What to feed a 6month old Baby

Mother’s milk is enough to meet nutritional needs of a  baby for the first six months of age. Thereafter, baby needs to be started on semi-solids while continuing breast milk. Its good to start with semi-solid foods, as babies have not yet learnt to chew lumpy food. You can check the consistency of food by tasting  a spoonfull. You should be able to swallow it without chewing. Here are a few baby food recipes for babies aged 6-9months,

1. Vegetable puree: I can swear by this recipe as both my boys enjoyed it till one year of age. In a pressure cooker, add
   1. two apples , peeled and deseeded
   2. peas
   3. carrots
   4. cauliflower florets
   5. beans
   6. a pinch of cinnamon
   7. enough water to cover the contents.

Boil  for two whistles and let the steam escape naturally. Once cooled, blend. You can store this puree in freezer safe containers in  a freezer. It stays safe for 28days (I used to make for 7days, one batch every sunday). Simply thaw the container by putting in warm water and feed your little one. You can add little home made butter for added taste.

2. Chicken puree can be made the same way by adding boiled and shredded chicken in place of an apple.
3. Mashed fruits: Mashed banana/ papaya/steamed and mashed apple or pear
4. Vegetable khichdi/upma/ daliya: Add vegetables to these preparations. You can mash them in milk or blend them in a blender
5. Suji kheer/ besan seera
6. Egg puree: Boil an egg, put it in a grinder, add 2-3 apricots or deseeded dates – grind them. You can use a baby food processor for managing small amounts. However, as this preparation contains egg, it has to be consumed instantly.
7. Soups: Whatever daal you boil for dinner, boil a little more with extra water. That extra dal without tadka (tempering) can be fed to your little one. You can feed them tomato/ mushroom/ broccoli/pumpkin soups without adding extra salt and spices
8. Whey/ chhena: Boil half a litre full cream milk and add lemon juice to it. Strain away the liquid. Your homemade whey protein is ready. Yum yum!!

To maintain hydration, babies need around one litre of water in a day which can be in the form of plain water, coconut water, lemon water.

Usually, there is no need to add top milk to the baby’s diet. If she is taking five meals a day, mother’s milk is enough till one year of age.

So friends, try these recipes and let me know if your little ones liked them!