Dinner with infants may seem a difficult task to plan. Your requirements are to have meals that are healthy, easy-to-digest and tasty so that young children consume it without a problem. Dinner is of great significance since it predetermines a positive night sleep.
The right foods will ensure your baby stays full with no grumbling and free of starvation during the night.
In this blog, we will go through the reasons to care about healthy dinner recipes for infants, as well as provide 5 simple yet nutritious recipes along with advice on how to prepare such safe and delicious meals.
Why Healthy Dinner Recipes Matter for Infants
The importance of healthy dinner recipes to infants is because this evening meal is significant in their growth, their development and even the quality of sleep.
They are in their active development in bones, muscles and brain connections and hence the nutrients consumed through dinner can make a huge difference to their well being.
The key reasons are the following:
- Nutrient Requirements: infants need balanced diets that are high in iron, calcium, good fat and proteins. Dinner will help them not to be short of necessary nutrients during the long fasting period at night.
- Digestion of the Food: Light and wholesome food taken in the evening has the effect of easing better digestion, and is found to cause less wind, colic, etc., and settling better at night.
- Nutritional Eating: Making infants used to a variety of healthy dinner recipes early allows them to train their palates to tolerate healthy foods, cutting down on fussy-eaters.
- Increased Quality of Sleep: Easy to digest foods that are highly nutritional can keep the baby feeling satiated longer to help in sleeping better and more deeply.
- Growth and immunity: Immunity-boosting and nutrient-dense dinner time means stronger bones, brain development and healthy growth milestones.
5 Simple and Nutritious Dinner Recipes for Infants
The easy dinner ideas found below are ones that you can use with ingredients that are usually readily available and baby friendly.
1. Ragi Porridge with Apple & Carrot
Why it’s great:
Ragi has calcium and iron whereas apples and carrots supplement it with vitamins and fiber.
Ingredients:
- 2 tbsp ragi flour
- 1 piece medium sized apple (grated)
- 1 tbsp (grated) carrot
- one cup water/breast milk/formula
Method:
- Blend ragi flour using water, carpet draining any lumps.
- Add grated carrot and apple.
- On low heat simmer until smooth or about 5-7 minutes.
- Chill a little before serving
Try our ready-to-eat Ragi Porridge
2. Khichdi Porridge with Spinach & Carrot
Why it’s great:
A full dish with carbs, protein and vegetables.
Ingredients:
- 2 tbsp rice
- 1 tsp moong dal
- 1 tbsp spinach(finely chopped)
- 1 tbsp carrot (grated)
- 1 cup water
Method:
- Soak rice and dal and cook with water to make it soft.
- Add spinach and carrot, Cook thoroughly.
- Beat or mix to the consistency of a smooth.
Save time with our Khichdi Mix Porridge
3. Broken Wheat Porridge with Banana + Beetroot
Why it’s great:
Broken wheat provides energy and fiber, banana provides natural sweetness as well as beetroot which has high iron content.
Ingredients:
- 2 tbsp broken wheat( daliya)
- Banana (mashed)
- 1 tbsp boiled & mashed beetroot
- One-tenth of a measuring cup of water
Method:
- In a boiler of water, soak until soft.
- Add in a mixture of mashed up bananas and beetroot.
- Blend, softer texture to desired.
4. Puffed Rice Porridge with Apple & Beetroot
Why it’s great:
A small bite but not heavy on the stomach but full of vitamins.
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup puffed rice (soaked in water for 15 minutes)
- 1 pit of an apple (boiled & stewed)
- 1 tbsp beetroot (steamed & mashed)
- Having consistency by water or breast milk
Method:
- Wet puffed rice and crush slightly.
- Mix with mashed apple and beetroot.
- Add water/ breast milk to correct the texture.
Try our instant Puffed Rice Porridge
5. Barley Porridge with Banana + Strawberry
Why it’s great:
Barley would facilitate digestion and banana and strawberry will add flavor, vitamins, and antioxidants.
Ingredients:
- 2 tbsp barley flour
- 1% mashed banana
- strawberries (steamed & pureed)
- 1 cupful water
Method:
- Boil barley flour in water until the issue is like porridge.
- Add strawberry puree and banana.
- It is preferable to blend to a smooth texture.
Get it quick with our Barley Porridge
Tips for Preparing Dinner for Infants
- Start with little servings and then as your baby accepts it, you can increase.
- Food should be cooked well depending on the hardness or the crispiness that the food will have.
- Remove salt, sugar and honey in infant foods.
- When trying new ingredients, introduce one ingredient at a time so as to revolt allergies.
- Keep hygiene – wash hands, utensils and vegetables.
When to Introduce Solid Foods
The World Health Organization (WHO) reports that solid foods should be introduced from age six months while breast or formula feeding is also performed. These are the signs that your baby is about to start solids:
- Lying 20° or sitting with support.
- Take an interest in the family meal.
- Skill to swallow pureed foods (not just push them out with the tongue)
Remember to check with your pediatrician anyway when it comes to introducing new food.
Conclusion
It doesn’t have to be tough serving dinner to infants. You can make delicious and healthy dishes with millets, rice, dal, fruits, and vegetables and just a few basic ingredients. These healthy recipes not just help fuel your baby growth but also support good digestive and proper sleep.
