November 17, 2011
This great recipe from Wholesome Baby Food can be easily made in to finger foods for your baby! Suitable for babies between 6 to 8 months, but use your judgement when giving babies finger foods.
Ingredients:
1 lb ground turkey
1 whole egg, beaten
1/2 cup pureed carrots
1/4 cup applesauce
1/4 cup unprocessed natural wheat or oat bran
1/4 cup bread crumbs
pinch of basil
pinch of garlic powder
Directions:
Place ground turkey in a large mixing bowl.
Add the egg/yolk, carrots, applesauce, spices, bread crumbs and bran. Mix well - If this mixture appears too dry, add more carrots or applesauce. If this mixture appears too wet, add more bran and/or bread crumbs
Place mix into a lightly oiled (olive oil) loaf pan and bake at 350F for approx. 45 minutes or until an inserted knife comes out clean.
**You may wish to cover with foil to prevent the top from burning
When finished baking and cooled, remove loaf from pan and slice as you would for bread. Break into small bits for finger feeding or mash or chop gently
This recipe may also be made into “Turkey Sticks” for Toddlers and older babies who are able to handle more textured/chunky finger foods.
Variations:
Cook the ground turkey separately, add the other ingredients and puree
Posted in Baby Food, Other Fruit and Vegetables, Protein |
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August 25, 2011
This is a great dish for you or your baby! Easy to make and it adds a veggie kick to an otherwise carb rich dish.
Ingredients
2 small zucchini
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
2 eggs
4 TBSP milk
Olive oil
Grate the zucchini and set aside.
With a whisk, combine the eggs and the flour, slowly adding the milk as you do so. You should be left with a smooth batter. Stir in the zucchini.
Heat a drizzle of oil in a frying pan. Add the batter, (one tablespoon at a time if making finger food sized pancakes for your little one, a small ladle full if for yourself) and cook for 2 mins until the edges start to dry. Lift carefully with a spatula and check the undersides – they should be golden brown. Turn the pancakes over and cook for a further 2 mins.
Enjoy!
Posted in Baby Food, Green Leafy / Yellow Vegetables, Whole Grains |
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June 30, 2011
Here’s a guest post from my friend Elise who made these for her beautiful baby Leo! Though she likes them too 
Ingredients
1 1/2 cups quick rolled oats
1/4 cup whole wheat flour
2/3 cup dates, chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup orange juice
1 1/2 cups raw apples, shredded
Combine all ingredients. Let stand 10 minutes. Press mixture into 8″ x 8″ baking dish. Bake at 375 degrees until lightly browned, about 25 minutes. Loosen with spatula, and cut into bars while warm. Serve hot for breakfast or snack. Freezes well.
Posted in Baby Food, Other Fruit and Vegetables, Vitamin C, Whole Grains |
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May 4, 2011
Quinoa is a perfect first grain to get your baby eating textured food. It’s light taste packs a real nutritional punch. Full of protein, fiber, potassium and folate – quinoa is often called a ‘super food’. Introduce this to babies 7 months and older. If they prefer the consistency a little smoother, just add the recipe to the blender with a little bit of water.
Ingredients
1 cup homemade vegetable broth or water
1/2 cup quinoa
1/2 cup shredded carrots
1/2 cup finely chopped celery
1/4 cup shredded zucchini
2 TSP canola oil
In saucepan, bring broth to boil over medium-high heat. Stir in quinoa, carrot and celery; return to boil. Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer until no liquid remains, about 15 minutes.
Remove from heat. Stir in zucchini; cover and let stand until quinoa and vegetables are softened, about 10 minutes.
Drizzle with oil; fluff with fork. Serve warm or at room temperature. Store in air tight container in fridge for up to 3 days.
Source: Canadian Living Magazine: March 2009
Posted in Baby Food, Green Leafy / Yellow Vegetables, Protein, Whole Grains |
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April 7, 2011
Lots of foods are good for us, but here are 5 foods that are essential to your child’s growth and development!
1. Avocado – a great source of ‘healthy fat’ that is needed in brain development. For babies it’s easy to work in their diet once they have moved from milk to puree’s – mix it with some banana for a great mash.
2. Lentils – Packed with fiber and protein these little guys are easy to work into some rice cereal or mash up into your baby’s fave puree
3. Quinoa - a protein rich seed that has a fluffy, creamy, slightly crunchy texture. It is a complete protein (containing all 8 essential amino acids), has a good amount of fiber and is high in nutrients such as manganese, magnesium and iron. It is a gluten free grain and is an amazing alternative to whole grain rice in many baby food recipes.
4. Blueberries - have the highest antioxidant of any fresh fruit benefitting many of your baby’s body systems such as the brain and central nervous system, the urinary, heart and eyes. Smash a couple with a fork and add them to a variety of other fruit purees for babies.
