Week 23: Papaya and Mushrooms
Papaya
Papaya For Your Baby
The papaya is a tropical fruit that most of us in North America are not familiar with, though it is ubiquitous in South and Central America. It may be difficult to find where you live, but if you can find it it has the taste of the pineapple with the texture of a cantaloupe. The skin is bright orange unlike its green cousin the mango. It has a mild flavor and it is very easy for baby to digest.
When is baby ready?
6 months old
How to buy
Buy firm non-blemished papaya and eat when soft.
Recommended products for your baby:
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Homemade Baby Food Recipe
Cut in half, remove seeds and peel, and eat.
How to store
Keep on counter-top until soft and refrigerate for one week after ripening.
Are there baby food jars?
No.
Should I buy organic?
No, it has a tough skin so it probably is not contaminated with pesticides.
Adult Recipe
Just cut-up and eat or mix with other fruit to make a fruit salad. Serve at breakfast with some lime to squeeze on it.
Mushrooms
Mushrooms For Your Baby
There are so many varieties of mushrooms it is difficult to know where to start if you aren't already a mushroom eater. Porcini, chanterelles, portobello, are just 3 kinds of many of the wonderful tastes and textures. Though mushrooms are commonly thought to have little nutritional value, many species are high in fiber and provide vitamins such as thiamine, riboflavin, niacin and vitamin C. Since we are taking care of a baby, the easiest thing to do is to buy the cleaned pre-sliced cremini mushrooms.
Recommended products for your baby:
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When is baby ready?
8 months old
How to buy
Buy cleaned pre-sliced cremini mushrooms. When your baby is older, and you have more time, try other varieties of mushrooms.
Mushroom Baby Food Recipe
If you bought whole mushrooms then rinse mushrooms very lightly, and then cut off hard spots and stems and slice. After they are sliced, saute on medium heat 8 ounces of mushrooms in 1/4 cup olive oil or butter for 10 minutes.
How to store
Mushrooms will keep in your refrigerator wrapped in loose plastic or a paper bag for one week.
Are there baby food jars?
No.
Should I buy organic?
There is no recommendation from the USDA on pesticide residue on mushrooms.
Adult Recipe
The great thing about mushrooms is that they already have a great taste so there isn't much you have to do to them. If you saute them for baby above, you can just add them to salads, omelets, quesadillas, and macaroni and cheese, to name a few foods that mushrooms would taste good in. They keep well in the refrigerator already cooked so you could add some wine vinegar and parsley and make a mushroom salad as a quick side.
Eating tip of the week
Be adventurous with your eating and your child will too. Take this time that you are feeding your baby new things to feed some new things for yourself and start incorporating the variety in your everyday eating. Nutritious food is also satisfying food.
Week #23 Shopping List
Baby Food
- sliced mushrooms
- papaya
Adult Food
- olive oil
