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Thanksgiving Meal Ideas for Baby
by Maggie Meade

Description: Easy recipes you can prepare for your baby for your family's Thanksgiving meal.

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Baby does not have to be "left out" of Thanksgiving meals just because she is an infant. Thanksgiving is a wonderful time for baby to explore foods and share in the family celebration. Pull baby's high chair up to the dinner table and watch her joy and wonder as she takes part in the Thanksgiving tradition.

With some creativity, your baby can have a Thanksgiving dinner similar to what the big kids and adults are eating! Below you will find our ideas for how to serve up a Thanksgiving Dinner for your baby or toddler. Please ensure that the combinations and foods suggested are age appropriate for your child! **remember the "4 day Wait" rule when mixing combinations**

"Thanksgiving Dinners for Little Ones"

For Beginners (younger than 7 months old)

Squashy Sweet Potatoes

Take a small scoop of that baked acorn or butternut squash and mash in some sweet potatoes.

Baby Apple Pie

If you will be offering your baby cereal at Thanksgiving, make him a Baby Apple Pie - mix some applesauce together with oatmeal or rice cereal.

Pumpkin Pie

Baby Pumpkin Pie is easy, simply blend pumpkin puree together with oatmeal or rice cereal.

For the Intermediates (7 months to 10 months old)

Spicy Squash

Add some cinnamon and/or nutmeg to baby's squash.

Green Beans and Potatoes

Green beans and mashed potatoes are a staple of many Thanksgiving meals, for your baby, make a blend of white potatoes and green beans.

Baby's Turkey Dinner

Serve your baby a yummy Thanksgiving Turkey Dinner mélange. Take some turkey, applesauce, sweet potato and squash; blend it all together for a yummy meal. If your baby is eating finger foods, simply cut the turkey into small pieces and arrange in baby's dish with the squash, sweet potato and applesauce.

Tofu Dinner

If you will be offering your baby tofu at the Thanksgiving Dinner table, you can make your baby's tofu meal fitting and festive too. Blend or dice the tofu into manageable bites and blend with squash or sweet potato for a yummy meal. You can also arrange the tofu bites in baby's dish with squash, white potato and another veggie like carrots or green beans.

Sweet Potato Pie

Mix sweet potato, yogurt, cereal and a dash of cinnamon, top with powdered Cheerios or Oatie O's and mix well. For additional fun and enjoyment, let your baby do the blending of her own Sweet Potato Pie!

Apple Pie

Combine cereal, yogurt and applesauce together adding a dash of cinnamon, top with powdered Cheerios or Oatie O's and mix well. For additional fun and enjoyment, let your baby do the blending of her own Apple Pie!

Pumpkin Pie

Combine pumpkin puree together with cereal, yogurt and add a dash of cinnamon or nutmeg, top with powdered Cheerios or Oatie O's and mix well. For additional fun and enjoyment, let your baby do the blending of her own Sweet Potato Pie!

For the Experienced Palate (11 months old +)

Use all the recipes above only serve as "finger" meals if baby is eating chunky foods.

Arrange dices of turkey, dollops of sweet potato and squash and add some white potato along with green beans.

Offer your baby some "real" apple pie at this age (if you don't mind the sugar that is!)

Is it ok to Offer My Baby Cranberry Sauce or Cranberries?

Cranberries tend to be acidic and as such, are not recommended as a "starter' food for babies. As cranberries are not related to strawberries or other "berries" such as blackberries or raspberries, they do not follow the "no berries until 12 months old" rule. You may wish to introduce cranberries between 9 and 12 months old so as to avoid any possible reactions due to the acidity. Reactions may occur in the form of rashes around the mouth or bottom. Always keep in mind that a bite of a food may not prompt a reaction however a "full" serving may.

Can My Baby Eat the Family Pumpkin Pie?

Pumpkin Pie typically contains whole eggs and evaporated milk. Many pediatricians will say that for the non-allergic baby of 8 months or older, baked goods with whole eggs are fine. The same advice is true for milk products. Milk in a baked good recipe is fine for the non-allergic infant of 8 months or older. (Please remember that milk is NOT appropriate as a replacement for breast milk or formula until a baby has reached the age of 12 months or until your baby's pediatrician indicates this is appropriate!)

If you would like your baby to have a Thanksgiving treat and wish to serve him a wee bit of pumpkin pie, consider the above and as always, consult with your pediatrician!

Is Gravy Ok to Offer my Baby?

Our inclination is to not offer babies gravy during Thanksgiving. Homemade Gravy is made of starches and the fatty drippings from the Thanksgiving Turkey pan. Jarred or canned gravy contains a variety of un-pronounceable ingredients that may not be good for your baby.

Keeping in mind the above, if you wish to offer your baby a small drizzle of gravy during Thanksgiving Dinner then feel free to do so. If you baby is prone to digestive upsets, we would recommend using a very small amount or none at all. As always, you should consult with your pediatrician about offering your baby foods that may not appropriate for baby's stage!

Pie Crust Recipes for Holiday Pies

These are 2 of our favorite pie crust recipes! You can prepare the dough ahead of time and then freeze if you wish. You can use these crusts for traditional fruit pies, for making cheesy quiches or even for making meat pies! Babies over the age of 8 months should be able to handle the ingredients in a pie crust.

EASY PEASY PIE CRUST - the trick is in the cutting in of the shortening!

2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup shortening
6-7 Tablespoons cold water or 1/3 cup of cold milk

Combine flour and salt in mixing bowl. Cut in the shortening until the mixture is very fine. Sprinkle in water, 1 tablespoon at a time, while tossing lightly with fork. Keep mixing until dough holds together. Roll out dough.

SWEETY PIE CRUST

1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces and chilled
2 teaspoons of sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
3 Tablespoons ice water

Put the flour, sugar and salt into the bowl of a food processor or stand mixer. Pulse to combine, about 20 seconds. Add butter; pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal. With the motor running, slowly add the ice water and process until dough starts coming together. Remove from processor and pat the dough into a disk. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill at least 1 hour before using

Margaret Meade is the Editor of http://www.wholesomebabyfood.com and is the mother of 3 boys. The boys were raised on all Homemade Baby Food; and since Mommy had been studying nutrition for many years, she knew homemade was best! Visit her web site to find out how easy it is to make fresh and yummy homemade baby food!