I've been taking Parker's food introductions very slow. His father had severe food allergies and was actually given allergy shots before the age of two. I don't have any food allergies and I am breastfeeding the kidlet so I didn't think he would develop any. But my motto in this was "Better Safe than Sorry."
Today was quinoa. I don't think he even noticed it was a new food. I mixed some in with a jarred vegetable puree and the little piggy ate it all up. But it was a special day in that his grandmother, Nana, was feeding him for the first time. Parker enjoyed the meal despite Nana not shoveling it in fast enough! My boy is a very good eater. He even tried to eat the spoon with each bite of food.
(Just a note on quinoa- it is a ancient grain cultivated in the Andes and throughout South America that's becoming easier to find here. I can buy organic at the local grocery store here in Lubbock so I am sure it's not hard for the rest of the country to find. Its texture reminds me of Israeli couscous, only it's much smaller and doesn't "pop" as much. I use it as a rice replacement in stir-fries or as a cold salad tossed with italian dressing, tomatoes and cucumbers.)
I'm not giving Parker wheat until he is close to a year old (SOP these days for infants). I feel we, as consumers, are so dependant on wheat when there are many many different grains and cereals to experiment with. It's no wonder wheat allergies are so prevalent when it's present at most meals. Some other grains/cereals Parker's had thus far are millet, buckwheat (He LOVES this for breakfast.), barley (in addition to the boxed infant barley cereal mix, I've cooked the quick-cook barley for him. Very easy to do and MUCH less time-consuming than regular barley, but of course you lose the nut-like texture). He's also had lentils and he loves those as well. They are easy for him to swallow and in small amounts, the gas has not been a problem.
Last week I finished allergy testing...turns out I've developed allergies to wheat, soy, milk and brewer's yeast so I'm not learning all about alternative grains and proteins. Rice pasta is in the cabinet to try this week and quinoa (which btw is a killer scrabble word) is on the list. Let me know if you find some really good recipes for it!
ReplyDeleteOh, the rice pasta is ok right out of the pot, but it gets very crunchy if you try to reheat and eat it later. I tried some with Parker and he just didn't like it. He doesn't like rice that much either. It's too tough or at least it was at first. He's getting better now about textured foods. Have you tried buckwheat cereal? I really liked that. And millet is good too either as a cereal or in place of rice. I love quinoa as a cold salad, like a tabouli. I just poured in salad dressing and tossed with tomatoes. Probably not what you are looking for this time of year, but keep it in mind! I am sorry to hear about your allergies. I am sure it's a relief to know though. Have you tried almond or rice milk? I'm not a fan of milk so I was going to give those to Parker along with soy milk. Have you made lentils or barley soup yet? Email me if you'd like some ideas. *snugs*
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