Mumbai Mom: February 2012

It was extremely difficult to feed V while he was playing with his toys. Making him sit on my lap created more of a mess with most of the food ending up on my clothes!! I have seen too many friends run behind their kids for hours while trying to feed them. Also its best to develop the habit of sitting at one place while eating food from now itself. After comparing different brands, we decided to buy the Chicco High Chair. Its very comfortable and can be used upto 3 yrs. Its also easy to install and clean. V loved it instantly!!

Spoons and Bowls:

You can either go with the regular steel bowl and spoons that we use, or buy the colourful variety which is now available for kids. Just make sure that they are sterilisation and microwave safe. I have tried a variety of spoons and my favourite is the pigeon weaning spoon (the red one in the pic above). The design makes it easier to feed.

Bibs:

V is quite a messy eater!! Sometimes he decides he has had enough to eat but still takes food in his mouth and then sprays it all over me/ highchair/clothes. So bibs are an absolute necessity for me. I prefer plastic bibs with crumb catchers because they are easier to clean and leave no stains.

Though its been two months since I started introducing solids to Vihaan, I have not stopped breastfeeding because right now, the portions are quite small. Also, since he has no teeth yet, I am giving him mushy food as he cant chew.

I am trying to inculcate healthy eating habits from the start by introducing steamed veges and fruits and also by avoiding sugar in meals. So far, its been good!! :)

Wednesday, 1 February 2012

Starting Solids - Part I

I started introducing solids to Vihaan after he completed 6 month, though some people start solids as early as 3 months. The first month was pure eyewash!! He refused to try out anything.. or eat more than a couple spoonfuls at a time. But than gradually started accepting and sometimes even enjoying the new tastes and textures.

Here are some of the foods that we started with:
Pureed fruits/ Vegetables
I started by giving steamed and mashed apple/carrot. V has developed quite a taste for it. I do not add extra sugar to either carrot or apple as they are sweet enough naturally. Peel, core and cube apple/ carrot. Give it a couple of whistles in the pressure cooker. Or steam it. Serve it. Easy Peasy. I cook an entire apple at a time and then divide it into 3-4 portions. Then I freeze the portions in separate containers. Defrost them whenever you want to serve them and viola!! instant baby chow :) You can do the same with other vegetables/ fruits too. This is also a good way to teach the baby the different fruit and veg flavours without the distraction of spices.

Home-made cerelac
V doesn't really like this, though I try to make him eat at least a little cos its healthier!!
Take one part split moong Dal and one part rice. Wash and dry them. Roast in a pan. Grind and store in an airtight container. At the time of serving you can add water and cook the mixture and serve. Adding Salt/ sugar is optional.

Store Cerelac
Though most people frown upon giving kids the store bought variety, it is definitely an easy to prepare food. Its pretty useful especially when you might have to go on a trip with the baby because all one has to do is add warm water. V lapped it up the first few days, but now refuses to eat more than a few spoonfuls.

Chapati/ Bread butter
I feed V chapati while I have food. This ways I hope he will get used to the idea of having lunch and dinner.
Chapati is harder to chew, Brown bread with butter is better to swallow. However I give V sips of water between spoonfuls because otherwise its too dry. Some people mash the chapati with milk and then serve it to the baby.

Dal
Cooked split moong Dal with a pinch of salt. The other day, I added spinach to the dal and fed it to Vihaan. Tricked him into eating spinach... muahahahaha!!

As I am still in the introduction phase, would love to know your favourite baby recipes.