Homemade food for 1-year-old

Congratulations! to the parents who have just celebrated or are preparing for their child’s 1st birthday 🤗. Your babies would have been trying to stand on their own or step forward with their little feet. These activities of aww moments, along with more playtime, have increased their appetite for more homemade food.

To curb this appetite, and provide them with ample nutrition, prepare yourself to share that lip-smacking snack of yours which you previously used to devour alone.

List of Topics which will be covered ahead:

Do’s

Don’ts

Homemade Recipes

Not so stinky Veggie Oats

Don’t turn your nose Vegetable Soup

Slurp me quick Smoothie

Paint the tongue red Beetroot halwa

Oh so healthy! Dalia (Jowar or wheat)

Gobble up fast Whole wheat chilla/Indian pancake

Enjoy me daily Toor Dal Khicdi

Pasta Dal Vista

Important Notes

There are a few do’s and don’ts which you don’t want to skip before we move on to the homemade food recipes for your little ones.

Do’s

1. Try to serve low-sugar food to them to prevent dental cavities.
2. Be attentive about their water intake. They should sip on water throughout the day to avoid irregular bowel moments.
3. Always cut food into small pieces before serving to prevent choking.
4. Wait for 2-3 days before introducing new food to check for any food allergies.

Don‘ts

1. According to Unicef, up to 75 percent of each meal goes to building your baby’s brain. So, avoid giving them low-fat milk or any other low-fat food substitute.
2. Avoid giving whole fruits such as grapes, pomegranates, pitted cherries, or cherry tomatoes. It can cause a choking hazard.    
3. Popcorn, chewing gum, nuts, thick chunks of cheese, or peanut butter can also choke the baby. Spread light cheese or any nut butter on the bread before serving.

HOMEMADE FOOD Recipes:

Here, is the list of quick and nutritious homemade food recipes that you can cook and serve your toddler.

1.Not so stinky Veggie Oats

Ingredients :

• Oats -1/2 cup
• Mix vegetables(Carrot, Capsicum,Peas,Tomato)-3/4 cup
• A pinch of Cumin powder
• A dash of Turmeric powder
• Salt-According to baby’s taste
• Ghee/Oil-1tsp
• Water-2 cup

Direction :

• Wash and finely chop the mix vegetables.
• In a pressure cooker, heat the ghee and saute the Oats for 2 minutes.
• Stir in the chopped vegetables, salt, cumin powder, and turmeric powder. Saute for 2 more minutes.
• Pour water and pressure cook for 3 whistles. One in high and 2 on low.
• Wait for the pressure to release.
• Serve it warm.

2.Don’t turn your nose Vegetable Soup

Ingredients :

• 1 small Tomato 🍅
• 3/4 Cup of mix vegetables(Beetroot, Carrot, Bottle gourd)
• 2-3 Spinach leaves
• 2-3 cloves of garlic
• A dash of salt
• ½ cup of water

Direction:

• Wash and chop the vegetables 😊.
• In a pressure cooker, pour ½ cup of water along with salt and chopped vegetables. Cook it till 1-2 whistles on low flame.
• Mash everything well to make it easy to eat for your little one.
• Serve them warm with their favorite spoon.

Tip: To make it healthier, add a small amount of any lentil(moong, masoor) of your kid’s choice.

3. Slurp me quick Smoothie

Ingredients :

• Banana -1/2🍌
• Peanut butter-1 tsp
• 5 to 6 leaves of baby spinach leaves
• Dairy or non-dairy Milk – 1/2 cup 

Directions:

• Blend milk, spinach, and peanut butter together. Add in the banana and blend it thoroughly.
• Serve the green drink immediately

4.Paint the tongue red Beetroot halwa

Ingredients :

• 1/2 beetroot🌰
• Half cup Cow’s milk🥛
• Dates(pitted)-4
• Ghee(clarified butter)-1tbsp

Directions :

• Soak the dates in lukewarm water for 10 minutes.
• Wash, peel, and grate the beetroot.
• In a thick pan, heat ghee and add the grated beetroots.
• Add milk and let the mixture come to a boil.
• Cover the lid and simmer for 15 minutes in a low flame. Keep stirring at regular intervals to avoid sticking to the pan.
• Make a paste of the soaked dates and add-in.
• Serve warm or at room temperature.

