Foodie Friday: Baby Food Edition

I forget who turned me on to this book, but I read about it somewhere. I had to run out and get it from my local library right away! Top 100 Baby Purees by Annabel Karmel gives you all sorts of recipes and food combos from your little one’s first foods all the way up through one year. Annabel’s philosophy is that babies become picky eaters because they aren’t exposed to flavorful and interesting foods. Babies don’t want bland, nasty food from a jar; they want to eat food chock full of flavor like adults do! Annabel points out that your baby’s taste buds are starting to develop, and this is a crucial time for your baby to experience an array of appetizing flavors!

I thought I’d share some things from this book so you can see what kinds of flavor combinations Annabel recommends. She says to combine pureed parsnip, carrots, and either sweet potato, pumpkin or rutabaga for six month olds. Avocado and banana with a tad bit of formula or breast milk is an easy no-cook option for six month olds. At around seven months, she includes recipes such as Fillet of fish with cheese sauce and vegetables and Easy One-Pot Chicken. She also says that combos such as peach, pear, and blueberry or apricot, apple, pear, and vanilla are suitable for seven month olds. (I read some of these to my sister-in-law who has a six month old, and she told him no way was he getting any of these homemade gourmet meals!)

When a baby is 7-9 months old, he can eat Tomato, Cauliflower and Carrot with Basil or Pasta with Butternut Squash, Tomato, and Cheese. Or perhaps Fillet of Fish in an Orange Sauce will tickle his fancy! No? How about Salmon Surprise or Chicken with Leek, Carrot, and Peas? Desserts and fruits for 7-9 months old include Apple, Pear, and Prune with Oats and Strawberry, Peach, and Pear Crumble. (Is your mouth watering yet? Yeah, mine too).

And finally, for 9-12 month olds, try Tuna Pasta with Creamy Tomato Sauce and Fillet of Cod with Spinach in a Cheese Sauce. He might also like Tasty Chicken Bolognese and Tender Casserole of Lamb. Sweet tooth? Try Nectarine and Strawberry with Vanilla. (Damn, these babies are eating better than me. I plan on making my own baby food but I think Lamb might be taking it a little too far).

I’m going to cut this posting short. I have a date with some nectarines, strawberries, and vanilla!


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