One of the main problems that new mothers have to deal with when starting the supplementary feeding of your babies is the absence of variety. The kids they are bored of taking the same flavors and textures every day. We give you ideas to make your much more fun and tasty meals.
Vegetable purees: put a different touch
After cereals and fruit porridge, the vegetable is the first group of foods that we introduce in the diet of our babies when they turn 6 months. However, many times the list of recommended foods for this first stage is not very extensive and our children, even if they are small, they can get tired of taking the same meals day after day.
Put into practice the following tricks so that the feeding of your children is more varied and entertaining:
- With cheese There are many defatted, lactose-free and pasteurized cheeses, including baby cheeses made with formula milk that will give a different touch to your vegetable purees. The cheese is great with mashed potatoes, carrots, zucchini and squash. In addition, its creamy texture will arouse the curiosity and interest of the baby.
- The leek, a tasty ally. Most babies do not like the taste of garlic or onion, however, leek is a tasty vegetable that adds an extra dose of flavor to any cream.
- Sweet potato, an original alternative. It has similar qualities to the potato, but its flavor is sweeter and its texture creamier. Modify the recipe for your son's classic mashed potatoes and you'll see how he thanks you.
- More celery, more intensity. In addition to having a very characteristic flavor, celery complements and intensifies the flavor of any culinary ingredient.
- Carbohydrates If your child has already tried the cereals, you can add the rice to their vegetable creamers to add an extra dose of energy and a much more consistent texture.
- Tomato soup. Tomato is one of the first vegetables offered to babies. It is tasty and consistent. Why not give it more prominence and prepare it as a soup along with other vegetables?
- Vegetable planter. After 7 months, the child will start eating meat and then you can offer a vegetable planter, a complete mashed green beans with potatoes or a tasty cream of carrots with ham.
- Poached egg. When you have already introduced the egg into your baby's diet, you can poach it and offer it in soups or sprinkle the cooked yolk over its mash.
- Beet. Its sweet taste enchants kids! It is a very healthy vegetable, rich in iron, vitamin C and fibers. Perfect for your first purees. And besides, it is very fashionable!
When the pediatrician allows you to introduce more vegetables, fruits, meat or fish, you can still puree more complete and original.
The first stumbles
Many babies enjoy meeting stumble on food. If you little start chewing, you can throw pureed bits of soft foods to favor the chewing of the child. Even if you don't have teeth yet, your gums are strong enough to chew them. Take note of the following ideas:
Trips of vegetables. Leave whole pieces of cooked carrot or toss whole peas in your puree so that the little one begins to experience new textures.
Bacon, turkey or York ham taquitos. Smoked meats give an intense flavor to each bite and your little one will enjoy chewing them. They are ideal to "cheer" the vegetable purees.
Croutons. In very small pieces they will give each tablespoon a crunchy texture.
Fish. At 12 months, fish will be a regular food in their menus. Prepare a puree of vegetables with small pieces of white fish to start chewing.
Macaroni, a guaranteed success. Children love pasta, chop 3 or 4 macaroni and pour them into the puree so you can take a dose of carbohydrates. Its texture is perfect for first chewers.
Rice yes, but whole. It is no longer necessary that you crush the cereal to incorporate it into your creams. Pour a tablespoon of white rice into your child's crushed food to have fun chewing.
Croquettes Croquettes are a great way to offer your child food. They are soft and admit any ingredient (meat, fish, vegetables, etc.). Its texture and flavor will delight your little one!
A soup. Another fantastic alternative of offering a varied menu is to prepare a nutritious soup with some stumps of cooked vegetables or potatoes.
Hygiene guidelines in the preparation of baby food
In the baby food preparationIt is important to maintain basic hygiene rules to keep germs, bacteria, fungi and harmful viruses at bay.
Wash and dry your hands well before handling the food you will prepare. Clean and disinfect the countertop and the kitchen utensils that you are going to use. Do not just pass a cloth with soap, use a product with bleach and detergent, such as Star 2in1, to eliminate bacteria. Always separate raw food from cooked foods and cook food above 70 degrees to eliminate all harmful bacteria that may be in red and poultry, fish and eggs. It is also important to always keep the refrigerator clean and make sure you keep food in it at temperatures below 5 ° C. Finally, make sure your dishwasher is always clean and disinfected to prevent the appearance of fungi and other harmful agents. With these simple guidelines, you will avoid cross contamination.
As for the child's hygiene, it is normal for babies to get stained when they eat. They are experimenting and part of their enjoyment for food is to become familiar with the textures. Do not worry about it, be patient and let the little one enjoy. Afterwards, clean your high chair and the remains of food from the floor, you can use a detergent with bleach like Star 2in1.
Soak the most persistent stains of your bibs, muslin or clothes. Whenever they are white, 20 minutes and water with a little Neutrex with bleach will be enough so you can rinse them and wash it in the washing machine. If the label specifies that the garment does not support bleach, you can use specific products to remove stains such as Neutrex Oxy5 Color.
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