and see what they do with it. If they're like mine they'll smash it in their hair and smile.
In the garden or at the table with you, in their own little chair invited to a 'pick platter' of soft-cooked apples and squash or fresh ripe & smushy avocado or banana. Around 6-7ish months is a good time to introduce some grabbable soft solids, organic and local of course is ideal!
But don't you need like, special equipment and isn't it incredibly labor intensive to make your own baby food? I have enough to do!
Yeah I was intimidated too, but here's how easy it is. Literally.
To make baby food:
Bake any veg or fruit at any temperature (*TIP* a hotter over bakes faster) lightly brushed with butter or oil until soft. Serve.
or
Boil in water any veg or fruit until soft, add fresh herbs if you like. Serve.
or
Give as is, sliced or diced according to baby's abilities: Any fruit or veg.
Easier than opening those silly jars of baby food stuffed with preservatives and junk that are jacking up your grocery bill, I promise! And it's a wonderful way to pump up the availability of fresh fruit and vegetables for your entire family.
Making food this way for everyone is fabulously easy and is an excellent way to learn to cook if you don't already know! I love to snack on this broiled butternut squash as much as my babies do, thrown over black beans dressed up as rancheros it makes a meal.
One great trick is boiling a bunch of cut up vegetables, like potatoes, onions, carrots and squash together, adding a little vegetable boullion, adding other herbs if you like. Serve to baby. And oh wow look at that you just made your whole family a dinner of hot & delicious vegeteble stew! Posh! Or soup, whatever. With some warm flour tortillas it's dinner.
Contrary to what advertising sells, a baby really doesn't need any special food. Giving them the same healthy food you eat yourself is the hands-down most practical way to feed them. I encourage you to put down the choo choo train spoonful of store-bought mush and experiment with letting your baby take the lead, it's so much fun for everyone!
Yes, it is a messy enterprise but a bath in the kitchen sink is so posh!
Enjoy watching your baby enjoy the gift of food and be rewarded with a happy and confident eater for life!
Hehe we do this with our little man (nearly 10 months old) and he'll poke it, squish it, then throw it on the floor. I doubt he has ingested any of it, but rather let him do it at his own pace than force feed him mush. Hopefully one of these days he'll reslise these 'toys' taste good!
ReplyDelete:) So glad you and your son are having fun with food!
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