5. Sweet Potatoes – Rich in nutrients and high in vitamins A and C. Naturally sweet flavor and creamy texture make these vegetables are appealing to babies. Bake then puree and you are good to go!
Posted in Baby Food, Nutritional Fun Facts |
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March 24, 2011
This recipe is great for introducing beets to your baby. The potato helps with texture and mellows the beet flavour, though because of the sweetness most babies love beets on their own in a puree as well. It is recommended to introduce beets at the 8 – 10 month mark and be aware that, as with adults, eating many beets can cause red discharge in stool.
Ingredients
1 medium of beets
2 medium potatoes
Bake both the beet and the potato in foil in a 400 degree oven for 45 minutes or until tender. Mash and mix beets and potatoes together. Serve when they have reached room temperature.
Posted in Baby Food |
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March 4, 2011
This is a recipe adapted from one found in Michael Smith’s The Best of Chef at Home. I’ve been cooking my way through it as part of my Simply Fresh Cook Along Book Club. I found the original great, but needing a little boost. This polenta helps you get a serving of ‘Leafy Green or Yellow Vegetables and Fruit’ which are vital for cell growth of healthy skin, bones and eyes of which you are to have 3-4 servings daily while pregnant. It also has a serving of calcium of which you need 4 daily. It’s even a great food for babies 9 months and older.
Ingredients
Vegetable Oil
1 small onion chopped finely
2 cloves minced garlic
2 cups milk
2 cups vegetable or chicken broth
1 cup yellow cornmeal
1 cup frozen corn
1/2 cup parmesan
1/2 cup sharp cheddar
Salt / Pepper
Splash vegetable oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and cook for 5 minutes or until soft. Add milk and 1 cup broth. Bring to a simmer. In a separate bowl add remaining cup of broth and corn meal, mix and add to simmering liquid. Stir constantly – a wooden spoon works best.
Lower heat and keep stirring for 15 minutes or so. Stir in all remaining ingredients including salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately while creamy or bake at 350 for 15 minutes, until firm, in a loaf pan. Cut thick slices and grill to reheat and serve.
Posted in Baby Food, Green Leafy / Yellow Vegetables |
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February 7, 2011
Eating seasonally begins at infancy! Introduce Turnip between 8 – 10 months for a puree that is rich in Vitamin C, Fiber and a good amount of protein.
Ingredients
1 Large Turnip
Brown Sugar
Wash and cube turnip (making sure to trim off both ends), place it in a baking pan with approximately 2-3 inches of water and a small sprinkle of brown sugar. Cover with foil.
Roast at 375 degrees for approximately 20-30 minutes until golden and soft. Check on the water level.
Mash or puree roasted vegetables and any left over liquid in a blender.
Posted in Baby Food |
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November 12, 2010
This is a great baby food to introduce after 6 months and around the time that your baby starts to get their first teeth. And it’s so simple, most busy moms will have time to throw this together.
Ingredients
16 oz bag of baby carrots
1/2 a sweet peeled apple such as a golden delicious or mac
Rinse and steam the baby carrots for 20 minutes. In this time, peel and cut the 1/2 of an apple into tiny cubes.
Once carrots have steamed, remove them from the steaming tray and allow them to cool in a blender for at least 5 minutes. In this time add the apple cubes to the steamer and steam for 10 minutes.
Puree carrots to a fine consistency. Add apple cubes. Stir together. Allow to sit until it is a safe temperature for baby to eat.
Adding new consistencies and flavours to your baby’s food will help them learn to be adventurous with their food from a very early age!
Posted in Baby Food |
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November 2, 2010
This homemade hummus is full of protein, calcium and fiber – just the kind of snack you need to keep your little one growing and keep you full of energy. This dip is easy and lower in bad fats than normal hummus, it is also lower in salt as long as you use dried chickpeas that have been cooked and rehydrated rather than canned ones. It’s an easy appetizer to bring to parties or in lunches, just bring some cut up veggies or whole wheat pita bread for dipping! This is also a great food for baby once they are 9 months and older.
Ingredients
2 1/4 cups rehydrated/cooked chickpeas – or one 14 oz can that has been drained and rinsed well
1/4 cup sour cream (makes sure you get a creamy dip even if your cooked chick peas are a bit dry)
3 TBSP Tahini (sesame seed paste you can find in the ethnic food aisle of most grocery stores)
2 TBSP lemon juice
1 TSP lemon zest
1/2 TSP sesame oil
1/2 TSP sugar
1/2 TSP salt
1/4 TSP ground cumin
1/4 TSP ground coriander
Combine all ingredients in a food processor and pulse until smooth.
Posted in Baby Food, Protein |
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