Vegetable Curry

A great thing about introducing solid foods to your baby using baby-led solids is that you can develop your baby's flavor palate early. Example: curry! Don't be nervous to give your baby spicy foods. If you regularly eat spicy or strong flavors, then your baby has already tasted them via amniotic fluid and breastmilk. Besides, have you ever thought about what Indian babies eat when they're starting out on solid foods? I'm sure they don't even bat an eye at curry!

Our vegetable curry recipe comprised: tofu, cauliflower, chick peas (very soft), onions and sweet potato. Though I didn't know it at the time, I made the mistake of trying this meal when Buttercup was in a crabby mood. At first she wouldn't even touch the pile of food I gave her. I gave her a slice of banana try and pique her interest in food, and suddenly she was sampling all the food on her tray.

Buttercup ate leftovers for lunch the next day and ate a ton of it. Of course, everyone knows that curry is always better the next day.

PROS: great for building adventurous eaters

CONS: somewhat messy/staining

Tofu

I wish I had remembered to pick up some tofu at the store 2 months ago, because my little hippy baby loves it! She is making up for lost time now, though.

Along with being high in protein, calcium and iron, tofu is a really good consistency for babies. I cut a quarter inch slice off of a block of "raw" tofu, then cut that into one inch squares. I figured that would be easier than cutting it into longer rectangles, which I was sure would get squished to mush. I was right: Buttercup used her fingers to pick up the squares, rather than wrapping her fist around them. I am so enjoying her developing those fine motor skills. After the tofu started crumbling, Buttercup still enjoyed going after the tiny pieces on her tray, to the exclusion of the avocado that was simultaneously offered (one of her favorites).

So, Buttercup loved the tofu, and I love having another protein option for her that requires absolutely no preparation on my part.

PROS: no preparation, good nutrition, easy consistency, no stains

CONS: none!