Holiday Food for Baby: 6 Fun Ideas [NEW for 2022]
Watching your baby sitting at the dinner table in their high chair enjoying the excitement of the holiday is sweeter than pumpkin pie.
Gobble up every piece of the moment instead of stressing over which foods they can and can’t eat.
Remind family members of the importance of safety by stating your pediatrician recommends you wait until they are a certain number of months old before trying certain foods.
For example, babies over seven months of age can eat small bits of moist turkey. Pureed foods like sweet potatoes are great for babies younger than seven months.
Avoid ham, dried fruits/nuts, raw vegetables, hard holiday candy, honey, and marshmallows.
If you want your little turkey to try the cozy tastes of Thanksgiving, here are a few ideas:
Turkey Vegetable Puree
Is your growing baby enjoying meat yet? This puree will satisfy their taste buds.
The ingredients you would need are ½ cup of cooked and diced turkey, 2 medium peeled and diced sweet potatoes, and 2 peeled and diced carrots.
Boil or steam the potato and carrots until tender first. You can also bake them together for a fuller taste.
Once you have mashed the sweet potato and carrots, skin the turkey and add it in.
Dark meat such as the leg or thigh is the softest.
If your baby isn’t still enjoying vegetables, you can mash up a small amount of turkey with a bit of breast milk or formula.
Add as much liquid as needed to make a consistency appropriate for your baby.
2. Sugar and Gluten-Free Cream-Style Corn
Is your baby liking chunky soups? They might enjoy delicious creamy corn soup.
You’ll need two 15oz cans of no-salt-added sweet corn,½ cup of corn liquid, and ¼ cup of erythritol.
You must drain the corn out in a colander over a bowl to reserve the liquid after you open the cans.
Then place the corn and ½ of the corn liquid in a blender. Pulse a few times to break it up a little.
The next step is to add the creamed corn to a pot on the stove along with the erythritol.
Let it simmer for about five minutes. You could serve it with some fresh parsley if others plan to enjoy it as well.
According to the website Healthline, Corn is rich in vitamins, minerals and antioxidants that help babies develop and maintain good eye health.
3. Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese
Is there a big cheesy grin on your baby’s face when they eat pasta? Try out this tasty pasta dish.
Ingredients:
1 butternut squash
2 cups dry rotini pasta
1/4 cup diced sweet or white onion
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 cup water, low-sodium stock, or bone broth
2 tbsp mascarpone or ricotta cheese
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/8 tsp each of paprika and garlic powder
1/3 cup breadcrumbs
4 tbsp unsalted butter
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees before cooking the pasta. Then cube and steam squash for about ten minutes.
The next step is to saute the onions in olive oil on medium-low heat for five minutes.
Add the cooked butternut squash cubes to a food processor or blender with stock and blend until smooth before pouring it into the pan with the onion.
Then stir in the cheese and spices. Let it simmer for about three minutes as you drain the pasta and combine the sauce.
Pour into a casserole dish. Sprinkle the breadcrumbs and melted butter on top.
Bake it in the oven for twenty minutes.
4. Roasted Carrot Fries
If you are doing baby-led weaning, your little one might enjoy eating and playing with these delicious carrot fries.
This recipe is not only great for young ones but also for the whole family! You’ll only need carrots and olive oil.
Preheat the oven before arranging your carrots on a cutting board. Cut the ends off and peel the carrots.
Then slice them into thin fries. Place them onto a rimmed baking sheet with some olive oil. Add a dash of salt if you wish.
If you worry about your hungry baby sticking a whole roasted carrot stick into their mouth and choking, dice them up before serving.
5. Pumpkin Puree
Introduce your little pumpkin to a classic fall flavor this holiday season!
All you will need is a sugar pumpkin. After washing and drying the pumpkin, cut the stem and the base off.
Then cut it open and remove all the seeds and the stringy stuff.
The next step is to cut the pumpkin into wedges. Brush each one with melted butter before placing the wedges on a foil-lined baking sheet.
Once you have softly roasted them, scoop off the skin and place them into a blender. Blend and mix as much as needed until it’s a smooth puree.
Add a dash of cinnamon and nutmeg with a sprinkle of brown sugar to make it extra sweet.
6. Mini Cornbread Muffins
If your sweetie pie prefers muffins, they might love these.
You’ll need cornmeal, gluten-free all-purpose flour, baking powder, one commercial egg replacement, sweetener, vegan/allergy-free butter, and some non-dairy milk.
Fill a mini muffin pan with a tablespoon of batter for each mini muffin cup after mixing all the ingredients together.
Bake at 375°F for ten to twelve minutes.
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Please note that any food can cause an allergic reaction. Contact your pediatrician about any issues or concerns.
Although it is best to feed babies less than 5-10% of the daily value for sodium or added sugar, try not to sweat it if they consume a bit more than usual.
Focus on making new memories. A few low-sodium/low-sugar meals later in the week will balance it out.
Baby Connect’s food tracking features can help you keep track of how much your baby ate as well.
Not only you can record feedings and/or nursing times, but you can also record naps, temperature, and milestones.