Friday, November 20, 2009

Nourishing Menu Plan for Baby


After recently posting on the importance of a whole-foods diet for babies and children, I thought I would share with you a typical week in my 10-month-old son Henry's diet. There is certainly a LOT of conflicting information available on how a mother should go about feeding her baby...I find a traditional, whole-foods approach the best and would love to share with you how I implement this in my home:


Breakfasts

Eggs, scrambled in butter with a bit of cream and salt

Soaked oatmeal with fruit, cinnamon, maple syrup, butter and cream

Scrapple, a cornmeal mush that is fried in coconut oil and topped with maple syrup-yum!

Waffles or pancakes, sometimes french toast, again with butter and maple syrup


These are typical breakfasts served in my home. I don't fix special breakfasts for the baby; he just eats what we eat in small pieces. I don't puree anything. Typical sides are potatoes fried in coconut oil w/onion and garlic, sausage, bacon, fresh fruits and toast.


Lunches

Chunks of cheese

Fresh fruits

Yogurt or smoothies

Peanut butter or grilled cheese sandwiches

Soup


I keep lunches pretty simple for Henry, as he usually eats a large breakfast and is not very hungy at lunch time. He drinks fresh fruit juice, water or milk with his lunch.


Dinner

Like breakfast, I do not prepare a seperate dinner for the baby, he just eats whatever we are having. Here are some of his favorites:


Avacado slices with a drizzle of olive oil and some salt

Chilli and cornbread with honey butter (yes, I give him honey, and no, it's never been a problem)

Spaghetti with meatballs

Garlic mashed potatoes

Garlic bread

Acorn Squash with maple syrup and butter

Soft beef, like roast or my braised short ribs

Chicken livers with pan gravy


The list could go on and on! My little guy is definitely not picky. I do not shy away from giving him spices...for example, he loves chilli and it does have cayenne pepper in it. We just adjust the amount of spice for his tastes. He really loves the taste of fresh garlic and onion, as he has been eating it since he turned 6 months old. We also add plenty of fresh steamed/sauteed veggies and fresh fruit to his diet, as well as the occasional sweet treat (he loves cheesecake and tirimasu!) I also ensure that Henry gets plenty of good fats in his daily diet (olive oil, coconut oil, avacado,butter), and he takes a daily dose of Cod Liver Oil as well.


This post is part of Fight Back Fridays at http://www.foodrenegade.com/




3 comments:

  1. This is the recipe for raising kids who aren't picky. You are doing great! I'm also using a lot more coconut oil instead of olive oil in my cooking.

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  2. I find that I prefer the taste of the coconut oil, especially in baked goods and fried potatoes. I like olive oil in all pasta dishes/sauces and for dipping bread. If you like garlic bread, I found a really good recipe for a garlic spread that uses coconut oil: 1/2 c. softened coconut oil, 1/2 c. softened butter, 2-3 tbsp. minced garlic, salt and Italian seasoning to your taste--mix it all together and spread on french or italian bread before warming in the oven, or slather it on english muffins or toast. It's really good!

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  3. What a great list! Thank you so much!
    Amy

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