When all I had to do was make formula, it was so easy since I only had to get the temperature right. But then, I faced my first real challenge: making baby food.
I followed recipes diligently, putting my heart and soul into every step. I even went to the trouble of making a rich beef broth from scratch, just like the recipe said. But the moment I put a spoonful in my baby’s mouth, he immediately spat it out. This happened again and again. I started to worry: Was it too early for him? Was it just that bad? I realized then just how difficult it was for a parent when a baby refuses to eat.
After much deliberation, I wondered if maybe he just didn’t like beef. So I changed my approach. I simply took some common vegetables like carrots and spinach, boiled them with soaked rice, and then just roughly blended the whole thing. I didn’t even use broth; I just used water.
To my utter surprise, my baby ate that simple, roughly-made baby food so well! He devoured an entire bowl in no time. Later, I saw that he still didn’t like the beef-based meals, so I figured it was the beef broth that didn’t agree with him.
For the first few months, I just blended everything into a smooth puree. As he got older, I started leaving some texture. The method was always the same; I just changed the ingredients based on what was in the fridge, like carrots, apples, spinach, or chicken breast. And amazingly, he always ate everything so well.
It was a valuable lesson that while a parent’s sincerity is important, it’s even more crucial to find the ingredients and flavors that your baby truly loves.