Thanksgiving Baby Food Recipes

Please remember: If any of the ingredients in these recipes are new to your baby, please make sure you introduce them to him separately - at least four days apart, well in advance of the big day! This will help you identify foods that may trigger allergic reactions or digestive problems (such as constipation or diarrhea).



Thanksgiving Baby Food Recipes

Can baby share my dinner?

There are certainly parts of the Thanksgiving meal that your baby will be able to enjoy from 6 months of age - and here are some tasty recipes just for him!


Acorn squash with applesauce

This recipe is suitable for babies from 6 months+.

To make a yummy acorn squash treat for your baby, just mash or puree the cooked squash with some homemade, sugar-free applesauce and a dash of nutmeg. This would make a complete meal for younger babies, or would be delicious served with chopped, cooked turkey from 7 months+.

Acorn squash is also great mashed with cooked carrot - and for an extra special Thanksgiving treat, add a drop of pure maple syrup! Mmmm!


Sweet potato or pumpkin pie

Traditional sweet potato and pumpkin pie recipes use many ingredients that are unsuitable for your baby - so here's a simple way to make one just for him!

Just mash or puree together cooked sweet potato (or cooked pumpkin) with cooked carrot.
Then, stir in natural, unflavoured yogurt until the dish is nice and creamy.
To make your baby's sweet potato/pumpkin pie extra tasty, sprinkle a little nutmeg on the top!


Turkey dinner

This recipe is ideal from 7 months+.

1 slice turkey (cooked)
water or homemade chicken stock
1 carrot, cooked
1 small potato, cooked

Put the turkey slice into a food processor and blend with the water/stock until as smooth as possible. Take care to add the liquid a little at a time - you don't want it to be too runny!
Add the remaining ingredients and blend until smooth. Add a little more stock/water if the puree needs thinning.

You can add a little cranberry sauce to achieve that distinctive Thanksgiving flavour - but don't overdo it, especially if your baby is very young - as it may upset his tummy!

If your baby is enjoying lumpy foods, then you can simply chop or mash the above ingredients. And if he prefers to feed himself, then cut the foods into bite size pieces and serve them as finger foods, along with a nice dollop of homemade, sugar-free applesauce.


Making gravy for your baby

Commercial gravies are too salty for your baby - but it's easy to make your own healthy alternative!

Either

Take 12 fl oz of the meat juices from your cooking pan and puree with 4oz of cooked veggies. Remember to allow the juices to sit for at least 5 mins first - the fat will separate and rise to the top, so you can spoon it off. (Please note that this method is not suitable if you used a lot of salt to season your meat).

Or

Use the pureed veggies to thicken 12 fl oz of homemade chicken stock.


Tofu and pumpkin pie

A yummy treat for babies from 8 months+.

6oz silken tofu
6oz cooked pumpkin
1tsp vanilla essence
pinch cinnamon
pinch nutmeg

Simply blend all ingredients in a food processor until nice and creamy.

You can create a special 'crust' for pies that you make for your baby by topping them with either crushed cereal (such as cornflakes, Cheerios, Rice Krispies) or wheat germ!


Apple pie

For an easy-as-can-be apple pie for your baby, just stir infant cereal into homemade, sugar-free applesauce until you have created a reasonably thick consistency, then pour into an oven-proof dish.
Bake at 350 deg F, 180 deg C for 10 mins.
You can add the 'special crust' described above to this dish, too!


Enjoy YOUR Thanksgiving, too!

If you're having lots of guests at your Thanksgiving meal, try to get as much done in advance as possible!

And try to enlist as much help as you can on the big day, too - relatives and friends often want to help out, but are afraid to offer in case they are seen as interfering.

But this type of interference you can use - so do ask for help when it's needed!

Are you traveling with your baby this Thanksgiving?

Then don't forget to check out our travel tips section, which is packed with advice to help you have a trouble-free trip!

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