Moondog please help!

[lispy]

Hi, I read your babies were weaned on curries, lentils etc. Can you please give me some advice about spices/seasonings? My baby is a vegetarian and I'd love to give him some curry but dont know the rules! I'd like him to start eating what we do. He's 6 1/2 months and eats like a horse.

no rules, do what you like. i use more cumin, coriander, cloves etc than chilli though. smoked paprika is a godsend and yoghurt is great for dulling things down. quite a few recipes here

DS favorites :

fruity dahl:

boil lentils 10mn and drain.
return to pan with 1/2 tsp cumin, 1/2 tsp cinamon, small grated onion, small grated apple, handfull chopped dried apricots.
cover with stock and simmer gently another 20mn.
You can add cubed vegies as well.
Serve with pita to scoop.

spring vegie tagine:

stir fry in a little olive oil: 1 small grated onion, 1/2 tsp ginger, saffron, chopped coriander.
Add new potatoes, peas and carrots (or any other combination you like artichokes/brocoli/turnips etc....) & cover with stock.
Simmer gently 20mn. serve with crusty bread to dip in sauce.

Thank you so much!! I had no idea, I thought it must have been a rule to keep food bland for a few months (I've been reading crap recipe books for babies) but can tell he wants normal food because he loves tasting our meals. This is great, will try these recipes from now on! Thanks again everyone!

You might want to start by seriously diluting spices and use general allergy guidelines when introducing new foods ( new food every 3-4 days to give you time to screen possible reaction and only minute quantities of animal proteins/nuts/dairy).

Also I think the idea behind the traditional 1 poached/pureed fruit or vegetable at a time is to give them a taste for the real thing so they grow to recognize and like a wide range of foods.

enjoy!

but remember that if you've waited til 6 months all those trad ideas go out the window. just give the baby what you're having, within reason, and they'll develop a taste for... what you eat.

and a further hijack - so it's alright that DS has spent most of the day enthusiastically chowing down on toast then is it Aitch? (he practically snatched it out of my hand)

am certainly going to make some spicey stuff then for all of us. Yum!

god yeah, dd loved toast in the beginning. actually not so fond of it now.
have you tried tofu, lapin? dd likes it in a stir fry. me and dh are less convinced. my pal's wee girl thinks that baked beans with tofu on toast is a delicacy as well, but i haven't tried that. it would give young messrs h cusack and lapin all of their food groups.

Aitch, do guidelines about allergies don't apply if you start weaning after 6 mths?

To fy is great and very versatile.
you can use it in many ways. instead of white sauce in lasagna and bakes, instead of cream in soups. instead of eggs in fried rice and noodles....
when DS peckish, we make vegetable soup and add tofu before blitzing (works well in simple spinash or pumpkin soup)

another hijack -sorry!
tofu - I was told (hv, you guessed it!) that dd couldn't have under one year old?

Hi Lispy.
I didn't set out to deliberately give them curries,but rather gave them what we were eating. Also we lived in Turkey when ds was weaned.

Obviously I wouldn't expose them to fiery chillies but spicy stuff was fine,especially mixed with rice and/or yoghurt.

I've never understood why people make more work for themselves by doing separate meals.

Best of luck!

This is great, I can't wait til dinner we're all having dhaal!!!

oh i don't know about the 1 year thing. i don't think i did give her tofu then, right enough, but it was more by accident than design. does anyone know for sure?

not sure, i don't like polystyrene tofu myself so never tried it for dd. we tend to stick to beans, lentils etc. there is something you are supposed to avoid in large quantities for under ones. not sure if it was tofu or quorn. is it quorn that's fungus based? maybe it was that.

or maybe it's a soy/oestrogen thing?

I think it's Quorn which you need to be a bit careful with. Got this from the Vegetarian Society

"Quorn and textured vegetable protein

Quorn products are a useful addition to the diet of young children, but it should not be relied on as the sole or major source of protein since it is relatively low in calories and high in fibre so may satisfy the child's appetite before they have taken in enough energy. Textured vegetable protein may be difficult for young babies to digest, and its salt content must be watched."

Aitch, I also saw some freaky US websites about soy/oestrogen thing.
Apparently to be avoided like small pox when pregnant unless you want to risk having a queer baby.
I live in asia and we eat lots. If it make my DS a litttle mellow, won't complain as we are now in full blown wrestling mode.

talking of 'queer' americans... click here