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Baby and toddler food

Soft, mild first foods and family meals for babies and toddlers. (109 recipes)

Nilagang saba mash for babiesBoiled banana mash for babies

Saba, the short, square-edged cooking banana piled in every palengke from Quezon City to Davao, is boiled in its skin for nilagang saging, a merienda (afternoon snack) eaten with a cup of coffee. For babies, the same boiled saba is peeled and mashed into a soft, peachy, honey-sweet purée, and it is one of the most common first foods in Filipino homes. Saba is firmer and starchier than an eating banana, which is why it is always cooked. Nothing is added: no salt, sugar or condensed milk under one. It is free of the major allergens. Chef's tip: pick saba whose skins are yellow with black spots; green ones are too starchy and can upset small tummies.

20 minFilipinoDessertsVeganGluten free
by KrazyBadal 0 views

Omogeneizzato di carne fatto in casaHomemade meat puree for babies

In Italy, little jars of omogeneizzato di carne line every supermarket shelf, but plenty of mothers in Milan, Bologna and Naples make their own: a lean piece of turkey breast, chicken or veal cooked with a carrot and blended with its own broth into a very smooth cream. A teaspoon or two is stirred into the baby's midday pappa of crema di riso in brodo vegetale from about six months, giving iron and protein. For babies there is no salt, stock cube, sugar or honey. It is free of the major allergens. Chef's tip: blend the meat while it is still hot with plenty of its broth, then sieve; cold meat goes grainy and never turns properly creamy.

40 minItalianMeatGluten free
by KrazyBadal 0 views

Rasam sadam for babiesRasam rice for babies

Rasam sadam, hot rice with a thin, tangy tomato and lentil broth, is everyday lunch in Tamil homes from Chennai to Madurai. When a baby joins the meal at around nine months, many mothers ladle off a mild rasam for the little one before the pepper, chilli and salt go into the family pot. Mashed into soft rice with a spoon of ghee, it is tangy, warm and gently fragrant with cumin and coriander leaf. It contains milk (ghee). We leave out asafoetida, which is often cut with wheat flour, so it is gluten free, and it has no egg, nuts, soya or sesame. Chef's tip: use the ripest, reddest tomato you can find; its natural sweetness replaces the tamarind and jaggery of the grown-up rasam.

40 minIndianRice & GrainsGluten free
by KrazyBadal 0 views

Moong dal cheela fingers for babiesMoong dal pancake fingers for babies

Across Punjab and north India, moong dal cheela is a weekday breakfast griddled to order, usually with green chilli, ginger and a pinch of ajwain. For babies from nine months the batter is just soaked yellow moong and grated carrot, cooked thin and soft and cut into strips that are easy to grab, ideal for baby-led eating alongside spoon food. They are tender, mildly sweet from the carrot and packed with plant protein. They are free of the major allergens: no milk, egg, gluten, nuts, soya, sesame or fish. Chef's tip: grind the batter to the thickness of double cream; thinner batter tears, thicker batter stays raw in the middle.

30 minIndianBreakfast & BrunchVeganGluten free
by KrazyBadal 0 views

Soft idli for babies

Idli is breakfast across Tamil Nadu, from Chennai's Mylapore tiffin rooms to village kitchens, and a fluffy, plain idli is one of the first finger foods many South Indian babies hold. Since family batter is salted, parents make a separate salt-free batch for babies under one, or steam a few from it before the salt goes in. The cakes are pillowy, faintly sour and melt under the gums, torn into pieces or mashed with ghee or thin dal. They contain no gluten, egg, nuts, soya or sesame; they contain milk only if served with ghee. Chef's tip: grind the urad dal with ice-cold water until it is light and foamy; air in the batter, not salt, is what makes idli soft.

45 minIndianBreakfast & BrunchGluten free
by KrazyBadal 0 views

Mela grattugiata (grated apple)

Ask any Italian nonna what a baby has for merenda, the mid-afternoon snack, and she will mime grating an apple: in homes from Turin to Bari, a sweet apple is grated very finely on the small holes of a grater and spooned up at once, before it turns brown. Paediatricians in Italy suggest it from six months, and for the first few times many parents steam the apple briefly so it is softer still. It tastes fresh and naturally sweet; the old habit of crumbling in a biscuit or a spoon of sugar is not for babies under one, and honey never. It is free of the major allergens. Chef's tip: a squeeze of lemon is often added to stop browning, but for babies simply grate it right before serving.

8 minItalianDessertsVeganGluten free
by KrazyBadal 0 views

Baked sweet potato

Sweet potato baked whole until soft and caramelised, then mashed with milk and a pinch of ground coriander. Naturally sweet and smooth, it's a favourite first food for babies of 4–8 months. One sweet potato makes more than a baby can eat, so freeze the rest in small portions.

55 minSidesGluten free
by KrazyBadal 0 views

Cheesy topped tomatoes

Soft tomatoes and carrot blended with cheddar, ground almonds and milk, then baked in teacups under a golden cheese topping. A gentle, savoury dish for babies of 8–18 months, with plenty of flavour. Serve it just warm, on its own or with soft toast fingers.

40 minVegetarian
by KrazyBadal 0 views

Babies' vegetable stock

A gentle, salt-free vegetable stock for cooking baby food, for babies of 8–18 months. Root vegetables, ginger and a few herbs simmer slowly for two hours, giving a light, sweet stock. Use it for the purees, hash and pasta in this section, and freeze small portions in an ice-cube tray for quick meals.

140 minBasicsVeganGluten free
by KrazyBadal 0 views

Mixed root vegetable puree

A smooth, naturally sweet puree of three root vegetables: choose from carrots, potatoes, sweet potato and pumpkin. Changing the mix is an easy way to give babies of 4–8 months new flavours. Serve lukewarm.

20 minSidesVeganGluten free
by KrazyBadal 0 views

Corn chowder for babies

A sweet, creamy chowder of sweetcorn, potato, leek and red pepper simmered in milk, then blended and sieved until silky. It suits babies of 8–18 months, and older children enjoy it unsieved. Serve warm.

28 minSoupsGluten free
by KrazyBadal 0 views

Lentil & tomato medley

Lentils simmered with fresh tomatoes and tomato juice, then pureed and sieved into a smooth, tangy first dal for babies of 4–8 months. Use any lentils: split red lentils cook fastest. Serve warm.

40 minSidesVeganGluten free
by KrazyBadal 0 views

Cream of carrot & cauliflower

Steamed carrots and cauliflower pureed and stirred into creamy baby rice for a smooth, mild meal for babies of 4–8 months. Steaming keeps the vegetables' colour and goodness. Serve lukewarm.

23 minSidesGluten free
by KrazyBadal 0 views

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