I have been wrestling with the best way to get ET to eat solids. We are doing kind of a combo between traditional purees and baby led weaning. I’ve found that he eats best when we eat as a family, but our normal schedule is to put him to bed at 7:30/8pm and then finish making dinner and eat.
We changed it up this weekend and I started making dinner at 6pm, and he ate with us. It made a huge difference. We also went out to brunch and he ate everything we gave him: grits, pancakes, eggs, andouille sausage, chicken.
Things we have tried that he has hated:
1. Alphabet pasta with marinara sauce. Sucked all the marinara sauce and then spit out the pasta.
2. Cold mashed potatoes and skirt steak. Even I wouldn’t want to eat that.
3. Lentils, not mashed or pureed. Also, I only cooked these in water and added lemon.
I inadvertently made him an all orange meal last night, which he destroyed:
1. Mashed carrots: Boil water and lightly salt. Add peeled carrots and boil for about 15 minutes, until they are tender. Add vegetable stock and puree. I did a rough puree with an immersion blender so he still had something to “chew” on somewhat.
2. Lentil “hummus” (for lack of a better word): Saute minced onions (I used spring red) in olive oil until translucent. Add vegetable stock and bring to a simmer, then add red lentils. Simmer until softened. Add white wine vinegar or lemon juice, salt, and whatever other spices you’d like. I tried Mexican tarragon because I had it. When lentils are fully cooked, puree. You can add water or more stock to adjust the consistency.
I used all non-animal products because that shit congeals. Our nanny has him out all day and this is a good way for him to have real food + protein. When he’s a little bigger, the lentils would be a good dipper for carrots and other veggies.
For dessert, he had some really juicy, sweet nectarines.
Here’s some other fancy shit he ate this weekend, pickled green tomatoes and fresh mozzarella. I ate it off his high chair, which also doubles as my desk. Cry.
And today, Ryan brought me lunch and baby and we ate under the arches. I usually get the falafel special sandwich from Heights Falafel, which has baba and hummus in it. Enzo ate that shit up.
I haven’t really been checking out a lot of baby cookbooks but I did pick up Bebe Gourmet, which is written by Jenny Carenco. She is the creator of Les Menus Bebe, a French brand of all-natural baby food. The photos are simple and fun, and she takes you from first purees through first meals at the dinner table. She suggests combinations with different sides/purees, and also explains how to make it into a meal for adults. In the back of the book, she explains the different nutritional values of each ingredient. A really well-rounded, simple book to follow. I borrowed it from the library, but am going to purchase my own copy.
Stomach Monster 