Baby food 1-12 months

I was so excited to introduce food to my little one. Almost a week before she turned 6 months, we did annaprasan(celebration of introducing food/puree) for my little one. That was with kheer(sweet), as it is considered as a good start. And actually it was.

Intially when we started at 6 month I followed the 5 day rule ( introduced new food for 5 days and wait) then later on, from 7th month did it 3 days. So, I will be mentioning in order what all we introduced:

6th month

Dal- Intially for 5 days just gave moong daal pani, then started with properly cooked mushy moong dal around 2tsp.

Rice - Cook 1tbsp rice with half cup water in pressure cooker and give 4 whistles as intially to start with it should be cooked in a mushy way.

Khicdi - Take equal quantity of rice and daal, wash it properly and pressure cook it with water and pinch of turmeric.

Cereal mix - Rice dal. Wash 1cup rice and 1cup moong dal seperately. Dry it by spreading it on clean cotton/muslin cloth under fan or in sun for 1-2hr, then dry roast both separately till daal becomes bit golden and rice puffs. Grind them smooth and now mix and store it in air tight container in freeze. Can store and use it till a month.

Whenever you want to feed, take 2tbsp of it and mix in 1cup water and let it cook/boil for 5mins while stirring, then cool and feed the baby with 1tsp ghee.

7th month
Sweet potato - Boil it in water for 5-10mins, intially to start with grind it in grinder and feed the baby. Later I used to mash with spoon and feed.

Oats - Dry roast the rolled organic oats in pan for 3-5mins. Let it cool then grind in grinder and can store this mix for 15-20 days in freeze.
Whenever you want to feed, take 2tbspn of it and mix in 1cup water and let it cook/boil for 5mins, then cool and feed the baby with 1tsp ghee.

Apple puree - My lo just loves Apple puree. There are two ways for any puree, you can either boil it or steam it. So, wash the apple, peel it, remove the seeds and middle portion, chop it and then either steam it or like I boiled in 1/2cup water for 15mins. Then grind out in grinder or mash it with spoon/masher and feed your baby.

Avocado - Take a ripe Avocado, wash and cut length wise, scoop out the pulp from the skin, mash it or can cut into small piece to serve as finger food to your little one.

Ragi - My hubby got ragi seeds. Soak it overnight and tie in wet cloth for sprouting. Then dry in fan on the towel. Roast in pan and make powder and store it in the fridge.
Whenever you want to feed, take 2tbspn
 of it and mix in 1cup water and let it cook/boil for 5mins, then cool and feed the baby with 1tsp ghee. U can make porridge using jaggery as well.

Suji - Intially I roasted in Ghee and stored in the air tight container in freeze. You can also just dry roast suji and store in freeze.
Whenever you want to feed, take 2tbsp of it and mix in 1cup water and let it cook/boil for 5mins, then cool and feed the baby with 1tsp ghee.

Banana - Pick a ripe banana. peel the skin, mash the banana with fork and feed the baby. In few days, you can also directly give banana to your baby if they are able to chew.

Carrot - Wash and peel the carrot properly then cut into pieces and boil for 15-20mins, let it cool, grind in grinder and feed it to baby as puree initially. Later I used to either boil or pressure cook it, and then directly mash with spoon and feed the baby.

8th month
By this time, she developed taste and could want to eat khicdi with pinch of salt and tsp of ghee.

Potato - Wash the potato, peel, cut and pressure cook it with  4-5 whistles then let it cool, then either mash or grind in grinder and feed to baby.

Pear - Boil in water, then let it cool, mash and feed. Even can steam it in streamer, then mash or grind and feed to baby.

Pumpkin - I boiled in water, mashed it and then fed. Next time steamed it in streamer, mash and fed to baby.

French beans - Wash it thoroughly, first day I boiled in water, let it cool down and grind in mixy and fed to my lo. Also can pressure cook or steam it, then just mash it or grind to puree as your baby prefers.

Sabudana - Wash it 2-3 times then soak overnight. Then boil the sabudana in water for 10mins till it becomes transparent that's fully cooked. Many people prefer to grind and give but I directly fed her.
Also a friend suggested, to directly dry roast the sabudana for 5mins, then grind and can store it in freeze and whenever want to feed just take 2tbsp in 1cup water/milk , keep stirring till little transparent, then cool and feed the baby.

