Homemade Healthy Baby Food Recipes and Cookbook - VIII. 1 Year and Above

VIII.  1 Year and Above

Congratulations! Your baby is one year old! This is just about the stage where you can start going a little nuts on what to feed your child. And while you’re trying out different fruits like lychee and blueberries and blackberries or vegetables like tomatoes, sweet potatoes, and salad greens, you’re going to notice that your baby’s preferences are going to be a little more distinct. There are food that he’s going to go bananas for and then there are those that he’s going to reject and throw around like a crazed Picasso. That’s because his tastes at this point have become more developed and so has his appreciation!

What’s important at this stage is to remember that your baby or, to be more exact, your toddler, still has a very little tummy which means you need to give him healthy, nutrition-packed food to help him make the most out of his meals. On how much to feed your little one at this age, you are much better off keeping an eye on how much he wants to eat and what amounts of food satisfies his hunger. He is at the age where he’s going to start asserting his independence and wants and needs and the table is a good place to do just that, although it is also important that you set some boundaries.

Another difference when your child turns one is that he’s now allowed to drink cow’s milk, an important addition to his diet. That means he can drink milk with his meals and eat dishes with dairy. But don’t forget; breast milk is still a very important source of much needed vitamins, minerals, and antibodies that your baby won’t get anywhere else. It is ideal for your child to continue to drink breast milk up to two years of age but you can transition him to drinking from a cup to make life easier for you.

This age is also the best time to start introducing iron-rich food like meat, poultry, fish, beans, and iron-fortified food. Iron-deficiency is a problem for kids around this age and it can affect their physical and mental development. It is easily curtailed with the right diet.

Here are a few recipes that are great for a toddler in terms of taste, nutrition, and overall health that are easy to prepare:

This is an excerpt from the book: Homemade Healthy Baby Food Recipes and Cookbook