Chicken, dark meat

I decided after the last time I offered Buttercup chicken that I would try dark meat next. Well, we never have dark meat in the house, since I usually buy chicken breasts. However, Hubby bought a rotisserie chicken as a special Sunday treat, so I set some dark meat aside for experimentation purposes. Basically I just pulled out some 2 inch strips that looked manageable for little hands, making sure there were no bones, gristle or fat.

I was right - dark meat was much easier! The white meat from our first chicken experiment seemed a bit dry and difficult to swallow. Buttercup seemed to enjoy the taste of the dark meat a lot more, too. Who wouldn't enjoy the extra greasy yumminess of dark meat? A lot more of the meat went down her throat than last time, though that could be owed to the mad eating skills she's developed in the last few weeks.

PROS: easier to chew than white mean, loads of absorbable iron

CONS: a bit slippier than white mean, beware of gristle and fat chunks on meat.

Chicken

Although American pediatricians recommend introducing meats last, it is actually one of the best first foods. Did you know that in Africa meat is the FIRST food introduced to babies? Also, the iron found in meat is the most easily digestible (which makes one wonder why pediatricians want you feed your kid synthetically iron fortified baby cereal and not meat). I am not a red meat eater, so I decided chicken would be Buttercup's first meat. I pan fried chicken breasts in a bit of olive oil (no salt) and let Buttercup's cool. I cut it into strips lengthwise before giving them to her.

She liked it a lot, and kept squawking whenever she'd accidentally drop a piece. She was working hard to get bits off, though she didn't seem to mind. She did manage to soften the pieces up impressively well with her gums.

Hubby suggested that next time I cut the chicken width-wise ("against the grain") so that it comes apart in Buttercup's mouth easier. Also, I'm wondering if dark meat would be a better option for babies. It is higher in iron, and the fat would probably make for easier munching.

PROS: a good source of nutrients and iron, not too messy

CONS: a bit difficult to chew and swallow