, almonds, figs, dried apricots etc. (all soaked
overnight and pureed smooth)
4. Oats and Bananas
5. Oats cooked with
Apricots and Bananas
6. Savory Oats
porridge with vegetables, coriander and even a few spices once you have
introduced your baby to it.
Notes:
1. There has always
been debate that Oats is heavy on a baby’s stomach. But each baby is different
and oats is definitely a healthy and filling porridge that your baby is sure to
love. There are different kinds of oats available in the market like Steel cut
Oats or Rolled Oats and Regular Oats. I have always used regular oats for my
baby and she loves it to bits! So go on and don’t worry about cooking this up
for your little munchkin.
2. If you do not plan
to use cow’s milk to cook the porridge, you could cook this simply with water.
Adjust the consistency with breastmilk or formula to give it more flavor.
3. Once your baby
grows bigger and is enjoying lumps, do not puree the porridge. Serve as it is.
Make this porridge for
your whole family, it’s delicious and healthy!
3. Fruity Baby Muesli
Ingredients
1 & 1/2 tablespoon
Oats
1/4 cup of sweet
eating Apple; peeled, cored & chopped (Royal Gala; Shimla etc.)
1 tablespoon ripe
Pears; peeled, cored & chopped
Water or Milk; enough
to cook the oats
1 teaspoon Raisins;
soaked overnight & finely chopped
Method
Heat a pan and add the
oats, chopped apples and pears along with water or milk into it. Cover and cook
for a few minutes over low heat till the oats and fruit is cooked well. (refer notes) Once done, remove from heat and
combine well. (mash with fork if needed) Add the chopped raisins and more fruit
puree if your baby loves it.
Notes:
1. Fruits can be
cooked depending on baby’s age and preference. If your baby is bigger and is
able to eat fresh fruit without cooking, then go ahead and simply add freshly
chopped apples and pears after the oats is cooked.
4. Bulgur Wheat
Porridge with Dates
Ingredients
1 tablespoon Bulgur
Wheat/Broken Wheat/Dalia
2 Dates; deseeded and
coarsely chopped
1 teaspoon grated
Jaggery/Sugar (optional)
3/4 cup full fat Milk;
boiled
Method
Take a pressure cooker
and add the bulgur and dates into it. Pour in 1/2 to 3/4 cup of water and cook
upto three whistles on high flame and few more minutes on a low flame. Once the
pressure has released, open the lid and mash the dates with the back of a spoon.
Combine well with the bulgur.
Take a broad non-stick
pan and tip the bulgur-date mixture, milk and jaggery/sugar (optional) into it.
Once the mixture comes to a brisk boil, lower the flame and cook till the
porridge is thick and mashed well. Stir in between to avoid lumps and also to
prevent the porridge from sticking to the pan. (a good non-stick base wouldn’t
do that though)
Serve warm to your
baby.
Variations:
1. Savory Bulgur Wheat
porridge with vegetables, lentils, coriander and even a few spices once you
have introduced your baby to it.
2. You can add any
fruit of your choice to the porridge instead of dates; Apples, Apricots, Pears,
Bananas etc. are all good options.
3. You can replace
Bulgur with Bajra.
4. You can use Jowar
instead of Bulgur.
5. You can even do a
combination of half Ragi and half Jowar or any of the above said grains.
Notes:
1. If your baby is
still too small to swallow this porridge as it is, here is how you need to cook
it:
Cool the cooked bulgur
and dates and once cooled completely, liquidize the mixture with a little milk
in a blender till it is smooth in texture. Transfer this to a broad non-stick
pan and add the rest of the milk with a little water and mix well. Bring to a
boil and lower the flame and continue to cook till you get the desired
consistency. Stir continuously to avoid lumps.
2. You can add a dash
of ghee while cooking the porridge. Ghee aids in easier digestion of the ragi
which can sometimes be a little heavy on a baby’s stomach; and also enhances
flavor of the porridge.
3. If you do not plan
to use cow’s milk to cook the porridge, you could cook this simply with water.
Adjust the consistency with breastmilk or formula to give it more flavor.
5. Moong Dal Khichdi
Ingredients
1 tablespoon split
Moong Dal or Green whole Moong
2 tablespoon Rice
(preferably any unpolished variety; For example, Kerala Red rice)
1/2 teaspoon Turmeric
powder
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon
Ghee
Method
Wash and soak the rice
and dals together for about 15 to 20 minutes. Drain and keep aside.
Add the rice and dal
into a pressure cooker along with turmeric powder and enough water. Pressure
cook for upto three whistles on high flame and another 3 to 4 minutes on a
gentle sim. The rice and dal must be cooked very well. (you do not need to do
this if the rice and dal has been cooked well) Once done, remove from the
pressure cooker and add ghee. Combine well. Mash or puree the khichdi according
to baby’s age and preference. Adjust the consistency by adding filtered water.
Serve warm to your
baby.
