The basics of weaning (Part 3)- What to steam, how to steam..

I started BabyS off with sweet potatoes, then carrots and other root vegetables b4 moving onto vegetable..

Sweet potatoes, carrots, potatoes & Pumpkins: these were easy to prep and steam.. Just steam till soft, mash and serve.

Note about carrots and pumpkins and all other orange coloured veges: they may be good cos there is beta carotene but dont feed it too often. Some of my SMH forum friends fed their babies pumpkin or carrot so much that their babies skin started turning yellow! I gave it about only about max 3 times in a week..

Sweet potatoes: I find japanese sweet potatoes sweeter and easier to puree than local potatoes.. Purple sweet potatoes are harder to find, so I only worked with that once b4. Same texture as japanese sweet potato, but warning.. purple potatoes makes babies produce weird coloured poo.. dont be alarmed. (my friend's son had turquoise poo)

Pumpkin: I prefer to buy local pumpkin. I once bought a blue pumpkin from australia at NTUC.. doesnt taste as sweet. (Or maybe i didnt choose a good one)...

 
Butternut pumpkin/ butternut squash has never failed me in terms of sweetness and texture: always sweet, always soft..


BabyS first cereal meal with side dish: Frisocrem and sweet potato (the sweet potato looks like kaya right..)

Vegetables: I remember pureeing broccoli and cauliflower only.. Both are very strong smelling veges. I searched the internet and found a tip for steaming these veges. To lessen the smell of these veges after steaming, put a slice of bread, then put the veges on top b4 you steam it. I tried it and it really works for broccoli! It didnt really work for cauliflower though.. oh boy i can still remember the smell of the pureed cauliflower..not very pleasant..

Fruits: I remember giving apple puree (very yummy), pear, banana and papaya. For babies below 8 months, its safer to steam these fruits first, so as to get rid of any germs of organisms that their little tummies may not be able to take.

Some diet therapy tips i learn along the way: If baby has loose stools/ diarrhoea, give apple. (Part of the brat diet for diarrhoea. Bread, Rice, Apples, Toast)

If baby is constipated, give pear.

some mummies puree meats to serve along with cereal but i just find that weird. Sweet rice with meats? neh.. When BabyS was on cereal, it was a vegetarian meal for her. Protein came in the form of steamed tofu (but also given in moderation)

I frequently bring BabyS out. What I did was, I'll steam the puree to defrost it and heat it up and transfer into a leak proof container b4 leaving the house. When its time to eat, i'll usually just add in some hot water into the puree itself and mix b4 serving to her. BabyS had no tummy troubles with my method.. But of course, it will not be longer than 4 hours from steaming to serving.. and say your grace b4 eating.. hahah..