Breast milk is the best nutrition for a baby

I am a strong advocate of breastfeeding. I breast fed my daughter until she turned 13 months old. My infant son was exclusively breastfed until 6 months and I am still breastfeeding him partially. Breast milk has the perfect composition, temperature and nutrients for your baby. It does not require sterilization, warming or bottles reducing overhead. It helps your baby and you to bond. As far as possible, try and breastfeed your baby at least partially. The benefits are so many to count. Even a little milk is liquid gold for baby.

Some useful sites for breast feeding:

http://www.KellyMom.com 
http://www2.aap.org/breastfeeding/

Kichdi - Moong dal and rice porridge

Khichri is commonly considered to be a comfort food, and was the inspiration for the Anglo-Indian dish of kedgeree. 


In India, babies progress to eating kichri after they have been introduced to rice. You can start by feeding baby the water or soup that comes on top after cooking the moong dal and rice together or with the kichri itself if you think baby is ready.  


For making kichri baby food, you will need:

• 1 teaspoon moong dal powder
• 2 teaspoon rice powder
• Water

Cook the moong dal  and rice powder mixed together with 8-10 teaspoons water in a pressure cooker or in a pot over a low flame. Once cooked the consistency should be smooth. Run through a sieve if required or a use a baby food processor. 


You can start making many variations of kichri by adding different vegetables like carrots, pumpkin, butternut squash, sweet potato, potato, spinach (start with 1-2 leaves of baby spinach), green beans, sweet peas and also combinations of veggies. You can also add fish or chicken when cooking the kichri.


To dispell wind( gassiness), you can add a pinch of asafoetida (hing) to the khichri when cooking it. A bit of garlic also helps.

Stewed peach and rice

Today, I cooked some stewed peach and rice for M. He did not like it on the first bite, but then I waited till he was quite hungry and he ate it all up.


To make this you will need

• One ripe small peach
• One tablespoon of homemade rice powder or any good rice
• Rock sugar

Stew the a peach and rice together with some rock sugar in a pressure cooker or in  a pot until cooked well. Add a little water if required. Mash with a spoon and run through a sieve or a food processor.

I used rock sugar in this recipe as peach has a slightly tangy sour taste. You could try it without the sugar as well, replacing it with a little apple or any other sweet fruit.

Homemade moong dal powder

Moong dal is rich in protein and is very easy on a baby's developing digestive system. You can buy moong dal at any Indian grocery convenience store or at a health food store. It is light yellow in color with tiny grains.  Dry roast the moong daal for about 15 minutes on low flame. Do not let it turn red. Allow to cool. Then grind to a fine powder in a food processor. This can be stored in an airtight container and used for cooking for about 6 months.

Homemade rice powder

For this you will need good quality rice. I used basmati. You can use brown rice or white. Dry roast the rice for a about 15 minutes on low flame. Do not allow rice to turn red.  Allow to cool. Then grind to a fine powder in a processor. This can be stored in an airtight container and used for cooking for about 6 months.

Some simple breakfast recipes for babies from age 6 months old

Stewed apple

• One red apple
• Some water

Peel and chop apple in little pieces. Add a little water. Cover the pot and cook for about 15 mins until the apple is soft. Remove from flame and mash. I usually run this through a sieve so that the consistency is smooth for a small baby. You could use a baby food processor as well. At times, I also cook a bit of rice powder with the apple to make Stewed apple with rice. You can also add some ready baby cereal like Earth's best rice , oatmeal or barley cereal.


Stewed pear


Use the same recipe as the one for Stewed apple.

Mashed banana

• One half ripe banana

Peel and grate half a ripe banana. Mash it with a spoon or run through a sieve. Add some baby cereal to make a variation.


Avocado

• One half ripe avocado

Peel and mash half an avocado. M did not take to the taste of avocado, so I missed in some mashed banana with it to give it a sweet taste.


Rice Porridge

• Rice powder - 2 tablespoons
• Water

Cook the rice powder with water in a pot or in the pressure cooker.  The porridge with be smooth. For very young babies, this could be the first food. Generally the water that comes on top after the porridge is cooked is given first for a few days, followed by the porridge. This gives the baby some time to get used to the idea of eating solids and is easy on digestion too.

What is 'Poshtik'?

Poshtik is a word in Marathi (a language used in central India) which means healthy. In India and most of Asia, it is very common to feed a baby home made solid foods once they are ready. Many principles are followed in preparation of the baby food which is made fresh for every meal. Indian foods generally follow the Ayurvedic tradition wherein food combinations and energies are kept in mind. Other Asian countries like China also believe in food combinations and energies. For example certain foods like ginger are used to expel wind.

I make baby food for my little son who is now 8 month old - we will call him 'M' in this blog. I also cook for my 8 year old daughter - we will call her 'I'.

Give your baby a healthy start in life with natural homemade solid foods. Made with love from fresh and simple ingredients, these foods will nourish your little baby.