#FirstFoods #MyWeaningStory
Until an age of 6 months an infant is totally dependant on breast milk, formulae milk or a combination of both. Though in some cases one has to depend on formulae milk, mother's milk or breast milk is considered to be the best source of nutrition for babies. It has the requisite amount of well balanced nutrients for the baby. It also keeps the baby from getting dehydrated, saves the baby from infections, is at the right temperature, doesn't need sterilization, changes its composition as the baby grows and the best part is that it helps build a bond between the mother and child.
Weaning a kid is not an easy task for most of the mothers. Introduction of semi solid food sometimes is really difficult. But it has to be started somewhere as this lays the foundation for a child's healthy food habits which then continue for a long time.
The first food that I had started for my kid was daal ka paani, as it is light on the stomach but it has less nutrition so I decided to make something more filling and healthy. I am sharing the recipe for my homemade vegetable soup which is not only light and nutritious but also give relief in cold and cough.
Ingredients (this will make 1 bowl of soup)
1 ripe tomato (medium) chopped roughly. 1 medium onion chopped, few garlic cloves peeled.

1/2 carrot, 1/4 capsicum, 1 small potato, a few beans, 1/2 apple- all to be washed well and chopped roughly. You can also add few spinach leaves roughly cut.

2 tbsp moong or toor daal washed well.

3 cups water
For tadka
1 tsp ghee

A pinch each of pepper, hing, zeera powder and turmeric.
Method

1. Take a pressure cooker and add tomatoes, all veggies, apple, onion, garlic and daal. Add water and keep on simmer till 3 whistles come.
2. When steam is out open and mash the mix with a hand blender and strain the contents.
3. In a pan add ghee. When hot add hing, zeera powder, turmeric and pepper. Then add the soup and cook for 1 minute.
The soup is ready to serve. It is really tasty, helps relieve cold and cough, is light on stomach and easy to prepare. This can be given to babies who are around 7-8 months old and for babies who are more than an year old one can add little salt too..
Give this continuously for at least a week or 10 days and the baby will ask for more.