6. Vegetable Khichdi
Ingredients
1 tablespoon split
Moong Dal or Green whole Moong
2 tablespoon Rice
(preferably any unpolished variety; For example, Kerala Red rice)
1 tablespoon
Bottlegourd (lauki); peeled & grated or finely chopped
2 tablespoon Carrot;
peeled & grated or finely chopped
1 Peppercorn
1 Clove
1/4 teaspoon Cumin
seeds
A pinch of Asafetida
1/2 teaspoon Turmeric
powder
1 to 2 teaspoons
Coriander leaves; finely chopped
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon
Ghee
Water
Method
Wash the rice and
lentils together and soak in water for 15 to 20 minutes. Drain and keep aside.
Heat ghee in a
pressure cooker and add cumin seeds. When the cumin crackles, add the
asafetida, cloves and peppercorn into it and sauté for a minute. Now add the
vegetables and coriander leaves and sauté for a few seconds. Throw in the
lentils, rice and turmeric powder along with enough water and combine well.
Cook upto three whistles on high flame and a few more minutes on a gentle sim.
When the khichdi is done, open the lid of the cooker and remove the peppercorn
and clove from it. Mash or puree the khichdi.
Serve warm with fresh
curds or as it is.
7. Coriander Curd Rice
with Vegetables
Ingredients
2 tablespoon Rice;
washed
1 tablespoon Carrot
& Beans; cooked & finely chopped
1/4 teaspoon Cumin
seeds
A pinch of Asafetida
3 to 4 tablespoon
Curds
1 tablespoon Coriander
leaves; finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon Ghee
Water
Method
Heat ghee in a
pressure cooker and add the cumin seeds into it. When the seeds crackle, add
the asafetida and rice and sauté for two to three minutes. Pour in enough water
(a little extra water will do no harm; we want the rice nicely mashed and soft)
and cook till rice is overdone and can be mashed easily.
Cool rice and add
fresh curds, chopped coriander leaves and veggies and mash or blend using a
hand/stick blender once again to combine all the ingredients together.
Serve warm or at room
temperature.
Notes:
1. This can also be
cooked with leftover cooked rice. Here is how you do it:
Heat the cooked rice
and mash well. Add fresh curds, cooked veggies and finely chopped coriander
leaves to it.
Heat ghee in a pan and
add cumin seeds to it. When the seeds crackle, add the asafetida and fry for a
few seconds. Switch off flame and add to the curd rice. Blend the curd rice
using a hand/stick blender till you get the desired consistency.
2. Once your baby
becomes older (Nine months and above), you can do a tadka with a few spices
like ginger, a small piece of green chilli, mustard seeds and urad dal and
prepare the above recipe.
8. Spinach and Cottage
Cheese with Rice (Palak Paneer Rice)
Ingredients
1/4 cup Rice
1/4 cup Spinach
(palak); coarsely chopped
1/4 cup Cottage
cheese/paneer (home-made or store-bought); coarsely chopped
A pinch of Cumin Seeds
1/2 teaspoon Ghee/Oil
Water
Method
Heat ghee/oil in a
pressure cooker and add cumin seeds to it. When the seeds crackle, add the rice
and sauté for two to three minutes. Add the chopped spinach, paneer and water
into it and mix well. Pressure cook upto three whistles on a high flame and a few
more minutes on a gentle sim.
Once done, open the
lid of the pressure cooker, mix and mash well.
Serve warm with fresh
curds.
9. Lentils and Rice
with Grated Cabbage
Ingredients
2 tablespoon Rice
2 tablespoon split
yellow Moong Dal
1/4 cup finely chopped
Cabbage
1/4 teaspoon Cumin
seeds
A pinch of Asafetida
1/4 teaspoon grated
Ginger
A pinch of Turmeric
powder
1/2 teaspoon Ghee
Water; enough to cook
the rice and lentils
Method
Wash and pressure cook the rice and lentils
together with water till soft. Keep aside.
Heat ghee in a pan and
add cumin seeds into it. When the cumin crackles, add asafetida, ginger and
chopped cabbage and sauté for two to three minutes till the cabbage softens.
Now add the cooked rice, lentils and turmeric powder and mix well. Simmer for about
four to five minutes.
Serve warm to your
baby.
Notes:
1. You can also add 1
tablespoon Cow Pea leaves (chawli) and 1/4 cup chopped tomato for added flavor.
10. Vegetable
Semolina/Suji Upma
Ingredients
15 grams Fine
Semolina/Suji
1 to 2 cups filtered
Water
1 teaspoon Ghee/Butter
Veggies; pureed (refer notes)
Method
Dry roast
the semolina in a clean dry pan till it turns golden brown. Cook on
low flame and keep stirring continuously otherwise the semolina will
burn. Keep aside.
In a separate pan add
about 1 tsp of butter or ghee. When the butter or ghee melts,
add pureed vegetables and fry. Add the water and semolina and cook the
mixture on a low flame till the semolina grains absorb all the water.
Keep stirring so that
lumps do not form.
Serve warm.
Notes:
1. As your baby gets older,
substitute puréed vegetables with finely chopped or diced vegetables. If you
want the upma to be of pouring consistency, then don't let the water
dry completely. If you want it to be thicker and creamier, then let the
water absorb completely.
