Still, I am very nervous about allergies and the like, so we've been introducing single foods in a more traditional way, though not in a mushy type way. This week he's been showing a lot more interest and chowed down on the following:
sweet potatoes
cauliflower florets
avocado
banana
cantaloupe
We gave him the cantaloupe last night - a long strip of it - and he LOVED it. He gummed on it for a long, long time - and he was very happy with himself. These are some pics from his 'meal' on Tuesday.
Any ideas on what else we might try? We have tried peas (slightly mushed as I worry about his choking), asparagus spears (rich almost had a heart attack, though, when Raf put an entire piece in his mouth as he felt sure Raf was bout to choke) and he also has rice/oats in the morning as we eat oats with him. He also eats rice cereal and breastmilk with Jen as this helps him get some food in when mama's away.
That was a very scary moment for Daddy - the disappearing asparagus spear act performed by Rafi. One minute it was there in his hand - then gone - then reappeared whole from his mouth!
ReplyDeleteNo more asparagus spears will be on the menu for the forseeable future...
Oh my! How scary indeed, but how funny in hingsight!
ReplyDeleteSounds like you're having great fun, and the pix are adorable.
I was thinking about baby-led weaning, but I really hate all these labels!! I think we will just do what we do...whatever that is, some pureed if he likes it--or not, whatever. I am planning on making my own food if we do do purees. I have a "recipe" for brown rice cereal (sooooo easy, recipe is a serious overstatement). For ages 6-8 months the book has recipes for the rice cereal, sweet pea puree, zucchini puree, winter sqaush puree, sweet potato puree, pear puree, apple puree, asparagus PUREE (lol), green beans with mint, millet cereal, barley cereal, baby's lamb, baby's turkey, whipped cauliflower, blueberry sauce, cherry puree, prune puree, dried apricot puree, peach puree, plum puree, asparagus "risotto", potato & butternut squash stew, split pea stew, lentils & lamb, millet & zucchini medley, squash & quinoa pilaf. phew, that was alot. Let me know if you want any recipes, they are short, I can email you or something. :-)
ReplyDelete**or if you are really interested, it is a williams-sonoma book: Cooking for Baby.
ReplyDeleteSounds liek it's going really well, choking aside! Here's what we do with Rafe (obv not vegan or even veggie but might give you some ideas!).
ReplyDeleteBreakfast is baby super porridge (quinoa, millet, oats and spelt I think?) with fruit puree or chopped fruit to pick up. Nectarines, mango and peach work well as the flesh is soft enough to be sucked away whilst the skin stays mostly intact. Bananas split into three fingers beautifully - cut in half and poke your finger up the cut end. I only discovered this recently!
Lunch is usually some sort of bready carb - breadsticks, toast fingers, baby crackers, pitta etc. Plus cheese (grated or melted - he loves tiny cheese on toast!), hummus, peanut butter, avocado etc - anything that can be spread or dipped. Occasionally scrambled eggs or omelette strips. And then a 'salad' of cherry tomatoes (quartered), cucumber fingers etc. More fruit or yoghurt.
Dinner is whatever we're having. I tend to cook bigger quantities nowadays so I can put a couple of extra portions in the freezer for the days when we're having something unsuitable (I don't think he's quite ready for a madras)! If it's something he can pick up whole then I leave it like that. If it's something that's already a bit sloppy like shepherds pie or risotto then I squish it up a bit more with the back of a fork and spoon it in. Usually leave the veg whole for him on the side - broccoli is a huge hit! He holds the stalk like a handle and chomps on the florets.
Just keep on offering whatever you're having, it's so much easier not having to think of special baby food all the time and he's so much more adventurous than Gabriel ever was (is...).
Good luck! xx
Michelle, THANKS so much! I will definitely be emailing you for some recipes! They sound delicious.. we're vegan but I could definitely imagine modifying some of your non-vegan options, too.
ReplyDeleteAlice, we just tried Raf with some toast with avocado and hummus spread on it. He LOVED it. He is a carb/hummus boy just like his mama. Love your ideas... I think you may have to take a photograph of that banana as I can't quite picture it. So far I've just been giving him a little bit of baby cereal but I think I'll experiment with some more 'super foods'. Raf is loving melon, too.. and while the broccoli wasn't a huge hit, cauliflower was, especially as he can hold it as you described with the broccoli.
Rich, I think we may have to be a bit braver with this.. I think he's inevitably going to have entire pieces of food in his mouth :)
Thanks, Jen! it is fun.. though it is REALLY messy!!