Recipes for babies food are difficult to think of as babies are vulnerable inside out….and you are overwhelmed even at the thought of giving her the first spoon of solids…specially if you are new to parenting…
Here are some recipes for your tiny little baby that you can start with.
Child nutrition and hygiene are the two most important factors to be kept in mind while preparing first baby foods.
Just make sure you are not giving combination food at this point. Anything you give baby should be continuously for three days before trying another food item.
Feed only one spoon initially and gradually increase the amount. If baby refuses a particular food, do not try force feeding. Leave it for few days and try again after a week.
Food recipes for babies
Baby first foods 4 to 6 months
Dal Pani ( Watery Lentil soup )
Boil a handful of moong/masoor dal or pink/yellow lentil with a pinch of organic turmeric powder and organic Himalayan pink salt.
Let it cool down and you will see the residue of the lentil has precipitated at the bottom. Now carefully pour the liquid from top in another sterilized bowl.
You can give this liquid to your baby when she is around 4/5 months onwards. Though it is watery liquid, it contains vitamins, minerals and protein which your baby is having for the first time. Let your baby get used to nutrients other than milk by giving her nutrition and taste which is different than milk.
Also your baby will learn how salty food tastes. This is a new experience for her. In some cases she might not accept initially , but gradually she will start enjoying it.
Rice Soup
Boil handful of organic white rice( Do not use brown rice as it is heavier on the stomach and baby is not yet ready for it). Use about half a liter of water. Boil till the rice disintegrates and releases starch. Strain the rice to remove solid pieces. Cool and feed the baby.
You can use a pressure cooker for this purpose as well.
You can mix this rice preparation in addition to milk. To give it another taste you can add a pinch of pink Himalayan salt as well.
Just a spoon to start with and then increase the amount gradually as per your babies appetite.
How much baby will take also depends on the recipe and recipes for babies need to be carefully prepared not to make it heavy initially.
Pureed Fruits
You can puree a few easy going fruits and add to your babies diet once baby is already used to taking rice and lentil soups. This way you have prepared her tummy to handle food particles other than milk. In my personal experience I used pureed apple as the first fruit for both my babies and never had a problem.
Some other fruits that can be pureed and given to babies this age are, ripened papaya, avocado, musk melon, Banana etc. make sure you give just a spoon and watch the tolerance for a minimum of three days. The fruits should be well ripened and preferably organic.
Initially use fruits which needs to be peeled before consumption as this reduces the chances of any chemical or pesticide residue to be present.
Pureed vegetable
Puree vegetables like pumpkin, potato, carrots, sweet potato etc and feed your baby initially after she starts with rice and lentil water. Make sure the puree is a bit runny and not too thick. This way baby can swallow easily and will crave for more.
One tip for pureed vegetables – strain the puree to avoid lumps and add warm boiling water to make the puree thinner if required and avoid cold water.
Images may not represent exact recipe all the time
Recipes for babies -
7 to 9 months
Once your baby is beyond 6 months, you can try some combination foods and start experimenting a little more.
This time she is familiar to the fact that taste varies. Baby first food needs little
She might also show interest towards food by staring at your plate or grabbing items from you. This is an indication that she is interested to try new food items.
Khichdi (Rice and lentil cooked together with mild Indian spice powders)
You need: a handful of organic white rice, a handful of yellow lentil (moong dal), a 1/5 tea spoon of organic turmeric powder, pink Himalayan salt (as per taste), 1/5th tea spoon organic cumin powder, 1/5th tea spoon organic coriander powder, a pinch of asafetida, 1/6th teaspoon organic sugar.
Preparation: Wash the rice and lentil.
In a heavy bottom pan, take 1/2 tea spoon ghee( clarified butter) and wait till hot.
Now add the washed rice and lentils.
Stir for few minutes and add the salt, turmeric, cumin and coriander powder.
Mix it all and stir for few minutes till the raw smell of turmeric disappears.
Add two cups of drinking water and boil everything together.
Lower the heat after 5 minutes of boiling and let it simmer till you see starch is releasing and the ingredients disintegrate.
Just before turning off the heat, add sugar.
Turn off heat and cool.
Let your baby enjoy her first adult type meal!! I am sure she is going to love it…
Tomato and carrot soup
You need: One tomato and half a carrot, preferably organic ones. 1/4 of a small onion,1/6th tea spoon ginger paste, a small piece of cinnamon, 0ne bay leaf, 1/3 tea spoon butter and 1.5 cups of water, Himalayan pink salt and organic sugar to taste
Preparation:Chop carrot and tomato roughly. Also chop the onion in tiny bits.
Now in a thick bottomed pan, melt some butter and add the cinnamon and bay leaf.
Then add the onions. Once the onions start getting translucent, add the tomato and carrots.
add salt to taste.
Be gentle in adding seasoning as babies do not prefer strong taste.
Stir till veggies are soft and add water.
Boil till it vegetables have softened, add the sugar and remove from flame.
Let it cool completely. Now strain the mixture in a sterilized strainer.
This will remove all peels and spices.
Feed this slightly sweet, tangy and flavorful soup to your baby.
I am sure she will love it as this was and is a favorite to both my kids.
Pumpkin Soup
You need: Few chunky pieces of pumpkin, a small piece of cinnamon, one bay leaf, half a small onion and some milk and butter.
Preparation:take some butter in a heavy bottom pan and add the cinnamon and bay leaf and after a minute add the onions.
After onions start getting translucent, add the pumpkin and salt.
