STAGE 3 FOOD YOUR BABY WILL LOVE: 5 SIMPLE RECIPES
Once a baby is between 9 to 12 months, you must understand that this period is vital to their growth since they are making strides towards a developmental milestone - becoming a toddler. You need to make the most of their meals at this stage, feeding them with nutrient-rich foods so they can make a smooth transition.
At this stage, you'll be feeding your baby with Stage 3 baby foods. Essentially, these foods are purees that contain chunks your baby can chew on and are very thick in texture. They may sometimes include finger foods, although most nutritionists classify finger foods differently from Stage 3 baby foods.
Like all stages of baby foods, they include foods from all categories. Check our baby food chart for more info on food categories to feed a baby at different stages of their growth.
Hint: At this stage, there is a tendency to give your baby packaged snacks or finger foods that contain sugar. These can be convenient since they require little or no cooking, but they are unhealthy for your baby. It's better to trade these for homemade snacks or finger foods.
RECIPE #1: WHITE FISH + CARROTS + LEEK PUREE
This combo will tickle your baby's taste buds. It's also a nutrient powerhouse loaded with nutrients needed for the development of your baby's central nervous system, especially the brain. Some of these nutrients are omega- 3 fatty acids from white fish and manganese from leek. Not to mention that it is also a plethora of vitamins and minerals.
When buying white fish, buy white fish that has been cleaned up and cut into fillets. The flesh should be firm, it must be translucent to light pink in colour, and it must have no odour or fluids oozing from it.
Buy leeks that have as much green and white colour as possible (no yellowed stalks). Their stalks should be crisp and firm. Smaller leeks are much tastier – make a mental note, please.
Read about the nutritional value of carrots and how to buy them.
RECIPE #2: BABY BEEF STEW
Well, who isn't a fan of this delicacy? Beef stew is not only a fave for the family but babies too – with a little tweaking to the recipe, of course. Your baby will always have fond memories of mom's cooking with his or her first taste of Baby Beef Stew. Moreover, this meal is packed with iron, and the veggies contain vitamins, fibre and minerals. You can make this meal from ingredients like potatoes, onions, beef and carrots but you can also throw in some peas and diced tomatoes.
Find out how to buy the best beef.
RECIPE #3: QUINOA RATATOUILLE
This French favourite will get your baby salivating and reaching out for more – trust us! It's a pureed blend of the traditional ratatouille ingredients like onions, garlic, eggplant, green pepper and also, quinoa. This meal is sure to give your baby a healthy dose of vitamins, minerals, fibre and antioxidants. Did you know that quinoa is one of the healthy foods you can find in the world and that it contains all nine essential amino acids? Quinoa comes in red, white and black shades – white quinoa is the least bitter of the three, but red and black quinoa gives a better texture to meals. Do buy quinoa that is pre-rinsed and is gluten-free.
RECIPE #4: CREAMY PROVENCAL CHICKEN
If you're looking to spice up your baby's meals, then Creamy Provencal Chicken is your go-to meal. The recipe includes Herbes de Provence, a mixture of mild but flavorful spices that hails from the south of France. They are a great way to introduce your baby to new and mouthwatering flavours. Some of these spices are savory, rosemary, thyme, marjoram, oregano and basil.
The veggies in this dish will give your baby the vitamins, fibre and minerals he or she needs, while chicken will be a great source of protein.
Read about how to buy chicken.
RECIPE #5: QUINOA BANANA MASH
Quinoa meets banana in this dish, which is a surefire way to introduce new textures to your baby. In this case, quinoa provides that extra texture while banana, which your baby is already used to, adds up to make this meal squishy and sweet. All in all, it's a delightful one for your wee foodie. This meal is also perfect for breakfast.
Read about the nutritional value of bananas and how to buy them.
We hope your baby's adventure with this next stage of baby foods will be exciting with these recipes. As we always say…Happy Meal Times!!!
By Nana Ama Afoa Osae I Writer I GreatWonderful Team
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