Fish cakes or chicken patties? Boiled egg or an omelette? When can I give meat to my baby’s diet? Anxious moms are full of questions. “I am vegetarian but I want to make chicken soup for my baby. What is the best way to give chicken to my 14-month-old- baby” asks a new mother on Facebook and she gets a flood of responses. And, some easy-to-do recipes too. Try chicken soup says one and provides the simple recipe: pressure cook chicken pieces with chopped onions, carrots, jeera powder, pepper powder, and salt. Leave it for eight to nine whistles. Strain the broth and the nutritious soup is ready for your baby!
“We started with chicken and fish cutlets when my baby was eight months old,” says Swati Aravindh. She is a lactation educator who takes pre-natal classes and post-partum counselling in hospitals.
“Iron stores start depleting from six months onwards in a baby and that is why WHO recommends introducing complementary foods right from six months. Any chart on iron-rich food indicates that liver has the maximum amount of iron. We tried liver cutlets and patties. It is a good source of iron. While in the West, non-vegetarian food is a staple for babies, we tend to focus more on vegetarian sources like raagi that is high on calcium,” she says.
She says one needn’t wait till the baby turns one to start on eggs. But she says one has to find out if the baby is prone to allergies. “Especially if someone in the family has a history of it. You can try non-veg in the form of finger foods. Once the baby starts eating with the family, you can experiment with parathas stuffed with minced meat, steamed fish, and boneless meat. I started giving minced chicken with rice. By 11 months, she started having small fleshy pieces. She didn’t like roasted mutton as it is tough to chew. By the time she was one we had tried all non-vegetarian food.”
Starting your baby on non-vegetarian food is not an easy task as there are many myths, says Dr. Neha Agarwal, who is based in Rajkot, Gujarat.
“Many think animal protein can cause allergies, they are harder to digest… but it is not so. Most breast-fed kids are not prone to allergies. It is safe to introduce eggs for babies when they are still under the cover of nursing. Fish contains essential fatty acids and DHA that is vital for the growth of neurons, the nervous system and brain development. For the vegetarian equivalent, we have walnuts. Non-vegetarain food is high on proteins that promote muscle mass in children.”
Paediatricians recommend eggs. Anjana Dhanavanthan who is a vegetarian has started her baby on eggs. “We tried omelette, scrambled and boiled egg. My baby picks up pieces of boiled egg and enjoys it. Many of my friends give steamed fish and tender meat in the form of minced chicken when the baby is eight months old. Though they say they have steered clear of red meat,” she says.
It’s about introducing the kid to a variety in food choices, says M. Aishwarya, mother of a 16-month-old girl. “We have fish every day. I started giving her fleshy parts from eight months onwards. It’s best to give all types of vegetarian and non-vegetarian food and allow the baby to choose without force feeding.”
Quick tips
Make sure that you wash and clean the meat/fish thoroughly before cooking it
Avoid processed meat
Ensure that the meat/egg or fish is fully cooked. Avoid seafood that is high on lead
Go for steamed, boiled or grilled chunks
Give fleshy pieces of boneless fish and meat
Add carrots and green leafy vegetables to meat. This helps the babies get fibre
