Foods for Babies

This post has been in the mental works for a while. Just about the time I was ready to write it and share all my wisdom with the general public, Sam went and humbled me: spat out everything with texture, whined through dinner, and all I could get him to eat was orange pieces. Babies.
But I thought I would share some foods that Sam likes as we both charter our way through the fascinating transition from drinking all his nutrients to getting them all from food. My mother-in-law just gave me an interesting book called Top 100 Finger Foods that I can’t wait to begin using. It’s got some very unique ideas! Please comment with YOUR baby’s favorite foods! We all need new ideas!
First, my babyfood philosphy. As you read don’t go assuming I am a health nut. Rest assured, I love a good Wendy’s Single with cheese every now and then, and if I saw a Schwan’s man, I would probably flag him down for a catalog. But again, with Sam, it’s different. That’s probably partially because it is easier to shove lentils down someone ELSE’S throat than eat them yourself. But regardless, my thoughts:
1. Avoid anything processed. No preservatives, organic or farm-raised meats, fresh fruit over canned, whole wheat over white, no high fructose corn syrup, no food colorings, and limit things from restaurants.
2. Cook fruits and vegetables as little as possible. See (“Frugal Megan”s posts on raw food for great info!)
3. Formula is a necessary evil. The more Sam gets his protein, fat, and carbs from other sources,
the better. (Breastmilk if you can do that is different.)
4. Speaking of, whenever I plan Sam’s meal I try to think about where he will get his protein, his carb, and his fat in that meal.
5. Babies need lots of fat (yes, even Sam needs more fat, although by looking at him you may doubt it :). My preferred source of fat is olive oil and real butter. (For Sam, this is a vegan oil butter. But no margarine or partially hydro-whatever-the-word-is fats.)
6. Spices are GOOD! Some have food value and all help him to get a diverse palate. I use whatever I would like!
So here it is. Some delicious and nutritious finger foods for Sam:
– VERY overcooked pasta spirals – whole wheat – with EVOO
– apple and pear bits, cooked on the stove with a little bit of water until soft. I sprinkle with cinnamon.
– fruits: grapes peeled, orange slices (total fav), banana bits, cantelope, pinapple, strawberries, blueberries, tomatoes.
– carrot pieces cooked in a bit of water on the stove. I add brown sugar and butter (vegan) sometimes 🙂
– toast pieces with butter and cinnamon and sugar.
– baked sweet potato fries or homemade oven fries. He LOVES these.
– spaghetti. Yes, a mess. But delicious.
– tortilla with refried beans, cut up in little pieces. Again, QUITE a mess.
– canned chicken breast shreds. (There are a few companies that don’t add anything to the chicken.)
And here are some meals I prepare (cook and puree) and keep in the freezer in ice cube size. I “stir-fry” them with EVOO on the stove before serving.
– Baked sweet potato with lentils, or black beans. I saute onions and garlic with the beans.
– Baby “chili” – ground beef with lentils or beans, onions, etc.
– Roast chicken, avocado, and black beans.
– Lentils and baked apples or store bought applesauce with cinnamon. I have been accused of feeding Sam “mush” when people see this, but believe it or not, he loves it. Honestly.
-Roast chicken, frozen spinach, and whole wheat noodles pureed and formed into “meatballs.” Again, this concoction is often ridiculed in public, but when I top it with spaghetti sauce, Sam actually makes that “mmm” sound. So there.
– Roast chicken, canned peaches, and brown rice. Not my idea. See here.
Lastly, here are some general feeding observations to end this book of a post. 🙂
– When the item in question is nutritious but deemed not so delicious, do not be afraid to sing, read a book, watch TV, or utilize that annoying but rarely used noise making toy as methods of distraction. Many an unsavory meal was downed in the Smartt household during a few rounds of “I’ve got the joy joy joy joy.”
– Also, in moments of desperation, I have coated bites of a meal in applesauce. I am not proud of this. It’s hard to believe shepherd’s pie would be better smothered in applesauce, but somehow, it is. Desperate times.
So there are the foods Sam likes. What about your baby?

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