If your baby is turning six months, congratulations are in order! This is not just time to celebrate their half-year birthday; you are staring at a significant milestone! Besides, now is the time to introduce your child to some solid food. It is exciting to get the child to taste different flavors. If you don’t do this right, you won’t just set up the child for a lifetime of healthy eating; you will also help establish their long-term relationship with food. This is also a good time for socialisation and for them to witness how mealtimes are family times.

If you are wondering what some of the best foods are to get them started on their gastronomical journey, here is a handy list of the top 10 baby foods

Six-Month Baby Food

1. Khichdi

Children and adults alike are diehard fans of Khichdi as an ultimate comfort food. For young children, it is the best way to offer them a good mix of carbohydrates and proteins. Ensure its consistency is just right so the child can eat it easily. Sure enough, over a period, you will see it emerging as their favourite food.

2. Puréed Dals

There is no better way to offer the correct dose of protein than dal. Among other things, it will go a long way in the child’s muscle development. They are light on the stomach and also make for easy digestion!

3. Mashed Vegetables

Go ahead and steam those vegetables and mash them to achieve the right consistency. You could even add some mild spices to the vegetables to add flavour. Spices such as cumin, coriander, and more can also be rich sources of antioxidants. Pro tip- While you are feeding the child, you can hand them a carrot, for instance. It will offer them sensory delight while using it to soothe their gums!

4. Ragi Porridgeb

Ragi is another food that needs to be included in the baby food chart. It is a nutritional powerhouse rich in calcium, iron, protein, and fibre. Go ahead and serve this tasty porridge with these nutrients.

5. Mashed banana with ghee

Banana is rich in Potassium, a key electrolyte. It is also known to improve muscle function. Besides, Bananas are good for the tummy, too. They have probiotics, which are the good bacteria found in your gut, and prebiotics, carbs that feed these good bacteria. Go ahead and offer all these benefits as you mash a banana for the child. You could also add a little ghee to it for those healthy fats. It will also help in baby weight gain.

6. Soft Chapati

Those soft chapatis made of whole wheat are just what the child needs in terms of complex carbohydrates. You could even hand him a small piece for them to nibble on.

7. Fruit Purées

Nothing is better than seasonal fruits to make those delicious fruit purees. Depending on the fruits that you choose, they could be the source of essential vitamins, minerals and fibre.

8. Kheer

Make that delicious kheer with milk, rice and jaggery to tingle the child’s taste buds. It will be a great energy source and a rich source of calcium that will help in bone and teeth health.

9. Soft Paneer cubes

Easy to chew, soft paneer cubes, rich in calcium and protein, are yet another favourite. They could well turn out to be the child’s favourite finger food.

10. Home-made yoghurt

Once again, this will be a great source of calcium to support bone health. Additionally, it is a great source of probiotics for gut health.

There you go. These food items high in nutritional value and taste are just what you need to set the child up on a gastronomic journey. As they say, well begun is half done. Pro tip- Do not introduce these foods all at once. There could be instances where the child is allergic to some food. It is, therefore, advisable to introduce these foods one at a time for you to be able to figure out if any of them do not agree with the child. Also, sometimes you may prepare something, and the child may not like it. It is fine. Do not try to force-feed the child. Instead, try re-introducing the same item after a few days. Odds are that the child may like it. Being patient is key.

To Sum Up

As the child grows older, the key is keeping him away from junk food. Junk food can not only cause nutritional deficiencies, but it can also lead to poor brain development, obesity, and more. Yet another thing to avoid is something that is becoming ubiquitous these days. In our busy lives, we rely a lot on mobile screens to feed the child. Using the TV or the mobile phone to improve mealtimes or reduce fussy eating isn’t likely helpful in the long run. For one, it could lead them to become addicted to the screen. Even if you restrict screen time to mealtimes alone, the fact is that mealtime should ideally be about experiencing the food, not to mention the fact that the social aspect of eating is extremely important. Mealtimes can well be times where the entire family sits together and shares the day. Once phones make their presence during this time, there is little interaction.

There you go, go ahead and make the best of mealtimes with your little one. Remember, mealtimes should not turn into a power struggle. Trying different flavours and not force-feeding the child can help you make these times pleasurable.

At Footprints Preschool, the largest chain of play schools and daycares, our menu is carefully prepared by a trained nutritionist and does not include junk food. We believe in the child’s holistic development and that the food offered to them has a strong role to play in that!