Six to Seven Months

Six to Seven Months

Depending upon when you started solids, at six months, food is joining breast milk or formula for one or possibly two meals per day, but it is not replacing the breast or bottle at those feedings, as they are still the primary source of nutrition.  As food is introduced, make sure that your baby is continuing to get enough fluids.

Pumpkin, sweet potato and butternut squash are three great Super Foods that most babies cannot resist.  Beware, they are not easily absorbed and baby’s poo may closely resemble their dinner, so do not be shocked.  They are, however, easily prepared, especially pumpkin, which is best and easiest store-bought, as it has a smoother texture than fresh pumpkin.  Sweet Potatoes and butternut squash are best baked, but a sweet potato can be cooked in the microwave. 

Recipe: Butternut Squash Puree



Butternut Squash Quick Peel:
Cut off wide bottom section.
Stand remaining column up and
then shave skin off with sharp knife.

Cut the squash in half length-wise and scoop out the seeds

Put the halves face down on a in a dish filled with about ¼ inch of water and cook at 400 degrees for 15 minutes.

Turn the squash face-up and continue cooking until meat is soft

Scoop out meat, place in food processor, and add liquid as needed to achieve desired consistency.

Recipe: Sweet Potato Puree

Wash the potato and puncture it with a fork or knife.

Place in an oven at 400 degrees until soft or

Place in a covered dish in about 1/2 inch of water and microwave until soft.

Once ready, hold hot potato in oven mitt and make an incision in the skin, which will easily peel to reveal the meat.

Both of the above make great batch recipes or use the rest for a meal for the rest of the family.

Other foods for the six month plus crowd

Peaches, prunes, apples and pears are all great for aiding in constipation, but need to be cooked at this age.  You may try mango and pears raw toward the end of six months. 

 

Recipe: Pear Apple Sauce

(great batch recipe)

Peel and slice pears and apples into uniform pieces and place in a baking dish.  You may also leave the skin on for cooking and peel before pureeing. 

Add enough water to coat the bottom of your baking dish.

Cover dish and bake at 350 degrees until apples are soft.

Add water as needed to achieve desired consistency; puree and freeze or serve immediately.

Growing up: once introduced, add a sprinkle of cinnamon before cooking

Recipe: Pumpkin Apple Sauce

(fall favorite for the whole family)

Peel and slice 5-6 apples and place in baking dish lined with foil (easier clean-up)

Pour can of organic pumpkin over apples (fresh is more trouble and can have a chunkier texture)

Cinnamon to taste (if baby has ben exposed).

Enough water or apple cider to coat bottom of baking dish.

If you are not using sweet apples, you may need to add a sprinkle of sugar to taste, especially as the pumpkin flavor can be a little drab.

Cover and bake at 350 degrees until apples are soft.

Puree and serve, refrigerate or freeze immediately.  Both of my children love this and will eat it for every meal and snack, so it never stays around long enough to freeze!

Mom and Dad Meals

Butternut Squash White Bean Soup

(a favorite during the winter that tastes best a few days after cooking, so make extra)

324 calories per serving

3 bacon slices (we do a few more)
Remove slices and crumble. Reserve 2t of drippings.

1c chopped onion
2/3 c chopped celery
3 garlic cloves minced
4c (plus some!) cubed and peeled butternut squash
¼ c dry white wine (always add a little extra)
4c chicken broth
1t ground cumin
¼ t ground red pepper (we like it hot and add more)
1/8 t cinnamon
1/8 t cloves
¼ c whipping cream
1T chopped oregano1t salt
¼ t ground black pepper
2 15oz cans Great Northern beans rinsed and drained
3T toasted pumpkin seeds

To drippings, add onion, celery, and garlic and cook three minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally. Add squash and cook another three minutes. Add wine and cook until liquid almost evaporates. Stir in chicken broth and add cumin, red pepper, cinnamon, and cloves; bring ot a boil. Reduce heat and allow to simmer until squash is tender (5+minutes). Stir in cream, oregano, salt, pepper, and beans and again, bring to a boil.
Allow soup to stand for as long as possible (you will understand when you have the leftovers!). Serve each bowl with pumpkin seeds and bacon sprinkled on top.

Sweet Potato Enchiladas

6 medium sweet potatoes (will serve 6)

4 cloves of garlic 

Medium onion

12oz. low fat cream cheese

1 can of black beans (more may be used)

½ lime (juiced)

Pinch of Cumin (more to taste)

Cilantro (to taste)

Black Pepper

Salt (optional)

Cayenne Pepper

Soft shells

Cheddar Cheese

Tomatoes

Enchilada Sauce

Preheat oven to 400C.  Clean potatoes and place in boiling water with skins on.  Mince garlic and onion and place in large bowl with cream cheese, lime juice, cumin, cilantro, black pepper, cayenne, and salt.  Once soft, drain water from potatoes, soak in cold water, and peal once cool.  Add potatoes to above bowl and mix with a hand mixer until smooth.  Gently stir in beans. 

Place shells in oven safe container.  Coat with thin layer of cheddar cheese and place in oven to melt.  Remove from oven, fill with potato mix, fold and secure with a toothpick.  Drizzle enchilada sauce and bake until shells are crisp.  Top with tomatoes , additional enchilada sauce and serve.