Raisin water - Soak raisins for 2-3hrs in water, throw that water (to remove extra sweetness) then mash raisins and bring it to boil in fresh water , cool, strain and feed this water to babies. It really helps in getting relieve from constipation.

Papaya - We need to give a ripe yellow papaya. First day grinded it in grinder and fed her, after having papaya she did twice lil lil poo.
Second day just mashed the papaya with fork and fed her.

9th month

My lo just wants to try what we are eating, she comes near us and keeps looking at what we are having so my hubby always tends to make her taste food like bread, chapati, fruits, makhana, non spicy veggie after I enforce him not to give spicy stuffs.

Plum - Just steam it, and make puree or mash it and feed to baby. You can also boil it for 15-20mins till soft, then mash/puree and good to go.

Wheat Chapati - It basically needs to be introduced after we know our lo doesn't have any allergy to rice, oats. I made a small wheat chapati, and tear it into small pieces and leave it in milk(formula milk) for 5-10mins till chapati pieces becomes soft and then mashed and fed my baby. She totally loves it like her nanu does. Later on did mix it with daal or gravy veggies, mash and feed her.

Dalia - I dried roasted it and let it cool then partially grinded it. Stored it in freezer in airtight container. Pressure cooked 1tbspn with half cup water till 3 whistles and then fed it to baby with formula powder milk mix.
Next day sauted dalia in ghee and pinch of mustard and pressure cook 2tbsp dalia with 1cup water until 3-4 whistles. Somehow, my baby didn't like Dalia, she used to have just 3-5 spoons.

Makhana - I roasted makhana in ghee and fed the baby as finger food for first time, by placing the small broken pieces of makhana in front of her. Also roasted the makhana, cooled, grinded to powder and stored in air tight container. Later cook in water or milk and feed to baby.

Grapes - Choose really fresh grapes (black or green) and wash it properly in running water/warm water and cut into small pieces and feed to baby or give as finger food. Grape juice can also be given. Or put the grapes in feeding nipple and hand it to baby to keep squeezing/ sucking it.

Yogurt/ Dahi - Always try to prepare fresh home curd and give to baby. Or else outside many yogurts you get that you can feed to baby. My lo she made face while taking every spoon of it but then also pulled my hands to feed her, so basically she loved curd. I used to prepare the fresh curd daily for first 3 days.

Peas - First time i boiled frozen peas for 10mins, then let it cool and grinded it to paste to feed my lo. Also later on pressure cooked it with other veggies, mash or grind it and feed. Though observed babies can be constipated with peas.

Onion - Add chopped onions to chilla/pancake.
Always wash it properly and chop into small chunks to cook. Can also be added in mix veg or while you cooking khichdi for babies.

Dates - Steam and mash or grind to puree and feed. Second option is soak the dates in water overnight and mash it in morning and feed the baby. I found my lo having gas while I started feeding her dates.

Beetroot - This is the first thing my baby didn't like. First day, I boiled, cooled, grinded and then fed, but just had a spoon. Second day i tried steaming and giving, but then also she didn't had.

Arhar/ Toor dal - I pressure cooked it approx 5 times and fed it with soaked and mashed chapati. Somehow I observed my lo having gas problem while giving this.

Spices - As taste buds are enhancing, can introduce spices like mustard, cloves, cardamon, Bay leaves, curry leaves, cinnamon in small quantity.

10th month
Spinach - Spinach is preferred to be introduced between 8-10 months of age. Buy fresh spinach, make sure the stems are not yellow, brown or wilted. Seperate the leaves, wash it thoroughly for 2-3 times making sure no soil residues are left. then cut and steam since in a steamer for 5mins, take it out and let it cool for 3mins in cold water. Now take a blender and blend these steamed spinach with water as per your consistency,a take it in a bowl and feed the baby.

You can store the spinach leaves in freeze in zip lock or air tight container, just make sure don't wash and keep or no water should sieve in.

While giving spinach she almost did black poo.

Mango - Mangoes should be ripe, means soft to touch and nice aroma.  Always wash properly, peel or cut length wise and scoop out the mango pulp from the skin, mash properly and make sure no fibres are there before feeding the baby. Also can cut into small pieces and give as finger food.

Recommended age is 8-10y for easy digestion.

