As you know I cook almost everything from scratch…my children and grandchildren are not babies anymore they eat the same as the family eats…As you know on Wednesday I published my Environmental A-Z…It was the letter L…One of the topics was LEAD…These toxic metals can harm neurological development and are linked to autism and ADHD in children.

I was absolutely horrified to discover that after all the warnings over the last 10 years or more about lead and the effect that even a small amount can have on a developing brain…those precious brains of our children and grandchildren…it can still be found in processed baby foods…

I know that family units have broken down in many cultures now and good eating habits are not passed down…Like my mother passed them down to me…

 

However…baby food is one of the simplest of foods to make …making our own baby food doesn’t require special ingredients many of the ingredients we either buy regularly or grow or have in our store cupboard those tiny meals can be cooked in 15 minutes much of the time…It does however mean that we monitor the sugar and salt and can be sure that our precious children are not being fed lead…

For the first few months baby if mum is able should be happy being breastfed if not there are some very good brands of formula milk…

Before feeding, solids baby should be able to sit up and take the food off a spoon…

Time to start feeding baby which generally is around 4-6 months…How much will the baby eat? Well much depends on when you introduced food…A baby who has been eating food from about 4 months will be eating more at 6 months than a baby who starts eating food at 6 months.

When you start feeding a baby then feed only one fruit or vegetable at a time this way it is easier to determine whether or not a baby has an adverse reaction to a food..generally by their poo…which is a good indicator.

What to start with?

Avocados, bananas, sweet potatoes, carrots, peas, squash, eggs, pears, apples, mango, young coconut flesh, apples…All of these can either be mashed or lightly steamed or cooked in water…NEVER add sugar as this starts baby off on the road to only wanting to eat sweetened foods…You will see I mentioned coconut flesh which is fed to babies here in Thailand and around Asia…

A bit about young coconut flesh...Young coconuts, also called immature coconuts, are green or orange on the outside. When you open them, they mostly contain coconut water and are lined with white flesh that looks a bit like jelly. Available everywhere here but it can be bought frozen in a speciality food store.

Here in Thailand…Coconut – a first baby food?

The first solid food eaten by a Thai baby is three spoonfuls of the custard-like flesh of young coconut fed to him or her by a Buddhist priest.

BABY FOOD IDEAS USING COCONUT

• Add a little coconut milk (or a very little coconut cream) to mashed ripe banana.
• Mash a baked, peeled sweet potato with 2 fl oz (1/4 cup) coconut milk and a little pinch of ground ginger for an unusual and tasty treat!
• Use coconut milk to thin pumpkin or butternut squash purees.
• Cut up fresh sweet potato, pumpkin or butternut squash into 1-inch pieces, place them into an oven-proof dish and pour coconut milk over the top. Bake for around 30 mins (until tender), then mash and serve!
• Use coconut water to cook rice it adds a very subtle coconut flavour.

• Add a little coconut milk or cream to cooked oatmeal for babies an exotic breakfast treat.
• Use coconut milk in smoothies.
• Instead of simmering veggies in water, try simmering them in coconut milk instead!
• Poach a boneless piece of white fish in coconut milk!
• For older babies, add freshly grated coconut to cooked rice.

This is an example of how coconut is used to feed young children here…The soft jelly in a young coconut is easy to digest and has many nutrients…

Baby Porridge is also a good one to start with…I used to blitz my normal oats and then using a ratio of 1:3 you can make any amount…for example, 1 tbsp oats to 3 tbsp milk, milk formula, expressed breast milk then just heat and cook for a few minutes in a small saucepan and it is ready…you can serve just plain or add some fruit puree, mashed banana, apple puree or grated apple, pear, blueberry, a touch of cinnamon…

My youngest son absolutely loved carrots I used to steam them and then mash with a little unsalted butter and he would happily eat them for every meal I’m surprised he didn’t turn orange…lol

Lily’s favourite was broccoli just as it was… like in the header picture she just and still does love broccoli…

Don’t forget when your baby first starts eating solid food freeze it in small pots or large ice cube trays just take it out and thaw as required.

Once the baby reaches about 8 months it is time to start combining foods. Raw ripe fruit or lightly steamed vegetables can be offered as children love to eat with their hands at that age maybe make a small dip like a fruit puree so they can dunk…they will only need guidance a few times and they will do it themselves it will be messy but to me, there is nothing nicer than seeing a baby enjoy a piece of fruit or vegetable however messy they get. That happy look on their faces is priceless…

You can start offering fish lightly poached in milk with some vegetables like broccoli or leeks maybe some chicken or turkey again poached and mashed with some vegetables…Even tofu if you are bringing your baby up to follow a vegetarian diet…

Just be careful if you are giving bread or toast as it can get clumped together and cause a baby to choke…Always watch them at all times never leave them alone with food…especially bread…mine used to love eggy bread…

If you start baby on the right food as soon as they are ready to eat you will not have fussy kids…They will eat what you eat…Even here…the home of spicy food …Babies are started with vegetables and fruit, eggs and soft coconut flesh, then chicken or fish and rice…

Chillies are not introduced until they are about 3 or 4 and then only in small amounts …Our granddaughter is 9 now and eats everything we eat even the chillies she will eat quite spicy if it is a Thai beef salad which she loves…

Feeding babies what we eat from the get-go means we don’t get fussy kids…It always worked for me…Fussy kids turn into fussy adults…

That’s all for today if you are expecting or have a young baby then I hope these tips will help guide you to ensure your baby starts off and continues to eat well throughout their life…

Say no to lead,cadmium, mercury, sugar and salt in processed baby foods and eliminate all of it from your babies diet by making your own baby food…

Thank you once again for reading this post I hope you all have a lovely week, stay safe  xx