Jellybean's nine-month check-up was on Friday. I am very proud to announce that Dr. Gray says she's in her twelve-month milestones already! Insert smug, braggy momma smile here.
I didn't have an encyclopedia's worth of questions this round, just one simple inquiry about Jellybean's nutrition. As in, what the heck am I supposed to feed this kid? It seems Pureed Peas and Fruit Medley (or Fruit Melody as my mom calls it lol) just aren't cutting it anymore. I thought that I was doing pretty well ripping up grilled cheese sandwiches and mac-n-cheese for her, but apparently preservatives are lurking in the delicious cheese just waiting to attack my baby's health at the first chew...
Those microwavable Gerber Graduates Lil Entres aren't doing the trick either. Although Puffs and Lil Crunchies are still favorites, child can not live on snacks alone. And isn't a strictly snacky diet just asking for bad habits later in life?
So I ask, all three of you who read this blog on non-You-Capture-days, what is a momma to do? Are frozen peas and canned green beans okay, or do they have to be fresh? Will homemade mac-n-cheese using grocery store ingredients make the cut, or is it out of the question all together?
From what I know, frozen veggies are more nutritious than canned veggies. Mainly because being canned they sometimes have salts and more preservatives than frozen. I also did a lot of reading on homemade baby food and read that you can start mashing/cutting up regular foods to offer to her. You can also look into recipes for making your own apple sauce if you want. :) I also don't see an issue in buying whole-wheat/grain noodles and cooking them a bit mushy if you want to add some pasta or cook some rice. You'll know how solid a food she can handle better than me :)
ReplyDeleteHey now, I read your blog on non you capture days :)
ReplyDeleteand I wish I could help you, but we are still on liquid foods over here! I'll be benefiting from the answers you get! Sorry! :)
At the risk of sounding like an expert (any mom with more than one child usually is) you can pretty much give her anything, provided it is cut up small enough to chew. With Hayley we stuck with very routine foods, things that were very "safe"- all the same foods you mentioned. Sam had eaten turkey, beef, chicken, pork, and every vegetable known to man all before her first birthday. To this day (and I'm not sure if we had anything to do with this) Hayley is very, very picky and Sam is very, very not.
ReplyDeleteLet her try whatever you are eating for dinner (skip the honey or peanut butter until recommended by your pediatrician) but other than that, I say run with it. The key of course is watching all the same things you watch for yourself- excess sodium, sugars, saturated fat...
I second what dearjenn says. Here are some of Oliver's favorites: pancakes (made from a mix with blueberries, banana or canned pumpkin stirred into the batter to up the nutrution), scrambled eggs, avacade, shredded cheese, yogurt, cottage cheese, hummus, applesauce, cut up pieces of banana and mango, berries, cooked carrots (or we use a 5" lenght of a large carrot as a great teether!). For veggies I microwave sweet potatoes for about 6 minutes or until they are soft (remember to poke holes first) then scoop the flesh out and store it in the freezer. I use other frozen veggies (carrots, peas, beans and corn) that you can buy in the steam-in-the-bag packages and cook them and throw 1/2 in the blender with a little water and blend it thickly). Ok now that I've written you a book! Sorry for overloading you!
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