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Weaning off your little munchkin - is dal/rice water the correct choice?

Hi everyone, so here am I back again, with another post of mine. When our little bundle of joy turns 6 months old, we as moms are worried about what should we start with for them as their first food so that they get all the nutrition they need to be strong and healthy.

In most households, including mine, the very first thing that is suggested to be given to them is dal water/ rice water.

The issue is, does it provide the required nutrition it is claimed to? Is it really healthy? Is it nutritious enough for the baby to be introduced as their first food?
The answer is NO.

Dal water or rice water, as the name suggests, is just water strained out of daal or rice after its cooked. It lacks any nutritional value, and is no more than empty calories.

The main reason we prefer daal for the baby is due to daal is high in protein and iron, however, there is NO IRON & NO PROTEIN in simple daal ka Paani. It's better to give daal instead.

Mothers, usually think that they do not have enough milk for the baby and many of them start with liquid foods even before the kiddo is 6 months, which can be dangerous for the baby, since their little tummies aren't yet ready to digest anything apart from breastmilk.

Second reason, when you compare daal/chawal ka Paani with your breastmilk, you will find that milk is thicker than water (obviously), so no point in introducing daal Paani when the baby is anyway used to swallow something thicker.

Third thing, too liquid food or food with too runny consistency does no help when it comes to making the baby familiar with various textures of food. If at all we need to start with purees, the purees should be thick enough to not slip off the spoon too easily. And all purees must be weaned off by 8 months, and baby should slowly be habituated to various textures of food, coarsely mashed first, and then by the age of one year ready to have the same meals as the family. If we just give runny liquids to the baby, they won't be habituated to various textures of food, and would show resistance when trying to offer regular food later on.

Hence, being informed is very useful and important for not just you, but your precious little munchkin as well... Stay informed, and make right choices for your little one 😊

Till we meet again