Solid food should be introduced in the babies’ diet after six months as their body requires a variety of nutrients for growth and development. Porridges made using pulses and grains are excellent to tackle nutrient deficiency. Adding a bit of gravy from the curries made using leafy vegetables to it would pack in an extra dose of vitamins, iron, calcium and minerals. These food items could easily prevent nutrient deficiency as well as diseases.
Porridges are light and are easy on the stomach. The babies can easily swallow the soft porridge and digest them. After weaning off, babies should get enough energy, protein and other nutrients from the porridges.
It is better to give freshly cooked porridges to babies. The leftovers could be thrown away as reheating them wouldn’t be a good idea. Plain water or coconut milk could be used as the base of homemade porridges. Check out the pretty simple recipe of a delicious and energy rich porridge made using dried plantain powder.
Ingredients
50 gms dried plantain powder
25 gms moong dal
25 gms roasted peanuts
25 gms sugar
Water as required
½ cup coconut milk
Preparation
Remove the skin of the plantains
Cut them into small pieces
Dry the plantain pieces under the sun
Grind the dried plantain into fine powder
Wash and drain the moong dal
Dry roast them and then grind into powder
Store these separately in air tight containers
Take the powders, as required, in a vessel
Mix enough water
Cook over flame until it thickens a bit
Add coconut milk and sugar when you are happy with the consistency
You could use jaggery instead of sugar
Feed the baby when the porridge is warm
