Spices In Baby Food
Did you know you can put spices in baby food? A lot of parents are intimated by spices because it’s not something that is talked about often. When we started giving our daughter solids I was unsure about it.
I had heard breast milk contained flavors and spices of the food the mom was eating (read more on baby digesting flavors prenatally and postnatally), but did that mean our baby could eat spices in her food as well?
You always hear that babies in other cultures around the world eat solids sooner and are less picky eaters, could it be from early flavor experiences?
As always before you introduce any food or spice to your baby consult with your pediatrician. I love sharing my thoughts and research with Heart of Deborah’s community, but I’m a mom not a physician.
A few months after Izzy started solids we started adding spices to her purees. I noticed that a lot of store bought baby food was bland and to be honest after I tried it myself I thought “Yuck, no wonder she doesn’t like this!” We plan to do the same with our son who just started his first solid foods.
My husband and I love flavorful food and a lot of our favorite dishes include turmeric, cayenne pepper and garlic. Now that our daughter is older she loves flavorful food as well.
She will eat raw red onion and suck on a piece of lemon like it’s nothing! Spicy indian food is her favorite. I understand she is only one example, but I truly think adding spices to her food helped her become a more adventurous eater.
Today I want to share some of the first spices we used in our baby’s food along with some tips for adding spices to homemade batches of baby food.
List of First Spices in Baby Food
- Cinnamon
- Nutmeg
- Basil
- Garlic
- Rosemary
- Oregano
- Lemon
- Dill
- Tumeric
- Ginger
I’ve even heard of people adding curry to their babies food! With our daughter we decided to wait until 8 months to start adding spices.
I have heard of other mothers adding spices sooner, around 6 months. Your pediatrician can help you make this decision.
Practical Tips When Adding Spices:
- We only added a dash of spice at first. We started with a very small amount of the spice and slowly added more over time.
- We also waited to introduce 1 spice every couple of days. Many doctors still recommend doing this with first foods so we thought it would be best to error on the side of caution when it came to spices in baby food.
- When deciding what spice to add to what fruit or vegetable think about what you like to eat. Many people like cinnamon or nutmeg on their sweet potatoes. Your baby will most likely enjoy the same combinations you enjoy.
Have you added any spices to your baby’s food? What spice is his or her favorite?
Very shortly after I began feeding our last one( I waited till my 4th to start making food, crazy I know), I found it was easier to mash/puree what was coming from my plate. She got to experience whatever I had seasoned my food with. The only exception I made was I didn’t add salt to what she was eating. I wasn’t concerned about the salt that was cooked into the original recipe. She wasn’t ready to eat as soon as my others. I started with pureed fruits & veggies around 7 months. By 9 months I’d take whatever was left over & break it down for her for later meals. Her pediatrician has always been pleased with how she’s doing nutritionally, & her lab work looked great @ 1 year check-up.
I would only buy baby food for a trip because it was so much more convenient. Interestingly, on the second trip (about a month from the previous one) she would not eat the store bought food. I think it was too bland for her.
One trick I did use was I bought applesauce from the regular aisle rather than pay more per unit in the baby food aisle.BUT I always checked the label to be sure it was equivalent. Natural on the label doesn’t always mean what we think. I typically got the no-sugar added because it only had apples & absorbic acid (vit C). That is what is in the more expensive baby food jars. She later enjoyed the mixed berries, apples etc. Mott’s has multiple types, some that are as I have indicated & others that have junk that no really needs, but especially not a little one.
I hope that helps when you are in a pinch.
Carrie
Thank you so much for these tips! I love hearing advice from other moms and I’m glad to hear your daughter loved spices as well 🙂
Very helpful
Thnkz