Menu - 4 to 12 months

First 6 months:

Breast milk and/or Formula should provide all nutrients that your baby needs.

Between 6months to 1 year, baby should still get a minimum of 18oz of milk a day.

Breast/Formula milk should be given until age 1, because cow's milk does not contain enough iron or other nutrients for proper growth.

Food Mix: Recipe obtained from a reputed hospital in India

  

INSTANT FOOD MIXES

(For Infants : 6 months – 10 months)

·   Instant Food mix is prepared from staple cereals and pulses. (rice, wheat, ragi, moong dal)

·       Dry roast and powder the mix. The proportion of cereal and pulse can range from 2:1 to 3:1

·  Roasted groundnuts or gingerly seeds could also be added in the proportion 4:1 or 5:1. The mixes can be kept for more than one month in air tight containers and used whenever required.

RECONSTITUTING INFANT FOOD MIXES FOR FEEDING

·        Take about 4 Table spoons (50 gms.) of mix.

·        Add 100 ml of boiled hot water to get a thick consistency.

·        Add a Tea spoon of oil and sugar/jaggery/ghee to increase the energy content. Feed the infant with the spoon.

·  The instant infant foods could also be fed to the child after reconstituting with dal, water, milk, etc.

·      Mashed fruit (banana, chiku, papaya, mango, etc. could also be added to the food).

The Best First Foods are :
Root vegetables like Carrot, Sweet Potato, Parsnip and Rutabaga.
These are easy to digest and have a naturally sweet taste and smooth texture once they are pureed. Apple and Pears and good first fruits. Banana and Papaya can be given raw.

Methods to prepare baby food:
Bake
Boil - using minimum amount of water.
Microwave - chop and add a little water. check temperature before feeding.
Steam - best way to preserve fresh taste and vitamins.
Stew
and then Puree.

Common foods that may cause Allergic reaction in babies
Cow's milk and dairy products
Eggs
Nuts and Seeds
Wheat based products
Fish, especially Shell-fish
Berries and citrus fruits

4months and over

JUICES
Orange, carrot or beetroot.
start with 1tsp juice +1tsp boiled water.
increase to upto 2oz and then undiluted.

SOUPS
Carrot, Beans, Peas, Dudhi, Beet, Potato, Palak(Spinach), Tomato
Skin the Veggies, Dice and overcook in a pressure cooker with minimum water, blend well in the mixer.
Start with a little diluted in water. and gradually increase to thicker puree and undiluted

FRUITS
Mashed Banana
Stewed Apple

Offer Foods with a Spoon and Cup.
Offer 1tbsp of water after meals.

5 months and over

Khichdi or Khimat or Khimti
3parts Rice and 1 part Moong Dal (yellow). Presoak and cook in pressure cooker.
start with diluted and increase to thick and undiluted.

Boiled Mashed Potato with little salt and butter.

Rice Cereal.

(This is an Ideal meal plan. Try out foods one item at a time, let 3days pass before trying another food. Also, keep in mind ur child's preferences - if he refuses a particular food, do not force... try again after a week or two)

6months

Non-veg
Boil one peice of boned chicken with little salt, 1cardamom, 1cinnamon. Over cook in Pressure cooker. and offer the soup first. later u can make paste of the meat in the blender.
(i offered chicken soup at 7mnths and Jo jus refused it... so i tried Mutton soup and he loved it) gave it to him once a week. prepared his Rice Cereal feed in the soup too. i did this for 1month and then next ate meat only at 12months.

You can also try Boiled Egg Yolk. Do not give the White of the egg until 12months.
Blend it in with the Cereal.
(most mom's will advice to hold out on the Egg until 10months)

Veg
Sooji/Rava Porrodge.  OR  Nachni or Ragi porridge.
Roast until brown, add ghee/butter, pour in formula or plain water until watery. and thicken the consistency slowly. add a pinch of sugar too. You may add cinnamon or cardamom powder for flavor.
(i started Rava Porridge... but he just didn't like it... instead he developed a liking for Rava/Sooji Sheera at 10months and eats it twice a week)

after 9 to 10months

u can offer red meats like lamb or goat.

u can make curry of browned onions+tomato and blend in Chicken bits

Regular home-made food can be offered to the baby... with no extra spice or chilli
Palak bhaji, Potato bhaji, toor or moong dal, dhudi cooked in moong Dal.

(recommended by Child Specialist in India)