Poha - There are various ways of giving poha. You can dry roast poha for 2-3mins, let it cool and then grind it and can b store it in air tight container for a month and while giving, mix in water and feed. Another way how I did intially was wash the poha properly, then soak it in filter water for 15mins, afterwards just drain the water and feed as it is, or mash it a bit and can mix with bananas or mango or yogurt and feed to baby.

Cauliflower -It should be given only when baby is 8-10 months old as heavy for babies tummy. Choose a fresh one with green leaves around and the one should be heavy as per the size. Cut equal size of florets and wash it properly in warm water. You can either steam for 15mins or boil the florets for 10mins, let it cool then grind and feed the babies. Later, also can fry it properly, mash and feed or directly give as finger food.

Broccoli - It is recommended to be introduced between 8-10 months of age. Always choose a heavy brocolli with no moisture inside. Carefully cut the broccoli florets and rinse it properly. You can steam or boil the broccoli for 5-10mins , let it cool, then puree and feed. One can also refrigerate this puree up till 3days in glass air tight container.

Bottleguard - Cooked the normal way like how we eat. Washed, peeled and cut bottleguard into small pieces. Then in pressure cooker saute in ghee little jeera bay leaf and bottleguard, and let 3-4 whistles come, then let it cool take out and mash to feed the baby.
One can also just boil/ pressure cook it and feed.

Oranges
Got really nice small mandarin oranges. Peel it and deseed and cut into small pieces and feed the baby.

Watermelon - Can feed as a juice intially. Though we while eating directly fed her small chunks and the next day also put few watermelon piece in her teether and gave her to feed on her own.

Lemon - As guided by my mom, I started by squeezing just few 4-5 drops of lemon juice in my lo khicdi or mix veg and feed her. Later on slowly increased the quantity.

Tomato - Wash, peel it and boil / pressure cook till tender, then mash or grind to puree and saute in a tsp of butter, add bit pepper and feed this tomato soup to lo. Also can chop and as small chunks to mix veg or khicdi.

Paneer -Made home made paneer for baby by squeezing few drops of lemon in a cup of cows milk while boiling and keep stiring. The water will seperate from the white, then strain it in muslin cloth and squeeze out properly all the water. So,now your paneer is ready to eat. Intially first day, fed her as it is, then mixed paneer with palak and fed my lo.

Spices - Added mustard and curry leaves for her upma. Also sauted dal with cumin seeds (jeera).

Made various kind of cereal mix and stored in airtight container and kept in freeze.

11th month

Cucumber - My lo directly once took a slice of salad from our plate and had it.

Cheese - Always feed pasteurized cheese. Look out for the cheese ingredients, should be pasteurized cow milk.

Almond powder - Wash and boil a cup of almonds, peel and let it dry under fan for an hour. Then grind it just for few seconds. Store it in air tight container.
I directly soaked the almonds overnight, in morning washed, peeled and grated very finely and fed with oats and Ragi.

Capsicum - While introducing, steamed it and fed as finger food. Later, chopped it into small pieces and mixed in  Suji chilla (pancake) batter and cooked chilla and fed her.

Ladyfinger - For introducing, stir fry few small cut pieces in ghee and fed directly. Later as we cook, then started giving that, and she actually loved it with all spices and salty taste.

Bittergourd - Stir fry in bit oil and let it cook and fed her by mashing in rice dal, as intially she didn't liked it and took out from her mouth.

Egg - Hard boiled eggs can be given. Boil the egg for good 15-20 mins and give the egg yolk to babies either by mashing it or giving in tits bits pieces.

Blueberries - Directly washed and cut into half and fed her. She just loved it. 

Kiwi - Peeled, choped and fed her.

Cabbage - Cooked the same way like our food that's fry and properly cook in oil and fed her by mixing in rice dal.

Strawberry - Wash it properly, tried taking out bit of rough outside seeds and choped into 4 pieces or directly feed her one full with our hand.

Eggplant - Stir fry in oil and mixed with chapati dal mashed or rice dal and fed.

Started adding spices like cloves, cinnamon.

12 month

Started  self weaning with what all we eat minus salt sugar. My baby mainly likes to eat by her own hand. So, give her dry items like chapati or stir fry veggies to eat. Can't give mushy food as she mashes and spreads it all rather than eating.