Kids Cuisine

My 16-month-old daughter, Ava, has basically given up on eating her morning cereal, and I have given up on trying to figure out why. She’s still devouring her morning bananas like there’s no tomorrow, but my wife and I wanted her to have more to eat than just bananas. So we started to give her yogurt, starting about 7 or 8 months ago — gosh, does she love yogurt! As soon as I take a 4-ounce serving cup out of the frig she recognizes it, starts pointing at it, and clamors for it.

There are many brands to choose from, such as Horizon Organic, Stonyfield Farm’s YoBaby , Dannon’s Danimals, and more.

I’ve read that most pediatricians recommend starting infants on yogurt around 7-8 months of age. Some pediatricians also recommend yogurt as a great first food (from 6 months+). I’ve been giving Ava whole milk yogurt, since I think it’s most beneficial to her as she need fats in their diets for proper growth. Plus, my wife tells me whole milk is good for brain development.

Most of the infant and children yogurts you find at the local market is flavored, and some have fruit. I’ve found Ava likes it when toasted oats cereal is added to the yogurt. I’m not sure if it’s a textural thing or that she just likes the cereal… I’m not asking why either. But, there’s much more you can add to the yogurt than just cereal. For example, add applesauce and a dash of cinnamon; other fruits like blueberries, peaches, bananas (ones that are soft); wheat germ; mashed avocados (that’s right); or even your infant’s favorite veggie (it may sound odd to you, but to an infant it might be a great combo… again, I don’t question why).

You can also create a baby smoothie by blending the yogurt with any fruit and water. The water helps thin the mixture. This is especially helpful for infants who are not yet drinking from a plastic cup; the mixture can be poured into a sippy cup. Just make sure all the fruit is thoroughly pureed or your baby will never get it through the sippy top. Remember when you were drinking a shake full of fruit chunks and you tried and tried to suck the fruit through the straw? Exactly.

You can also bake with yogurt. Just take any recipe you cook with using “adult” yogurt and substitute baby yogurt. Stonyfield Farm is one web site that has a bunch of great recipes for breakfast, lunch, dinner, dessert, and more.

But this is not say that you can’t give your child adult-style yogurt, too. The key point, though, is to read the nutrition label. Some yogurts have great amounts of sodium, and there may be other factors to consider like differences in sugars and fats (saturated and trans fat).

Ava’s favorite is Stonyfield’s YoBaby; it’s 100-percent natural and organic, with low sugar and salt amounts.

Yogurt is a wonderful, safe, and healthy food to feed your baby—a great source for calcium and many other nutrients. If you’re unsure, check with you pediatrician first. Let me know if your child is eating yogurt, what you add to it, and how you add it to recipes.