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Bold Flavors & Nutritious Pairings
Key Takeaways
Quick Overview- This article explains how to expand a baby's palate using herbs, spices, and global flavors starting at six months, and how pairing certain foods together can improve nutrient absorption. It covers flavor-building ingredients, safe seasoning guidance, and three key nutritional pairings: iron with vitamin C, plant proteins with whole grains, and carotenoids with healthy fats.
- Flavor variety: Herbs and spices like cumin, cinnamon, ginger, and garlic are safe to introduce after six months; added salt and sugar should be avoided.
- Nutrient pairing: Combining iron-rich foods with vitamin C, plant proteins with whole grains, and carotenoids with fats can improve how babies absorb nutrients.
- Feeding approach: Beech-Nut Organics and Naturals lines include bold ingredients like kiwi, guava, and spices as an alternative to homemade blends.
Expanding Your Baby’s Palate
Excite your little one’s taste buds with bold, fragrant combinations and flavors from around the world. Offering bland baby foods is not based on any research. It is completely safe to use herbs, spices, and seasonings, but avoid added sugars and salt. I don’t recommend adding salt to your baby’s food, but once your baby turns six months, it is safe to blend up a food that was originally prepared with salt, like a carrot from your chicken soup.
Lively flavors to spice up your baby’s meals
Cumin, cinnamon, nutmeg, mint, dill, rosemary, thyme, paprika, garlic, ginger, citrus (lemon), chia seeds, ground flax seeds
The unique and bold flavors of the Beech-Nut Organics™ and Naturals™ lines are a great alternative to homemade foods. Beech-Nut uses exciting ingredients like kiwi and guava, and isn’t afraid to add spices to its foods!
Try these blends like these if you’re looking to add something extra special to your baby’s meal:
You also can keep your baby close to the kitchen as you cook so he can explore the aromas.
Food Pairings to Boost Your Baby’s Nutrition
How you combine your baby’s food can have an effect on the taste and acceptance, but also on the absorption of nutrients. There are some foods that when paired together have more nutritional benefits than when eaten solo.
Iron + Vitamin C
Iron, especially plant-based iron from foods like lentils, is better absorbed when eaten with vitamin C, found in fruits and vegetables like oranges, papaya, strawberries, red bell peppers, and kale.
Some favorite blends:
- Lentils + kale
- Beef + stewed red peppers
- Red beans + papaya
Plant-Based Protein Combos
Unlike most animal-based proteins, plant-based proteins like beans and legumes are incomplete – they do not have all of the smaller proteins that our bodies need. Combining certain plant proteins with whole grains makes them a complete protein.
Some favorite combinations:
- Brown rice and beans
- Hummus and whole wheat bread
Carotenoids + Fat
Lycopene and beta-carotene are inflammation-fighting carotenoids that also give the red and yellow colors to some fruits and vegetables like tomatoes, carrots, and sweet potatoes. Research has shown carotenoids are better absorbed when eaten with fats.
Some favorite pairings:
- Sweet potato + egg yolk
- Tomatoes + avocado
You can boost your baby’s nutrition absorption with your own homemade recipes or use a Beech-Nut blend with some freshly added ingredients.
Consult your pediatrician for recommendations specific to your baby’s diet.