Seasoning Baby Food with Flavorful Herbs & Spices

Babies Love Trying New Foods 

We start babies on solid foods at 6 months of age sticking to the conventional cereals and grains. Often, parents forget that babies too have taste buds and love to experience a variety of foods. Every baby’s food cabinets are stocked with bland foods such as ragi porridges, cereals of different flavors and milk powders.

Practically, an infant over 6 months of age should be exposed to a variety of flavors and textures and can eat any foods, including the ones that adults eat, except the ones that might pose a choking hazard threat to the baby. This is what research confirms too-make your baby eat fresh, flavorful foods that are inviting and tasty.

Spicing Up the Food

You can make the food exciting for your little one in two ways:

•  Feed him/her with a variety of nutritious foods
• Add fresh herbs and mild spices to baby food

This does not mean that you spice up food with ample crushed pepper or hot spices but introduce creative ones such as small chunks of garlic with meat, a dash of cinnamon in porridge (rice/wheat/ragi) or a pinch of cumin in vegetable soup.

This readies the baby to enjoy several advantages including:

1. Prepares the baby to start relishing healthy foods and lays a strong foundation for healthy eating habits
2. Trains the child to be ready for experiences changes every day. Instead of feeding the baby with a smashed banana every day, offering a plain smashed banana on one day and introducing a spoonful of honey or crunched nutmeg with the banana on another day can have a positive impact on the child’s taste buds.
3. Fresh herbs contain vitamins and minerals.
4. Herbs and spices enhance flavor and taste of foods making it appealing for the kid to eat
5. Herbs can add flavor to any food that you eat and create a fun feeding environment

Why don’t you try these combinations with your little one and dazzle him/her?

• Carrots and cinnamon
•  Fish and lemon
• Smashed potatoes and garlic
• Banana and basil
• Applesauce and cinnamon
• Beef and chicken
• Sweet potato and cardamom

Find plenty of ideas and recipes on healthy baby foods at www.firsteatright.com. Everything is new to a baby and you need to start slowly to help babies start accepting the new changes and experimentation with their foods. Use a small quantity of anything you would love to add-cinnamon, nutmeg, garlic, etc. While using herbs, puree or crush fresh herbs properly as these leaves can leave a baby choking otherwise. Please wash any fresh produce, including herbs before feeding them.