Baby Food Recipes

The Department of Health (DoH) recommends exclusive breast/bottle feeding until your baby is six months old. After that your baby needs more nutrients (their iron store, for instance, has now been used up). Babies introduced to solids between 4 and 6 months can have an increased risk of allergic reactions to food.

A wide variety of foods is, of course, most beneficial (for more on balanced diet see the Food Pyramid). Try foods individually at first, with 3 or 4 days between new foods, to find out what your baby likes, you can then start mixing into combinations after that.

Do try rejected foods again after a couple of weeks as babies' tastes evolve, and enjoy this marvelous time of discovery.

The first foods to wean you baby on are super smooth single flavours, just cook till very soft and puree (except for avocadoes and bananas, these you can just mash). Once you have established likes and dislikes you can wow your little one with even more new and complex flavours to enjoy.

Here are a few recipe suggestions, you'll see it really is a matter of coking the fruit/veg till soft and adding a little additioanl interest.

Try your baby on these combinations:

• Fish: dill, coconut
• Grean beans and peas: mint, parsley
• Mango and other soft fruit: cinnamon
• Potatoes: chives, rosemary, watercress
• Pulses: tahini, thyme, olive oil
• Rice: cardamom, nutmeg, vanilla, ginger, dates, black strap molasses (an excellent source of iron and zinc, from 9 months)
• Root veg : garlic, mace, cumin, spring onion (softer than brown onions)

Note: all recipes are suitable for freezing

Simple baby purees

Apple/Pear Puree
Vitamins: A, C, Folate
Minerals: Potassium, Magnesium, Calcium

1. Peel, core and cut apple and or pear into slices/chunks
2. Put in a non-reactive pan with a splash of water and a squeeze of lemon or a small pinch of cinnamon
3. Simmer gently for 8-10 minutes, lid on
4. Puree and then allow to cool

Note: Apples are great for constipation.
Note 2: A small squeeze of lemon juice is ok for a baby but avoid citrus and tomatoes in quantity before 12 months

Aubergine and Thyme

1. Chop aubergine into small chunks, fry gently in olive oil with a little crushed garlic for 5 minutes
2. Add 100-150ml home made chicken stock (that is stock with no salt in it) and a couple of sprigs of thyme
3. Simmer covered for another 5 mins, then uncovered for 20mins (until water is absorbed)
4. Take out thyme, cool and blend

Potato and Fennel

1. Boil potatoes and steam fennel (you can do this in the same big pan)
2. Mash pots with a little of baby's usual milk
3. Puree fennel with a little parsley
4. Mix and serve

Note: Fennel is excellent for the digestion

Green Beans or Peas
Vitamins: A, C, K, Niacin, Folate
Minerals: Potassium, Sodium, Phosphorus, Iron, Magnesium, Calcium

1. Snap off bean ends, add a little chopped up mint and boil/steam until soft (15 mins)
2. Puree in blender, using some of the cooking water to thin out

Note: You can pass through a seive to get it really smooth
Note 2: Boiled/steamed green beans make excellent baby finger food for when your little one is 8-9 months

Interesting and Textured Dishes

Cheesey courgette risotto

Ingredients
10g butter
50g risotto rice
water or salt free chicken or vegetable stock
½ courgette, finely diced
20g grated parmesan or cheddar

1. Melt the butter in a pan, add the rice and stir well to coat the grains.
2. Just cover rice with hot water or stock, stir well and simmer, adding more water/stock as it evaporates. Cook for 10 minutes.
3. Add the finely diced courgette and stir well. Cook for a further 10 minutes. Everything should be really, really soft
4. Add the grated cheese, stir well. Cool and serve.

Note: This dish can be frozen but do not store cooked rice in the fridge for more than one day and, when reheating, always reheat thoroughly.

Source: www.babyworld.co.uk

Rough cod and rice puree

This is very simple to make and a great way of introducing fish into your baby's diet. If you wish it to be a little richer add milk instead of water.

Ingredients
50g rice
100ml water
100g cod fillet, skinned and de-boned
A few sprigs of parsley

1. Place the rice and water in a small pan and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally
2. Add the cod fillet and cook for a further 10 minutes, add extra water if needed.
3. Finally add the parsley and cook for two minutes. Blend to the desired consistency, adding a little extra boiled water if needed. Cool and serve

Source: www.babyworld.co.uk