8 important weaning foods for your baby

Often mothers are eager and enthusiastic to start giving their babies foods other than breast milk. But when its time the big question that comes to their mind is – ‘What food should I pick up?’. Here is a list of foods that are easy on your baby’s little tummy and makes a great weaning option.

Juices: Start with clear and fresh fruit juices. Choose a fruit that’s available throughout the year. Apples are usually considered the best pick. Peel an apple, cut it into small pieces, boil it in a pan. Mash the apple with a spoon or your hand and put it in a strainer. Strain out all the juice and collect it in a container. Offer spoonfuls of this clear liquid to your baby in the beginning.

Alternatively you can also offer your baby dal ka pani. Soak yellow moong dal overnight; make sure you keep it covered. Next morning drain the excess water and boil the dal in water preferably double the amount of dal taken. When boiled well use a strainer to collect the clear dal water in a container and offer few spoonfuls at a time.

You can start with these clear liquids once your baby is over six months.

Fruits: If your baby is accustomed to apple juice move to apple puree after two weeks. Peel the apple cut into small pieces; put it into a pan and steam. Once done allow it to cool and then mash it to make a puree. Offer to your little one with your fingers or a feeding spoon. Try the same with a pear.

An overripe banana is every child’s favorite weaning food. Mash it up with a spoon or fork and offer to your little one.

Also try other fruits like papaya, mango and chickoo. But remember to introduce only one at a time.

Vegetables: A mashed potato makes a good start to introduce veggies. But make sure that the potato is boiled well and mashed thoroughly. Add a little water if the need be. Once your baby is seven months old try other vegetables like carrot, bottle gourd, pumpkin, tomatoes. All boiled and hand mashed thoroughly.

Soups: Make clear vegetable soups. Boil the veggies or pressure-cook them. Mash them and put them in a strainer to strain out the clear liquid. Add a pinch of salt if needed. A mix of carrots, beetroots, tomatoes make a good veg-soup. You can introduce soups when you baby is around 8 months old.

Greens: Add spinach to your baby’s diet during the eighth or ninth month. Wash clean and boil the greens. Make a thick paste and offer your baby.

Cooked foods: From the eighth month, you can start to give your baby a wholesome meal of rice and dal preparation. Take equal amount of dal and rice, wash thoroughly and keep aside. In the cooker add little amount of ghee and heat it. Add jeera or rai for seasoning, just a pinch of it. Put the rice-dal mix in the cooker and add enough water, salt and turmeric. Pressure-cook it, cool and then mash the preparation if the need be, before you offer your baby. You can also add vegetables like potatoes, carrot, gourd, beans etc to make it more nutritious.

Nutritious mixes: Take rice, wheat, ragi, moong dal in equal amounts. Wash and sundry. Roast the mixture in a skillet and then grind it. Keep it in an airtight container. This is a highly nutritious mix for the baby. Once your baby has started to tolerate liquids, take one spoonful of this mixture and boil it in water. Cool it down and offer to your baby. You can also add a spoonful of this mixture to your khichdi preparations or to other veggies. Slowly and steadily you can help your baby wean off breast milk comfortably.

Water: Surprise how water made it into the list? Remember your baby was only on breastfeed for six months, now that you have introduced other food items, water is a necessity. It will help keep your baby hydrated, clean the systems and aid digestion too.

www.rishihospital.com