Cereal Cookie (for babies)

Babies who are eating their solid foods well for breakfast, lunch and dinner will most likely require extra fuelling during the day with nutritional snacks and a healthy drink of milk or water.

My 10.5 month old really enjoys this soft cookie made with baby cereal (plain or flavoured), fruit puree (apple, apricot, banana or pear) and the yolk of an egg.

Serve it together with a drink of milk in their favourite sippy cup for morning tea:


Cereal Cookie

125ml (1/2 cup) butter
125 ml (1/2 cup) fruit puree (eg mashed banana; or stewed apple, apricot, pear, prunes or dates ... you could even try a pureed vegetable like zuchinni)
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 egg yolks (beaten), for babies under 1 year old or 1 egg
150 ml (2/3 cup) white or wholewheat flour
150 ml (2/3 cup) baby cereal (oatmeal, wheat or mixed grain - plain or with fruit added)
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 Tablespoons of cocoa powder (optional - gives it a nice rich flavour)

Preheat oven to 190 degrees celsius (375oF).
Line 2 cookie sheets with baking paper.
Cream the butter and sugar, then sitr in fruit puree.
Gradually add the vanilla and beaten egg (or egg yolks).
Mix the dry ingredients together in another bowl.
Carefully add the dry ingredients to the wet.
Drop heaped teaspoonfuls onto the cookie sheets.
Bake for 10 minutes.

Homemade Baby Purees (for a 6 to 7 month old)

As a first time older mum I recently attended a Baby Puree making workshop and learned about nutrition, and how easy it is to make my own baby food. If you need a little motivation, here are some homemade baby puree recipes for you to try ...

Sweet Potato Puree, Pumpkin or Squash Puree
Peel and cut 2 or 3 medium to large size sweet potato into cubes. Steam for 15 to 20 minutes, until soft. Reserve the cooking liquid. Puree the cooked cubes of sweet potato with a stick blender or a kitchen blender until very soft and fine. As you are blending add some of the reserved cooking liquid to make a nice soft consistency for baby to swallow.

Remember that sweet potato, and, if you are cooking pumpkin or squash will absorb quite a bit of water when blending into a puree, so add at least a 1/2 to 1 cup of cooking liquid.

The same recipe can be made with carrots, BUT you must ensure that when you puree the carrots use freshly boiled, slightly cooled water and NOT the cooking liquid.

Carrots contain nitrates that leak into the cooking liquid and are too strong for a young baby.

Green or Yellow Bean Puree
Another good source of vegetable containing fibre to start introducing to your 6 month old. Steam the beans until soft and puree together with some of the cooking liquid.

Zuchinni Puree
Quick and easy to steam lightly.

My six month old seemed to really enjoy it unpeeled, cooked and pureed finely.

There is no need to add water to this mixture when blending Zuchinni as it contains alot of liquid.

Apple Puree
Peel and slice your favourite eating apples. Simmer until soft in freshly boiled water, use approximately 1/2 cup of water to 3 to 4 large apples. Puree when slightly cool. Freezes well in ice cube trays.

Prune Puree
Soak approximately 2 cups of pitted prunes in 2 - 3 cups of boiling water for 20 minutes (in a pot). Then simmer gently in a pot on the stove for 15 to 20 minutes. Once slightly cooled blend with blender stick. Note: Prunes can be frozen in small containers, but will remain slightly sticky (which makes them more difficult to freeze into ice cube trays).

Freezing homemade baby purees
Vegetable and Fruit Purees can be made at home quite easily, cooled and frozen into ice cube trays. Once frozen store them in labelled containers or ziplock bags. Remember to rotate and use up older frozen purees first. Frozen fruits and vegetables have a relatively short shelf life (no longer than up to 6 months in a large deep freezer, or 2 to 3 months in the freezer compartment of your refrigerator). Pureed frozen meats, frozen purees containing milk and frozen legumes (lentils and tofus) should be used within 2 to 3 months.

Remember it will be only a few short months and your child will be enjoying table food (around 11 or 12 months of age you will be able to make them dinners almost the same as you are serving the rest of the family, simply mashed lightly with a fork, without a lot of spices or added sugar or salt.)

Getting Baby started on solids 6 months+

As a family, we always enjoy eating breakfast together. Our son seemed ready to sit at the table, in his highchair, with my husband and I, at around 5 months of age.

When he was much younger we lay him in his stroller next to us, so he could see what was happening, and be able to interact with us.

At 5 1/2 months of age I noticed our son moving his mouth up and down, while sitting in his highchair (as if he was mimicking my husband and I eating), and he began to reach out to grab a banana, when he saw it, so I began making baby purees for him to try.

Here are some tips and ideas for getting your little one started on solid foods.

Firstly, it is wise to remember that 'breastmilk or formula is the best source of food' for your young baby.

Your baby needs a good source of daily milk supply, with all its vitamins and minerals, up until, at least, the age of 2 years and beyond. Cow's milk (3.25%) can be introduced to an older infant from the age of 9 months+, but it may be better to wait a little longer until they are aound 12 months of age.

When introducing solids, start around 6 months+ of age. We started a little earlier as our son was almost 10 pounds at birth and he seemed ready. Continue to offer the breastmilk or formula first, before offering any solid food. I usually wait 15 to 20 minutes after giving our son milk before I offer him cereal, fruits or vegetables.

Be sure your baby can sit well, and hold their head up on their own before introducing solid foods. This is to avoid any type of choking hazard. Look for signs that your baby might be interested in beginning solids eg reaching or grabbing for food while you are eating.

Start with a Cereal
I started my little one on 1 Tblspn of rice cereal for breakfast and dinner. His milk feeds remained at 3 to 4 hourly during the day, with his first feed at 5.00am and his last feed around 5.00pm (half an hour or so before bed).

Then Introduce a Vegetable
After 3 days of cereal only, I then introduced 1 Tblspn of vegetable puree (squash) in place of the rice cereal at dinner time.

Gradually he began eating more cereal and vegetable puree at mealtimes. It wasn't long before I added a fruit puree to the breakfast and dinner menu.

Offer Water at mealtimes
Remember to always offer cooled, boiled water to your baby at mealtimes, along with cereal and purees.

I began offering water to my son in the little cup off the lid of his baby bottle. He is gradually learning to hold that cup in both hands, and drink himself. He drinks when he his thirsty, and I don't worry too much if he turns his head away or pushes the cup away.

At 6 months of age my son was enjoying cereal for breakfast, and squash, carrots, beans or zuchinni for dinner. He had also started to enjoy finely mashed banana, apple puree and prune puree.

Remember to introduce your little one to only one new item of cereal, fruit or vegetable at a time for a period of up to three days. This is to help identify any potential allergies or reactions to the food. It wasn't long before my son was eating one serve of fruit, vegetable and cereal all in the same day!

My son quickly gained an appetite and I gradually increased the quantity of serves to 3 Tblspns of cereal, fruit and vegetable over the course of 3 to 4 weeks.