Getting Your Little One Ready for Homemade Solid Food

A child grows fast, and so does his or her appetite. After six months of breastfeeding, your little one is now ready for some delicious complementary solid food. While you may be excited to try all sorts of homemade solid food, your child may not be ready for adult food like fried chicken drumsticks yet. You may be wondering, what can I prepare for my little one? Here are some homemade solid food choices you can add to your child’s daily diet.

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MILK

Your child still needs milk. Whether your child is a voracious eater or a fussy one who thinks he or she is above the world, a huge part of your little one’s diet will still be based on milk. After all, breastmilk contains nutrients specifically for your child, including vitamins, minerals, amino acids and more. It should continue until your child is at least two years old. In short, milk should start the day, end the day, and accompany some of your little one’s meals.

Iron Fortified Baby Cereal

Baby cereal, especially those fortified with iron, can be a great way for your little one to get used to solid food slowly while keeping each meal nutritious. Plus, baby cereal is versatile enough for you to create your own delicious solid food recipe. Get creative with small pieces of meat, diced vegetables or fruits.

Here’s a recipe for Wheat Baby Cereal with Apples and Dates you can try:

Blend 60g of apples, 25g of dates and 100ml of milk until they become soft.
Mix with 5 tablespoons of CERELAC^® Wheat & Honey.
Serve to a hungry little one

Nutrient Packed Porridge

Porridge isn’t just for when you’re feeling sick, or when you have nothing else to eat. It is also an easy way to introduce some solid food to your child because of its soft texture. While plain old porridge doesn’t exactly sound like an exciting homemade solid food, you can always add a twist. If your little one is bored or refuses to eat the same dish every time, add colourful, nutritious ingredients like fruits. You can use ground rice or baby cereal for a finer texture.

Here’s a recipe for Fruit Salad Porridge you can try:

Add 50ml of warm water, 50g of CERELAC^® Rice & Mixed Fruits, 50g of finely blended pear, and 50ml of orange juice to a bowl.
Mix, and serve.

Delicious Purees

Introducing fruits and vegetables can be no easy task, especially when fruits like apples are a rock to your little one’s growing digestive system. Purees can be a homemade solid food to introduce fruits and their nutrients in a way that’s easy to swallow and digest. Simply cook the food, let it cool, blend and serve.

Homemade solid food doesn’t mean you have to rack your brain over planning what to cook for every meal. Sometimes, the simplest choices are the best, like a bowl of baby cereal with fruits, or a puree mix.

If you’re looking to plan your child’s daily diet with homemade solid food and a balance of nutrients, why not download our CERELAC Recipe e-Book? It has lots of fun recipes you can try for your little one at every stage of growing up. Or watch Malaysian MasterChef Dr. Ezani cook up interesting dishes for your little one here.