Weight-Gaining and Nutritious Recipes for Babies Aged 6 Months and Older

By DrDeepthi S Rao | Updated: 11/11/2021

Babies are a bundle of joy! Until six months of age, they will be consuming only breast milk, so there won’t be much worry surrounding their nutrition. The real dilemma comes when we introduce solid foods. Here, I am going to share a few recipes that you can try feeding your little ones. These are the recipes which I give to my baby; you can take ideas from here, and prepare the dishes according to your preference. As the days pass, you will definitely know what your baby likes to eat, and prepare accordingly!

1. Mashed Green Peas

Ingredients:

5 to 6 tbsp green peas
Unsalted butter/ghee

Preparation:
Boil the green peas until fully cooked. After cooling, grind to a smooth paste. Add a teaspoon of ghee or unsalted butter. A pinch of jeera (optional) is good for digestion and prevents flatulence.

2. Ragi/Finger Millet Porridge

Ingredients:

2 tbsp of ragi
1/2 tsp of chickpeas (chole) or sprouts
Few pieces of beetroot or carrot
1/4 tsp of jaggery or palm jaggery
1 tsp of ghee or clarified butter

Preparation:

Take the ragi in a bowl. Add a little water, and mix it firmly so as to avoid lumps. Add the sprouts and vegetables. Place in a cooker for two whistles. You can even boil the ragi and veggies separately. It should be cooked well. After it cools, add the jaggery or palm jaggery. It is a rich source of calcium. Grind to a smooth paste, then finally add ghee.

3. Tasty Apple Puree

Ingredients:

Few pieces of apple
Unsalted butter

Preparation:

Peel the apple skin first. Boil the apple pieces until fully cooked. After cooling, grind into a paste. To this, you can add unsalted butter or ghee. No need of adding any sweetener to this.

4. Ragi Porridge With Banana

Ingredients:

2 tbsp of ragi millet
One small banana

Preparation:

Mix the ragi millet in the same way as said in the second recipe. After cooling, grind to a smooth paste. Add a banana, and grind again. Add a teaspoon of ghee. Banana gives a natural sweetness to it.

5. Mixed Dal/Lentils With Rice or Veggies

Ingredients:

2 tbsp of lentils (green gram/yellow lentils/red lentils, etc.)
2 tbsp of rice (optional)
Jaggery and ghee

Preparation:

Add well-cooked lentils to cooked rice. Mash or grind to a smooth form. Add a small piece of palm jaggery, and ghee. You can also add two boiled spinach leaves or any other leafy vegetables of your choice.

You can also give separate purees of fruits, like mashed banana, apples, musk melon, and so on.

Some nutritional information about the above recipes:

I have mentioned ghee and jaggery in all the recipes, as they are rich sources of nutrients.

Ghee or butter is very beneficial for brain development. It also helps to boost metabolism. Ghee is rich in omega-3 fatty acids.
Jaggery, especially palm jaggery, is a rich source of calcium, which is very essential for the overall growth of babies.
Green leafy vegetables are rich in fibre. They are very good for avoiding constipation.
Lentils are a rich source of proteins.
Rice provides the required carbohydrates to the body.

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