5. Oh! so healthy Dalia (Jowar or wheat) 

Ingredients:

• Wheat or jowar dalia-1/2 cup
• Ghee(clarified butter)-1 tsp
• Dal(moong(yellow)/masoor(red))-1/4 cup
• A dash of asafoetida/hing
• A dash of turmeric
• Salt-little bit(according to child’s taste)
• Water-2 cups

Directions:

• In a pressure cooker, heat ghee, add in hing,dalia, dal(lentil), turmeric, and salt. Saute for 2 minutes.
• Pour in water and let the mixture come to a boil.
• Pressure cook it for 3 whistles on a medium flame.
• Wait for the pressure to settle. Serve it warm.

Tip: Substitute lentils with finely chopped vegetables if you like, or if you are feeling nutrition high on a day, include both.

6.Gobble up fast Whole wheat chilla/Indian pancake

Ingredients :

• Whole wheat flour-1/2 cup
• Milk-1/4 cup
• Brown sugar-1 tsp
• Cinamon-a pinch
• Ghee-for brushing pan

Directions:

• Add wheat flour, milk, cinnamon, brown sugar in a bowl.
• Mix the ingredients with a spoon and make a thin free flowing batter. Add in more milk if required.
• Brush some ghee in a non-stick pan and spread a ladle of batter.
• Let this cook from one side and then flip over to cook from another side till golden brown spots appear.
• Before serving make an emoticon with the help of maple syrup or honey.😊

• Toor dal -1/4 cup
• Rice-1/4 cup
• Water-2 cup
• Tomato-1/2
• 1/8 tsp-Asafoetida(Hing)
• 1/8 tsp-Turmeric powder
• 1/8 tsp-Cumin
• 1/2 inch-Ginger
• Salt-a little bit(according to kid’s taste) 
• Ghee 1 tbsp for cooking and I tsp for serving

Directions:

• Wash rice and toor dal thoroughly for 3-4 times or till water run clears.
• Wash and grate the ginger. In a pressure cooker, heat ghee, add cumin, grated ginger, and asafoetida.
• Mix in dal, rice, tomato, turmeric powder as well.
• Saute for 2 minutes.
• Pour in water and pressure cook for 3 to 4 whistles. High for 1st whistle and low for the next 3.
• Let the pressure settle. Serve the khichdi warm with 1 tsp of ghee

Tip:You can add in the veggies your kid likes(if any)😉

8.Pasta Dal Vista

Ingredients:

• Red Split Masoor dal(lentil)-1/4 cup
• Garlic-4 cloves
• Tomato-1
• Water-1 cup for cooking dal and 2 cups(approx) for boiling pasta
• Fusilli pasta(wheat)-100 g
• Asafoetida(hing)-1/8 tsp
• Cumin seeds-1/4th tsp
• Olive oil-1/2 tsp
•  Salt-according to your kid’s taste

Directions:

• Bring water to boil in a pan, add salt, and cook the pasta completely. Drain the excess water.
• Chop the garlic and tomatoes finely.
• Heat olive oil in a pressure cooker, add cumin seeds, chopped garlic, and hing.
• Add in tomatoes, salt and saute for 2 minutes.
• Mix in the split masoor dal and water.
• Pressure cook for 3 to 4 whistles on medium flame.
• Combine the cooked pasta and daal. Sprinkle some mixed Italian herbs.
• Serve with grated cheese on top.

Some important points to be noted:

• A pinch should be measured from your finger and not your child’s.
• Don’t use any measuring spoons/jars while preparing your food. Trust your instincts instead😉.
• Served food should be visually appealing. If you are not creative enough, be ready for the tantrums.
• Don’t be disappointed and lose hope if your minor does not admire the super chef in you. Keep serving good homemade food to these critics. As they grow up, you will become a refined cook or, they will develop the taste.

Also Read : Myths around baby care

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