curry, chilli, a bit of the gourmet dinner I cook...is this really ok for a baby?

[missytequila]

i have heard a few friends tell me that their baby just eats a bit of whatever they are having for dinner just mushed, cut up a bit... is that okay? I thought that babies under one year old couldn't have sugar or salt?? And as a real foodie myself I cook with salt and spices and garlic and chilli,etc...at what age can a baby tolerate/eat these kind of things? do any of you do this?

No added sugar or salt, but spices/etc are fine. My DD loves my chicken curry.

I don't mush or mash, though. I waited until she was developmentally ready (sitting up etc) and just give her exactly what I'm having.

I gave ds whatever I was having but did make sure it didn't have added salt. And of course just see how it goes with spicy food - try your baby with a small amount and see how well they tolerate it.

As jemjabella - i don't mush or mash, but DS3, 7 months has whatever we eat.

As above posters, DS (9mo) has been having what we have for at least a month.

We just stopped adding salt during cooking and use the low salt stock cubes - salting our own plates of food directly.

Other than that he has exactly what we have, garlic, spices - th elot. Even wine in spag bols & casseroles (obv the alcohol burns off!!)

However for anything with a bit of heat, curries/chilli, I do tend to 'water-down' DS's portions slightly with some coconut milk/natural yoghurt/sour cream/plain chopped toms whatever.

DS has some of ours now, minus salt, so we don't cook with salt, but do use some spices, not hot spice as his nappy is not pleasant, so we cut out a bit before we heat it up.

His favourite is dhal, as is DD (aged 4). Cooked with garlic, cumin, coriander, garam masala,

ok so you have said mainly that they do have some of what you eat, but almost everything I cook has a pinch of salt in it (veggies, dressings, meat, fish, the lot, as a chef you almost always salt and pepper the meat, veg whatever).... are you saying just make it with out and put salt on the table? or is the small salt pinch ok for babies?

Make without and add at the table.

If you add natural yoghurt to slightly spicy food, it takes some of the kick out of it.

Yes just make it without the salt - I honestly can't taste the difference in veg etc. Sauces you can taste the difference but I either add it at the table or - good tip - add a squirt of lime juice in place of salt, while cooking.

I never added salt to meat anyway so I didn't need to cut that out. But that could be easily added at the table or if doing separate portions just salt the chops for the adults and leave her half of one unsalted or something.

A baby under a year can have up to 1 gram of salt a day, so yes it's okay for them to have a small amount, but there is lots of hidden salt in foods like cheese and bread, so just not adding it to your cooking cuts down on things adding to that limit. It's only really until they are one, and then you can start adding it to things again as the amount of salt they can have goes up. But by then you are probably used to eating less salt which can only be a good thing! E.g. I now add salt to sauces but I don't add salt to cooking veg, potatoes, pasta etc any more.

We never made things with salt anyway - it spoils the taste IMO. Adding it at the table is best - but be aware that before too long your baby will want to copy you and have some on theirs too.

Babies under 18 months shouldn't eat more than 2 slices of bread per day because it's so high in salt.

My 7 m.o. DS likes moderately spicy things (onion bhajis, falafels) but not lamb curry! :)

salt spoils the taste! what? I am sorry but if you consult any cook book and or enjoy any recipe from a famous chef.... it has some salt in it 9 times out of ten. I know that it is healthy to have less salt, but I have always eaten in moderation the things I love. fat free tastes horrible as does food with no seasoning... looks like I will definitely be cooking a separate bit for the baby. :)

Yes, I know - but when I eat something made with salt I just taste the salt, it makes me thirsty and it seems to spoil the taste of the dish. I find that's the case for most bought stuff and lots of meals out.

But then my mum never cooked veg with salt, and I've never used it in cooking except for on boiled eggs, which for some reason are much better with it.

I agree that no seasoning (if by that you mean pepper / hertbs) is dull, and fat free is definitely horrible! :)

Salt is the only thing that will harm a baby, and that is purely because their kidneys struggle to process it. A spoonful of sugar in a bolognese, or a moderate amount of spice, wil do no harm whatsoever and will broaden your baby's palette.

people forget how sweet breastmilk is!

Ds2 was raised entirely on whatever his big brother was having, oreven a curry I had made for myself.

Avoid ready meals and takeaways, and honey for the under one's/