The salt will help the pumpkin to disintegrate. Cook well till pumpkin is soft and mushy.
Add the milk and simmer in very low flame for few minutes.
Take off the flame and cool. Strain this mixture to remove the whole spices and any lumps.
Let baby enjoy !!
Ragi (Finger millet) porridge
You need: 1 spoon organic finger millet(Ragi) flour (served), a cup of milk, 0.5 cups of water, one cardamom pod, organic jaggery powder
Preparation: Mix the millet with water and heat, stirring continuously. This mixture will be very prone to forming lumps. You cannot leave it a moment and keep stirring. Also cook it on low flame. Crush the cardamom pod and throw in.
You will notice the mixture getting thicker with each minute. Once it thickens little, pour in the milk . Mix thoroughly and add in the jaggery. Simmer on medium flame.
Cool and remove the cardamom pod. It has added its flavor and now to be discarded else it can be a chocking hazard.
You are ready to feed now.
This is one of the most nutritional food you can give to babies of this age.
You may find Ragi in her poop but that’s absolutely normal.
Recipes for babies-
10 to 12 months
Your baby is a lot more easygoing with food now and you have more choices to make. In most cases you do not need to mash up things any more and that’s a huge relief!
As long as the food is not hard and dry you can offer them to your baby.( Check with your pediatrician before introducing new patterns and items in diet).
Banana & Oatmeal Pancakes
You need: One small ripened banana, few raisins, 1.5 tea spoon oatmeal powder, butter, one egg, a pinch of salt. If your banana is ripe, you do not need any sugar. In case you feel you need more sweetness, you can add some organic brown sugar.
Preparation: In a mixing bowl, mash the banana throughly and check for lumps to remove them. Now add oatmeal powder and egg, salt and mix well.
In a pan, melt little butter and spread. Once butter melts, add a dollop of batter and lower the heat. Add a few raisins on top.Once you see air pores being formed, you are ready to flip your pancake. You can add little more butter to the sides of the pancake for better results.
Once pancakes cool down a bit, cut in bite size pieces for your baby and serve.
I can bet you will see her drooling at the sight of pancakes next time you make them!
Sweet Potato wedges
You need: Sweet potato, Himalayan pink salt/black salt, mango powder and ghee(clarified butter).
Preparation: Wash the sweet potatoes and cut in disk shape and then in halves to form wedges. Now in a steamer, steam the wedges till they are soft but not mushy.
You need to be careful with this process. Prick with a toothpick to test. You should feel the prick to be little resistant but not hard. At this time remove from steam and let it cool completely.
Once the wedges cool down shallow fry in clarified butter till all edges get crispy and brown. Sprinkle some salt and mango powder and toss gently (Remember to go easy on salt and mango powder. Just a tiny bit is fine for the baby, do not make it strong).
Serve. You will notice your baby grabbing and having this all by herself. It tastes delicious.
You can serve this item as a health evening snack.
TIP: You can try this snack by deep frying wedges for older kids as well.
Peas and carrot and raisin Pulao
You need: organic small grain aromatic white rice – 1/2 cup, fresh peas – 4 pods, organic seasonal carrot (diced in small pieces) – 1/2 , washed and dried raisins – 5 to 6, butter or ghee(clarified butter), 1/5th tea spoon ginger paste, an inch of cinnamon stick, 2 cloves, one pod of green cardamom.
Preparation: wash and keep the rice and raisins aside.
Now in a heavy bottom pan, melt ghee or butter. Once hot, throw in the cinnamon, cloves, cardamom. Stir till you get an aroma. Make sure you keep the flame on medium level.
Now throw in the raisins and stir till they swell up but be careful not to burn.
Remove the raisins and keep aside. Now throw in the diced carrot and peas and stir for few minutes and add the soaked rice. Stir and mix together. Once the rice is nicely coated with butter/ghee and all traces of water evaporate, add 1 cup of water.
The measurement of water should be exactly double the quantity of rice. Let it boil. Once water reduces and gets to the level of the rice, lower the flame and cook covered for few minutes.
Check if rice is cooked and add the raisins. Mix carefully and keep covered for few minutes again.
Remove the whole spices, cool and serve with lentil soup or yogurt.
Green gram crapes with coconut
You need: Green gram(also called green moong) – 1/2 cup, Rice 1/3rd cup,1/2 inch ginger, some coriander leaves, cumin seed, Salt, grated coconut 1 tea spoon, Butter/Ghee.
Preparation: Wash and soak the green gram and rice overnight.
Now mix all ingredients and grind in a blender making sure that the batter is not very smooth. Add little water at a time making sure its not too runny or too thick. The batter should be little textured. Keep aside for at least 8 hours without refrigeration. If you live in a hot climate 6 hours may be OK. The batter should be fermented and you can see air bubbles being formed when batter is ready.
Now in a flat pan, melt some ghee and once hot, put in a dollop of batter. Spread with the back of your laddle to make a crape.
This crape is not only delicious but full of protein and very flavourful. Your baby is going to love this!!
Sooji halwa
You need: Sooji (semolina) 1/3 cup, Ghee, water, few strands of saffron soaked in warm milk, Sugar( Organic is better for baby)- 1/2 quantity of semolina.
Preparation: In a heavy bottom pan, melt ghee and roast semolina till a nutty aroma is released. Add Sugar and cook till sugar melts. Cook well and then slowly add warm water while stirring continuously to avoid forming lumps. Add the saffron milk and cook till you get a porridge like consistency.
Keep the halwa little runny as it tends to dry up once cool.
Let baby enjoy!!