Baby Food Reply (lost post)

[Roy Collins]

> >my son is 7months old and has been eating solid foods for a couple of
> >months. I am still breastfeeding as well.
> >So far, I am feeding him mostly Happy Times Organic Brown Rice cereal
> >(store bought, pablum-type cereal) and an organic mixed grain cereal. I
> >puree organic veggies or buy organic jarred food.
> >I have also pureed millet and squash and oatmeal.
> >I would like some macrobiotic recipes for babies, (brown rice doesn't
>seem
> >to puree so well, unless i'm cooking it wrong??)
> >I have the book "Raising healthy kids" by Michio and Aveline Kushi but i
> >need more info specific to babies.
> >thank you!
> >Sonya Wilson

RC: Hi Sonya. In general the digestive system of babies does not fully mature
>until 2 years. It is therefore recommended to continue breast feeding and
>using supplemental cooked/pureed foods. Solid foods should not totally
>replace mother’s milk
>until at least 12 months minimum. It is a good idea to make transition to
>solid foods slowly like you are now doing but try to avoid giving store
>bought pablum type cereals as they are energy deficient. Better to use
>whole grains (soak overnight before cooking) and cook with no salt. To
>puree rice just add a little more warm water. Remember to cook grains for
>babies with
>a lot more water than adults -- use maybe 4 or 5 parts water to one part
>grain. Rice, buckwheat, quinoa, or Jerusalem artichoke noodles can be
>boiled and placed in a bowl with warm pureed veggies or soup stock
>(unsalted). Maybe a little well diluted, lightly salted miso soup can be
>tried at this time. Make sure it is very dilute otherwise salty taste can
>cause problems. Use only on occasion. If stools are too hard then too much
>salt -- stop. A little prune juice diluted 50% with water will make
>stools soft again. Prune juice also has iron.
>
>Some European parents and older macrobiotics recommend chewing food for the
>baby as baby does not have the starch digesting enzyme call ptyalin in
>saliva at this age. I would hold off on wheat products until baby is a
>little older. Many times babies develop allergy to wheat products,
>especially if they are refined but also unrefined as well because too much
>gluten.
>Most any vegetable can be pureed after it is steamed or boiled, but
>spinach, beet greens and swiss chard contain oxalic acid which interferes
>with the absorption of calcium -- much needed for growing children.
>Winter squash, carrots, broccoli, kale collards, zucchini and peas are
>especially good and vitamin rich. You can add small amounts of cooked
>akame, hiziki, and arame seaweeds to these pureed vegetables at this time
>as well. Even small amounts of cooked tofu, spirulina, and barley grass
>can be added to insure against B-12 deficency. Steamed green beans are also
>good but do not give too much regular beans. Homemade soy milk with a
>little yinnie syrup or barley malt is OK on occasion and you can add a
>little of this to a blender with fresh or frozen organic fruit to make a
>smoothie drink.
>
>Do not give animal food, dairy or honey to baby at this time as they are
>all too extreme. Carrot and fruit juice can be given in small amounts as
>long as it is diluted. Applesauce and other stewed fresh and/or dried
>fruits can be given as well. Maybe try making a little kanten dessert on
>occasion. No need to get to extravagant or sophisticated with food
>preparation at this stage
>in your childs life. Keep everything simple -- breast milk, pureed
>grains, veggies, fruits, soft noodles, a little soup, diluted fruit and
>veggie drinks -- . After one year when digestive system and teeth are
>stronger you can try more variation of texture through baking cookies,
>muffins, casseroles, beans, more chewy things. Right now it sounds like
>you are doing OK, only make sure you are using whole grains to puree and
>only use pablum type cereals when nothing else is available. Better to use
>whole oats rather than oatmeal although oatmeal is more whole than pablum,
>powder cereals. Try mixing some home made amasake in with oat ceareal on
>occasion for nice treat. Avoid giving too much yin fruit when cold weather
>comes.
>
>I hope this helps.
>
>In peace, Roy