Our daughter at 5 months

My little 9-month old daughter is a fabulous eater, and a brave one too, as she cautiously explores the foods I put on her plate each night. After squashing, smelling and playing a bit with them, she tries each one, and I am proud to say there are few she hasn’t liked so far. Today I made her mini bites of asparagus, carrots (steamed), plums and rice for lunch, and Dahl for dinner (recipe below). She loved both! 

Sometimes dinner gets a bit messy, but I think it is important for Elyse to explore her foods, smelling, tasting, feeling and inevitably – tossing on the floor (our dog loves this part!) It is interesting to watch a 9-month old eat. She is very tuned in to with her body. She chews carefully, finishes what she has in her mouth first before taking another bite, decides if she likes something or not, and stops eating when full. We were all born with these cues or instincts, but for most of us, these have been overridden by cultural norms of overeating and eating when not hungry. 

We can learn something from babies. Next time you have dinner, get messy. Explore your food with your senses (taste, smell, touch).  Chew one bite at a time, and eat consciously. Do you like it? Are you hungry? Are you full? Your body is smart, it’s your job to listen, and have fun! 

Little Eater at 8 months

 

  

Baby’s Dahl 

Finely dice 1 zucchini, 2 carrots , 1/2 onion, 1 red pepper and 4 medium potatoes and combine with red lentils (1 cup) in a pot. Add water, organic veggie broth or organic low sodium chicken broth and bring to a simmer.  Add in mild curry powder (as much as you like), 1 t ginger, 1 t cinnamon (I always add these because they are my favorite spices), 1 t cumin (I like the extra smokiness of cumin).  Let simmer until veggies are soft and lentils are cooked. Serve as is for bigger babies, use a potato masher for beginner bites. I served along with whole milk plain yogurt and my baby loved it!  Best of all – dinner was done – my husband and I ate the same thing, along with some crusty bread or naan if you prefer.