South African Food ; Traditional African style organic recipes for weaning babies are quite reliable as they have been used from generations past until the present day. This has been so because these foods are quite nutritious and organic too.
Although organic fruits and vegetables contain fewer pesticide residues than non-organic ones, the levels of contamination in both are well within safe limits.
Most importantly, the ingredients that were used in this special baby food making process were quite diverse.
They included African fruits, vegetables, roots or tubers, cereals you name it. All these are used for making food for weaned babies.
However, these ingredients are proven to be 100% organic, hence they are safe to use just in case you were beginning to get worried.
These African styles of organic recipes/foods were very good for babies as they would and still stay longer in the baby’s stomach.
Pumpkin and carrot soup;South African Food
Ingredients
- 1 cup of water
- 1 onion
- 500g of pumpkin cubes
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- Pinch of salt
- 1 carrot
- 1 chicken cube
Utensils
- Chopping board
- Peeler
- Knife
- Pot
- Mixing bowl
- Blender
Method
- Boil 1 cup of water in a pot.
- Add 500g of pumpkin and a pinch of salt
- Bring to boil until cooked.
- Preheat pan and add a tablespoon of olive oil.
- Put onion plus carrot into a pan and fry until soft.
- mix 1 litre of warm water with a chicken cube and mix well.
- Pour the chicken stock into the pan and boil for 5 minutes.
- Add pumpkin into the carrot mixture and simmer for five minutes.
- Add 100ml of fresh cream and mix.
- Pour mixture into the blender and blend until smooth.
- Serve in a baby bowl.
Potato soup
South African Food
Ingredients
- 1 potato
- 1 litre of water
- ¼ tsp of pepper
- ½ cup of milk
- Pinch of salt
- 1tblsp butter
Utensils
- Peeler
- Whisker
- Pot
- Baby bowl
Method
- Wash potatoes until clean.
- Peel and dice potatoes.
- Add 1 litre of water into a pot with the potato and boil for 15 minutes.
- Pour half cup of milk into a jug and add ¼ tsp of pepper and salt then whisk.
- Add the milk mixture into the potato pot.
- Stir in 2 tbsp of butter or cheese.
- Pour into a baby bowl and serve.
South African Food
African grandmas advise that you introduce organic foods to weaned baby from a very pouring texture to mashed foods, for they help the baby to be full for a longer period of time. This is made possible by our very own faithful healthy organic foods.
My granny used to always say that,” if you feed your baby well, he or she will certainly not scream for you or even cry for breast milk but will always play far away from you because his little stomach is full. Hence the only time your baby will come back or start crying is when he or she is feeling hungry”.
Maize, yam, potatoes, pumpkins, butternut are a few amongst many other organic foods that are well-favoured amongst west and south African societies, as they are well known for keeping the stomach full in both the young and the old.
Yam Puree ; South African Food
Ingredients
- 1 yam
- 1 cup of water
Utensils
- Pot
- Knife
- Peeler
- Chopping board
- Baby bowl
- Blender
Method
- Wash yam with water until it is clean.
- Skin yam and cut into small pieces.
- Pour water into a pot and put the yam and bring to boil.
- Reduce the heat to low and cook for 15 minutes until tender.
- Turn off the heat when cooked and leave the food to stand.
- Transfer the yam and all the cooking water into a blender and blend until smooth.
- Pour into a baby bowl and serve.
In contrast, there are also purees that used to be made for babies in the old days and are still made up to this day.
Baby food tips in South African Food
South African Food
These purees used to vary in texture from pouring to a much thicker consistency. However, these foods were introduced to weaned babies depending on the baby’s age furthermore this method would help the baby digestive system to function accordingly.
If you feel the food is too thick you add warm water gradually and mix well until it is all blended.
This helps him not to keep on resorting to milk to fill up his belly or even thinking of screaming and crying for breast milk from you.
Traditional south african food
African traditional barley porridge
Ingredients
- 1 cup of
- cup breast milk formula
- 1cup of water
Utensils
- Utensils
- Grinder
- Pan
- Whisker
Method
- Wash barley and dry it.
- Roast barley until golden brown, avoid burning.
- Grind one cup of barley until fine.
- Bring water to boil.
- Add ground barley powder into the boiling water and stir in.
- Bring mixture to boil.
- Reduce heat to low and stir constantly for about 20 minutes.
- Turn off the heat and leave to stand.
- Thin the mixture with 1 cup of breast milk formula.
- Add the milk gradually stirring in continuously until you get a good texture.
- Pour into a baby bowl and serve warm.
Brown rice porridge in South African Food
Ingredients
- 1 cup of brown rice
- ¼ cup of water
- 1 cup breast milk formula
- Pinch of salt
Utensils
- Grinder
- Pot
Method
- Pre-wash rice clean and dry it.
- Roast rice until golden brown and let it stand to cool.
- Put rice into the grinder and grind until fine.
- Add a ¼ cup of water in a pan, stir in I cup of ground rice.
- Leave to boil until cooked.
- Pour breast milk formula and stir consistently.
- Pour into a baby bowl and serve.
Mealie meal porridge with peanut butter.
South African Food
Ingredients
- ½ cup mealie meal powder
- 1 cup of water
- 1/4 cup of breastmilk formula
- 1tblsp Condensed milk /honey
- Pinch of salt
- 1tbsp peanut butter
Utensils
- Whisker
- Pot
Method
- Bring water to boil, stir in mealie meal and mix well (avoid lumps).
- Stir gradually until think.
- Add peanut butter and stir in well.
- Mix in condensed milk or honey and salt to taste.
- Turn off the heat and leave to simmer.
- Pour into porridge ¼ cup of breast milk formula and stir in until you get your desired texture.
- Pour peanut butter porridge into a baby bowl and serve warm.
Baobab maize meal porridge.
South African Food
Ingredients
- 1tbsp baobab powder
- 1tbsp honey
- Pinch of salt
- ½ cup of fine maize meal
- 1 cup of water
Utensils
- Pot
- Whisker
Method
- Bring water to boil.
- Pour into boiling water maize meal and stir in carefully (avoid lumps).
- Mix baobab with very little cold water and pour into maize meal (this helps to avoid lumps) and stir well.
- Leave to boil until thick, remembering to stir regularly to avoid porridge from sticking on to the pot and lumps too.
- Add honey and salt to taste and stir.
- Turn off the heat and leave the pot to simmer.
- Pour porridge in a baby bowl and serve while warm
At this stage your baby is getting used to the new menu you have introduced to his diet hence you can go ahead and introduce more African style organic recipes that are thicker in texture. So as to try and keep him full for a much longer period.